IP Library Granted Patent US 12,585,340
Granted Patent B2
US 12,585,340 · App. 18/200,766 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Tracking a paired peripheral input device based on a contact criterion

Inventors: Waleed Abdulla (Sunnyvale, CA); Sree Harsha Kalli (Santa Clara, CA); Mohamed Selim Ben Himane (Milpitas, CA)
G06F3/0346G06F1/1694G06F3/03545G06F3/0383
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,585,340
App. No.
18/200,766
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes tracking, via a positional tracker, the paired peripheral input device in a first tracking mode. The method includes obtaining sensor data from the paired peripheral input device via a communication interface. The method includes determining that the paired peripheral input device satisfies a contact criterion based on the sensor data. The contact criterion is based on a contact between the paired peripheral input device and a physical object. The method includes, in response to determining that the paired peripheral input device satisfies the contact criterion, changing the positional tracker from the first tracking mode to a second tracking mode. Tracking in the second tracking mode is based in part on a depth that indicates a distance between the electronic device and the physical object.

Claims (40)

1 . A method comprising:

at an electronic device including a communication interface to communicate with a paired peripheral input device, one or more processors, and non-transitory memory:

determining a distance between the electronic device and a physical object;

obtaining, from the paired peripheral input device via the communication interface, sensor data indicative of a distance between the paired peripheral input device and the physical object; and

determining a location of the paired peripheral input device based on (i) satisfaction of a criterion based on the sensor data and (ii) the distance between the electronic device and the physical object.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the criterion is satisfied when the distance between the paired peripheral input device and the physical object is less than a threshold.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the criterion is satisfied when the paired peripheral input device contacts the physical object.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the paired peripheral input device does not satisfy the criterion based on the sensor data; and

determining the location of the paired peripheral input device independent of the sensor data.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before obtaining the sensor data, storing, in the non-transitory memory, the distance between the electronic device and the physical object;

identifying the physical object; and

obtaining, from the non-transitory memory, the distance between the electronic device and the physical object based on the identification.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising obtaining an environmental map of at least a portion of a physical environment, wherein the portion of the physical environment includes the physical object, and wherein obtaining the distance between the electronic device and the physical object includes extracting a depth from the environmental map based on the identification.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the environmental map corresponds to a three-dimensional (3D) map of at least the portion of the physical environment.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location of the paired peripheral input device includes determining a distance between the electronic device and the paired peripheral input device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the distance between the electronic device and the paired peripheral input device includes assigning the distance between the electronic device and the physical object as the distance between the electronic device and the paired peripheral input device.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes pressure sensor data that characterizes a level of pressure associated with the paired peripheral input device.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure sensor data is from a contact intensity sensor of the paired peripheral input device.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes proximity sensor data from a proximity sensor of the paired peripheral input device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the proximity sensor is a laser-based proximity sensor.

14 . An electronic device comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with a paired peripheral input device;

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more processors to:

determine a distance between the electronic device and a physical object;

obtain, from the paired peripheral input device via the communication interface, sensor data indicative of a distance between the paired peripheral input device and the physical object; and

determine a location of the paired peripheral input device based on (i) satisfaction of a criterion based on the sensor data and (ii) the distance between the electronic device and the physical object.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the criterion is satisfied when the distance between the paired peripheral input device and the physical object is less than a threshold.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the criterion is satisfied when the paired peripheral input device contacts the physical object.

17 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further to:

determine that the paired peripheral input device does not satisfy the criterion based on the sensor data; and

determine the location of the paired peripheral input device independent of the sensor data.

18 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are to determine the location of the paired peripheral input device by determining a distance between the electronic device and the paired peripheral input device.

19 . The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are to determine the distance between the electronic device and the paired peripheral input device by assigning a distance between the electronic device and the physical object as the distance between the electronic device and the paired peripheral input device.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device including a communication interface to communicate with a paired peripheral input device, cause the electronic device to:

determine a distance between the electronic device and a physical object;

obtain, from the paired peripheral input device via the communication interface, sensor data indicative of a distance between the paired peripheral input device and the physical object; and

determine a location of the paired peripheral input device based on (i) satisfaction of a criterion based on the sensor data and (ii) the distance between the electronic device and the physical object.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 17850105 · Jun 27, 2022
Provisional Application 63236154 · Aug 23, 2021
Related Publication 20230288996A1 · Sep 14, 2023
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