Virtual reality controller

A virtual reality (VR) controller includes a handle, a side housing, and a switch. The side housing has a fixed portion and a flexible portion. The fixed portion is fixed to the handle, and a contour of the side housing extending toward the handle conforms to a shape of a palm. The switch is disposed between the handle and the side housing. The flexible portion is deformed to trigger the switch when the handle and the side housing are held and a force is applied to the flexible portion relative to the handle. In other words, the flexible portion abutting against the palm is deformed to trigger the switch when the handle and the side housing are held and a force is applied, relative to the flexible portion, to one side of the handle far away from the flexible portion.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a virtual reality (VR) device, and in particular, to a VR controller adapted to be held by a right or left hand to interact with a virtual environment to perform actions such as capturing, picking up, or triggering.

Description of Related Art

Virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming popular, and a handheld controller is a common VR input device. A user may control an action by pressing a button of the handheld controller. However, in terms of user experience, it is not intuitive to perform an action such as capturing or picking up through finger tap in VR.

SUMMARY

The disclosure provides a virtual reality (VR) controller configured to provide a more intuitive trigger action to deliver instructions such as capturing or picking up in VR.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a VR controller is adapted to sense a motion in a three-dimensional space. The VR controller includes a handle, a side housing, and a switch. The side housing has a fixed portion and a flexible portion. The fixed portion is fixed to the handle, and a contour of the side housing extending toward the handle conforms to a shape of a palm. The switch is disposed between the handle and the side housing. The flexible portion is deformed to trigger the switch when the handle and the side housing are held and a force is applied to the flexible portion relative to the handle. In other words, the flexible portion abutting against the palm is deformed to trigger the switch when the handle and the side housing are held and a force is applied, relative to the flexible portion, to one side of the handle far away from the flexible portion.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a contour of the handle extending toward the side housing conforms to the shape of the palm.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the side housing has a bump connected to the flexible portion to trigger the switch.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the side housing has an outer frame connected to the fixed portion and surrounding the flexible portion together with the fixed portion.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes at least one fastener fastening the fixed portion to the handle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes a shielding member fixed to the side housing to shield the at least one fastener.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes a position sensing portion disposed on the handle to sense a position of the hand.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes an index finger control portion disposed on the handle and not between the handle and the side housing to be touched or pressed by a finger.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes an actuator disposed in the handle. The actuator generates a feedback movement when the switch is pressed by the side housing.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes an orientation sensor disposed in the handle to sense an orientation and a movement of the handle.

According to another embodiment of the disclosure, a VR controller is adapted to sense a motion in a three-dimensional space. The VR controller includes a handle, a side housing, and a pressure sensor. The side housing is fixed to the handle. A contour of the side housing extending toward the handle conforms to a shape of a palm. The pressure sensor is disposed in the side housing. The pressure sensor senses an amount of deformation of the side housing when the handle and the side housing are held and a force is applied to the side housing relative to the handle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, when the amount of deformation of the side housing exceeds a preset value, the current deformation of the side housing is defined as a trigger action.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes a position sensing portion disposed on the handle to sense an orientation of the handle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes an index finger control portion disposed on the handle and not between the handle and the side housing to be touched or pressed by a finger.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes an actuator disposed in the handle. The actuator generates a feedback movement when the switch is pressed by the side housing.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the VR controller further includes an orientation sensor disposed in the handle to sense an orientation and a movement of the handle.

Based on the above, according to the foregoing embodiments of the disclosure, the VR controller provides a more intuitive trigger action using the side cover and the switch (or the pressure sensor), to deliver instructions such as capturing or picking up in VR.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 1, in the present embodiment, a virtual reality (VR) controller100is configured to sense a motion in a three-dimensional space and may perform wireless communication with other VR devices (for example, a head-mounted display, a host, a server, and a computer system for VR) through a wireless module (not shown). A user may perform actions such as capturing and picking up in the VR using the VR controller100.

