Portable controller and control device

Abstract

This portable controller, which a user can grip with the hand and move to control content, comprises: a handle unit to be gripped by the hand of a user; an operating body positioned at the front of the handle unit; user input units positioned on the upper surface of the operating body; an infrared camera positioned on the front surface of the operating body and identifying a pattern of infrared lamps; and a control unit determining the position and posture of the portable controller according to the pattern of the infrared lamps identified by the infrared camera. The size of the portable controller can be reduced by omitting infrared lamps.

Description

Portable controllers and control devices

[0001] The present invention aims to provide a control device including a portable controller and a tracking reference module for controlling extended reality (XR).

[0002] Virtual Reality (VR) technology provides real-world objects and backgrounds only as computer graphic (CG) images, Augmented Reality (AR) technology provides virtual computer graphic images on top of real-world object images, and Mixed Reality (MR) technology is a computer graphic technology that provides virtual objects mixed and combined in the real world. VR, AR, and MR, etc., are all sometimes simply referred to as XR (extended reality) technology.

[0003] XR technology includes devices that provide images to provide images graphically, and a representative example is a device that can be worn directly on the head, such as a head-mounted display (HMD).

[0004] Head-mounted displays (HMDs) can utilize a handheld controller that the user holds to input commands. Wired models are available, but wireless controllers that exchange data wirelessly are becoming increasingly popular.

[0005] Handheld controllers go beyond simple user input, providing feedback through vibration. Furthermore, they can detect the user's hand (or arm) movements, enabling gesture-based user input beyond the user's direct button or wheel manipulation.

[0006] In the case of gestures, it is difficult to detect accurate gestures using only the position sensor of the portable device itself, such as the gyroscope sensor, so a separate fixed device is required in addition to the portable device to recognize gestures through relative position values.

[0007]

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a control device that can detect a change in the posture of a portable controller by placing a tracking reference module externally and recognizing it in a portable controller.

[0009] A portable controller for controlling content by moving it while being held by a user's hand is provided, comprising: a handle portion held by a user's hand; an operating body positioned in front of the handle portion; a user input portion positioned on an upper surface of the operating body; an infrared camera positioned in front of the operating body and recognizing a pattern of an infrared lamp; and a control portion for determining a position and posture of the portable controller based on the pattern of the infrared lamp recognized by the infrared camera.

[0010] The above portable controller can be symmetrical left and right.

[0011] It may include a grip sensor located on the side of the above-mentioned operating body and detecting whether the user's hand is in contact.

[0012] Based on the value detected by the above grip sensor, it can be determined whether the hand the user gripped is the left or right hand.

[0013] The control unit may include a display unit that displays the hand that has been gripped as determined by the control unit.

[0014] The above user input unit may include a tracking ball and a joystick arranged in a forward-backward direction.

[0015] The above tracking ball may include a rotary ball mounted on the operating body and having an upper portion exposed above the upper surface of the operating body; a plurality of bearing balls supporting the rotary ball below the center of the rotary ball; an upper bearing that comes into contact with an upper portion of the center of the rotary ball; and a bearing elastic body that presses the upper bearing downward.

[0016] The upper bearing includes a contact ring that comes into contact with the rotating ball; and a wing portion extending outward from the contact ring, and the bearing elastic body can be interposed between the wing portion and the upper surface of the operating body.

[0017] The above infrared cameras are placed in pairs in the left and right directions on the front.

[0018] The above pair of infrared cameras may have a field of view that is directed horizontally outward rather than forward.

[0019] The above infrared cameras are arranged in a pair in a vertical direction at the front, and the angle of view of the pair of infrared cameras can be directed upward and downward from the front.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable controller including a tracking reference module including a plurality of infrared lamps arranged in a predetermined pattern; and a control unit that recognizes the pattern of the infrared lamps and determines a relative position with respect to the tracking reference module, wherein the portable controller is a portable controller that controls content by being moved while being held by a user's hand, the control device including: a handle portion that extends in the longitudinal direction and is held by the user's hand; an operation body positioned in front of the handle portion; a user input portion positioned on an upper surface of the operation body; an infrared camera positioned on the front of the operation body and recognizing the pattern of the infrared lamps; and a control unit that determines the position and attitude of the portable controller based on the pattern of the infrared lamps recognized by the infrared camera.

