Abstract: Improved illumination optics for various applications. The illumination optics may include an optical beam spreading structure that provides a large spread angle for an incident collimated beam or provides finer detail or resolution compared to convention diffractive optical elements. The optical beam spreading structure may include first and second spatially varying polarizers that are optically aligned with each other. The first and second spatially varying polarizers may be formed of a liquid crystal material, such as a multi-twist retarder (MTR). The first and second spatially varying polarizers may diffract light of orthogonal polarization states, which allows for different diffraction patterns to be used in a single optical structure. The two patterns may provide a combined field of view that is larger than either of the first and second fields of view or may provide finer detail or resolution than the first or second fields of view can provide alone.

Abstract: A trained machine learning model(s) is used to determine scores indicative of probabilities that certain types of user input will be provided to a player's game controller while playing a video game in order to compensate for latency between player action and player perception of video game content relating to the player action. In an example process, sensor data received from a client machine and/or game state data received from a video game is provided as input to a trained machine learning model(s), and a score as output therefrom, the score relating to a probability that a type of user input will be provided to a player's game controller. In this manner, game control data corresponding to the type of user input can be generated based on the score and provided to the video game as input before actual game control data is even received, thereby compensating for latency.

Abstract: Methods and systems relating to a file distribution scheme in a computer network are disclosed that distributes files in an efficient manner that reduces, among other things, network traffic. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for updating a file is disclosed. In such a method, unique chunks in a first version of a digital file are identified. For a second version of the digital file, chunks that are the same as in the first version are identified. Recompilation information is generated and stored for these identified chunks. Also, for the second version of the digital file, chunks in the second version that are different from chunks in the first version are identified. Recompilation information is generated and stored for these identified chunks. With this information, the second version of the digital file is completely defined and can be efficiently stored.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking the position of a head-mounted display (HMD) system component. The HMD component may carry a plurality of angle sensitive detectors that are able to detect the angle of light emitted from a light source. The HMD component may include one or more scatter detectors that detect whether light has been scattered or reflected, so such light can be ignored. Control circuitry causes light sources to emit light according a specified pattern, and receives sensor data from the plurality of angle sensitive detectors. The processor may process the sensor data and scatter detector data, for example using machine learning or other techniques, to track a position of the HMD component. An angle sensitive detector may include a spatially-varying polarizer having a position-varying polarizing pattern and one or more polarizer layers that together are operative to detect the angle of impinging light.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques and systems for classifying and moderating text using a machine learning approach that is based on a word embedding process. For instance, word embedding vectors may be used to determine clusters of associated text (e.g., similar words) from a corpus of comments maintained by a remote computing system. The remote computing system may then identify, within the corpus of comments, a subset of comments that include text from a given cluster that was determined, from human labeling input, to include a particular type of word or speech. Using this information, the corpus of comments may be labeled with one of multiple class labels. A machine learning model(s) may be trained to classify text as one of the multiple class labels using a sampled set of labeled comments as training data. At runtime, text can be moderated based on its class label.

Abstract: The present disclosure related generally to techniques for improving the performance and efficiency of display systems, such as laser scan beam display systems or other types of display systems (e.g., micro-displays). Display systems of the present disclosure may include a polarization compensation optic, such as a spatially varying polarizer, that provides phase retardation that varies as a function of position, which provides polarization compensation to provide light that is well suited for a polarization sensitive optic of the display system, such as a waveguide-based optical system, a pancake optical system, a birdbath optical system, a coating-based optical system, etc. The display systems of the present disclosure may be components of head-mounted display systems, or other types of display systems.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a display for an electronic device that includes a liquid crystal display panel assembly, a backlight assembly that includes a light source, and a spatially varying polarizer that provides phase retardation that varies as a function of propagation length away from the light source. The display may also include a linear polarizer and other optical components that improve the efficiency of the backlight assembly, thereby reducing power consumption, cost, space requirements, and provide other advantages.

Abstract: A controller system for surfacing selectable elements on a display of the controller along with game content associated with a video game is described. In an example, a user may provide touch input on the display, and, in response, a game content window that is presenting the game content may scale and/or move to a new position on the display in order to create space on the display for presenting one or more selectable elements outside of the scaled and/or repositioned game content window. The surfaced element(s) may be selectable to cause performance of a game-related action. In this manner, the selectable element(s) do(es) not occlude the game content, and the user may interact with both the game content and the selectable element(s) presented on the display.

