Patents Assigned to Facebook Technologies, LLC
  • Patent number: 11361744
    Abstract: An audio system for a wearable device dynamically updates acoustic transfer functions. The audio system is configured to estimate a direction of arrival (DoA) of each sound source detected by a microphone array relative to a position of the wearable device within a local area. The audio system may track the movement of each sound source. The audio system may form a beam in the direction of each sound source. The audio system may identify and classify each sound source based on the sound source properties. Based on the DoA estimates, the movement tracking, and the beamforming, the audio system generates or updates the acoustic transfer functions for the sound sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vladimir Tourbabin, Jacob Ryan Donley, Antonio John Miller, Ravish Mehra
  • Patent number: 11362703
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure support a head-mounted display (HMD) wirelessly coupled to a console. The HMD includes a positional tracking system, a beam controller and a transceiver. The positional tracking system tracks position of the HMD and generates positional information describing the tracked position of the HMD. The transceiver communicates with a console via a wireless channel, in accordance with communication instructions, the communication instructions causing the transceiver to communicate over one directional beam of a plurality of directional beams. The beam controller determines a change in the positional information. Based on the change to the positional information, the beam controller determines a directional beam of the plurality of directional beams. The beam controller further generates the communication instructions identifying the determined directional beam, and provides the communication instructions to the transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qi Qu, Ganesh Venkatraman, Hongyu Zhou, Ryan Hamilton Brown, Oskar Linde, Lyle David Bainbridge, Matthew James Devoe, Ali Yazdan, Sam Padinjaremannil Alex, Nirav Rajendra Patel
  • Patent number: 11363221
    Abstract: In one example, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises an image sensor configured to generate a first raw output to represent a first intensity of incident light based on a first relationship, and to generate a second raw output to represent a second intensity of incident light based on a second relationship. The apparatus further comprises a post processor configured to: generate a first post-processed output based on the first raw output and based on the first relationship such that the first post-processed output is linearly related to the first intensity based on a third relationship, and to generate a second post-processed output based on the second raw output and based on the second relationship such that the second post-processed output is linearly related to the second intensity based on the third relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Samuel Berkovich, Wei Gao, Xinqiao Liu, Song Chen
  • Patent number: 11361512
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes displaying, through a head-mounted display (HMD), virtual objects to a user wearing the HMD. The method then accesses a boundary definition that corresponds to a boundary within a physical space surrounding the user and generates a plurality of spatial points based on depth measurements of physical objects within the physical space. Based on the spatial points, a location at which a physical object is likely to exist is determined. The method determines whether the location of the physical object is inside the boundary definition and, in response to this determination, issues an alert to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Gaurav Chaurasia, Alexandru-Eugen Ichim, Eldad Yitzhak, Arthur Benjamin Nieuwoudt, Gioacchino Noris, Alexander Sorkine Hornung
  • Patent number: 11363385
    Abstract: The disclosed high-efficiency motor may include the following: at least two magnets, a rigid structure arranged between the at least two magnets, where the rigid structure has traces configured to act as a moveable coil, and at least two couplings that respectively link the magnets to the rigid structure in a flexible manner. An electrical input signal applied to the moveable coil may cause motive force to be applied the rigid structure according to the input signal, so that the rigid structure moves orthogonally relative to the magnets as driven by the input signal. In this manner, the high-efficiency motor may be incorporated into a system that may reproduce a full-range audio signal. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Porter
  • Patent number: 11363395
    Abstract: A piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) transducer that can operate as a microphone (e.g., contact microphone) or a speaker is presented herein. The piezoelectric MEMS transducer includes a substrate, a proof mass and folded displacement sensing structures. Each folded displacement sensing structure comprises a continuous beam, a first piezoelectric stress sensor coupled to a first portion of the continuous beam, and a second piezoelectric stress sensor coupled to a second portion of the continuous beam. The first portion of the continuous beam is coupled to a respective portion of the proof mass, and the second portion of the continuous beam is coupled to a respective portion of the substrate. The first and second portions of the continuous beam come together at an acute angle. The first and second piezoelectric stress sensors output stress information responsive to a stress induced in the continuous beam by displacement of the proof mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yuri Toride, Chuming Zhao
