Wireless controller

A wireless controller, comprising:

• a handle portion to be held in one or both hands;
• a gyroscope mechanically coupled to the handle portion and configured to output rotation information indicative of rotation of the handle portion about a steering axis;
• an accelerometer mechanically coupled to the handle portion and configured to output acceleration information;
• a magnetometer mechanically coupled to the handle portion and configured to output magnetic bearing information;
• and
• a communication subsystem to wirelessly transmit sensor data representing the rotation information, the acceleration information, and the magnetic bearing information to a computing device such that the acceleration information is useable to attenuate gyroscopic drift without the magnetic bearing information when the handle portion is primarily vertical, and the magnetic bearing information is useable to attenuate the gyroscopic drift without the acceleration information when the handle portion is primarily horizontal, and wherein the transmitted sensor data controls a movement of a virtual object in a display of the computing device.

A method of controlling an attitude of a virtual object, the method comprising:

• receiving sensor data from a wireless controller device, wherein the wireless controller comprising a handle portion to be held in one or both hands, a gyroscope mechanically coupled to the handle portion and configured to output rotation information indicative of rotation of the handle portion about a steering axis, an accelerometer mechanically coupled to the handle portion and configured to output acceleration information, a magnetometer mechanically coupled to the handle portion and configured to output magnetic bearing information, and the received sensor data representing the rotation information, the acceleration information, and the magnetic bearing information measured by the wireless controller;
• identifying a neutral steering vector of the wireless controller;
• using the rotation information to recognize a steering rotation of the wireless controller about the steering axis relative to the neutral steering vector, where the acceleration information is used to attenuate gyroscopic drift of the rotation information without the magnetic bearing information when the wireless controller is primarily vertical, and the magnetic bearing information is used to attenuate the gyroscopic drift of the rotation information without the acceleration information when the wireless controller is primarily horizontal, and wherein the received sensor data controls a movement of the virtual object in a display of a computing device;
• rolling the virtual object in proportion to the steering rotation;
• using the acceleration information to recognize a first pitch of the wireless controller relative to gravity;
• and
• inclining the virtual object in proportion to the first pitch of the wireless controller.

A wireless controller, comprising:

• a handle portion to be held in one or both hands;
• a gyroscope connected to the handle portion and configured to output rotation information indicative of rotation of the handle portion about a steering axis;
• an accelerometer connected to the handle portion and configured to output acceleration information;
• a magnetometer connected to the handle portion and configured to output magnetic bearing information;
• and
• a communication subsystem to wirelessly transmit sensor data to a computing device, the transmitted sensor data representing the rotation information, the acceleration information, and the magnetic bearing information, where the acceleration information is used to attenuate gyroscopic drift when the handle portion has a first orientation and the magnetic bearing information is used to attenuate the gyroscopic drift when the handle portion has a second orientation, different than the first orientation, and wherein the transmitted sensor data controls a movement of a virtual object in a display of the computing device.