Abstract: A switchable polarizer includes a transparent layer and switchable material layer. The switchable material layer includes strips of a switchable material that are arranged to polarize incident light propagating through the transparent layer when the switchable material is heated to a threshold switching temperature. The incident light propagating through the transparent layer is unpolarized by the strips of the switchable material when the switchable material is below the threshold switching temperature.

Abstract: A method for providing a relightable avatar of a subject to a virtual reality application is provided. The method includes retrieving multiple images including multiple views of a subject and generating an expression-dependent texture map and a view-dependent texture map for the subject, based on the images. The method also includes generating, based on the expression-dependent texture map and the view-dependent texture map, a view of the subject illuminated by a light source selected from an environment in an immersive reality application, and providing the view of the subject to an immersive reality application running in a client device. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions and a system that executes the instructions to perform the above method are also provided.

Abstract: A beam expander for a display in an enhanced reality headset is provided. The beam expander includes a first optical element configured to receive a collimated beam input and to provide a first expanded beam in a first direction, and a second optical element configured to receive the first expanded beam in the first direction and to provide a second expanded beam in a second direction to a display for an enhanced reality headset. An enhanced reality headset and a method for making a beam expander therein with the above features are also provided.

Abstract: A method of forming a variable refractive index thin film includes forming a coating including a tin (II) halide precursor and a liquid solvent, where the composition and/or concentration of the liquid solvent may vary spatially over one or more lateral dimension(s) of the coating. Annealing at elevated temperature may induce densification of the coating and the formation of a thin film having a variable refractive index. Local variability in the refractive index may be correlated to the location oxidation state of tin within the thin film, which may be related to the conformation of the liquid solvent.

Abstract: The disclosed system may include (1) a processor that generates an artificial environment that includes a virtual object, (2) a display that presents the artificial environment, (3) an input subsystem that detects tracks positioning of a body, and (4) a plurality of haptic actuators that are arranged to apply haptic feedback to a first plurality of locations on the body, where the processor (a) determines, based on the positioning of the body, a virtual contact of one of a second plurality of locations on the body with the virtual object, where the second plurality of locations is different from the first plurality of locations, and (b) activates, in response to the virtual contact, at least one of the plurality of haptic actuators based on a mapping of the second plurality of locations to the plurality of haptic actuators. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: According to examples, a tunable visible light source may include a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide and a control mechanism to optimize the phase-matching of the PPLN waveguide in response to an input signal with a varied wavelength. The control mechanism may include an electro-optic (EO) tuning mechanism, a microheater-based thermo-optic (TO) control mechanism, and/or an acousto-optic (AO) control mechanism. The control mechanisms may, respectively, generate an electric field, heat, or an acoustic wave to affect a change in refractive index of the PPLN waveguide and thereby optimize the conversion efficiency to maximize the output power of the output wavelength of the PPLN waveguide as the input wavelength is tuned.

Abstract: An illumination system for eye tracking is described herein. The illumination system may include a laser light source and an ultra-fast scanning micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) operating at a frequency range from about 10 kHz to about 100 kHz to reflect laser light to the eye and generating a desired fringe pattern controlling intensity and timing. A surface of the MEMS may include diffractive optical element (DOE) to reflect the laser light as a concentrated optical beam. The light may also be projected by grating-based illuminators on a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) controlled through adiabatic couplers projecting multiple binary/grayscale images onto the eye. On the detection side, a 2D single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensor or a SPAD array detector and an active MEMS shutter array may be used. Compressive sensing techniques may be applied on the detection side.

Abstract: The disclosed system may include an antenna feed that has various electronic components. The system may also include a lens that has one or more layers, and an antenna embedded on at least a portion of the layers of the lens. The antenna may be electrically connected to at least one of the electronic components of the antenna feed. Various other apparatuses, wearable electronic devices, and methods of manufacturing are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining if a player has reached a certain level of gameplay-performance while playing a game within a virtual reality, VR, environment. The player wears a headset having a display for viewing the VR environment and an object tracking system. The headset's object tracking system is capable of tracking movement of a portion of the player in 3-D space to establish an actual-response path by the player during gameplay. The method includes calculating, at a first time, an ideal-response path of gameplay for the tracked portion of the player in 3-D space. The ideal-response path is the path that will achieve the certain level of gameplay performance. The method then compares, at a second time, the actual-response path with the calculated ideal-response path, and finally indicates, in response to a match in the comparing step, that the play has reached a certain level of gameplay performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for streaming-based object recognition may include a device which transmits, to a server, video data and first coordinates of a first viewport for the device at a first time instance. The video data may include one or more objects in the first viewport. The device may transmit second coordinates of a second viewport for the device at a second time instance. The device may receive, from the server, data corresponding to the one or more objects within the second viewpoint. The data may be received in a sequence according to coordinates of the one or more objects relative to the second viewport. The device may render the data relative to the one or more objects within a third viewport at a third time instance.

