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http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...9,776,084.PN.&OS=PN/9,776,084&RS=PN/9,776,084

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A camera that is "capable of detecting physical positions of hand-held controllers to allow simulation of actual hand movements of users holding the hand-held controllers by tracking of the users' hand movements, thereby enhancing the virtual-reality experience". The camera will be able to track and detect the infrared light emitted on the LEDs on the controllers.

I have seen speculation that this is for the standalone Oculus Rift that is under development at Oculus, considering that the camera is mounted on the display itself.

Current gaming systems lack an image-capture device having capability of tracking a user's physical hand motions and being shock mounted to a user-mounted display device (e.g., an HMD) in such a manner that a field of view of the image-capture device is not compromised and the image-capture device is electrically coupled to the display device and resists breakage in the event of forceful impact to the user-mounted display device.

Accordingly, there is a need for a virtual-reality or gaming system having a camera that protrudes outwards from the HMD and is flexibly shock-mounted to the HMD so as to minimize or prevent damage to the camera when the HMD is dropped (e.g., on a hard surface). The camera is configured to absorb the force of impact and collapse by contracting inwards towards the HMD to prevent damage to the camera or prevent separation of the camera from the HMD upon dropping of the HMD. Flexible shock mounting of the camera further allows the field of view of the camera lens to be minimally obstructed by the rest of the HMD as the camera is capable of protruding forward so as to maximize the field of view of the camera. Shock mounting of the camera further allows for pivoting of the camera at a range of angles, and for translation of the camera.

In accordance with some embodiments, a virtual-reality system comprises a head-mounted display, a camera mounted on and protruding from a surface of the head-mounted display, and a compressible shock mount mounting the camera on the surface. The shock mount is to retract the camera towards the head-mounted display when compressed. The virtual-reality system further comprises flat flexible circuitry electrically coupling the camera to the head-mounted display, a hand-held controller comprising a plurality of illumination sources which are configured to provide light that is detectable by the camera, and a power source to supply power to the camera, the head-mounted display and the hand-held controller. The flat flexible circuitry passes from the camera, through the shock mount, to the head-mounted display.

In some embodiments, the camera comprises an illumination source to provide light to a plurality of passive reflectors on the hand-held controller, and a sensor to detect light reflected back to the camera by the passive reflectors.

Furthermore, in some embodiments virtual reality systems have cameras that are mounted in such a manner so as to be capable of detecting physical positions of hand-held controllers to allow simulation of actual hand movements of users holding the hand-held controllers by tracking of the users' hand movements, thereby enhancing the virtual-reality experience. The detected positions and movements of the hand-held controllers may be used as additional commands to control various aspects of the game or other simulation being played.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary virtual-reality system including a camera extending from a head-mounted display (HMD) in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B illustrate an inner configuration of the HMD and a front surface of the HMD covering the inner configuration of the HMD on which the camera is mounted in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3, FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B illustrate flat flexible circuitry electrically coupling the camera to the HMD in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates the camera shock mounted to and protruding from the front surface of the HMD in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B illustrate isometric views of a hand-held controller of the virtual-reality system in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7A is an electrical block diagram of an exemplary head-mounted display in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7B is an electrical block diagram of an exemplary camera in accordance with some embodiments.