[0021] The above-described plurality of infrared lamps can be arranged at different intervals from each other.

[0022] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the tracking reference module has the advantage of simplifying the signal transmission and reception system of the control device by simply connecting the power supply.

[0023] Additionally, the placement of the infrared lamps on the tracking reference module is distinctive, allowing for accurate gesture recognition.

[0024] Additionally, the size of the portable controller can be reduced by omitting the infrared lamp.

[0025] Additionally, the portable controller is symmetrical on both sides, making it versatile.

[0026] Additionally, it can reduce noise generated by the tracking ball of the portable controller and prevent malfunctions caused by the tracking ball moving unintentionally.

[0027] The effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a control device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of a tracking reference module according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are drawings illustrating various embodiments of a method for mounting a tracking reference module according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the front of a tracking reference module according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of a tracking reference module according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating an embodiment of various forms of a tracking reference module according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an example of the lamp arrangement of a tracking reference module according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing another example of lamp arrangement of a tracking reference module according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a portable controller according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portable controller according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a state in which a portable controller according to one aspect of the present invention is held with both hands.

[0039] FIG. 13 is a drawing illustrating an example of use of a portable controller according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 14 is a drawing illustrating another embodiment of a portable controller according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing an example of a tracking ball of a portable controller according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 16 is a drawing showing another example of a tracking ball of a portable controller according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably only for the convenience of writing the specification, and do not in themselves have distinct meanings or roles. In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0044] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0045] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0046] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0047] In this application, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a control device according to one aspect of the present invention. The control device of the present invention is a device that provides an augmented reality (XR: eXtended Real) experience including virtual reality (VR: Virtual Real) using a display, and is a device that a user can hold in his hand and input user input through a user input unit (121, 122, 123, 125).

[0049] A portable controller (100) may include a handle portion (130) that can be held by hand and an operation body (110) positioned in front of the handle portion (130). The operation body (110) includes a plurality of user input portions (121, 122, 123, 125) that are controlled by the user's fingers.

[0050] The portable controller (100) can perform user input through the user input unit (121, 122, 123, 125), and can also detect hand movements (gestures) and recognize them as one of the control commands. For example, when a user performs a motion such as shooting a gun or swinging a racket while holding the portable controller (100), the portable controller (100) can detect such user movements.

[0051] Conventional control devices include a portable controller that a user holds and operates, equipped with a plurality of infrared lamps (215). An infrared camera device that recognizes the infrared lamps (215) of the portable controller is placed in front of the user. The infrared camera device can recognize the movement of the portable controller, i.e., gestures, through the movement and pattern changes of the infrared lamps (215) of the portable controller.

[0052] In order for the infrared camera to recognize the pattern change of the infrared lamp (215) of the portable controller, the infrared lamp (215) must be arranged in three dimensions. A conventional portable controller has a ring-shaped lamp housing (210) that surrounds the circumference of the hand, and the infrared lamp (215) is arranged along the lamp housing (210).

[0053] The lamp housing (210) attached to the portable controller increases the size of the portable controller and increases the risk of damage. In addition, since the direction in which the portable controller is held differs depending on the user's left and right hands, the shape of the lamp housing (210) for the left and right hands differs, causing the left and right sides of the portable controller (100) to differ. In addition, in order to receive pattern change data of the infrared lamp (215) recognized by the infrared camera device, the infrared camera must also be connected to the augmented reality device, either wired or wirelessly.

[0054] Accordingly, the present invention is characterized in that the portable controller (100) is small in size and the infrared lamp (215) is positioned outside the portable controller (100) so that it can be used without distinction between the right and left hands, and a camera (141) is placed on the portable controller (100).