Referring toFIG. 1toFIG. 3, the VR controller100includes a handle110, a side housing120, and a switch130. The side housing120has a fixed portion122and a flexible portion124, and the fixed portion122is fixed to the handle110. Contours of the side housing120and the handle110conform to a shape of a palm. In particular, a contour of the side housing120extending toward the handle110conforms to the shape of the palm, and a contour of the handle110extending toward the side housing120may also conform to the shape of the palm. The switch130is disposed between the handle110and the side housing120. The flexible portion124is deformed to trigger the switch130when the handle110and the side housing120are held and a force is applied to the flexible portion124relative to the handle110. In other words, the flexible portion124abutting against the palm is deformed to trigger the switch130when the handle110and the side housing120are held and a force is applied to, relative to the flexible portion124, one side of the handle110far away from the flexible portion124.

Referring toFIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the side housing120has a bump126connected to the flexible portion124to trigger the switch130. The switch130in the present embodiment is, for example, a spring switch. However, in other embodiments, the switch may be a pressure sensor, a force sensor, a light sensor, a thermal sensor, a microwave sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an electric sensor, a current sensor, a capacitance sensor, a resistance sensor, a voltage sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an electronic gastroscope (EGG) sensor, or the like.

Referring toFIG. 1toFIG. 3, the VR controller100further includes at least one fastener140(a plurality of bolts is used in the present embodiment) fastening the fixed portion122of the side cover to the handle110. In addition, the VR controller100further includes a shielding plate150fixed to the side housing120to shield the fastener140.

Referring toFIG. 1, the VR controller100may further include a position sensing portion160disposed on the handle110to sense a position of the handle110. In the present embodiment, the position sensing portion160is located at one end of the handle110and has a plurality of photosensors, so that an external apparatus senses the position of the handle110.

Referring toFIG. 1, the VR controller100may further include a thumb control portion170disposed on the handle110to be touched or pressed by a finger. In the present embodiment, the thumb control portion170includes at least one thumb key172that may be touched or pressed by a thumb to trigger a corresponding instruction.

Referring toFIG. 1, the VR controller100may further include an index finger control portion180disposed on the handle110to be touched or pressed by a finger. In the present embodiment, the index finger control portion180includes at least one index finger key182that may be touched or pressed by an index finger to trigger a corresponding instruction.

Referring toFIG. 1toFIG. 3, the VR controller100may further include an actuator192disposed in the handle110to generate feedback from a user. In the present embodiment, the actuator192is, for example, a vibrator, an electrode actuator, a heater, a fan, or a blower. Therefore, the actuator192may be driven to generate an action fed back to the user, such as vibrating, generating a current, heating, or generating an air flow. In addition, the actuator192may be electrically coupled to the switch130.

Referring toFIG. 2, the VR controller100may further include an orientation sensor194disposed in the handle110to sense an orientation and a movement of the handle110. The orientation sensor194may include components such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer.

Referring toFIG. 4toFIG. 6, an embodiment shown inFIG. 4toFIG. 6has the same structural configuration as the embodiment shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 3, and a difference between the two is that the side cover in the embodiment shown inFIG. 4toFIG. 6has an outer frame128connected to the fixed portion122and surrounding the flexible portion124together with the fixed portion122. Accordingly, the flexible portion124may move relative to the fixed portion122and the outer frame128to trigger the switch130disposed on the handle110.

Referring toFIG. 7, in comparison with the embodiments inFIG. 1andFIG. 4, the side cover of the VR controller100in the embodiment inFIG. 7is directly fixed to the handle110. The VR controller100in the embodiment inFIG. 7has a pressure sensor130adisposed on the side housing120. The pressure sensor130asenses an amount of deformation of the side housing120when the handle110and the side housing120are held and a force is applied to the side housing120relative to the handle110, to obtain a force applied by a user to the handle110and the side cover120using a hand. In the present embodiment, when the amount of deformation of the side housing120exceeds a preset value, the current deformation of the side housing120may be defined as a trigger action, which is similar to a case in which the switch130in the embodiments inFIG. 1andFIG. 4is triggered.

In summary, according to the foregoing embodiments of the disclosure, the VR controller provides a more intuitive trigger action using the side cover and the switch (or the pressure sensor), to deliver instructions such as capturing or picking up in VR.