Facebook Patents Granted

Patents granted to Facebook by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11201946
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can establish a plurality of connections to a server, wherein each connection is associated with a respective content item of a plurality of content items. A plurality of data requests are transmitted to the server using the plurality of connections, wherein each data request is associated with one content item of the plurality of content items. Processing of data received on a first connection of the plurality of connections is delayed, the first connection being associated with a first data request of the plurality of data requests and a first content item of the plurality of content items, in order to cause the server to pause data transmissions responsive to the first data request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Arvind Swaminathan
  • Patent number: 11202043
    Abstract: A self-calibrating display can detect and compensate for binocular disparity or other visual imperfection of the display. The display includes a pair of projection units for projecting test light carrying test images through waveguides, which are normally used to carry images to left and right eyes of a user. A detection unit detects the test light propagated through the waveguides, and extracts the test images. Position of reference features in the detected test images may be used to determine binocular disparity, and luminance and color distribution across the test images may be used to determine the illumination and color uniformity of the images displayed to the user. After the visual defects have been detected, they may be reduced or compensated for by pre-emphasizing or shifting images to be displayed to the left and right eyes of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Tamer Elazhary, Nicholas Trail, Brian Wheelwright, Weichuan Gao, Jacques Gollier, Barry David Silverstein
  • Patent number: 11199710
    Abstract: A beam scanner of a projector-based near-eye display includes a prismatic element with a reflective polarizer and a quarter-wave waveplate (QWP). The beam-folding prismatic element receives a polarized light beam from a light source and couples the beam to a tiltable reflector, e.g. a 2D tiltable MEMS reflector, for angular scanning the beam. The light beam impinging onto the tiltable reflector is separated from the light beam reflected from the tiltable reflector by polarization. The polarization-based separation is achieved by causing the light beam to propagate through the QWP before and after impinging onto the tiltable reflector. Upon double propagation of the light beam through the QWP, the beam changes its polarization to an orthogonal polarization, which enables its separation from the impinging beam. The beam scanner may receive multiple light beams from multiple light sources. A projector and a near-eye display based on such beam scanners are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Wheelwright, Weichuan Gao, Stephen James McNally
  • Patent number: 11202145
    Abstract: A speaker assembly presents audio content to an ear canal of a user. A speaker of the speaker assembly generates positive and negative acoustic pressure waves. A first vent assembly of the speaker assembly ports the positive acoustic pressure waves to an entrance of the ear canal of the user, whereas a second vent assembly ports the negative acoustic pressure waves to an area behind a pinna of the user. The first and second vent assembly are configured to provide improved audio content playback to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tetsuro Oishi, Gelmont Rios, Alan Ng
  • Patent number: 11196469
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems for overlaying a coverage area of a cellular wireless network with a coverage area of a sectorization base station are disclosed. One method includes providing, by a plurality of cellular base stations, wireless access to a plurality of wireless devices over a coverage area, providing, by a sectorization base station, wireless communication to the plurality of wireless devices over at least the coverage area, each sector of a plurality of antennas of the sectorization base station operates to cover a selectable coverage area as determined by a width of a beamforming pattern, identifying locations of each of the plurality of wireless devices, and selecting beamforming parameters of the beamforming pattern based at least on the locations of the plurality of wireless devices, wherein the selected beamforming parameters control at least a sector selection and the width of the beamforming pattern of the sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Abhishek Tiwari
  • Patent number: 11195020
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a virtual space for multiple devices can include a first device having at least one sensor configured to acquire a spatial information of a physical space of the first device. The first device may include at least one processor configured to establish, according to the acquired spatial information, a virtual space corresponding to the physical space, that is accessible by a user of the first device via the first device. The at least one processor may further be configured to register a second device within the physical space, to allow a user of the second device to access the virtual space via the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chengyuan Yan, Amrutha Hakkare Arunachala, Chengyuan Lin, Anush Mohan, Ke Huo
  • Patent number: 11196683
    Abstract: Data center switches are described. A rack of a data center can include several switches to implement a network topology. The switches can include ports on their fronts and sides such that cables can be coupled with these side ports to implement the network topology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiping Yao, Che Kin Leung
