Patents Assigned to Tectus Corporation
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Patent number: 11294159Abstract: An eye-mounted device includes a contact lens and an embedded imaging system. The front aperture of the imaging system faces away from the user's eye so that the image sensor in the imaging system detects imagery of a user's external environment. The optics for the imaging system has a folded optical path, which is advantageous for fitting the imaging system into the limited space within the contact lens. In one design, the optics for the imaging system is based on a two mirror design, with a concave mirror followed by a convex mirror.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Brian Elliot Lemoff, Flint Orin Hamblin, George Michael Mihalakis
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Patent number: 11284993Abstract: A display device (e.g., in a contact lens) is mounted on the eye. The eye mounted display contains multiple sub-displays, each of which projects light to different retinal positions within a portion of the retina corresponding to the sub-display. Additionally, a “locally uniform resolution” mapping may be used to model the variable resolution of the eye. Accordingly, various aspects of the display device may be based on the locally uniform resolution mapping. For example, the light emitted from the sub-displays may be based on the locally uniform resolution mapping.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2018Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Michael Frank Deering, Alan Huang
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Patent number: 11276188Abstract: An imaging device contained in a contact lens captures images of the external environment, which for convenience will be referred to as real-world images. These real-world images are used to stabilize images produced by a femtoprojector also in the contact lens. For convenience, the images produced by the femtoprojector will be referred to as augmented reality or AR images. The femtoprojector is inward-facing (i.e., facing towards the interior of the eye) and projects the AR images onto the user's retina, creating the appearance of virtual images in the external environment. The imaging device, referred to as a femtoimager for convenience, is outward-facing and captures a sequence of actual real-world images of the external environment. Because the femtoimager and femtoprojector move together, the real-world images captured by the femtoimager reflect the motion of the virtual AR images from the femtoprojector relative to the external environment.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2020Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Abhishek Deepak Bhat, Ramin Mirjalili, Brian Elliot Lemoff, Joseph Czompo, Michael West Wiemer
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Patent number: 11237410Abstract: A substrate carries electrical components. It is bent into a non-planar shape to fit into a contact lens. For example, the substrate may be constructed from a flexible circuit board. The circuit board has certain regions for mounting electrical components. The flexible circuit board is bent into a three-dimensional shape that fits into the contact lens. The regions used to mount electrical components remain flat.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Donald Arthur Ice, Benjamin Lyle Hackett
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Patent number: 11231597Abstract: A contact lens having a cap, core, and base forming three layers to allow for the contact lens to be thick enough to accommodate a payload, while ensuring sufficient oxygenation of the wearer's eye. The cap and base are each a thin layer of gas-permeable material, each shaped to form an air gap between them and the core. The two air gaps are connected by air passages that traverse the core. Oxygen from an outside environment passes through the gas-permeable cap to reach the outer air gap, through the air passages to the inner air gap, and through the gas-permeable base to reach the cornea of the wearer's eye. The cap may be annular in form, having a center hole such that the cap does not extend over the central zone of the core, reducing a thickness of the contact lens.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Ben H. Shelef, Eric Johnson, Michael West Wiemer, Donald Arthur Ice
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Patent number: 11194179Abstract: A process for creating wiring on a curved surface, such as the surface of a contact lens, includes the following. Creating a groove or trench in the curved surface. Forming a seed layer on the surface and on the groove. Removing the seed layer from the surface while leaving some or all of it in the groove. Depositing conductive material in the groove. Preferably, the deposited conductive material is thicker than the seed layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2017Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Eric Anthony Perozziello, Edward John Palen, Michael West Wiemer
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Patent number: 11194176Abstract: Ocular devices worn on the eye and through-body communication networks for communicating with an ocular device and other devices interconnected to the through-body communication network are disclosed. Devices and networks for using the body to communication between an ocular device and an on-body and off-body communication networks are disclosed. An ocular device includes electrodes configured to be electrically coupled to the body through tear fluid of the eye when worn on the eye of a user. Electrodes interconnected to the body establish communication with on-body network devices and off-body network devices.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2019Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: TECTUS CORPORATIONInventor: Gregory David Miller
