Patents by Inventor Chad Lichtenhan

Chad Lichtenhan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240094809
    Abstract: An eye tracking system with in-optical-assembly plane illumination is described. Side-emitting light emitting diodes (LEDs) aligned with a plane of an optical assembly of a near-eye display device are used to illuminate the eye of a user and generate glints that can be detected by an eye tracking camera. When a corrective optical lens or similar element is included in the optical assembly that may distort illumination beams from the light emitting diodes (LEDs), the distortion is mitigated by using in-package or externally modified LEDs that provide angled beams. In addition to in-package level mitigations such as reflectors or labels, edge portions of the distorting optical elements may be shaped or complemented with refractive elements to redirect the beams toward the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qi ZHANG, Chad Lichtenhan, Morteza Karami, Kuan Pei Yap, Mehmet Mutlu
  • Patent number: 11850811
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a lens includes dispensing a first liquid optically-transmissive material into a first mold cavity and then curing the first liquid optically-transmissive material to form a first region the lens having a first refractive index and an optical interface surface. A second liquid optically-transmissive material then dispensed into a second mold cavity over the optical interface surface while the first region of the lens is disposed within the second mold cavity. The second liquid optically-transmissive material in the second mold cavity is cured to form a second region of the lens having a second refractive index. An optical interface between the first region and the second region conforms to the optical interface surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt Allen Jenkins, Chad Lichtenhan, Michael Patrick Schaub, Byron Taylor
  • Patent number: 11458699
    Abstract: A lens assembly includes a tube in which optical elements such as lenses or micro-lenses are individually fabricated by dispensing a volume of curable optical polymer into the tube, forming the desired shape for the optical element using one or more plungers having heads corresponding to a desired lensing curvature, applying radiant energy to the tube with the plungers in place to cure the optical polymer, and repeating as needed until the desired number of optical elements are fabricated within the lens assembly which may then be integrated as a single piece into a mobile or wearable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt Allen Jenkins, Chad Lichtenhan, Michael Patrick Schaub, Byron Taylor
  • Publication number: 20210170703
    Abstract: A lens assembly includes a tube in which optical elements such as lenses or micro-lenses are individually fabricated by dispensing a volume of curable optical polymer into the tube, forming the desired shape for the optical element using one or more plungers having heads corresponding to a desired lensing curvature, applying radiant energy to the tube with the plungers in place to cure the optical polymer, and repeating as needed until the desired number of optical elements are fabricated within the lens assembly which may then be integrated as a single piece into a mobile or wearable device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Kurt Allen Jenkins, Chad Lichtenhan, Michael Patrick Schaub, Byron Taylor
  • Patent number: 10884202
    Abstract: A housing for an optical assembly includes a base and at least one finger. The base includes a hole configured to pass light to or from an electronic component. The finger is bent at an angle with respect to the base for securing the optical assembly within the housing. The base and the finger comprise a single monolithic structure of a sheet material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt Allen Jenkins, Chad Lichtenhan, Michael Patrick Schaub, Byron Taylor
  • Publication number: 20200400952
    Abstract: A lens with an internal aperture includes a first region of optically-transmissive material, a second region of optically-transmissive material, and an internal aperture element. The first region of optically transmissive material defines a first surface of the lens and the second region defines a second surface of the lens that is opposite the first surface. The internal aperture element is integrally disposed between the first region and the second region and defines the aperture of the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Kurt Allen Jenkins, Chad Lichtenhan, Michael Patrick Schaub, Byron Taylor