Abstract: A controller for an electronic system may include a linear hand strap adjuster to accommodate different hand sizes of users who may hold the controller in their hand. For example, a linear slot may be defined in the handle at a proximal end of the handle that is adjacent to the neck region where the handle is adjoined to the head. The linear slot may extend longitudinally along the handle. An anchor disposed within the linear slot may protrude from the outer surface of the handle to provide a point of attachment for an end of the hand strap. Accordingly, a first end of the hand strap is configured to be coupled to the anchor, and the anchor is movable along the linear slot to adjust the first end of the hand strap.

Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to techniques for determining pupil location of a display device's user via imaging sensors on the display device, and using that information to verify and/or correct positioning of the display device or its internal components. The display device may be a head-mounted display (“HMD”) device with display panels separated from a wearer's eyes via intervening lenses, with the sensors including optical flow sensor integrated circuits mounted on or near at least one of the display panels to capture images of the wearer's eye locations through the lenses, and with the correction to the positioning including modifications to the alignment or other positioning of the HMD device on the wearer user's head and/or its internal components within the HMD device (e.g., based on automated control of motors on the HMD device) to reflect a target alignment of the wearer's eyes relative to displayed information.

Abstract: A handheld controller may include a movable control that is usable for activating and deactivating a motion control feature of the handheld controller based on a detection of, or a failure to detect, a finger contacting a surface of the movable control. For example, a touch sensor associated with the movable control may provide touch sensor data indicative of a proximity of a finger relative to the movable control, and based on this touch sensor data, the motion control feature of the handheld controller can be toggled on and off, depending on whether the finger is contacting the movable control or not. When the motion control feature is activated, motion sensor data from a motion sensor(s) is sent to an application (e.g., a video game) as application input. When the motion control feature is deactivated, the motion sensor data is not used as application input.

Abstract: A spray delivery system with minimal pressure loss can is used with an aerosol container having a valve. The system includes a vertically extending conduit having an opening at a lowermost end conduit and two openings through a surface at an opposite end. The surface is disposed at an angle relative to a vertical. The system also has a first horizontally extending conduit communicating with the vertically extending conduit though one of the two openings and a second horizontally extending conduit fluidly communicating with the vertically extending conduit though the other one of the two openings. A manifold defines an inner annular volume and fluidly communicates with the first and second horizontally extending conduits. A spray nozzle insert is in fluid communication with the manifold. The spray nozzle insert has a plurality of blades that radiate inward and connect with a center round well having a sharp end.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for improving the performance and efficiency of optical systems, such as optical systems for using head-mounted display system. The optical systems of the present disclosure may include polarized catadioptric optics, or “pancake optics,” which utilize a wire grid polarizer as a reflective polarizer. Wire grid polarizers may not perform uniformly over wavelength or over varying angles of incidence. To improve performance, a spatially varying polarizer is provided in the optical system that operates to provide polarization compensation for the wire grid polarizer so that the wire grid polarizer performs more uniformly over wavelength and/or over incidence angles (e.g., on-axis and off-axis). The spatially varying polarizer may be formed of a liquid crystal material, such as a multi-twist retarder.

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: Systems and methods for providing a polarization recycling structure for use in applications, such as display systems that include a liquid crystal display assembly. The polarization recycling structure may include a first spatially varying polarizer spaced apart from a second spatially varying polarizer. The first spatially varying polarizer may include a lens array that receives light from a light source and focuses light of a first polarization state and passes light of a second polarization state. The second spatially varying polarizer receive light from the first spatially varying polarizer, passes the focused light of the first polarization state, and transforms the light of the second polarization state into the first polarization state, thereby providing only light of the first polarization state at the output of the polarization recycling structure.

Abstract: A force sensing resistor (FSR) that is constructed with a first substrate made of polyimide disposed underneath a second substrate that is resistive and flexible. A handheld controller for an electronic system may include the FSR having a first substrate made of polyimide. The FSR may be mounted on a planar surface of a structure within the controller body, such as a structure mounted within a handle of the controller body, and/or a structure that is mounted underneath at least one thumb-operated control that is included on a head of the controller body. The FSR may be configured to measure a resistance value that corresponds to an amount of force applied to an outer surface of the handle and/or an amount of force applied to the at least one thumb-operated control.

