Handheld controller with hand detection sensors

A handheld controller, comprising:

• a main body having a thumb surface;
• a thumbstick extending from the thumb surface;
• a surrounding ring portion extending from the main body;
• a handle extending from the main body, wherein the handle has a palm side and a finger side opposite the palm side;
• a trigger button positioned on the main body or handle;
• a third-finger button positioned on the finger side of the handle;
• a detection sensor on the handle and positioned to detect a presence of the finger or palm of a user's hand engaging the handle and operative to output a signal corresponding to a presence of the user's hand relative to the handle;
• and
• a proximity sensor on the finger side of the handle adjacent to the button, the proximity sensor configured to detect a separation distance between at least one of the user's fingers and a surface of the finger side of the handle on which the proximity sensor and the button are situated, the proximity sensor further configured to detect a movement of the at least one of the user's fingers towards or away from the surface of the finger side of the handle on which the proximity sensor and the button are situated.

A handheld controller comprising:

• a main body;
• a handle extending from the main body, wherein the handle has a palm side and a finger side opposite the palm side;
• a trigger button positioned on the main body or handle;
• a first detection sensor on the finger side of the handle and positioned to detect a presence of a first one of a user's fingers relative to the handle and to detect a separation distance between the first one of the user's fingers and a surface of the finger side of the handle on which the first detection sensor is situated, the first detection sensor further configured to detect a movement of the at least one of the user's fingers towards or away from the surface of the finger side of the handle on which the first detection sensor is situated;
• a second detection sensor on the finger side of the handle adjacent to the first detection sensor and positioned to detect the presence of a second one of the user's fingers relative to the handle;
• and
• a third detection sensor on the handle and positioned to detect the presence of a portion of a hand of the user relative to the handle.