  • Patent number: 11361517
    Abstract: A rhythm-based video game (“game”) is disclosed. In the game, a player slashes blocks representing musical beats using a pair of energy blades resembling a lightsaber. A gaming console renders multiple digital objects, e.g., digital blocks, digital mines and digital obstacles, that are approaching a player in a virtual space. The gaming console also renders a digital representation of an instrument, e.g., a lightsaber (“digital saber”), using which the player slashes, cuts or otherwise interacts with the digital blocks to cause a digital collision between the digital saber and the digital blocks. The player can score by slashing the digital blocks, not hitting the digital mines and avoiding the digital obstacles. The game presents the player with a stream of approaching digital objects in synchronization with music, e.g., a song's beats, being played in the game. The pace at which the digital blocks approach the player increases with the beats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vladimír Hrin{hacek over (c)}ár, Ján Ilavský
  • Patent number: 11361522
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enabling a user or third-party to select or adjust parameters of one or more statistical models used to generate a musculoskeletal representation. The method comprises providing as input to the statistical model(s), a plurality of neuromuscular signals recorded by a plurality of neuromuscular sensors during performance of at least one gesture by a user, wherein the at least one gesture is performed by the user while wearing a wearable device having the plurality of neuromuscular sensors arranged thereon, rendering at least one visual representation based on an output of the statistical model(s), and receiving user or third-party input to adjust parameters of the statistical model(s) based on the rendered at least one visual representation, the user input including a selection of a particular statistical model of the statistical model(s) and/or an adjustment of parameters associated with the particular statistical model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Kaifosh, Adam Berenzweig, Adam Al-natsheh
  • Patent number: 11360564
    Abstract: The disclosed wearable devices may include a body shaped and sized to be worn against a user's skin, a flexible vibrotactile actuator positioned on or in the body, and a tunable stiffness material adjacent to the flexible haptic actuator. The flexible vibrotactile actuator may be in a location to transmit a haptic sensation to the user's skin when the body is worn by the user. The tunable stiffness material may have an adjustable stiffness such that adjustment of the stiffness of the tunable stiffness material alters a haptic sensation induced by the flexible haptic actuator against the user's skin. Various other related methods, systems, and devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Dongsuk Shin
  • Patent number: 11362237
    Abstract: A micro-light emitting diode (micro-LED) includes a current aperture to confine the current in a localized region such that the carrier recombination mostly occurs in the localized region to emit photons, thereby reducing the surface recombination and improving the quantum efficiency. The current confinement and localization are achieved using a localized breakthrough of a barrier layer by a localized contact, lightly p-doped active layers to suppress lateral transport of the carriers to the surface region, selective ion implantation, etching, or oxidation of a semiconductor layer, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Berthold Hahn, Thomas Lauermann, Markus Broell
  • Patent number: 11360308
    Abstract: An optical device for a head-mounted display device includes a first partial reflector and a second partial reflector positioned relative to the first partial reflector so that the second partial reflector receives first light transmitted through the first partial reflector and reflects at least a portion of the first light toward the first partial reflector as second light. At least a portion of the second light is reflected by the first partial reflector as third light, and at least a portion of the third light is transmitted through the second partial reflector. At least one of the first partial reflector or the second partial reflector includes a reflective holographic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Maimone, Junren Wang, Barry Silverstein
  • Patent number: 11353767
    Abstract: A varifocal system comprises a stacked first-type liquid crystal (LC) lens structure and a stacked second-type LC lens structure in optical series. The stacked first-type LC lens structure includes a plurality of first-type LC lenses, and a first-type LC lens provides continuously variable optical states in a first step resolution. The stacked second-type LC lens structure includes a plurality of second-type LC lenses and provides a plurality of optical states in a second step resolution. The first step resolution is smaller than the second step resolution, such that when the stacked second-type LC lens structure is switched between two optical states, the first-type LC lenses provide a continuous adjustment of optical power between the two optical states. The stacked first-type LC lens structure and the stacked second-type LC lens structure together provide a continuous adjustment range of optical power for the varifocal system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Lu Lu, Fenglin Peng, Douglas Lanman
  • Patent number: 11353955