Abstract: A computing system may access first alpha values associated with first pixels in a first pixel region of an image and determine a bit budget for encoding the first alpha values. The computing system may then select a first alpha-encoding mode for the first alpha values to reflect a determination that the first alpha values are all fully transparent or all fully opaque, and encode the first alpha values by storing the selected first alpha-encoding mode as part of a metadata without using the bit budget to encode the first alpha values individually. The computing system may then update a record of unallocated bits available for allocation based on the bit budget unused in the encoding of the first alpha values, and allocate, based on the record of unallocated bits, bits to encode a set of alpha values different from the first alpha values.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes establishing a video call between a plurality of client systems, wherein access to an assistant system is persistently maintained during the video call, receiving, from a first client system of the plurality of client systems, a request by a first user to be performed by the assistant system during the video call, wherein the request references one or more activities associated with one or more users associated with the plurality of client systems, analyzing, by a context engine of the assistant system, images of a scene of the video call to identify the one or more activities within the scene, instructing the assistant system to execute the request based on the identified one or more activities, and sending, to one or more of the plurality of client systems, a response to the request while maintaining the video call between the plurality of client systems.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for indicating a target wake time (TWT) service period (SP) termination may include a first device which receives, from a second device, an indication for terminating a TWT SP. The first device may determine a status of downlink traffic for transmission to the second device. The first device may transmit, to the second device, an SP termination notification according to the status of the downlink traffic and the indication. The first device may terminate the TWT SP according to the SP termination notification.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to creating virtual doors within artificial reality (XR) universes for traversal within that XR universe and between other XR universes. Users can create virtual doors that control access to their privately owned property (e.g., world, parcel, house, etc.) in an XR universe. For example, an owner of a virtual door can manually lock the door to prevent any user from entering their property through the virtual door. As another example, an owner of a virtual door can configure door permissions and/or privacy settings that serve as heuristics by which a door access control manager determines whether to authorize a particular user, XR world, and/or XR universe to access. The XR universe traversal system can control an execution environment to smoothly transition between different applications, thereby enabling a user to traverse between different XR universes without having to leave the XR environment.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes determining a gaze direction of a user wearing a head-mounted device, the head-mounted device having a display configured to output an image having multiple of pixels. The method may further include determining, for each of the multiple pixels, a set of sampling locations based on the gaze direction of the user, the sets of sampling locations of the multiple pixels being a portion of a sampling pattern defined based on the gaze direction of the user. In one embodiment, the method may also include computing, for each of the multiple pixels, a color value for the pixel by sampling a scene according to the set of sampling locations associated with the pixel, generating the image using the color values of the multiple pixels, and outputting the image using the display of the head-mounted device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes scanning a real-world environment with a first device associated with a first user; generating a three-dimensional model of the real-world environment, transmitting the three-dimensional model to a head-mounted device associated with the first user, determining a pose of the head-mounted device by localizing the head-mounted device within the three-dimensional model based on images captured by a second camera of the head-mounted device, displaying, on the head-mounted device, a virtual space corresponding to the scanned real-world environment generated based on the three-dimensional model as viewed from the pose, and transmitting, to a remote head-mounted device of a second user, data corresponding to the three-dimensional model and the pose of the head-mounted device, the data being configured for rendering, by the remote head-mounted device, the virtual space with a first avatar corresponding to the first user having the pose.

Abstract: A necklace manager of an interactive necklace can sense user conditions and transmit messages to recipient computing devices. The necklace manager can compare sensed user conditions from the interactive necklace sensors to predefined user condition templates to determine a match. The matching predefined user condition template can be mapped to a user intent. The necklace manager can, in response to mapping the sensed user conditions to the user intent, transmit a message to a recipient device that is based on the mapped user intent and a user identifier. In some implementations, the recipient device can be an other interactive necklace that performs a mapped interactive necklace action in response to the received message. For example, a wearer of the recipient interactive necklace can perceive sentiments, emotions, and/or reactions from a user wearing the originating interactive necklace by perceiving interactive necklace actions triggered by the received message.

Abstract: A high frequency, high efficiency, near field wireless charging system and interface for battery-powered wearable devices are provided. A number of various magnetic core, multi-winding transmitter coil, receiver coil configurations may be used with the transmitter coils generating a charge voltage at the receiver coils through magnetic flux. In some configurations, a buck-boost assisted transmitter, or a buck-boost split between transmitter and receiver charging system may be used. In other configurations, a switch-cap boost block on the transmitter side may be used to increase efficiency. In yet other configurations, a dual path charging system (e.g., for smart glass temples) or a dual transmitter—single receiver charging system with buck-boost or switch-cap blocks may be used. The transmitter-receiver pair configurations may also be used to charge a battery module to be inserted into a wearable device.