Abstract: A system to extrapolate from motion states measured for past time instances during a user movement to predict motion states at a subsequent time instance at a display of a virtual object corresponding to the user movement. The prediction can be used to render the display and reduce or eliminate the lag between user action and corresponding action of the virtual object. An artificial neural network can be trained to improve the prediction accuracy based on patterns of user movements in the use of the application displaying virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and/or extended reality.

Abstract: A system having a sense module and a computing device. The sensor module has an inertial measurement unit to generate 3D inputs. The sensor module can map the 3D inputs to 2D inputs and transmit the 3D inputs and 2D inputs using separate protocols simultaneously, such as a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter protocol and a human device interface protocol. The 2D inputs can be processed via default drivers of a typical operation system and thus can be used without customization of a host computing device. The 3D inputs can be processed via a custom driver or tool designed for the computing device. When the custom tool is available, the computing device can instruct the sensor module to stop transmitting via the 2D protocol. Otherwise, the transmitting via the 3D protocol can be stopped without reboot or restarting the computing device and/or the sensor module.

Abstract: A system to combine inertial-based measurements and optical-based measurements via a Kalman-type filter. For example, a sensor module uses an inertial measurement unit to generate first positions and first orientations of the sensor module at a first time interval during a first period of time containing multiple of the first time interval. At least one camera is used to capture images of the sensor module at a second time interval, larger than the first time interval, during the first period of time containing multiple of the second interval. Second positions and second orientations of the sensor module during the first period of time are computed from the images. The filter receives the first positions, the first orientations, the second positions, and the second orientations to generate estimates of position and orientation of the sensor module at a time interval no smaller than the first time interval.

Abstract: A system including: a first sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an upper arm of a user, the first sensor module generating first motion data identifying an orientation of the upper arm; a second sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a hand of the user, the second sensor module generating second motion data identifying an orientation of the hand; and a computing device coupled to the first sensor module and the second sensor module through communication links, the computing device calculating, based on the orientation of the upper arm and the orientation of the hand, an orientation of a forearm connected to the hand by a wrist of the user and connected to the upper arm by an elbow joint of the user.

Abstract: A data input device having inertial sensor units, one or more touch input devices, a microcontroller configured to collect sensor data from the inertial sensors and the one or more touch input devices and process the sensor data to generate processed sensor data, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the processed sensor data to a host computer. A method can include: receiving sensor data from a handheld device; calculating hand movement characteristics in three dimensional space based on the sensor data; calculating the position and orientation of the components of the handheld device; identifying positions and movements of one or more fingers of a user manipulating the handheld device; identifying a gesture from the positions and movements of one or more fingers of a user manipulating the handheld device; identifying a recognized gesture corresponding to the identified gesture; and dispatching an event notifying the gesture to an application.

Abstract: A handheld controller having at least one input device, a left capacitive sensor electrode mounted in a left portion of the handheld device; a right capacitive sensor electrode mounted in a right portion of the handheld device; and a microcontroller. The input device is configured to receive user inputs provided via a finger of the hand holding the handheld controller. The handheld controller is symmetric from left to right. The microcontroller is configured to determine whether the hand is a left hand or a right hand based on measurements made via the left capacitive sensor electrode and the right capacitive sensor electrode and dynamically configures the handheld controller has left-handed or right-handed based on the measurements.

Abstract: A system including: a sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an arm of a user. The sensor module is initially calibrated to measure its orientation relative an initial reference pose. To recalibrate the sensor module, the arm of the user is moved to obtain a measurement of an orientation of the arm at a calibration pose relative to the reference pose. The arm is in a horizontal plan in both the calibration pose and the reference pose. Preferably, both arms are straight in the horizontal plane; and the hands meet each other at the calibration pose. The arm module may have twisted around the arm of the user from the time of the initial calibration and the time of recalibration. A twist of the arm module around the arm of the user is computed from the orientation measurement at the reference pose for recalibration.

Abstract: A handheld controller having at least one input device, a left capacitive sensor electrode mounted in a left portion of the handheld device; a right capacitive sensor electrode mounted in a right portion of the handheld device; and a microcontroller. The input device is configured to receive user inputs provided via a finger of the hand holding the handheld controller. The handheld controller is symmetric from left to right. The microcontroller is configured to determine whether the hand is a left hand or a right hand based on measurements made via the left capacitive sensor electrode and the right capacitive sensor electrode and dynamically configures the handheld controller has left-handed or right-handed based on the measurements.

Abstract: A data input device having inertial sensor units, one or more touch input devices, a microcontroller configured to collect sensor data from the inertial sensors and the one or more touch input devices and process the sensor data to generate processed sensor data, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the processed sensor data to a host computer. A method can include: receiving sensor data from a handheld device; calculating hand movement characteristics in three dimensional space based on the sensor data; calculating the position and orientation of the components of the handheld device; identifying positions and movements of one or more fingers of a user manipulating the handheld device; identifying a gesture from the positions and movements of one or more fingers of a user manipulating the handheld device; identifying a recognized gesture corresponding to the identified gesture; and dispatching an event notifying the gesture to an application.

