Patents by Inventor Nicholas C. Soldner
Nicholas C. Soldner 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).
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Publication number: 20240094840Abstract: In at least one example of the present disclosure, a head-mountable device includes a display, a frame at least partially surrounding the display, a facial interface attached to the frame, a cover disposed around the facial interface, and a touch sensitive surface incorporated into the cover to receive input from a user for the head-mountable device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Darshan R. Kasar, Javier Mendez, Nicholas C. Soldner, Grant H. Mulliken
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Publication number: 20240077940Abstract: A head-mountable device including a display, a housing at least partially surrounding the display, a facial interface attached to the housing, and a cover positioned between the housing and the facial interface, the cover comprising a conductive fabric.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Javier C. Mendez, Nicholas C. Soldner, Darshan R. Kasar, Grant H. Mulliken
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Patent number: 11871517Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with an array of pixels for displaying images. The electronic device may also have a lens through which the images are viewable on the display. The display may have a display panel that is mounted to a printed circuit stack. The printed circuit stack may include multiple printed circuit layers to which components are mounted. The components may include an orientation sensor overlapped by the display panel. A camera may be mounted to a printed circuit stack and may overlap one or more electrical components such as an orientation sensor. The printed circuit stacks may include rigid and flexible printed circuits coupled together using solder and other conductive connections. Air gaps may be created between stacked printed circuit layers.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2021Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Muhammad F. Hossain, Syed F. Mohiuddin, Ritu Shah, Jonathan C. Atler, Nicholas C. Soldner
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Publication number: 20240000341Abstract: A head mounted device may include one or more interferometric sensors positioned and oriented in a housing to sense particle movement caused by respiration of a user. Interferometric signals from the one or more interferometric sensors may be used to determine respiration information about the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2023Publication date: January 4, 2024Inventors: Miaolei Yan, Tong Chen, Nicholas C. Soldner
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Publication number: 20230418019Abstract: A head-mounted device may have a display with pixel arrays that display content for a user. A head-mounted support structure in the device supports the pixel arrays on the head of the user. A left positioner may be used to position a left lens assembly that includes a left lens and a first pixel array. A right positioner may be used to position a right lens assembly that includes a right lens and a second pixel array. Control circuitry may adjust the positions of the left and right lens assemblies using interpupillary distance information. Sensing circuitry such as force sensing circuitry may be used to ensure that the lens assemblies do not apply excessive force on a nose. Force sensors may be included between the lens assemblies and the nose, such as in, on, or adjacent to a nasal flap, or may be coupled to the lens assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2023Publication date: December 28, 2023Inventors: Timo Birnschein, Nicholas C Soldner, Matin Seadat Beheshti, Bijeta Chakraborty, Joryl P Calizo, Shannon Pomeroy, Amin Farzaneh
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Publication number: 20230359273Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that initiate an action based on a detected gaze direction oriented towards a target area (e.g., a hot corner/zone). For example, an example process may include producing a reflection by directing light towards an eye using an illuminator, receiving sensor data from a sensor, wherein a direction of sensing by the sensor (e.g., the optical axis of the camera) and a direction from the eye to a target area are approximately aligned, determining a reflective property (e.g., a spectral property) of the reflection based on the sensor data, detecting that a gaze direction of the eye is approximately oriented towards the target area (e.g., a hot zone/spot) based on the reflective property, and initiating an action based on detecting that the gaze direction is approximately oriented towards the target area.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2023Publication date: November 9, 2023Inventors: Arthur Y. Zhang, Tong Chen, Siddharth S. Hazra, Nicholas C. Soldner
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Patent number: 11810714Abstract: A head-mounted device includes a device housing, a display device, an optical system, and a headband. The head-mounted device also includes a first headband connector that includes a headband-side connector portion that is connected to the headband at a first end of the headband and a device-side connector portion that is connected to the device housing. The first headband connector is movable between a disconnected position, in which the headband-side connector portion is disconnected from the device-side connector portion, and a connected position, in which the headband-side connector portion is connected to the device-side connector portion. The first headband connector also includes paired magnetic components that are configured to attract the headband-side connector portion and the device-side connector portion to one another to urge the first headband connector to move to the connected position.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2021Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Darshan R. Kasar, Javier Mendez, Nicholas C. Soldner