Abstract: Techniques and devices for holding and releasing virtual objects on a display based on input received from one or more handheld controllers are described herein. In some instances, a handheld controller includes one or more sensors, such as proximity sensors, force sensors (e.g., force resisting sensors, etc.), accelerometers, and/or other types of sensors configured to receive input from a hand of a user gripping the handheld controller. Hardware, software, and/or firmware on the controller and/or on a device coupled to the controller (e.g., a game console, a server, etc.) may receive data from these sensors and generate a representation of a corresponding gesture on a display, such as a monitor, a virtual-reality system, and/or the like.

Abstract: A handheld video game controller is operable in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mode to allow for sending controller input data to a target BLE device in a manner that bypasses any operating system (OS) restrictions that might otherwise be imposed on game controller input. When operating in the BLE mode, the handheld video game controller pairs (establishes a radio link) with a BLE device executing a client application used for video game streaming. During gameplay, the video game executes on a host computer and the player provides user input to the game controller to control an aspect of the video game. In response to such user input, the game controller sends controller input data to the BLE device via a radio of the game controller. The player may switch between operating the game controller in BLE mode and receiver mode using input gestures on the game controller.

Abstract: An actuator for a valve is lockable with a tubular member to maintain the valve in either an actuated position or in an unactuated position. Locked in the actuated position, degassing can occur. Locked in the unactuated position, inadvertently dispensing of product is prevented.

Abstract: Described herein are, among other things, techniques, devices, and systems for streaming pixel data from a host computer to a wireless display device with low latency. In some embodiments, a user mode driver is executed in user mode of the host computer to configure a wireless network interface controller of the host computer to operate in a low latency manner. The display device may use a Forward Error Correction (FEC) algorithm to reconstruct a frame from the data packets it receives from the host computer. Also disclosed are techniques for scrambling the transmission of a series of data packets using different antenna configurations, as well as setting a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rate based at least in part on the amount of pixel data to be transmitted to the display device. The display device may comprise a head-mounted display (HMD) that renders virtual reality (VR) game imagery.

Abstract: A head-mounted display including a front, a back, a first actuator, a second actuator, a first adjustable member extending between the front and the back and operably engaging the first actuator, and a second adjustable member extending between the front and the back and operably engaging the second actuator. The first adjustable member and the second adjustable member may be adjustable in length via the second actuator to vary a gap distance between the front and the back. In some embodiments, the head-mounted display may include a wire routing assembly for routing wire(s) between the front and the back of the head-mounted display. Additionally, in some embodiments, the head-mounted display may include a harness for engaging a user.

Abstract: An optical system is provided that includes a correction portion including one or more spatially varying polarizers. A first spatially varying polarizer of the one or more spatially varying polarizers has a first control input configured to receive a first control signal indicating whether the first spatially varying polarizer is to be active or inactive. When active, the first spatially varying polarizer is operative to provide a first optical correction on light passing through the correction portion. The optical system includes a controller configured to determine whether to implement the first optical correction on the light passing through the correction portion and in response to determining to implement the first optical correction on the light passing through the correction portion, output the first control signal indicating the first spatially varying polarizer is to be active. Additional spatially varying polarizers may be controlled to provide additional or alternative optical corrections.

Abstract: Described herein are controllers with sensor-rich controls for enhanced controller functionality. An example control may include a pressure sensor that is configured to detect an amount of a force of a press on a cover of the control based at least in part on a proximity of a metal layer to the pressure sensor. This control may further include a touch sensor for detecting an object contacting the cover of the control. Additional embodiments disclose, among other things, integrated trackpads and D-pads, as well as backlighting features that indicate a functional state of the controller.

Abstract: A handheld controller may include controls that are actuatable by a user. The handheld controller may further include one or more sensors that are configured to detect an object in proximity to certain controls, and/or that sense a grip or position of a hand on a handle portion of the controller. Based on data from a sensor(s), certain controls may be enabled and/or disabled. The sensors may therefore be used to determine which controls are being used or are intended to be used, and/or which controls are likely accessible or inaccessible to the user based on sensor data, and to cause one or more controls of the handheld controller to be enabled and/or disabled accordingly.

Abstract: A trained machine learning model(s) is used to determine scores (e.g., trust scores) for user accounts registered with a video game service, and the scores are used to match players together in multiplayer video game settings. In an example process, a computing system may access data associated with registered user accounts, provide the data as input to the trained machine learning model(s), and the trained machine learning model(s) generates the scores as output, which relate to probabilities of players behaving, or not behaving, in accordance with a particular behavior while playing a video game in multiplayer mode. Thereafter, subsets of logged-in user accounts executing a video game can be assigned to different matches based at least in part on the scores determined for those logged-in user accounts, and the video game is executed in the assigned match for each logged-in user account.