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Patent number: 11157073Abstract: A method for calibrating an orientation of an eye-mounted display relative to a user's gaze, preferably performed by a system. The system causes the eye-mounted display to project a calibration image onto the user's retina. The user provides information about a relative orientation between the user's gaze and the calibration image, for example a translation offset or a relative rotation. Based on the received information, an orientation for the eye-mounted display that aligns with the user's gaze is determined. Images to be projected by the eye-mounted display onto the user's retina can be adjusted based on the determined orientation.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2017Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventor: Hansong Zhang
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Patent number: 11158669Abstract: In one approach, an LED array uses a combination of a half cavity and straight reflective sidewalls to improve the power distribution so that more light falls within the collection angle of the projection optics. From the bottom upwards, the LEDs in the array include a reflector, a thinner p-layer and a thicker n-layer. An active region (such as quantum wells) between the p-layer and the p-layer generates light. Without additional structures, the generated light would have an isotropic distribution and not much of the light would fall within the collection angle of the projection optics. However, the bottom reflector and p-layer form a half cavity for the light emitted from the active region. This alters the angular power distribution. Straight reflective sidewalls extending from the active region upwards into the n-layer further reflect light from the altered power distribution into the collection angle of the projection optics.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2019Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Kwong-Hin Henry Choy, Ewelina Natalia Lucow, Paul Scott Martin
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Patent number: 11156839Abstract: A variety of femtoprojector optical systems are described. Each of them can be made small enough to fit in a contact lens using plastic injection molding, diamond turning, photolithography and etching, or other techniques. Most, but not all, of the systems include a solid cylindrical transparent substrate with a curved primary mirror formed on one end and a secondary mirror formed on the other end. Any of the designs may use light blocking, light-redirecting, absorbing coatings or other types of baffle structures as needed to reduce stray light.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Brian Elliot Lemoff, George Michael Mihalakis, Gregory David Miller, Ronald Maynard, Michael West Wiemer
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Patent number: 11150493Abstract: A contact lens has a core that is thick enough to accommodate a payload. The core has a base surface for mounting the contact lens to the sclera of the user's eye. It also provides mechanical integrity to carry the payload. The contact lens also includes an outer covering and an inner covering. Each covering is a thin layer of gas-permeable material shaped to form an air gap between the covering and the core. The two air gaps are connected by an air path that traverses the core. Oxygen from an outside environment passes through the gas-permeable outer covering to reach the outer air gap, through the air path to the inner air gap, and through the gas-permeable inner covering to reach the cornea of the wearer's eye.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2019Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventor: Ben H. Shelef
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Patent number: 11137622Abstract: An augmented reality system can include an electronic contact lens and a power source. The source generates a time-varying magnetic field which induces a time-varying current in conductive coils embedded in the electronic contact lens. The electronic contact lens uses the induced current to harvest power or to determine the orientation of the contact lens. The embedded conductive coils are positioned such that the AR system can harvest power and estimate the orientation of the eye at a variety of contact lens orientations. The conductive coils may be embedded within the contact lens at any number of positions and orientations. The embedded coils can encircle a portion of the contact lens and can collectively form an annulus within the contact lens. The conductive coils are embedded such that for at least three conductive coils, no two of the planes defined by the at least three conductive coils are parallel.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2018Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Ramin Mirjalili, Thomas Llewellyn Owens
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Patent number: 11127881Abstract: In one approach, an LED array uses a combination of a half cavity and straight reflective sidewalls to improve the power distribution so that more light falls within the collection angle of the projection optics. From the bottom upwards, the LEDs in the array include a reflector, a thinner p-layer and a thicker n-layer. An active region (such as quantum wells) between the p-layer and the p-layer generates light. Without additional structures, the generated light would have an isotropic distribution and not much of the light would fall within the collection angle of the projection optics. However, the bottom reflector and p-layer form a half cavity for the light emitted from the active region. This alters the angular power distribution. Straight reflective sidewalls extending from the active region upwards into the n-layer further reflect light from the altered power distribution into the collection angle of the projection optics.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Kwong-Hin Henry Choy, Ewelina Natalia Lucow, Paul Scott Martin
