Apple Invents a VR Game Controller for Shooter Games with Torque Feedback using a Motorized Trigger

On Thursday the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a possible new device for Apple's XR headset that could provide a realistic feel to a VR controller for shooter games by providing a torque feedback mechanism for a trigger or lever using a rotary reluctance motor.

In Apple's patent background they note that touch panels and touch screens can provide virtual input devices (e.g., virtual buttons, virtual keys, virtual sliders, virtual dials, etc.) as a substitute for mechanical input devices, the virtual input devices often lack the tactile feel and feedback of their mechanical counterparts. In some instances, this lack of tactile feel can prevent a user from determining that an input is being properly applied, or that an input has been positively received.

In other instances, this lack of tactile feel can detract from the realism of providing an input and diminish the enjoyment of providing inputs for entertainment purposes. For example, a virtual piano keyboard does not provide the feeling of a physical key depression, and a virtual trigger does not provide a confirmation that a physical trigger was sufficiently squeezed.

Other input devices may be physical in nature to avoid the limitations of virtual input devices, but may still not accurately emulate the tactile feedback of the physical input device it is intended to replace due to mechanical differences between the two. For example, the keys of a digital piano will not have the physical hammers and strings of an acoustic piano, and therefore may not feel like the keys of an acoustic piano. Similarly, a trigger of an electronic gaming controller will not have the springs and levers of a mechanical trigger, and therefore may not feel like a mechanical trigger.

Apple's patent relates to providing a torque feedback mechanism for a trigger or lever using a rotary reluctance motor (or engine).

In some examples, the rotary reluctance engine includes two fixed asymmetric poles formed from two core/coil assemblies of unequal size and/or shape located on one or both sides of a permanent magnet, or outside the magnet.

In some examples, the poles are fixed in place, and the permanent magnet is coupled to the trigger or lever such that the magnet rotates with respect to the poles as the trigger or lever is squeezed.

In other examples, one or more permanent magnets are fixed in place, and the poles are coupled to the trigger or lever such that the poles rotate with respect to the magnet as the trigger or lever is squeezed. When the coils of the motor are programmably energized, the cores are magnetized at different angular rotations of the trigger or lever, creating a torque feedback profile that can be quickly modified to provide more or less torque at different times during the squeezing of the trigger or lever to emulate different triggers or levers.

Apple's patent FIGS. 1A-1C below illustrate various examples of input devices with a trigger for enabling user input to the input device; FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an input device with a trigger assembly including a trigger; FIG. 3A illustrates a side view of a trigger assembly with a trigger and a rotary reluctance engine; FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of a trigger assembly with a trigger and a rotary reluctance engine; FIG. 6 illustrates a trigger assembly with an alternative location for the coil/core assemblies of the rotary reluctance engine of in FIG. 4A.

Apple's patent FIG. 7C below illustrates a side view of the rotary reluctance engine; FIG. 8A illustrates a symbolic representation of power consumption of the rotary reluctance engine; FIG. 8D illustrates a rotary motor for providing a constant torque on a trigger coupled to a rotary reluctance engine.

Apple's patent FIG. 9 above illustrates a flowchart for providing torque to a trigger.

For more details, review Apple's patent application number US 20230096068.

Posted by Jack Purcher on April 02, 2023 at 07:37 AM in 1A. Patent Applications, Apple Accessories, Devices, Components, Haptics, Sensors & Tactile, HMDs, Smartglasses + | Permalink | Comments (0)