  • Patent number: 11196698
    Abstract: Systems and techniques are described that enable users to interact and share content through a social network application and/or service with other users. In some examples, a social networking system determines that at least two applications are installed on a device and are both useable to share content between a first account and one or more contact accounts. The social networking system may detect an event that causes a change in a badge count, may determine which of the applications to use to display the change, and may output the badge count change to the determined application(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Michael O'Rourke, Henry Ming Wu, Michael Ross Lewis, Kuan-Yu Tseng, Tae Dong Kim, Zhisheng Huang
  • Patent number: 11194087
    Abstract: A waveguide coupler may be coupled to a multi-beam light source, such as an array of superluminescent light-emitting diodes. The waveguide coupler includes a substrate having an end facet and a surface, e.g. a top flat surface, adjoining the end facet. At least one tilted reflector is supported by the substrate. A plurality of waveguides supported by the substrate extend between the end facet and the at least one tilted reflector. The at least one tilted reflector is configured to redirect light propagating in the plurality of waveguides to the surface of the substrate. In this manner, the waveguide coupler may provide an array of surface emission points on a substrate. All the surface emission points are disposed in one plane and may be suitably configured for subsequent joint collimation for use e.g. in a scanning projector display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Guenther Greif, Scott Charles McEldowney, Chadwick Brian Martin, Stephen James McNally
  • Patent number: 11195291
    Abstract: A depth camera assembly (DCA) optimizes illumination and image capture of a local area to generate depth information of the local area. The DCA determines depth information for a first portion of the local area viewable at a first pose. The DCA is moved from the first pose to a second pose, where a second portion of the local area is viewable and overlaps with the first portion. The overlapping region is not illuminated by the DCA. A non-overlapping portion of the second portion is illuminated, captured, and depth information determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fengqiang Li, Zihe Gao, Michael Hall, Zhaoming Zhu, Shuochen Su, Huixuan Tang, Xinqiao Liu, Nicholas Daniel Trail
  • Patent number: 11195206
    Abstract: Methods for providing contextual information about communication devices and/or services. Profile information indicating a user's communication devices and/or services is stored. When profile information or a message log is displayed, the user may identify a communication device and/or service. A query inquires whether the user would like contextual information. The contextual information may be obtained from a gateway in a data network or a telecommunications manager in a telecommunication network. The contextual information is displayed. Profile information about a user's communicating partner may be stored. When the user makes an effort to communicate with the partner, a check may be made of the partner's profile information for a preferred communication device and/or service. If the user does not have a communication device and/or service corresponding to that of the communicating partner, a query may inquire whether the user would like contextual information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventor: Dale W. Malik
  • Patent number: 11194222
    Abstract: A device is provided. The device includes a first lens assembly controllable to switch between a first plurality of optical powers. The first lens assembly includes a plurality of directly optically coupled lenses. The device also includes a second lens assembly controllable to switch between a second plurality of optical powers that are the opposite of the first plurality of optical powers. The device further includes a half-wave plate disposed between the first adaptive lens assembly and the second adaptive lens assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Oleg Yaroshchuk, Junren Wang, Lu Lu
  • Patent number: 11193597
    Abstract: A fluidic device controls fluid flow in channel from a source to a drain. In some embodiments, the fluidic devices comprise a gate, a channel, and an obstruction. The gate comprises at least one chamber whose volume increases with fluid pressure. A high-pressure state of the gate corresponds to a first chamber size and a low-pressure state of the gate corresponds to a second chamber size that is smaller than the first chamber size. The obstruction controls a rate of fluid flow within the channel based on the fluid pressure in the gate. The obstruction induces at most a first flow rate of fluid in the channel in accordance with the low-pressure state of the gate, and at least a second flow rate of the fluid in the channel in accordance with the high-pressure state of the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sean Jason Keller, Jack Lindsay, Serol Turkyilmaz, John Michael Lutian, Tristan Thomas Trutna, Andrew Arthur Stanley
  • Patent number: 11194163
    Abstract: The disclosed projector device may include (1) a first monochromatic emitter array having a plurality of emitters of a first color disposed in a two-dimensional configuration and (2) a second monochromatic emitter array having a plurality of emitters of a second color disposed in a two-dimensional configuration. The first and second monochromatic emitter arrays may be configured to emit images of the first and second colors into a waveguide configuration, and the first color may be different than the second color. Associated display systems and methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Daniel Trail, James Ronald Bonar, Gareth Valentine