[0055] First, let us examine in detail the tracking reference module (200) equipped with an infrared lamp (215) and installed in front of the user. The tracking reference module (200) may be positioned at the upper part (200b, 200c) or the lower part (200a) of the display device (300) when the user looks at the display device (300) and uses it.

[0056] The tracking reference module (200) may be directly mounted (200a, 200b) on the display device (300), or may be connected to a web camera (400) located on the upper side of the display device (300) and positioned on the upper side (200c) of the web camera (400).

[0057] Figure 2 is a front perspective view (a) and a rear perspective view (b) illustrating a tracking reference module (200) according to one aspect of the present invention. The tracking reference module (200) of the present invention may include a lamp housing (210) in which a plurality of infrared lamps (215) are positioned, and a connection housing (220) located on the rear surface of the lamp housing (210) and in which a power socket (225) for supplying power is positioned.

[0058] The tracking reference module (200) of the present invention only supplies power to turn on the infrared lamp (215), and separate data transmission is unnecessary. The power socket (225) may include a pogo pin type (225a) or a standard charging terminal (225b, e.g., USB C type, etc.) as shown in (b) of Fig. 3.

[0059] In the case of a pogo pin, if there is an intermediate connection device such as the aforementioned web camera (400), power can be supplied by electrically connecting to it. The tracking reference module (200) can be fixed via the power socket (225). FIGS. 3 and 4 are drawings illustrating various embodiments of a method for mounting a tracking reference module (200) according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 3, if the web camera (400) is a horizontal type (400a), the power socket (225) may be connected to a terminal located on the upper surface of the web camera (400), and as shown in Fig. 4, if the web camera is a vertical type (400b), the power socket (225) may be configured to be connected to the back surface of the web camera (400).

[0061] Alternatively, as illustrated in (b) of Fig. 2, power can be supplied to the infrared lamp (215) via a standard charging terminal (225b). In this case, it can be directly connected to a power cable without a separate device such as a web camera (400).

[0062] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the front of a tracking reference module (200) according to one aspect of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a tracking reference module (200) according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0063] The tracking reference module (200) includes a plurality of infrared lamps (215) arranged in a predetermined pattern. The spacing between each infrared lamp (215) is different, and as shown in (a) of Fig. 5, they are arranged in two rows on the upper and lower sides, and the upper lamps (215a) and the lower lamps (215b) can be arranged in a zigzag pattern so as not to overlap in the vertical direction.

[0064] Figure 5 (b) shows the shape of an infrared lamp (215) recognized by the infrared camera (141) of the portable controller (100).

[0065] When the infrared lamps (215) are arranged in a zigzag pattern, the spacing between the infrared lamps (215) that changes according to the horizontal position of the portable controller (100) can be easily identified by the camera (141) provided in the portable controller (100).

[0066] Referring to Fig. 6, a lamp cover (214) may be provided on the front of the infrared lamp (215) so that the infrared lamp (215) located on the front of the lamp housing (210) is not exposed to the front. The lamp cover (214) may be provided in an upper part covering the upper lamp (215a) and a lower part covering the lower lamp (215b) so that the tracking reference module (200) arranged vertically appears smaller.

[0067] The lamp cover (214) allows light in the infrared region to pass through but does not allow visible light to pass through, so that the structure of the infrared lamp (215) and the flexible substrate located inside the lamp cover (214) may not be exposed to the user.

[0068] Additionally, the lamp cover (214) may use a material having light diffusion properties so that the central position of the light emitted from the infrared lamp (215) can be fixed while spreading out to form a circle of a predetermined size.

[0069] Figure 7 is a drawing illustrating various embodiments of a tracking reference module (200) according to one aspect of the present invention. The tracking reference module (200) may be configured in a multi-faceted form, such as ① a curved shape that protrudes forward, ② a shape having a flat front surface, or ③ a multi-faceted form having a flat front surface but having different positions in the front-back direction.

[0070] When the lamp housing (210) has a curved surface, a change in the pattern can be easily recognized, but when rotating along the Y axis, the camera of the portable controller (100) cannot recognize the infrared lamp (215) located at a distant end, which may cause an error in gesture recognition.

