Patents Assigned to Facebook Technologies, LLC
  • Patent number: 10989233
    Abstract: A fluidic device comprises a first channel conduit, a valve apparatus, and an additional element adjacent to the first channel conduit. The first channel conduit transports fluid from a first fluid entrance to a fluid exit. In one embodiment, the additional element is a pump chamber that receives fluid from a second fluid entrance and pumps fluid into the first channel conduit in accordance with fluid pressure. Alternatively, the additional elements include a second channel conduit and a neck of the first channel conduit. The first channel conduit and the second channel conduit share a common wall. Fluid pressure in the first channel conduit controls a valve apparatus. The value apparatus controls a rate of fluid flow in the first channel conduit by deforming the common wall to change a cross-sectional area of the neck, which changes a rate of fluid flow in the second channel conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Garett Andrew Ochs
  • Patent number: 10984242
    Abstract: An artificial reality system includes a head mounted display (HMD) and a compass generator that generates a proximity compass used to locate virtual or physical elements within an artificial reality environment. The artificial reality system can render a proximity compass around or in proximity to a virtual device, a virtual or physical object, or at a designated location. The proximity compass includes graphical elements that can represent virtual experiences (applications, games, utilities etc.), physical or virtual objects, and physical or virtual locations within the artificial reality environment. The positioning of a graphical element within the proximity compass represents a direction of the associated experience, object or location with respect to the HMD. The graphical elements within the proximity compass may rotate around a virtual hand-held device when the user changes the orientation of the hand-held device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Charlene Mary Atlas, Chad Austin Bramwell, Mark Terrano, Caryn Vainio
  • Patent number: 10984705
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an image generator for use in a display, the method comprising: fabricating a plurality of discrete ILED array chips comprising a plurality of ILED emitters configured to produce light having the same wavelength, and wherein each of the plurality of ILED array chips is configured to produce light having one of a plurality of wavelengths; positioning the plurality of discrete ILED array chips on a carrier substrate such that a plurality of ILED emitters from adjacent chips form a pixel of a display; and bonding a first surface of the plurality of ILED array chips to a driver backplane such that electrical contacts of the plurality of ILED array chips are in electrical communication with the driver backplane, wherein the driver backplane comprises electronics for driving the ILED array chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Henry, Padraig Hughes, Joseph O'Keeffe
  • Patent number: 10980415
    Abstract: Eye-tracking systems of the present disclosure may include at least one light source configured to emit modulated radiation toward an intended location for a user's eye. The modulated radiation may be modulated in a manner that enables the light source to be identified by detection and analysis of the modulated radiation. At least one optical sensor including at least one sensing element may be configured to detect at least a portion of the modulated radiation. A processor may be configured to identify, based on the modulated radiation detected by the optical sensor, the light source that emitted the modulated radiation. Various other methods, systems, and devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Barry David Silverstein, Brian Wheelwright, Robin Sharma, Spencer Allan Wells
  • Patent number: 10984708
    Abstract: To manufacture a display using light emitting diodes (LEDs), the LEDs are transferred from fabrication substrates where they are fabricated to a target substrate (e.g., a backplane) that forms part of a display. The LEDs are transferred in three stages: first from fabrication substrates to hard handles, subsequently from the hard handles to a carrier substrate, and last from the carrier substrate to the target substrate. The LEDs are placed onto the carrier substrate to form pixel arrangements. One or more pick-up tools are used to transfer the LEDs. Switchable adhesives are used to facilitate the transfer of the LEDs from the fabrication substrates to the target substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Allan Pourchet, Pooya Saketi
  • Patent number: 10983354
    Abstract: A multiplanar head mounted display (HMD) includes two or more artificial display planes for each eye located at optical distances that can be dynamically adjusted based on a location within a scene presented by the HMD that the user views. For example, a scene is presented on two or more electronic display elements (e.g., screens) of the HMD. A focal length of an optics block that directs image light from the electronic display elements towards the eyes of a user is adjusted using a varifocal system (e.g., an element that mechanically changes a distance between a lens system in the optics block and the electronic display element, an element that changes shape of one or more lenses in the lens system in the optics block, etc.) based on a location or object within the scene where the user is looking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Robert Lanman, William Aaron Nicholls, Marina Zannoli, Kevin James MacKenzie, James Hillis, Yusufu Njoni Bamaxam Sulai, Olivier Mercier
  • Patent number: 10984544