  • Patent number: 11196697
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide techniques for promoting and providing subscribed content via a messaging platform. An article may be viewed via a social networking service (such as in a social network's news feed), or on a partner website integrated with the social networking service and/or messaging service. When opening the article (e.g., in a web-based view), a banner may be displayed in association with the article indicating that the article could have been received as part of a messaging-based subscription service. The banner may include a control to subscribe to the publisher with the messaging service. Topics related to an article may be suggested in the message thread for the subscription, with the selection of a topic retrieving additional articles from that publisher related to that topic. These additional articles may be selected using social networking topic determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Edward Young Zhang, Weiwei Ding, Qian Wang, Ming Xiao, Guangyuan Liu
  • Patent number: 11194167
    Abstract: A head-mounted display device for providing augmented reality contents to a wearer includes a light projector, and eye tracker, and a beam steerer. The light projector is configured to project light for rendering images based at least on the augmented reality contents. The eye tracker is configured to determine a position of a pupil of an eye of the wearer. The beam steerer is configured to change a direction of the light from the light projector based on the position of the pupil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Robert Lanman, Robert Konrad, Gang Li
  • Patent number: 11196985
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes retrieving a media content item for display on a projectable surface. The method includes sending, to an interaction device including a projector and a camera, instructions causing the camera to capture one or more images of the projectable surface, receiving the one or more images from the interaction device, and determining one or more attributes of the surface based on the one or more images. The method also includes modifying the media content item based at least in part on the one or more attributes of the projectable surface and sending, to the interaction device, the modified media content item and instructions causing the projector to project the modified media content on the projectable surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Baback Elmieh, Joyce Hsu, Scott Snibbe, Amir Mesguich Havilio, Angela Chang, Alexandre Jais, Rex Crossen
  • Patent number: 11194166
    Abstract: A head-mounted display device for providing augmented reality contents to a wearer includes a first light projector and a first Fresnel combiner. The first light projector is configured to project light for rendering images based at least on the augmented reality contents. The first Fresnel combiner is configured to combine the light from the first light projector and light from an outside of the head-mounted display device for providing an overlap of the rendered image and a real image that corresponds to the light from the outside of the head-mounted display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Robert Lanman, Brian Wheelwright, Andrew John Ouderkirk
  • Patent number: 11195106
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are configured to receive a uniform resource locator. A time and one or more features associated with the uniform resource locator can be provided to a first machine learning model. A prediction relating to a quantity of views the uniform resource locator achieves by the time can be received from the first machine learning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Shengbo Guo, Mark Warren McDuff, Yixian Zhu, Ying Zhang, James Li, Sara Lee Su
  • Patent number: 11194160
    Abstract: A camera captures image data at a target frame rate. The camera includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is configured to detect light from a local area and includes a plurality of augmented pixels. Each augmented pixel comprises at least a first and a second gate. The first gates are configured to store a first plurality of image frames as first image data according to a first activation pattern. The second gates are configured to store a second plurality of image frames as second image data according to a second activation pattern. The controller reads out the image data to generate a first image from the first image data and a second image from the second image data. The first and second images may be used to reconstruct a combined set of image frames at the target frame rate with a reconstruction algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fengqiang Li, Zihe Gao
  • Patent number: 11194706
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method includes starting an application as a first process within a user space of an operating system. The application instantiates a data storage system associated with the operating system. The method also includes starting a block device service as a second process within the user space of the operating system, the block device service being configured to manage a persistent storage device of the computing device. In addition, the method includes receiving, by a kernel of the operating system, a system call request from the application to communicate with the block device service, the system call request is generated by the application using the data storage system and comprises an access request to access the persistent storage device. The method further includes providing the application, in response to the system call request, access to the block device service through the IPC channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew M. Rogers, Bernhard Poess, Gleb Kurtsov