[0071] In addition, the curved tracking reference module (200) has a large size in the front-back direction, so there is a problem that the amount of forward protrusion is large when the display device (300) is attached to a wall.

[0072] In the case where the front of the tracking reference module (200) forms a single plane, the difference in the pattern of the infrared lamp (215) is unclear when rotating (the portable controller (100) moves up and down) around the X-axis.

[0073] Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 2, it may include a first plane (211) protruding forward, a second plane (212) and a third plane (213) positioned on the back side of the first plane (211), and a step portion connecting the first plane (211), the second plane (212), and the third plane (213).

[0074] The second plane (212) and the third plane (213) can be provided as a pair on both sides of the first plane (211), and can be configured so that the center is the most protruding and both sides are located on the back, like a curved tracking reference module (200), and as shown in FIG. 7, the pattern change of the infrared lamp (215) is clear not only when the y-axis is rotated (left-right movement of the portable controller (100)) but also when the x-axis is rotated (up-down movement of the portable controller (100)).

[0075] Three infrared lamps (2151) may be positioned on the first plane (211), and two infrared lamps (2153, 2154) may be provided on the second plane (212) and the third plane (213). Due to the difference in height between the first plane (211), the second plane (212), and the third plane (213), the spacing between the infrared lamps (2151) on the first plane (211), the infrared lamps (2152) on the second plane (212), and the infrared lamps (2153) on the third plane (213) may exhibit a large difference depending on the position of the portable controller (100).

[0076] The first plane (211) may include three infrared lamps (215) as a central reference plane, and the second plane (212) and the third plane (213) may each include two infrared lamps (2152, 2153). The three infrared lamps (2151) of the first plane (211) may include two upper lamps positioned on the outer sides and one lower lamp positioned in the center, and conversely, may include two lower lamps positioned on the outer sides and one upper lamp positioned in the center.

[0077] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an example of the arrangement of lamps of a tracking reference module (200) according to one aspect of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a drawing showing another example of the arrangement of infrared lamps (2215) of a tracking reference module (200) according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0078] The spacing of each infrared lamp (215) is different, but in the case of (a) of FIG. 8, the infrared lamp (2152) of the second plane (212) and the infrared lamp (2153) of the third plane (213) form a left-right symmetrical pattern, and in the case of (a) of FIG. 9, the patterns of the infrared lamp (2152) of the second plane (212) and the infrared lamp (2153) of the third plane (213) are not symmetrical.

[0079] Figure 8 (b) is a drawing showing the tracking reference module (200) as seen from the portable controller (100) when the portable controller (100) is located to the left of the tracking reference module (200) and shows the pattern of the infrared lamp (215) detected by the infrared camera (214).

[0080] Figure 8 (c) is a drawing showing the tracking reference module (200) as seen from the portable controller (100) when the portable controller (100) is located to the right of the tracking reference module (200) and shows the pattern of the infrared lamp (215) detected by the infrared camera.

[0081] The infrared lamps (215) of (b) and (c) of Fig. 8 have different spacings but basically have a W-shaped infrared lamp (215) arrangement, so there may be an error when the portable controller (100) determines the horizontal position of the tracking reference module (200).

[0082] As shown in (b) of FIG. 9, when the portable controller (100) is located to the left of the tracking reference module (200), and as shown in (c) of FIG. 9, when the portable controller (100) is located to the left of the tracking reference module (200), the pattern of the infrared lamp (215) is different, so the possibility of a judgment error occurring is reduced.

[0083] Therefore, as shown in (a) of Fig. 9, the patterns of the infrared lamps (215) located on the second plane (212) and the third plane (213) can be made asymmetrical to improve the accuracy of gesture recognition.

[0084] As seen above, the tracking reference module (200) can be installed in any location and can be operated by simply supplying power without connecting a separate data cable.

[0085] In addition, it has the advantage of being small in size in the front-back direction and protruding less forward than the display device (300).