    Abstract: A depth camera assembly (DCA) for depth sensing of a local area. The DCA includes a polarized light generator, an imaging device, and a controller. The polarized light generator modulates one or more optical beams emitted from an illumination source to generate modulated light, and projects the modulated light into the local area as polarized light having a first polarization. The imaging device receives light from the local area, the received light including ambient light and a portion of the polarized light reflected from the local area. The imaging device reduces an intensity of the received light having polarization different from a second polarization to generate filtered light substantially composed of light of the second polarization, and detects the portion of the polarized light having the second polarization using the filtered light. The controller determines depth information for the local area based on the detected portion of the polarized light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qing Chao, Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 10983591
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include identifying a region within a user's eye gaze and calculating a ranking for the identified region within the user's eye gaze. The ranking may indicate the user's level of interest in the identified region. The method may then determine how the identified region is to be presented according to the calculated ranking and present the identified region in the determined manner according to the calculated ranking. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Neeraj Choubey, Andre Golard, Bo Asp Andersen, Immo Andreas Schuetz, Karol Constantine Hatzilias, Kelly Ingham, Martin Henrik Tall, Sharvil Shailesh Talati, Robert Dale Cavin, Thomas Scott Murdison
  • Patent number: 10983341
    Abstract: An eye-tracker for determining a position of the pupil of an eye includes a detector and an optical element. The optical element is configured to receive first light reflected off the eye and reflectively diffract a portion of the first light that has a first polarization toward the detector. The optical element is also configured to transmit second light. The second light includes a second portion of the first light that has a second polarization that is different from the first polarization. A head-mounted display device that includes a display system and the eye-tracker is also disclosed. A method for determining the location of a pupil of an eye is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ying Geng, Babak Amirsolaimani, Scott Charles McEldowney, Wanli Chi, Yusufu Njoni Bamaxam Sulai
  • Patent number: 10983257
    Abstract: A lithographic patterning of a resist is performed to create a mandrel over a substrate. A deposition of one or more functional materials on the mandrel is performed. And each functional material has a respective refractive index. A selective removal of the mandrel is performed to create a plurality of grating elements formed from the one or more functional materials. The plurality of grating elements are self-aligned and form a diffraction grating. Each grating element may have a heterogenous refractive index (e.g., substantial normal to and/or parallel to a surface of the substrate). The diffraction grating may be used in a near-eye display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew E. Colburn, Giuseppe Calafiore, Matthieu Charles Raoul Leibovici, Maxwell Parsons
  • Patent number: 10984756
    Abstract: A display system divides a screen into regions and applies a different set of rendering/encoding parameters to each region. The system applies a first set of parameters to a first region that is being viewed by a fovea of an eye of a user. The system may also apply a second set of parameters to a second region that is being viewed by a parafovea of the eye, and apply a third set of parameters to a third region that is being viewed by the area of the eye outside of the parafovea. The first set of parameters are selected to yield relatively high image quality, while the second set of parameters are yield intermediate quality, and the third set of parameters yield lower quality. As a result, the second region and the third region can be rendered, encoded, and transmitted with less computing power and less bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Martin Henrik Tall, Javier San Agustin Lopez, Rasmus Dahl
  • Patent number: 10976826
    Abstract: A virtual reality system including a garment worn by a user, such as a glove, includes a jamming that jams movement of a portion of the user's body by increasing a rigidity of certain portions of the garment or by preventing a certain portion of the garment from expanding past a certain length. This allows the garment to simulate the physical sensation that occurs when the user touches an object. For example, to simulate the sensation of holding a coffee mug, the jamming mechanism prevents the user's fingers from curling after the user's fingers have reached a position equivalent to making physical contact with the coffee mug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sean Jason Keller, Tristan Thomas Trutna, Garett Andrew Ochs, Selso Luanava, Nicholas Roy Corson
  • Patent number: 10976807
    Abstract: A system includes an eyewear device configured to present content to a user. A processor is communicatively coupled to the eyewear device. A bracelet device is communicatively coupled to the processor, and includes at least one sensor configured to determine a position signal in response to movement of a user's hand. A depth camera assembly is communicatively coupled to the processor, and configured to emit a waveform into an environment of the user, and capture a plurality of optical signals from the waveform reflected off of at least one object in the environment. The processor is configured to determine a position of the user's hand in relation to the environment based in part on the position signal and the plurality of optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Renzo De Nardi, Richard Andrew Newcombe