  • Patent number: 11195099
    Abstract: A content review system for an online system automatically determines if received content items to be displayed to users violate any policies of the online system. The content review system generates a semantic vector representing the semantic features of a content item, for example, using a neural network. By comparing the semantic vector for the content item with semantic vectors of content items previously determined to violate one or more policies, the content review system determines whether the content item also violates one or more policies. The content review system may also maintain templates corresponding to portions of semantic vectors shared by multiple content items. An analysis of historical content items that conform to the template is performed to determine a probability that received content items that conform to the template violate a policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Enming Luo, Yang Mu, Emanuel Alexandre Strauss, Taiyuan Zhang, Daniel Olmedilla de la Calle
  • Patent number: 11195973
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for improving the light emitting efficiency of micro light emitting diodes. According to certain embodiments, micro-LEDs having small physical dimensions are fabricated on III-nitride materials with semi-polar crystal lattice orientations to reduce the surface recombination of excess charge carriers that does not generate photons and to reduce the polarization induced internal field that may cause energy band shift and aggravate the Quantum-Confined Stark Effect, thereby increasing the peak quantum efficiencies and/or reducing the peak efficiency current density of the micro-LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Pynn, Anneli Munkholm
  • Patent number: 11194397
    Abstract: The disclosed touch-simulation apparatus includes (1) a set of opposing surfaces and (2) an electric actuator assembly coupled between the set of opposing surfaces, wherein (A) the electric actuator assembly includes an actuator layer and (B) a set of mechanical amplifiers coupled between opposing sides of the actuator layer and the set of opposing surfaces. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dongsuk Shin, Kevin Shimasaki, Daniele Piazza
  • Patent number: 11196846
    Abstract: In an example of the described techniques, a wireless communication system includes first memory, second memory, a direct memory access (DMA) controller, an encryption engine in-line between the DMA controller and the second memory, a first microprocessor, and a second microprocessor. The first microprocessor communicates with other systems that generate application data to be wirelessly transmitted. The application data to be wirelessly transmitted is stored in the second memory and programs the DMA controller to transfer packets of the application data to the first memory from the second memory. The encryption engine receives the packets of the application data from the DMA controller, encrypts the packets to generate encrypted application data packets, and outputs the encrypted application data packets for storage to the first memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dinesh Patil, Wojciech Stefan Powiertowski, Neeraj Upasani, Sudhir Satpathy
  • Patent number: 11195320
    Abstract: An artificial reality system includes a head mounted display (HMD) and a physical overlay engine that generates overlay image data, referred to herein as a physical overlay image, corresponding to the physical objects in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. In response to an activation condition, a rendering engine of the artificial reality system renders the overlay image data to overlay artificial reality content for display on the HMD, thereby apprising a user of the HMD of their position with respect to the physical objects in the 3D environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jeng-Weei Lin, Gioacchino Noris, Alessia Marra, Alexander Sorkine Hornung
  • Patent number: 11192246
    Abstract: A mechanical eyeball includes an outer housing shaped as an ocular surface configured to rotate about a first rotational axis and a second rotational axis that intersect at a fixed center point. The outer is housing is coupled to a mechanical assembly, and the mechanical assembly is contained within a volume associated with the mechanical eyeball. The mechanical assembly can include a stationary gear train and rotatable components that rotate relative to the gear train. The rotatable components are configured to cause rotation of the outer housing about one or more rotational axes. The volume may be substantially the same volume of a human eye. The mechanical assembly is coupled to one or more drivers configured to actuate rotation of the outer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kirk Erik Burgess, Antonio Yamil Layon Halun, Sebastian Sztuk
  • Patent number: 11195319
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a distortion mesh defined in a 3D space by a plurality of mesh coordinates that are respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined points in a screen representation, where each mesh coordinate specifies a trajectory for a ray cast from the associated predetermined point into the 3D space; determining a sampling point within the screen representation; selecting a set of mesh coordinates from the plurality of mesh coordinates based on proximities between the sampling point and the predetermined points associated with the set of mesh coordinates; computing a sampling trajectory for the sampling point based on the selected set of mesh coordinates; casting a ray into the 3D space using the sampling trajectory; computing an intersection location between the cast ray and an object in the 3D space; and determining a color value for the sampling point based on the intersection location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventor: Larry Seiler