[0086] In addition, when the portable controller (100) moves left-right or up-down, the change in the tracking reference module (200) is distinct, so that the change in the position of the portable controller (100) can be accurately detected.

[0087] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a portable controller (100) according to one aspect of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portable controller (100) according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0088] The portable controller (100) of the present invention is lightweight and compact enough to allow the user to control content by holding it in their hand. While wired operation is possible, it can be implemented wirelessly for greater operability.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 10, the portable controller (100) of the present invention may include a handle portion (130) that a user holds with his / her hand, an operating body (110) located in front of the handle portion (130), a user input portion located on the upper surface of the operating body (110), an infrared camera (141) located in front of the operating body (110) and recognizing a pattern of an infrared lamp (215), and a control portion that determines the position and posture of the portable controller (100) based on the pattern of the infrared lamp (215) recognized by the infrared camera (141).

[0090] The handle (130) is bent downward from the upper surface of the operating body (110) and has a cylindrical shape, and can be configured so that a user can hold it with their hand. Referring to Fig. 11, a battery (135) having a weight can be positioned on the handle (130). A charging terminal (136) for charging the battery (135) can also be positioned on the handle (130).

[0091] Since the handle part (130) is a part that the user holds, the haptic actuator (134) can be located in the handle part (130) to effectively provide haptic vibration.

[0092] The handle (130) can be held with the middle, ring, and little fingers, and the user input unit (121, 122, 123) located on the upper surface of the operating body (110) can be operated with the thumb. The user input unit (121, 122, 123) located on the upper surface of the operating body (110) can include at least one of a joystick (121) or a tracking ball (122) for controlling direction, and a push button for inputting a control command by pressing it.

[0093] The user input unit (121, 122, 123, 125) of the present invention has a form that includes a joystick (121), a tracking ball (122), and a push button (123). In particular, the portable controller (100) of the present invention has a symmetrical shape, so that it can be used with both the left and right hands.

[0094] FIG. 12 is a drawing illustrating an example of use of a portable controller (100) according to one aspect of the present invention. (a) and (b) are methods of controlling a user input unit (121, 122, 123) when only one portable controller (100) is used.

[0095] As shown in (a) of Fig. 12, the joystick (121) and tracking ball (122) located on the upper surface of the operating body (110) can be controlled with the thumb (F) of the hand being held or the fingers of the opposite hand while holding the controller with one hand. As shown in (b), one portable controller (100) can be held with both hands and the joystick (121) and tracking ball (122) can be controlled simultaneously with the fingers (LF) of the left hand and the fingers (RF) of the right hand.

[0096] Alternatively, when using a pair of portable controllers (100L, 100R) simultaneously, such as (c), one side can be operated using a tracking ball (122) and the other side can be operated using a joystick (121).

[0097] The trajectory of the portable controller (100) may vary depending on the hand holding the portable controller (100). Therefore, the control unit can recognize the hand holding the portable controller (100) to more accurately recognize the movement of the portable controller (100).

[0098] Fig. 13 is a drawing showing a state in which a portable controller (100) is held with both hands (LH, RH) according to one aspect of the present invention. When a pair of portable controllers (100L, 100R) are used simultaneously, the left and right can be distinguished based on the difference in the pattern of the infrared lamp (215) of the tracking reference module (200).

[0099] However, when only one portable controller (100) is used, it is difficult to determine whether the gripped hand is the left hand (LH) or the right hand (RH). In the case of using a pair, a grip sensor (143) for determining the gripped hand may be included in the operating body (110) to enable more accurate and immediate determination than recognizing the pattern of the infrared lamp (215).

[0100] The phage sensor (143) can be a touch sensor or a light sensor, and can be placed at a location where the index finger or palm touches. As shown in Fig. 12, it is placed to be symmetrical on both sides.

[0101] The lower side of the operating body (110) may include a trigger button (125) that can be pulled with the index finger. The trigger button (125) is a button-shaped button that can be pressed using the user's index finger, and allows the portable controller (100) to be operated with fingers other than the thumb.

