Abstract: Techniques are described for controlling image display via compression of image data in some image regions while performing less or no compression in other (e.g., peripheral view) regions, with color-specific compression preserving chromatic aberration compensation. Such techniques may be used with display panel(s) of a head-mounted display device used for virtual reality display. A primary region of an image at which to encode and display data at a highest resolution level may be determined by tracking a gaze of a user, while other secondary regions may be selected to be surrounding or other outside the primary region. In the secondary regions, image data for a first (e.g., green) color channel may be encoded at a first compression level for a first resolution level lower higher than for other second color channels, and HDR data may be compressed at higher compression levels than the color-specific data.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards protecting against polymorphic cheat codes in a video game environment. A detour analyzer analyzes game code in client memory for possible hooks to parasite code. For each detected hook to parasite code, hook and/or parasite information is determined to generate a hook/parasite signatures, which are sent to a remote network device. Based on the hook/parasite signatures a weighted combination of scores are generated that is useable to determine a probability value that the parasite code is cheat code. If the determined probability value indicates cheat code, the user of the client device may be banned from future game play. Additionally, the hook/parasite signature information may be used to update the data store to detect polymorphic changes in the cheat code.

Abstract: Client machines are configured to compile shaders during execution of a program (e.g., a video game) that renders graphics on a display. These client machines may upload information—including a hardware configuration of the client machine, an application identifier (ID) of the program, and a set of shader IDs for compiled shaders—to a remote computing system, which catalogues the shader IDs, selectively requests compiled shader code from one or more of the client machines, and selectively prepares the compiled shader code for redistribution. Thereafter, a requesting client machine with a matching hardware configuration may receive compiled shader code from the remote system for a particular program, and may precache the compiled shader code for use during program execution.

Abstract: Logic of a handheld controller can implement sensor fusion algorithms based on force data provided by a force sensing resistor (FSR) in combination with touch sensor data provided by a touch sensor. An example sensor fusion algorithm can be used to pause calibration adjustments for the touch sensor—at least with respect to a high-level value that corresponds to a touch of a control—in response to a user pressing upon the control of the handheld controller with an above-threshold amount of force, which may be detected by a FSR associated with the control. For instance, calibration adjustments with respect to the high-level value can be paused in response to FSR values crossing a threshold value from below the threshold value to above the threshold value, and the calibration adjustments can be resumed in response to the FSR values crossing the threshold value in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A display has an array of light emitting elements. For a given frame of a series of frames that present images on the display at a refresh rate of the display, the light emitting elements may be driven by loading individual subsets of the light emitting elements in sequence with light output data, and by illuminating the individual subsets of the light emitting elements in the sequence and in accordance with the light output data, wherein an illumination time period is within a range of about 2% to 80% of a frame time of the frame, the frame time derivable from the refresh rate. This “rolling burst illumination” technique is characterized by the relatively short illumination time period (e.g., as compared to the frame time), and it can stabilize a scene (or mitigate unwanted visual artifacts) for a viewing user during head motion, as well as optimize display bandwidth utilization.

Abstract: Described herein are, among other things, handheld controllers having touch-sensitive controls, as well as methods for use of the touch-sensitive controls and methods for assembling the handheld controllers. An example handheld controller may include a top-surface control (e.g., a “trigger button”) that includes a switch, a pressure sensor, and a touch sensor for detecting a presence, location, and/or gesture of a finger on the top-surface control.

Abstract: A method including receiving data corresponding to one or more objects in proximity to the controller, determining scores for controller configurations of the controller, ranking the scores of controller configurations, selecting a controller configuration among the controller configurations, and configuring a touch sensor of the controller according to a selected controller configuration.

Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to techniques for using information about a user's actual or predicted pupil location for correcting optical distortions that are specific to an optical lens and display assembly through which the user is viewing one or more images. The described techniques may include identifying and mapping optical distortions specific to an optical lens and display assembly, and using such mapped optical distortions to correct images displayed to a wearer or other user receiving images via the assembly, such as based at least in part on pupil location of the wearer or other user. As one example, the one or more optical lens may be mounted inside a head-mounted display (HMD) that also includes a display panel or other image source for an eye of a wearer, and if so one or more pupil tracking mechanisms may be integrated into the HMD.