Abstract: Controllers that allow for adjusting various features of the controller are disclosed. The controller may include may include one or more speakers for outputting sound or audio content. A user may contact one or more of the speakers with a finger(s) to adjust a characteristic of the audio content and/or to adjust audio settings. For example, a user may touch a speaker with his/her finger to change (e.g., increase or decrease) the volume or to mute the sound. In some instances, the speakers may be located on the controller body of the handheld controller for convenient and quick access by the user.

Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) includes various features that allow for customizing the HMD to different users. The HMD may include an interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment mechanism that includes a double biasing assembly for smooth, controlled adjustment of the spacing between lens tubes. The HMD may include a field of view (FOV) adjustment mechanism that includes first and second gear assemblies connected via a connecting rod to allow uniform adjustment of the spacing between the lenses and the user's face. The HMD may further include a swappable face gasket, a swappable visor, a removable head strap, and a modular accessory compartment for further customizations to the HMD. The HMD may further include inconspicuous spectrum-transmissive windows that are made with a spectrum-transmissive base material for the HMD housing that is coated with a spectrum-opaque material, and the spectrum-opaque material is selectively removed to create the spectrum-transmissive windows.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of eye tracking for use in various applications, such as virtual reality or augmented reality applications that include head-mounted display devices. An eye tracking subsystem may be provided that includes a plurality of assemblies that each include a light source, such as an LED, a light detector, such as a silicon photodiode, and a polarizer that is configured to prevent light reflected via specular reflection from reaching the light detectors so that only scattered light is detected by the light detectors. Machine learning or other techniques may be used to track or otherwise determine a user's gaze direction, which may be used by one or more components of an HMD device to improve its functionality in various ways.

Abstract: Described herein are, among other things, techniques, devices, and systems for generating one or more trained machine-learning models used for generating content-item recommendations. Also described herein are techniques, devices, and systems for applying a consumption history of a particular user to the trained model(s) to generate score data indicating a correlation between each content-item title and the consumption history, as well as modifying this score data using one or more biasing factors for generating result data. In addition, the techniques, devices, and systems may use this result data, along with received user input, for determining an order in which to present one or more content items to the user. For example, this may include determining which content items to recommend to a user and in which order to do so.

Abstract: There is a valve assembly including a flow control valve and a flow centralizer. The flow centralizer has a flowthrough bore. The flow centralizer is downstream of the flow control valve and the flowthrough bore narrows in a direction downstream of the flow control valve. The flow centralizer may have a three-piece design including an insert defining the flowthrough bore and an orifice body and a flange ring which hold the insert in place within the orifice body.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing an optical system in a head-mounted display (HMD) that is operable to modify virtual image light to correct for one or more vision conditions of a user's eyes. The optical system includes a left optical subsystem for the left eye and a right optical system for the right eye. Each optical subsystem includes a first correction portion and a second correction portion each having a lens assembly. A first lens assembly includes a first set of lenses having a first lens selectively adjustable along a first axis transverse to an optical path of the virtual image light. A second lens assembly includes a second set of lenses having a second lens selectively rotatable around a second axis transverse to the first axis. Selective adjustment of the first lens and the second lens helps to correct for the vision conditions in the user's eyes.

Abstract: Optical positional tracking systems that may be used in virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) applications are described. Exemplary implementations comprise one or more receivers and one or more transmitters. Exemplary transmitters contain two orthogonal rotors that each emit a fan-shaped laser beam. Each beam is swept as the rotors are spun at constant speed. Exemplary optical receivers can be relatively small, and mounted at convenient locations on the VR display. These receivers consist of small optical detectors that may be mounted on head-mounted VR displays. Exemplary systems determine position by measuring the time at which each swept beam crosses each receiver/detector.

Abstract: This application describes a head-mounted display (HMD) for use in virtual-reality (VR) environments. The systems and methods described herein may determine information about a real-world environment surrounding the user, a location of the user within the real-world environment, and/or a pose of the user within the real-world environment. Such information may allow the HMD to display images of the real-world environment in a pass-through manner and without detracting the user from the VR environment. In some instances, the HMD may pass-through images of the real-world environment based on one or more triggering events.