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Patent number: 11121289Abstract: Quantum dot-based color converters having a high density of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels have a high density of quantum dots that provide for high conversion efficiency within small sub-pixel aspect ratios and small volumes. The color converter can be used in optical displays.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2019Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Paul Martin, Lucymarie Mantese, Gregory David Miller, William Freeman
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Patent number: 11067879Abstract: A small projector uses an ultra-dense array of gallium nitride (GaN) LEDs. However, epitaxial growth of GaN typically produces a GaN region that is 5 um or thicker. To achieve high pixel density, the LEDs have small area, so the resulting LED structures are tall and skinny. This is undesirable because it makes further processing more difficult and has higher optical losses. As a result, it is beneficial to reduce the thickness of the GaN region. In one approach, a wafer with the GaN region on substrate is bonded to a backplane wafer containing LED driver circuits. The substrate is then separated from the GaN region, exposing a buffer layer of the GaN region. The GaN region is thinned and then patterned into individual LEDs. Typically, the buffer layer is removed entirely.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Kwong-Hin Henry Choy, Paul Scott Martin
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Publication number: 20210208674Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to eye-tracking systems and methods that provide a user the ability to efficiently activate the system and select and dismiss virtual objects within an augmented reality (“AR”) and/or virtual reality (“VR”) environment. A user may activate the user interface by glancing beyond an activation threshold positioned close enough to the edge of the field of view to reliably infer an intent to activate the virtual controls. Subsequently, the user interacts with virtual tools, first virtual “peek” windows and secondary virtual windows to obtain content or virtual control across a variety of granular levels. Subsequently, the user may glance away at virtual content or to other predefined areas within their eye's range of motion to dismiss the tool and/or deactivate the system.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2020Publication date: July 8, 2021Applicant: Tectus CorporationInventors: Dominic Philip HAINE, Scott HERZ
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Patent number: 11029535Abstract: An unobtrusive augmented reality (AR) system can be used to assist the wearer in every day interactions by projecting information from the contact lens display onto the retina of the wearer's eye. The unobtrusive augmented reality system includes a necklace and a contact lens display that are unobtrusive to the wearer and the wearer's surrounding environment. The necklace of the unobtrusive augmented reality system generates power and data for the contact lens displays. The necklace and contact lens display include conductive coils inductively coupled by a magnetic field. The inductive coupling allows data and power generated by the necklace to be transferred to the contact lens display. A projector in the contact lens display projects images generated from the data onto the retina of the wearers eye.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2020Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Gregory David Miller, Brian Elliot Lemoff, Kuang-mon Ashley Tuan, Herbert John Kniess, Ion Opris, Michael West Wiemer, Drew Daniel Perkins
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Publication number: 20210151637Abstract: Quantum dot-based color converters having a high density of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels have a high density of quantum dots that provide for high conversion efficiency within small sub-pixel aspect ratios and small volumes. The color converter can be used in optical displays.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2019Publication date: May 20, 2021Applicant: TECTUS CORPORATIONInventors: PAUL MARTIN, LUCYMARIE MANTESE, GREGORY DAVID MILLER, WILLIAM FREEMAN
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Patent number: 10996769Abstract: In one approach to eye tracking, a contact lens contains a network of twelve accelerometers. The accelerometers are positioned within the contact lens so that the measurements of acceleration can be used to estimate a position and an orientation of the eye relative to an external reference frame. One advantage of accelerometers is that they can be made relatively small and do not require much power. However, because the contact lens has a curved shape and is relatively thin, the possible locations for the accelerometers are limited. Various geometries for the accelerometer network and approaches to optimizing these geometries are described.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2018Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: Tectus CorporationInventors: Ramin Mirjalili, Joseph Czompo, Jieyang Jia, Michael West Wiemer
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Publication number: 20210124415Abstract: Presented are eye-controlled user-machine interaction systems and methods that, based on input variables that comprise orientation and motion of an electronic contact lens, assist the wearer of the contact lens carrying a femtoprojector to control and navigate a virtual scene that may be superimposed onto the real-world environment. Various embodiments provide for smooth, intuitive, and naturally flowing eye-controlled, interactive operations between the wearer and a virtual environment. In certain embodiments, eye motion information is used to wake a smart electronic contact lens, activate tools in a virtual scene, or any combination thereof without the need for blinking, winking, hand gestures, and use of buttons.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2020Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: Tectus CorporationInventors: Dominic Philip HAINE, Scott HERZ, Renaldi WINOTO, Abhishek BHAT, Ramin MIRJALILI, Joseph CZOMPO