  • Patent number: 11194386
    Abstract: A wearable magnetic sensor system includes a wearable article that spatially arranges magnetic sensor components around a user's torso to obtain magnetic sensor data used for body pose tracking. The wearable magnetic sensor system includes magnetic sensor components that sense a magnetic field generated by a magnetic transmitter. One or more wearable articles spatially arrange the magnetic sensor components at different locations on a body of the user, such as the arms and torso. The one or more wearable articles include a transmitter attachment mechanism for affixing the magnetic transmitter at, e.g., a torso of the user, and receiver attachment mechanisms for affixing the magnetic sensor components at, e.g., locations of the body other than the torso. The magnetic sensor components are spatially arranged at different locations on the user's body so as to maximize tracking accuracy and minimize interference between the magnetic sensors and the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Yi Zhao
  • Patent number: 11190600
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, via a social networking system, a request from a user to participate in a discovery service designed to facilitate connections between users of the social networking system who share common attributes, (2) obtaining, from the user, data representative of at least one desired user attribute, possessed by the user, for new user connections, (3) identifying, within the social networking system, at least one additional user who is both a participant in the discovery service and who also possesses the desired user attribute, and (4) providing a visual indication to the user, when representing the additional user within a user interface of the social networking system, that the additional user is a participant in the discovery service and that the additional user possesses the desired user attribute. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Nathan Andrew Sharp
  • Patent number: 11187904
    Abstract: In a waveguide display, a first projector is configured to generate display light for a first field of view (FOV) of a display image. A first input coupler is configured to couple the display light for the first FOV into a visibly transparent substrate. A first set of gratings is configured to couple the display light for the first FOV out of the substrate at a first two-dimensional array of locations of the substrate. A second projector is configured to generate display light for a second FOV of the display image different from the first FOV. A second input coupler is configured to couple the display light for the second FOV into the substrate. A second set of gratings is configured to couple the display light for the second FOV out of the substrate at a second two-dimensional array of locations of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Wanli Chi, Dominic Meiser, Yang Yang, Wai Sze Tiffany Lam, Pasi Saarikko
  • Patent number: 11191053
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems for a network-based clock for time distribution across a wireless network, are disclosed. One system includes a network that includes a time distributor, a time receiver, and a plurality of network elements providing one or more network connections between the time distributor and the time receiver. The plurality of network elements includes an ingress network element and an egress network element. The time distributor receives and synchronizes to a first clock. Two or more of the plurality of network elements receives and synchronize to a second clock. A forward network transit delay is determined between the ingress network element and the egress network element and a backward network transit delay is determined between the egress network element and the ingress network element. The time receiver time synchronizes to the time distributor using the forward network transit delay and the backward network transit delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Ouellette, Brett Eric Schein, Brian Dunn
  • Patent number: 11188148
    Abstract: A virtual reality (VR) system includes a console an imaging device, a head mounted display (HMD) and a user input device. The console includes a virtual reality (VR) engine, a tracking module and an application store. The HMD includes a display element configured to display content to a user wearing the HMD. The virtual reality engine is configured to determine a vector for a virtual object thrown at a target in response to physical input from the user, a gaze vector for the eyes of the user and a virtual object position vector for the target and modify the vector for the virtual object based on at least one of the gaze vector and the virtual object position vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sebastian Sztuk, Javier San Agustin Lopez, Martin Henrik Tall
  • Patent number: 11189099
    Abstract: The present technology relates to artificial reality systems. Such systems provide projections a user can create to specify object interactions. For example, when a user wishes to interact with an object outside her immediate reach, she can use a projection to select, move, or otherwise interact with the distant object. The present technology also includes object selection techniques for identifying and disambiguating between objects, allowing a user to select objects both near and distant from the user. Yet further aspects of the present technology include techniques for interpreting various bimanual (two-handed) gestures for interacting with objects. The present technology further includes a model for differentiating between global and local modes for, e.g., providing different input modalities or interpretations of user gestures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Ravasz, Etienne Pinchon, Adam Tibor Varga, Jasper Stevens, Robert Ellis, Jonah Jones, Evgenii Krivoruchko