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Publication number: 20230281846Abstract: Methods and apparatus for specular surface mapping in which a camera detects reflections of a light source from a specular surface. The detected light sources may be projected onto a celestial sphere as virtual point sources. True positive observations should be tightly clustered on the celestial sphere; thus, false positives may be identified and removed. Specular surface information may then be determined from clusters of the virtual point sources on the celestial sphere. The clusters of virtual point sources on the celestial sphere may be identified and used to identify a surface as a specular surface. The clusters may also be used to extract other information regarding the specular surface, including but not limited to distance to and extent of the specular surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2022Publication date: September 7, 2023Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Luke A. Pillans, Aleksandr M. Movshovich, Nicholas C. Soldner, Daniel Kurz, Arthur Y. Zhang
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Patent number: 11740691Abstract: A head-mountable device can securely support sensors in a manner that maintains their positions and orientations over time and avoids applying excessive strain on the sensors, thereby protecting them from harm. The sensor can be mounted on a flex circuit or circuit board, which is rigidly secured within an inner case, including for example a base and an inner shield. The inner case can be suspended within an outer case, including for example a frame and an outer shield. Shock absorbers on opposing sides of the inner case can flexibly couple the inner case to the outer case. The shock absorbers can dampen the effects of vibrations or other forces applied from the outer case. The inner case can decouple the sensor from strain applied from the shock absorbers.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2021Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Muhammad F. Hossain, Nicholas C. Soldner, Hong Pan, Seth E. Woiszwillo, Anthony Y. Fai
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Patent number: 11740350Abstract: Object detection may include transmitting, by a first device, a first pulse into an environment using a wide field configuration of an ultrasonic sensor array, detecting a presence of an object in the environment based on a detected echo based on the first pulse. In response to detecting the presence of the object, a targeted configuration of the ultrasonic sensor array is determined, and a second pulse is transmitted into the environment based on the second pulse, wherein a characteristic of the object is determined based on a detected echo from the second pulse.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nicholas C. Soldner, Arthur Y. Zhang, Tushar Gupta
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Publication number: 20220390598Abstract: Object detection may include transmitting, by a first device, a first pulse into an environment using a wide field configuration of an ultrasonic sensor array, detecting a presence of an object in the environment based on a detected echo based on the first pulse. In response to detecting the presence of the object, a targeted configuration of the ultrasonic sensor array is determined, and a second pulse is transmitted into the environment based on the second pulse, wherein a characteristic of the object is determined based on a detected echo from the second pulse.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Nicholas C. Soldner, Arthur Y. Zhang, Tushar Gupta
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Patent number: 11346940Abstract: Object detection may include transmitting, by a first device, a first pulse into an environment using a wide field configuration of an ultrasonic sensor array, detecting a presence of an object in the environment based on a detected echo based on the first pulse. In response to detecting the presence of the object, a targeted configuration of the ultrasonic sensor array is determined, and a second pulse is transmitted into the environment based on the second pulse, wherein a characteristic of the object is determined based on a detected echo from the second pulse.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2021Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nicholas C. Soldner, Arthur Y. Zhang, Tushar Gupta
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Patent number: 11234078Abstract: A system that includes an audio source device configured to obtain audio data of at least one audio channel of a piece of program content. The audio source device has an optical transmitter for transmitting the audio data as an optical signal and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver. The system also includes a wireless earphone that has an optical receiver for receiving the audio data as the optical signal, a RF transceiver for transmitting feedback data indicating a reception quality of the received optical signal at the wireless earphone as a wireless RF signal, and a speaker for outputting the audio data contained within the optical signal and/or the data packets as sound.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2020Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Robert D. Silfvast, Tushar Gupta, Jahan C. Minoo, Nicholas C. Soldner, Daniel Javaheri-Zadeh
