Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Nokia Technologies Oy

Nokia Corporation

Hiroshi Horii

Ian N Robinson

Rafael A Ballagas

Kevin Smathers

Mithra Vankipuram

David Alexander Dearman

Vivek Shrivastava

Alexander Thayer

Hayes Solos Raffle

Vidya Raghavan Setlur

Craig Peter Sayers

Koichi Mori

Ji Won Jun

Ning Ge

Timothy Youngjin Sohn

Nelson L Chang

Robert Paul Martin

Mirjana Spasojevic

Jishang Wei

Sarthak Ghosh

Joseph Nathaniel Kaye

Agathe Battestini

Michael Sutherland

Junrui Yang

Glenda Revelle

Alex Thayer

Example virtual reality controller apparatus are disclosed herein. An example controller for use with a virtual reality device implementing a virtual reality environment includes a base and a shaft supported by the base. The shaft includes a first control button associated with a first axis of a coordinate plane. The first control button is in communication with the virtual reality device. Activation of the first control button is to cause restriction of movement a virtual object in the virtual reality environment relative to the first axis. The shaft includes a second control button associated with a second axis of the coordinate plane. The second control button is in communication with the virtual reality device. Activation of the second control button is to cause restriction of movement of the virtual object in the virtual reality environment relative to the second axis.

Virtual reality controller apparatus

A method is described in which biometric input is associated with at least one selectable option on a user controller prior to receipt of a user selection for the at least one selectable option; a past input by a user of a previous selectable option on the user controller is identified; and the at least one selectable option is preemptively executed according to the biometric input and the past input of the previous selectable option, prior to receipt of the user selection for the at least one selectable option.

Biometrics for predictive execution

A stylus includes a housing, a tip portion at an end of the housing, and a control module within the housing, with the housing including a shape-changeable portion, and the control module to generate a first signal in response to the shape-changeable portion of the housing having a first effective cross-sectional area and generate a second signal in response to the shape-changeable portion of the housing having a second, different effective cross-sectional area.

Stylus

In example implementations, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a body portion and a plurality of legs movably coupled to the body portion. The body portion is to rest on a backside of a hand of a user. Each one of the plurality of legs include a curved portion to fit between fingers of a user. Respective ends of the plurality of legs are to contact a palm of the user.

Extended reality grasp controller

In example implementations, a virtual reality (VR) system is provided. The VR system includes a head mounted display (HMD), a hand wearable interface, a wireless communication interface, and a processor. The HMD is to display a computer generated artificial world. The wireless communication interface is to establish a wireless communication path. The processor is communicatively coupled to the HMD, the hand wearable interface, and the wireless communication interface. The processor is to receive an indication that a touch screen device is located from a locator device in the HMD or the hand wearable device, to establish a wireless connection to the touch screen device via the wireless communication interface, and to receive an input via the touch screen device.

Inputs to virtual reality devices from touch surface devices

A method includes providing a split input device that includes a left portion for use by a user's left hand, and a right portion for use by the user's right hand. The method includes capturing images of the split input device while the split input device is being used by the user in a split configuration in which the left portion is physically separated from the right portion, and generating a three-dimensional (3D) visualization of the split input device based on the captured images, wherein the split input device appears in the 3D visualization as a single input device in a combined configuration.

Generating a three-dimensional visualization of a split input device

An example virtual reality headset stand includes a base, a stem, and a docking station. The stem, which extends from the base, is angled toward the base. The docking station, which is attached to the stem, is angled away from the stem. The docking station is contoured to hold a virtual reality headset. The docking station includes a lip connected to the stem, a body portion connected to the lip, and a clip connected to the body portion.

Virtual reality headset stands

An input device for providing input to a computing device includes a hand-held controller movable across and above a work surface. The input device includes a mouse sensor positioned on or in the hand-held controller to sense two-dimensional (2D) translation data representing translational movement of the hand-held controller across the work surface, and a six degree of freedom (6DOF) sensor positioned on or in the hand-held controller to sense 6DOF data representing position and orientation of the hand-held controller above the work surface.

Sensing movement of a hand-held controller

An enhanced reality system, in an example, includes an input device, the input device including a first arm and a second arm configured to be held together by a user; a sensor to sense, at least, a relative position of at least a portion of the first and second arms; wherein sensing, at least, the relative position of the first and second arms comprises a haptic retargeting process that simulates a touching of ends of the first and second arms to the outer surface of a virtual object presented in the enhanced reality environment.

Enhanced reality system with haptic retargeting

In example implementations, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a first channel, a second channel, a physical control interface, and a processor in communication with the physical control interface. The first channel provides a virtual image. The second channel provides a second image. The physical control interface receives the first channel and the second channel. The processor mixes a view of the virtual image and the second image based on a setting of the physical control interface.

Physical controls for mixing views

An apparatus is disclosed to monitor movement of a held object in a virtual reality system. The apparatus comprises a primary tracking system with a first sensor to monitor movement of the user's hand, and a secondary tracking system with a second sensor to monitor a position of the held object. The position is measured in relation to the hand movement.

Tracking stylus in a virtual reality system

An input device includes a sensor and a housing. The sensor is adapted to provide cursor control on a display based on relative movement between the sensor and a reference surface. The housing at least partially contains the sensor and is adapted to be selectively manipulable relative to the reference surface into a first position to cause operation of the sensor at a first precision level and into a second position to cause operation of the sensor at a second precision level different from the first precision level.

Input device with precision control

An example system includes a camera to capture an image of at least one physical input device, a virtual reality (VR) environment display portion to generate a VR environment, a window forming portion to create a window in the VR environment, the position of the window in the VR environment corresponding to a physical location of an interaction area that includes the at least one physical input device, an input device display portion to form an image of the at least one physical input device from the camera, and a VR headset including a head-mounted display to display a composite image of the VR environment, the window and the image of the at least one physical input device. The composite image includes the image of the at least one physical input device within the window.

Physical input device in virtual reality

A model controller includes a trackball having a spherical surface with one of latitudinal or longitudinal data tracks formed thereon. The model controller includes a base unit including a first image sensor adjacent to the trackball to capture images of the data tracks, wherein the captured images of the data tracks include orientation information to determine an absolute orientation of the trackball.

Determining orientation of a trackball

A somatosensory feedback system may include at least one somatosensory feedback device to, when actuated, invoke a sensation in a user. The somatosensory feedback system may instruct the at least one somatosensory feedback device to actuate to indicate a passage of time.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Hiroshi Horii