# US 11,298,623 B1 · Battery retention methods and mechanisms for handheld controllers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,623 B1 - Document ID: US11298623B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/677,859 - Filed: 2019-11-08 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-08 - Assignees: Facebook Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Facebook Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Robin Michael Miller; Chin Yuan Cheng; Raymond Louis Nicoli; Balaji Chelladurai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298623B1 ## CPC - A63F 13/24: Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles - A63F 13/92: Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing - A63F 13/235: using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet - A63F 13/25: Output arrangements for video game devices - A63F 2300/1043: being characterized by constructional details - A63F 2300/8082: Virtual reality - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The disclosed handheld controller may include a handle shaped and sized to be gripped by a user's hand and a battery compartment in the handle. The battery compartment may be configured to receive a replaceable battery that has a first end portion with a negative terminal and a second, opposite end portion with a positive terminal. The battery compartment may include a spring-loaded negative contact for electrically coupling to the negative terminal of the battery and a spring-loaded positive contact for electrically coupling to the positive terminal of the battery. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A handheld controller, comprising: a handle shaped and sized to be gripped by a user's hand; and a battery compartment in the handle, the battery compartment configured to receive a replaceable cylindrical battery having a first end portion with a negative terminal and a second end portion with a positive terminal including a central protrusion, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are in positions that are opposite each other, wherein the battery compartment comprises: a spring-loaded negative contact for electrically coupling to the negative terminal of the battery, the spring-loaded negative contact comprising a first coil spring and a first cylindrical conductive cap positioned over the first coil spring, the first cylindrical conductive cap comprising a first flange for retaining the first cylindrical conductive cap in a housing of the handle and a convex surface for abutting against the negative terminal of the battery; and a spring-loaded positive contact for electrically coupling to the positive terminal of the battery, the spring-loaded positive contact comprising a second coil spring and a second cylindrical conductive cap positioned over the second coil spring, the second conductive cap comprising: a second flange for retaining the second cylindrical conductive cap in the housing of the handle; a raised lip along a circumference of an end of the second cylindrical conductive cap; and a depression radially inward from the raised lip and on the end of the second cylindrical conductive cap, the depression forming a concave surface shaped and sized for abutting against the positive terminal of the battery and for receiving the central protrusion of the positive terminal of the battery. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The handheld controller of claim 1, further comprising a multi-degree of freedom sensor for sensing movement of the handheld controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The handheld controller of claim 1, wherein the handheld controller is an artificial-reality controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The handheld controller of claim 1, wherein the spring-loaded negative contact and the spring-loaded positive contact are positioned at an initial distance from each other to apply a compressive force on the battery when the battery is installed in the battery compartment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The handheld controller of claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulating isolation ring at least partially surrounding at least one of the spring-loaded negative contact or the spring-loaded positive contact. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The handheld controller of claim 1, wherein the first flange extends radially outward from an end of the first cylindrical conductive cap opposite the convex surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The handheld controller of claim 1, wherein the second flange extends radially outward from an end of the second cylindrical conductive cap opposite the concave surface. ### Claim 8 An artificial-reality system, comprising: a head-mounted display configured to present computer-generated images to a user's eyes; and a handheld controller configured to provide an input for manipulating the computer-generated images presented by the head-mounted display, the handheld controller comprising: a battery compartment comprising a spring-loaded negative contact and a spring-loaded positive contact for respectively electrically coupling to a negative terminal of a cylindrical battery and an opposing positive terminal of the battery, the positive terminal comprising a central protrusion, wherein: the spring-loaded negative contact comprises a convex conductive cap having a cylindrical shape and a first flange to retain the spring-loaded negative contact in the battery compartment; and the spring-loaded positive contact comprises a concave conductive cap having a cylindrical shape, a raised lip along a circumference of an end of the concave conductive cap, a depression radially inward from the raised lip defining a concave surface shaped and sized for receiving the central protrusion of the positive terminal of the battery, and a second flange to retain the spring-loaded negative contact in the battery compartment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The artificial-reality system of claim 8, further comprising a tracking subsystem configured to track movement of the handheld controller through space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The artificial-reality system of claim 9, wherein the tracking subsystem comprises at least one sensor internal to the handheld controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The artificial-reality system of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit. ### Claim 12 A method of retaining a replaceable battery in a handheld controller, the method comprising: positioning a replaceable cylindrical battery within a battery compartment of a handheld controller; depressing a spring-loaded negative contact in the battery compartment with a negative terminal of the battery by abutting the negative terminal of the battery with a convex surface of a first cylindrical conductive cap; retaining the spring-loaded negative contact in the battery compartment with a first flange of the first cylindrical conductive cap; depressing a spring-loaded positive contact in the battery compartment with a positive terminal of the battery by abutting the positive terminal of the battery with a second cylindrical conductive cap of the spring-loaded positive contact and positioning a central protrusion of the positive terminal of the battery within a concave surface on an end of the second cylindrical conductive cap; retaining the spring-loaded positive contact in the battery compartment with a second flange of the second cylindrical conductive cap of the spring-loaded positive contact; and retaining the battery in the battery compartment with spring forces from both the spring-loaded negative contact and the spring-loaded positive contact. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: depressing the spring-loaded negative contact comprises compressing a first coil spring abutting the first cylindrical conductive cap of the spring-loaded negative contact; and depressing the spring-loaded positive contact comprises compressing a second coil spring abutting the second cylindrical conductive cap of the spring-loaded positive contact.