  • Patent number: 10976991
    Abstract: A system creates an audio profile. The audio profile may be stored in a database. For example, the audio profile may be securely stored in a database of a social network and associated with a user account. The audio profile may contain data describing the way in which the specific user hears and interprets sounds. Systems and applications which present sounds to the user may access the audio profile and modify the sounds presented to the user based on the data in the audio profile to enhance the audio experience for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Philip Robinson, Antonio John Miller, William Owen Brimijoin, II, Andrew Lovitt
  • Patent number: 10979690
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving a first 2D frame depicting an evolving 3D scene and elements in the evolving 3D scene, (2) receiving a second 2D frame depicting the evolving 3D scene and the elements, (3) deriving 2D motion vectors from the first 2D frame and the second 2D frame that each include an estimated offset from coordinates of an element in the first 2D frame to coordinates of the element in the second 2D frame, (4) receiving depth information for the evolving 3D scene, (5) using the 2D motion vectors and the depth information to extrapolate a synthetic 2D frame, and (6) displaying the synthetic 2D frame to a user. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dean Joseph Beeler, Paul Louis Pedriana, Edward Anthony Hutchins, Volga Aksoy
  • Patent number: 10979838
    Abstract: A system reduces power consumption by optimizing a selection of acoustic sensors of a sensor array based on environmental parameters of a local area. The system includes the sensor array including the acoustic sensors configured to detect sound in a local area, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to: determine an environmental parameter of the local area; determine a performance metric for the sensor array; determine a selection of a subset of acoustic sensors from the acoustic sensors of the sensor array that satisfies the performance metric based on the environmental parameter of the local area; and process audio data from the subset of the acoustic sensors of the sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Ryan Donley, Andrew Lovitt
  • Patent number: 10976855
    Abstract: A touch sensing assembly includes a touch sensing layer that is configured to couple to an interface. The interface is configured to receive contact with skin of a user on a first surface. A first touch sensing layer is coupled to interface. The first touch sensing layer includes a plurality of touch sensors and a plurality of electrodes. The touch sensors are of a first touch sensing type, configured to detect proximity of the user's skin to the interface. The electrodes provide a plurality of electrical signals corresponding to the proximity of the user's skin to the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Raymond Louis Nicoli
  • Patent number: 10976555
    Abstract: A waveguide display is used for presenting media to a user. The waveguide display includes a light source assembly, an output waveguide, and a controller. The light source assembly projects an image light at least along one dimension. The output waveguide includes a waveguide body with two opposite surfaces. The output waveguide includes an input area, an output area, a first diffractive element on the first side, and a second diffractive element on the second side of the output waveguide. The output area is located between the input area and the first and second diffractive elements. The first and second diffractive elements reflect a second portion of the expanded image light back toward the output area for outcoupling to the eyebox. The controller controls the scanning of the light source assembly to form a two-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wanli Chi, Hee Yoon Lee
  • Patent number: 10979845
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method for performing directional beamforming according to an anticipated position may include accessing environment data indicating a sound source within an environment. The device may include various audio hardware components configured to generate steerable audio beams. The method may also include identifying the location of the sound source within the environment based on the accessed environment data, and then steering the audio beams of the device to the identified location of the sound source within the environment. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Lovitt, Scott Phillip Selfon, Antonio John Miller
  • Patent number: 10976979
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing system may receive, from a number of artificial reality devices each corresponding to a respective user, data generated by different artificial reality applications executing on the number of artificial reality devices. The data includes contextual information associated with experiences of the number of users in different artificial reality environments generated by the different artificial reality applications. The computing system may identify a target user of a number of users, and then select a portion of the received data based on information associated with the target user. The selected portion of the received data is associated with one of the different artificial reality applications. The computing system may then generate output data for the target user based on the selected portion of the received data, and further provide the output data to an artificial reality device corresponding to the target user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Michael Jew, Gautam Venkatesan, Justin Uy