Abstract: Handheld controllers having flexible thumbstick guards are disclosed herein for use with a handheld controller having a thumbstick or other pivotal control member. A representative guard has a tubular neck that sealably connects to a shaft portion of the thumbstick, and a skirt that sealably connects to an interior portion of the handheld controller around the control opening. The guard has a flexible joint portion interconnecting the neck and the skirt to allow the neck to move relative to the skirt upon pivoting the control member relative to the body.

Abstract: A hand-held controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a user's hand. A trigger protrudes from an outer surface of the handle and moves relative to the handle responsive to pressing of the trigger by a finger of the user's hand. The trigger includes a touch surface that comes into contact with the finger of the user's hand to detect sliding of the finger of the user's hand on the touch surface.

Abstract: A hand-held controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a user's hand. A ring is attached to an end of the handle and surrounds a thumb of the user when the handle is grasped by the user's hand. The ring has an annular surface that defines a plane that forms a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction, and a curved outer surface. Light sources are mounted on the curved outer surface and configured to emit light to be captured by an imaging device for tracking a position or orientation of the hand-held controller. The light is emitted in a direction normal to the curved outer surface.

Abstract: A hand-held controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a user's hand. A trigger protrudes from an outer surface of the handle and moves relative to the handle responsive to pressing of the trigger by a finger of the user's hand. The trigger includes a touch surface that comes into contact with the finger of the user's hand to detect sliding of the finger of the user's hand on the touch surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lanyard adjuster that adjusts the length of a lanyard that passes through the lanyard adjuster. The lanyard adjuster includes a housing and a plate residing within the housing. The plate includes flanges that couple with locking slots of the housing to achieve a locked configuration. In the locked configuration, the plate contacts and applies a force on segments of the lanyard that passes through the lanyard adjuster. Therefore, the lengths of the lanyard on either side of the lanyard adjuster are fixed. The plate can be further decoupled from the housing to enable adjustment of the lengths of the lanyard on either side of the lanyard adjuster.

Abstract: A hand-held controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a user's hand. A ring is attached to an end of the handle and has an annular surface. The annular surface defines a plane that forms a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction. A capacitive touch pad is attached to the end of the handle and has a touch surface to receive haptic input from a finger of the user's hand. The capacitive touch pad generates sensor signals responsive to receiving the haptic input from the finger of the user's hand.

Abstract: A head-mounted display for a virtual-reality system includes one or more outer surfaces having a plurality of recesses. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are installed in respective recesses of the plurality of recesses. The recesses are covered with covers that are substantially flush with respective surfaces of the one or more outer surfaces of the head-mounted display.

Abstract: A method is performed in a virtual-reality system that includes a head-mounted display (HMD), a camera, and a hand-held controller having a plurality of illumination sources to provide light that is detectable by the camera. The method includes displaying, on the HMD, an image of a hand and using the camera to detect movement of the hand-held controller by tracking positions of respective illumination sources of the plurality of illumination sources. The method further includes displaying, on the HMD, motion of the image of the hand corresponding to the detected movement.

Abstract: A hand-held controller includes a user-input surface, a grip coupled to the user-input surface, and a cage coupled to the user-input surface at two points without the grip interposed between the user-input surface and the cage. The hand-held controller includes may further include a plurality of illumination sources on an outer surface of the cage.