[0102] The portable controller (100) of the present invention may include a camera (141) in front of the operating body (110). The camera (141) of the present invention may utilize an infrared camera (141) that recognizes the infrared lamp (215) of the aforementioned tracking reference module (200). If the light emitted by the lamp of the tracking reference module (200) is visible light, there is a problem in that the lamp of the tracking reference module (200) is visible to the user, and the camera (141) of the portable controller (100) may have difficulty distinguishing it from other objects, which may result in reduced accuracy.

[0103] Accordingly, the camera (141) of the portable controller (100) of the present invention is an infrared camera (141) facing the front of the operating body (110). If one is provided, it can be positioned to face the front.

[0104] The infrared camera (141) may have an angle of view of approximately 90° to 120°. When a user moves the portable controller (100) while looking at the display device (300) located in front, and faces the portable controller (100) toward the end of the display device (300), the tracking reference module (200) may deviate from the angle of view of the camera (141) facing the front of the portable controller (100).

[0105] To expand the field of view, the portable controller (100) can utilize two or more cameras (141b, 141c). FIG. 14 is a drawing illustrating another embodiment of the portable controller (100) according to one aspect of the present invention, illustrating a case in which a plurality of infrared cameras (141b, 141c) are provided.

[0106] If the display device (300) used by the user is wide in the horizontal direction, a pair of infrared cameras (141b) may be arranged in the left and right directions as shown in (a) of Fig. 14. The pair of infrared cameras (141b) may be arranged so as not to face the front but to face a direction tilted laterally, thereby expanding the size of the horizontal field of view that the portable controller (100) can recognize.

[0107] Meanwhile, in the case of using a vertically long display device (300), a pair of infrared cameras (141c) arranged side by side in the vertical direction as shown in (b) of Fig. 13 may be provided to further increase the vertical angle of view. Among the pair of infrared cameras (141c), the upper camera may be arranged to face upwards, and the lower camera may be arranged to face downwards, thereby expanding the size of the vertical angle of view that can be recognized by the portable controller (100).

[0108] FIG. 15 is a drawing illustrating an example of a tracking ball (122) of a portable controller (100) according to one aspect of the present invention. According to the embodiment of FIG. 15, the tracking ball (122) includes a rotary ball (1221) and a bearing ball (1222) positioned below the rotary ball (1221). The bearing ball (1222) reduces the frictional force generated when the rotary ball (1221) directly contacts the operating body (113), thereby assisting the rotary ball (1221) to rotate naturally.

[0109] The bearing balls (1222) include a plurality of balls so that the rotary ball (1221) can be stably seated, and the plurality of bearing balls (1222) can be arranged symmetrically. In the present embodiment, three bearing balls (1222) are arranged at an interval of 120°.

[0110] However, a conventional tracking ball (122) can be used in a fixed structure to assist the rotation of the rotary ball (1221) only with a bearing ball (1222) located at the bottom of the rotary ball (1221), but the portable controller (100) of the present invention can be tilted upwards because it is held and moved by a user.

[0111] The tracking ball (122) of the portable controller (100) according to the embodiment of Fig. 15 has no structure supporting the upper portion and only the lower portion is supported by the bearing ball (1222), so that the upper portion of the rotary ball (1221) may come into contact with the operating body (110). At this time, noise may be generated and the tracking ball (122) may not operate smoothly due to the frictional force between the rotary ball (1221) and the operating body (110).

[0112] To solve the above problem, the embodiment of Fig. 16 may further include an upper bearing (1223) that supports the upper portion of the rotary ball (1221). Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing another example of a tracking ball (122) of a portable controller (100) according to one aspect of the present invention, and Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the portable controller (100) according to the embodiment of Fig. 16.

[0113] The tracking ball (122) of the present embodiment includes a ring-shaped upper bearing (1223) positioned above the vertical center of the rotary ball (1221). The upper bearing (1223) is a ring made of a low-friction material and can be positioned at the same distance from the vertical center.