Abstract: Techniques are described for automatically reducing cheating in an interactive execution environment, such as to perform automated operations to detect and stop use of cheat software in an online game environment, and to restrict subsequent access to the online game environment for users who are identified as using cheat software. The techniques may include using deep learning techniques to train one or more models to classify particular types of gameplay actions as being unauthorized if cheat software use is detected, including to determine a likelihood of whether a separate cheat detection decision system would decide that particular gameplay actions are authorized or not authorized if the additional cheat detection decision system assesses those gameplay actions, and then using the trained model(s) and in some cases the additional cheat detection decision system for the cheat software detection and prevention.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for adjusting a prediction level and a throttle level, as frames are being rendered on a head-mounted display (HMD), based on an application's rendering performance. The prediction level is increased if a number of late frames, out of a past N rendered frames of (N being any suitable number), meets or exceeds a threshold number of late frames, which causes a compositor of the HMD to predict pose data of the HMD farther out into the future. The throttle level can be increased independently from, or in synchronization with, the increase in the prediction level to causes the compositor to throttle the frame rate of the application (e.g., to a fraction of the refresh rate of the HMD). The prediction level (and the throttle level, if at the same level) can be decreased if a particular number of consecutively-rendered frames finish rendering early.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed relating to variable user tactile input device with display feedback to guide the user to the keys that the user may want to depress. The display feedback may highlight the keys that are being hovered over but not yet selected for writing to the application window so that the user may ensure that the correct keys are selected to be written to the application window. The variable user tactile input device with display feedback may be a keyboard system with tactile feedback and a virtual keyboard display system that may provide a view of the user tactile input device to the user while using a heads up display (HUD). The invention may provide a user with an input system that may be programmable to be a virtual pad such as a virtual keyboard, a virtual game controller, a virtual number pad and any other user tactile input device that the user may intend to use.

Abstract: A system releases spray fluid in different mass flow rates. The system includes an actuator having a first area and a second area, a stem connected to the actuator and having a first orifice and a second orifice, a gasket covering the first orifice and the second orifice in a non-actuated position, and a biased member biasing the stem to the non-actuated position. When the first area of the actuator is pressed, the stem moves a first distance relative to the gasket to uncover the second orifice and compressing the biased member to spray fluid with a first mass flow rate. When the second area of the actuator is pressed, the stem moves a second distance relative to the gasket to uncover the first orifice and the second orifice to spray fluid with a second mass flow rate greater than the first mass flow rate.

Abstract: An augmented reality (AR) system allows for providing AR in video games. The disclosed AR system allows for layering AR content on top of the built-in features of video games to provide a unique “in-game” AR experience for gamers. A remote computing system provides a central data warehouse for AR content and related data that may be accessed by select client machines to render augmented frames with AR content during execution of video games. The AR content may be spatially-relevant AR content that is rendered at appropriate locations within a game world. The AR content may be event specific such that the AR content is added in response to game-related events. The disclosed AR system allows for adding multiplayer aspects to otherwise single player games, and/or sharing of AR content in real-time to provide augmentative features such as spectating, mixing of game worlds, and/or teleportation through AR objects.

Abstract: Described herein are devices and techniques for managing power consumption of a position tracking device. The position tracking device may be a virtual reality (VR) controller having multiple optical sensors oriented to receive optical signals from different directions. A stationary optical emitter projects a laser line into a space and repeatedly scans the laser line through the space. For any given scan, some of the sensors may detect the laser line and some of the sensors may not detect the laser line because they are oriented away from the emitter or because of a blocking object. When an individual sensor fails to detect a laser scan, that sensor is disabled for one or more subsequent laser scans in order to reduce power consumption of the VR controller.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for measuring pixel-by-pixel luminosity and/or chrominance variations on a display, encoding and/or storing the measurements as a set of global and/or pixel-by-pixel correction factors, and/or digitally manipulating imagery with the inverse effect as the measured variations, such that the appearance of visual artifacts caused by the variations is reduced. These methods and systems may be used, for example, as part of the production process for virtual reality headsets, as well as in other applications that make high-fidelity use of displays exhibiting such artifacts (e.g., cell phones, watches, augmented reality displays, and the like).

Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a controller body having a head and a handle, and a tracking member that is fixed to the controller body. The head includes at least one thumb-operated control, and the handle has a tubular housing that is partially wrapped by an outer shell. The controller includes a hand retainer configured to physically bias the user's palm against the outer shell. A first plurality of tracking transducers is disposed in the tracking member, the first plurality of tracking sensors being coupled with the electronic system via electromagnetic radiation. An array of proximity sensors is spatially distributed on the outer shell, the array of proximity sensors being responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outer shell.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for measuring pixel-by-pixel luminosity and/or chrominance variations on a display, encoding and/or storing the measurements as a set of global and/or pixel-by-pixel correction factors, and/or digitally manipulating imagery with the inverse effect as the measured variations, such that the appearance of visual artifacts caused by the variations is reduced. These methods and systems may be used, for example, as part of the production process for virtual reality headsets, as well as in other applications that make high-fidelity use of displays exhibiting such artifacts (e.g., cell phones, watches, augmented reality displays, and the like).

Abstract: A panel mask(s) rendered on a display panel(s) of a head-mounted display (HMD) may be dynamically adjusted (increased and decreased) in size in order to hide unwanted visual artifacts from view, as needed. For example, if frames are being rendered on the display panel of the HMD using re-projection, a size value associated with at least a portion of the panel mask can be adjusted based on rotation of the HMD to increase or decrease a size of at least the portion of the panel mask from a current size to an adjusted size, and the panel mask can be rendered with at least the portion of the panel mask rendered at the adjusted size to hide the unwanted visual artifacts. The size of the portion of the panel mask can subsequently decrease, over a period of time, if re-projection ceases and/or if head rotation ceases or slows down.