    Abstract: A system can include one or more processors that determine a first position of an object in view of a user of a head mounted display (HMD) and a first gaze direction towards the first position. The object can be detected by one or more sensors. The one or more processors detect that the user is gazing at the object. The one or more processors determine, responsive to detecting that the user is gazing at the object, a second gaze direction based on at least a second position of one or more eyes of the user of the HMD provided via an eye tracking operation of the HMD. The one or more processors calibrate, based at least on a difference between the first gaze direction and the second gaze direction, the eye tracking operation of the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kirk Erik Burgess, Sebastian Sztuk
  • Patent number: 11355901
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) die package includes a bottom substrate comprising a bottom contact pad electrically contacting a bottom electrode on a bottom surface of a VCSEL die. The VCSEL die package includes a submount including a submount contact pad electrically contacting a first electrode on another surface of the VCSEL die. The submount contact pad overlaps a portion of the first electrode, wherein the VCSEL die is positioned between the submount and the bottom substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jonatan Ginzburg, Mark Timothy Sullivan
  • Patent number: 11353768
    Abstract: A hybrid lens includes a transmissive adaptive liquid lens and an optical element including liquid crystals. The adaptive liquid lens includes a layer of optical fluid on a substrate. A focal length of the adaptive liquid lens is adjustable. The optical element including liquid crystals is optically coupled with the adaptive liquid lens. The optical element including liquid crystals is configured to adjust a refractive index across the optical element including liquid crystals in conjunction with adjusting the focal length of the adaptive liquid lens so that the optical element reduces optical artifacts caused by the adaptive liquid lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lu Lu, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Scott Charles McEldowney
  • Patent number: 11352726
    Abstract: The disclosed method may include bending, by an end-shaping tool, a portion of an end of a strap in a direction at least substantially perpendicular to a plane of the strap. The bending may include extending the portion of the end of the strap over a raised area of a first portion of the end-shaping tool and connecting a second portion of the end-shaping tool to the first portion. The connecting may include placing a recessed area of the second portion over the raised area of the first portion. The method may include debossing, by an end-setting tool dimensioned to accommodate the strap as bent by the end-shaping tool, the portion of the end of the strap at the bend. Various other methods, systems, and apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shane Michael Ellis, Kristen Renee Hayenga, Quintin Morris
  • Patent number: 11353698
    Abstract: An eye is illuminated with infrared illumination light. Illuminating the eye includes illuminating a near-eye ellipsoidal lensing structure. A tracking image of Purkinje reflections of the infrared illumination light is captured by a camera. An eye position of the eye is determined in response to the tracking image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Sharma, Andrew John Ouderkirk
  • Patent number: 11353135
    Abstract: Magnetic fluidic valves of the present disclosure may include a valve body having at least one cavity therein, a ferromagnetic gate transmission element disposed within the cavity, an inlet port, an outlet port, a permanent magnet configured to bias the gate transmission element to a closed position, and an electromagnetic coil configured to, upon actuation, overcome a magnetic force acting on the gate transmission element from the permanent magnet. The gate transmission element may be configured to move from the closed position blocking the inlet port to an open position unblocking the inlet port upon actuation of the electromagnetic coil. Various other fluidic systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert B. Koenig, Massimiliano Di Luca, Jan Andrzej Walczak
  • Patent number: 11355665
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for forming a thin-film circuit layer on an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs in the array of LEDs can be singulated by various processes, such as etching and ion implantation. Singulating LEDs can be performed before or after forming the thin-film circuit layer on the array of LEDs. The array of LEDs can be bonded to a transparent or non-transparent substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chloe Astrid Marie Fabien, Michael Grundmann
  • Patent number: 11355480
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for providing conductivity. The apparatus may include an epitaxial layered structure having a first-type doped semiconductor layer, a second-type doped semiconductor layer, and an active layer between the first-type doped semiconductor layer and the second-type doped semiconductor layer. The apparatus may also include a conductive layer adjacent to and in ohmic contact with the first-type doped semiconductor layer. The conductive layer may have a micropixellated structure comprising a plurality of micropixel contact areas that are electrically isolated from each other. The plurality of micropixel contact areas may be sized and spaced to allow multiple ones of the plurality of micropixel contact areas to overlap a single contact pad for providing charge flow for a pixel in an array of pixels formed using the epitaxial layered structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gareth Valentine