Systems and related methods for facilitating pen input in a virtual reality environment

A system for facilitating pen input in a virtual reality environment, the system comprising:

• one or more external cameras, each of the one or more external cameras configured to communicate with a computer system;
• a pad, the pad comprising:
• a pad tracking part;
• a transparent touch part coupled to a portion of the pad tracking part;
• a touch part frame coupled with an outer border area of the transparent touch part and coupled to a portion of the pad tracking part;
• and
• a plurality of light sources that is disposed on an outside surface of the pad tracking part and that is configured to emit light that can be detected by the one or more external cameras;
• a stylus pen, the stylus pen comprising:
• a stylus grip;
• a stylus tip detachably mounted to the stylus grip;
• a stylus tracking part coupled to the stylus grip;
• and
• a plurality of light sources that is disposed on an outside surface of the stylus tracking part and that is configured to emit light that can be detected by the one or more external cameras;
• and
• a VR HMD (virtual reality head mounted display), the VR HMD configured to communicate with the computer system.

A method for facilitating pen input in a virtual reality environment, the method comprising:

• capturing images of an array of a plurality of light sources disposed on an outside surface of a stylus tracking part of a stylus pen and images of an array of a plurality of light sources disposed on an outside surface of a pad tracking part of a pad and images of a VR HMD (virtual reality head mounted display) by one or more external cameras, wherein:
• the pad comprises a transparent touch part, the pad tracking part, a touch part frame, and the plurality of light sources disposed on the outside surface of the pad tracking part, wherein:
• the touch part frame is coupled with an outer border area of the transparent touch part and coupled to a portion of the pad tracking part;
• and
• the stylus pen comprises a stylus grip, a stylus tip mounted to the stylus grip, the stylus tracking part coupled to the stylus grip, and the plurality of light sources disposed on the outside surface of the stylus tracking part;
• deriving attitudes (yaw/pitch/roll) and positions (3D coordinates) of the stylus pen, the pad, and the VR HMD from the captured images, in a computer system, wherein:
• each of the one or more external cameras is configured to communicate with the computer system;
• and
• rendering the stylus pen, the pad, and the VR HMD based on the derived attitudes and the derived positions, in the VR HMD, wherein:
• the VR HMD is configured to communicate with the computer system.