[0114] The upper bearing (1223) may be in contact with the rotary ball (1221) and may include a bearing elastic body (1224) positioned between the upper bearing (1223) and the upper surface of the operating body (110) so that the upper bearing (1223) can maintain a state in which the rotary ball (1221) is in contact with the lower side.

[0115] The upper bearing (1223) may include a contact ring that comes into contact with the rotary ball (1221) and a wing portion extending outward from the contact ring. A bearing elastic member (1224) may be interposed between the wing portion and the upper surface of the operating body (110). The bearing elastic member may be composed of a material having elasticity, such as sponge silicone rubber.

[0116] The contact ring can be configured in a ring shape with a circular cross-section to minimize friction with the rotating ball (1221) and can include a low-friction material such as a bearing ball (1222).

[0117] As described above, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the tracking reference module has the advantage of simplifying the signal transmission and reception system of the control device simply by connecting power.

[0118] Additionally, the placement of the infrared lamps on the tracking reference module is distinctive, allowing for accurate gesture recognition.

[0119] Additionally, the size of the portable controller can be reduced by omitting the infrared lamp.

[0120] Additionally, the portable controller is symmetrical on both sides, making it versatile.

[0121] Additionally, it can reduce noise generated by the tracking ball of the portable controller and prevent malfunctions caused by the tracking ball moving unintentionally.

[0122] The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect and should be considered illustrative only. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. In a portable controller that controls content by moving it while the user holds it with his / her hand, A handle portion that the user holds with his / her hand; An operating body located in front of the above handle portion; A user input unit located on the upper surface of the above operating body; An infrared camera located on the front of the above operating body and recognizing the pattern of the infrared lamp; and A portable controller including a control unit that determines the position and posture of the portable controller based on the pattern of the infrared lamp recognized by the infrared camera.

2. In paragraph 1, A portable controller characterized by having left-right symmetry.

3. In paragraph 2, It includes a grip sensor located on the side of the above operating body and detects whether the user's hand is in contact, The above control unit, A portable controller characterized in that it determines whether the hand the user is holding is the left or right hand based on the value detected by the grip sensor.

4. In paragraph 3, A portable controller characterized by including a display unit that displays the gripped hand determined by the control unit.

5. In paragraph 1, The above user input section A portable controller characterized by including a tracking ball and a joystick arranged in a forward-backward direction.

6. In paragraph 5, The above tracking ball is A rotary ball mounted on the above operating body and having an upper portion thereof exposed above the upper surface of the above operating body; A plurality of bearing balls supporting the rotary ball from below the center of the rotary ball; An upper bearing that comes into contact with the upper side of the center of the above rotating ball; A portable controller characterized by including a bearing elastic body that presses the upper bearing downward.

7. In paragraph 6, The upper bearing above a contact ring in contact with the above rotary ball; and Including a wing portion extending outwardly from the above contact ring, The above bearing elastic body A portable controller characterized by being interposed between the wing portion and the upper surface of the operating body.

8. In paragraph 1, The above infrared cameras are placed in pairs in the left and right directions on the front. A portable controller characterized in that the above pair of infrared cameras have a field of view directed horizontally outward rather than forward.

9. In paragraph 5, The above infrared cameras are arranged in pairs vertically on the front. A portable controller characterized in that the above pair of infrared cameras have a field of view directed upward and downward rather than forward.

10. A tracking reference module including a plurality of infrared lamps arranged in a predetermined pattern; and A portable controller including a control unit that recognizes the pattern of the infrared lamp and determines the relative position with respect to the tracking reference module, The above portable controller, In a portable controller that allows the user to control content by moving it while holding it in their hand, The handle portion extending in the longitudinal direction and held by the user with the hand; An operating body located in front of the above handle portion; A user input unit located on the upper surface of the above operating body; An infrared camera located on the front of the above operating body and recognizing the pattern of the infrared lamp; and A control device including a control unit that determines the position and posture of the portable controller based on the pattern of the infrared lamp recognized by the infrared camera.

11. In paragraph 10, The above multiple infrared lamps A control device characterized by being arranged at different intervals.

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