Abstract: A system including: two arm modules each having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an upper arm of a user to measure the current orientations of the upper arms of the user; a head module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to the head of the user to measure the current orientation of the head; and a computing device coupled to the arm modules and the head module to calculate, based on the current orientations of the upper arms and the current orientation of the head, the current orientation of the torso of the user.

Abstract: A system including: a first sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a palm of a hand of a user; a second sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a first bone of a finger (e.g., a middle or proximal phalange bone) on the palm; and a computing device coupled to the first sensor module and the second sensor module to calculate, based on the orientation of the palm and the orientation of the first bone, orientations of the second bones of the finger (e.g., a distal or proximal phalange bone, a metacarpal bone of the thumb) that have no separately attached inertial measurement unit, according to a predetermined ratio of rotation from a reference orientation along a same axis of rotation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a data input device and method of operating the same. In one embodiment, a data input device comprises a plurality of inertial sensor units, one or more touch input devices, a microcontroller configured to collect sensor data from the inertial sensors and the one or more touch input devices and process the sensor data to generate processed sensor data, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the processed sensor data to a host computer.

Abstract: A system including a plurality sensor modules, each having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a portion of a user (e.g., upper arm, hand, and/or head) to measure the current orientation of the corresponding portion of the user. A computing device coupled to the sensor modules is configured to identify a type of the current pose of the user, compute a front facing direction of the torso of the user from the sensor measurements, select a torso leaning model based on the pose type, project onto a vertical plane the lengthwise directions of the arms of the user as tracked by the sensor modules attached to the upper arms of the user, and calculate a torso leaning angle from the projected lengthwise directions of the arms.

Abstract: A system including: a first sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an upper arm of a user, the first sensor module generating first motion data identifying an orientation of the upper arm; a second sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a hand of the user, the second sensor module generating second motion data identifying an orientation of the hand; and a computing device coupled to the first sensor module and the second sensor module through communication links, the computing device calculating, based on the orientation of the upper arm and the orientation of the hand, an orientation of a forearm connected to the hand by a wrist of the user and connected to the upper arm by an elbow joint of the user.

Abstract: A system including: a first sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an upper arm of a user, the first sensor module generating first motion data identifying an orientation of the upper arm; a second sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a hand of the user, the second sensor module generating second motion data identifying an orientation of the hand; and a computing device coupled to the first sensor module and the second sensor module through communication links, the computing device calculating, based on the orientation of the upper arm and the orientation of the hand, an orientation of a forearm connected to the hand by a wrist of the user and connected to the upper arm by an elbow joint of the user.

Abstract: A system including a plurality sensor modules, each having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a portion of a user (e.g., upper arm, hand, and/or head) to measure the current orientation of the corresponding portion of the user. A computing device coupled to the sensor modules is configured to identify a type of the current pose of the user, compute a front facing direction of the torso of the user from the sensor measurements, select a torso leaning model based on the pose type, project onto a vertical plane the lengthwise directions of the arms of the user as tracked by the sensor modules attached to the upper arms of the user, and calculate a torso leaning angle from the projected lengthwise directions of the arms.

Abstract: A system including: a first sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a palm of a hand of a user; a second sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a first bone of a finger (e.g., a middle or proximal phalange bone) on the palm; and a computing device coupled to the first sensor module and the second sensor module to calculate, based on the orientation of the palm and the orientation of the first bone, orientations of the second bones of the finger (e.g., a distal or proximal phalange bone, a metacarpal bone of the thumb) that have no separately attached inertial measurement unit, according to a predetermined ratio of rotation from a reference orientation along a same axis of rotation.

Abstract: A system including: a first sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an upper arm of a user, the first sensor module generating first motion data identifying an orientation of the upper arm; a second sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to a hand of the user, the second sensor module generating second motion data identifying an orientation of the hand; and a computing device coupled to the first sensor module and the second sensor module through communication links, the computing device calculating, based on the orientation of the upper arm and the orientation of the hand, an orientation of a forearm connected to the hand by a wrist of the user and connected to the upper arm by an elbow joint of the user.

Abstract: A system including: two arm modules each having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an upper arm of a user to measure the current orientations of the upper arms of the user; a head module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to the head of the user to measure the current orientation of the head; and a computing device coupled to the arm modules and the head module to calculate, based on the current orientations of the upper arms and the current orientation of the head, the current orientation of the torso of the user.

Abstract: A system including: a sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an arm of a user. The sensor module is initially calibrated to measure its orientation relative an initial reference pose. To recalibrate the sensor module, the arm of the user is moved to obtain a measurement of an orientation of the arm at a calibration pose relative to the reference pose. The arm is in a horizontal plan in both the calibration pose and the reference pose. Preferably, both arms are straight in the horizontal plane; and the hands meet each other at the calibration pose. The arm module may have twisted around the arm of the user from the time of the initial calibration and the time of recalibration. A twist of the arm module around the arm of the user is computed from the orientation measurement at the reference pose for recalibration.