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Publication number: 20210302572Abstract: Object detection may include transmitting, by a first device, a first pulse into an environment using a wide field configuration of an ultrasonic sensor array, detecting a presence of an object in the environment based on a detected echo based on the first pulse. In response to detecting the presence of the object, a targeted configuration of the ultrasonic sensor array is determined, and a second pulse is transmitted into the environment based on the second pulse, wherein a characteristic of the object is determined based on a detected echo from the second pulse.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2021Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Nicholas C. Soldner, Arthur Y. Zhang, Tushar Gupta
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Publication number: 20210304938Abstract: A head-mounted device includes a device housing, a display device, an optical system, and a headband. The head-mounted device also includes a first headband connector that includes a headband-side connector portion that is connected to the headband at a first end of the headband and a device-side connector portion that is connected to the device housing. The first headband connector is movable between a disconnected position, in which the headband-side connector portion is disconnected from the device-side connector portion, and a connected position, in which the headband-side connector portion is connected to the device-side connector portion. The first headband connector also includes paired magnetic components that are configured to attract the headband-side connector portion and the device-side connector portion to one another to urge the first headband connector to move to the connected position.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2021Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Darshan R. Kasar, Javier Mendez, Nicholas C. Soldner
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Patent number: 11002851Abstract: Object detection may include transmitting, by a first device, a first pulse into an environment using a wide field configuration of an ultrasonic sensor array, detecting a presence of an object in the environment based on a detected echo based on the first pulse. In response to detecting the presence of the object, a targeted configuration of the ultrasonic sensor array is determined, and a second pulse is transmitted into the environment based on the second pulse, wherein a characteristic of the object is determined based on a detected echo from the second pulse.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2019Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nicholas C. Soldner, Arthur Y. Zhang, Tushar Gupta
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Publication number: 20200081120Abstract: Object detection may include transmitting, by a first device, a first pulse into an environment using a wide field configuration of an ultrasonic sensor array, detecting a presence of an object in the environment based on a detected echo based on the first pulse. In response to detecting the presence of the object, a targeted configuration of the ultrasonic sensor array is determined, and a second pulse is transmitted into the environment based on the second pulse, wherein a characteristic of the object is determined based on a detected echo from the second pulse.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2019Publication date: March 12, 2020Inventors: Nicholas C. Soldner, Arthur Y. Zhang, Tushar Gupta
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Patent number: 10397869Abstract: A system includes a transceiver for receiving a wake up signal from a wireless communication device. A processor is operatively connected to the transceiver and to a memory. The memory includes instructions recorded thereon that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to transition from a sleep mode to an active mode and power up the transceiver upon validation of the wake up signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2015Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Carrier CorporationInventors: Joseph Zacchio, Nicholas C. Soldner, Vijaya R. Lakamraju
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Patent number: 10230326Abstract: A method of evaluating energy harvesting potential includes receiving point-in-time illuminance data into a mobile device for incorporation into a building information model of a building. A site-specific light simulation model for the building is calibrated using the building information model incorporating the point-in-time illuminance data. The method also includes determining energy availability for energy harvesting in the building based on the calibrated site-specific light simulation model.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2016Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: Carrier CorporationInventors: Ankit Tiwari, Rodolfo De Paz Alberola, Berta Carballido Villaverde, Kushal Mukherjee, Nicholas C. Soldner, Michael Ramoutar
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Publication number: 20170295545Abstract: A system includes a transceiver for receiving a wake up signal from a wireless communication device. A processor is operatively connected to the transceiver and to a memory. The memory includes instructions recorded thereon that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to transition from a sleep mode to an active mode and power up the transceiver upon validation of the wake up signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2015Publication date: October 12, 2017Inventors: Joseph Zacchio, Nicholas C. Soldner, Vijaya R. Lakamraju