  • Patent number: 11188215
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for prioritizing digital user content in a graphical user interface may include (i) for each user account within a group of user accounts maintained by a social networking platform, (1) maintaining a user content pod, comprising a digital container for posts posted to the social networking platform by the user account, and (2) generating a scrollable pod display comprising visual representations of other user content pods being followed by the user account, (ii) receiving, from a first user account corresponding to a first user content pod, user input designating a post within the first user content pod as a broadcasted post, and (iii) in response to receiving the user input, prioritizing, within a scrollable pod display of a second user account, a visual representation of the first user content pod over visual representations of user content pods that do not contain broadcasted posts. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Holland
  • Patent number: 11190892
    Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques that include aligning processing of audio samples collected by multiple audio sensors or microphones. In one example, this disclosure describes a method comprising enabling a first microphone; processing, by an audio processor and using a first processing pipeline, audio data samples collected by the first microphone; enabling a second microphone a period of time after enabling the first microphone; processing, by the audio processor and using a second processing pipeline, a sample of audio data collected by the second microphone by synchronizing starting times for the first and second processing pipelines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Alok Kumar Mathur
  • Patent number: 11190338
    Abstract: An online system receives impression data from one or more content publishers. The impression data describes impressions provided to users of the online system on behalf of an agent. The online system selects a randomly selected number of impressions in the received impression data. The online system generates an impressions block by encrypting impression data that describes the selected set of impressions using a unique cypher, and adds the impressions block to a blockchain. The online system further generates a cypher block by encrypting the cypher and an identifier of the impressions block to which the cypher applies using a public key provided by the agent to the online system. The online system adds the cypher block to the blockchain. The agent can recover the cypher from the cypher block based on a private key, and the agent can then recover the impression data using the recovered cypher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Randolph Corey, Daniel K. Chapsky, Erik Taubeneck, Ionela-Roxana Danila, Yu-Yu Lin
  • Patent number: 11190570
    Abstract: A video encoder may be put in a starve mode during a low latency operation in which the video encoder may be operated in a mode that allows video frames to be encoded without any interdependencies such as motion compensation. At least one encoding parameter of the video encoding is selected such that, for each resulting encoded video frame, the video frame fits in exactly one application layer packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yaming He, Zhengping Zuo
  • Patent number: 11188175
    Abstract: A display system comprises a light source assembly, a display assembly, a camera assembly, and a controller. The light source assembly is configured to generate visible light and infrared light. The display assembly is configured to generate image light using the visible light and to generate tracking light using the infrared light. The tracking light and the image light pass through a beam splitter prior to being projected into a local area. The camera assembly is configured to capture one or more images of the local area illuminated with the tracking light. The images are illuminated with the tracking light that passes through the beam splitter prior to be being captured by the camera assembly. The controller is configured to calculate depth information for objects in the local area using the one or more images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Mohsen Shahmohammadi
  • Patent number: 11188303
    Abstract: A processor system comprises one or more logic units configured to receive a processor instruction identifying a first floating point number to be multiplied with a second floating point number. The floating point numbers are each decomposed into a group of a plurality of component numbers, wherein a number of bits used to represent each floating point number is greater than a number of bits used to represent any component number in each group of the plurality of component numbers. The component numbers of the first group are multiplied with the component numbers of the second group to determine intermediate multiplication results that are summed together to determine an effective result that represents a result of multiplying the first floating point number with the second floating point number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnakumar Narayanan Nair, Anup Ramesh Kadkol, Ehsan Khish Ardestani Zadeh, Olivia Wu, Yuchen Hao, Thomas Mark Ulrich, Rakesh Komuravelli
  • Patent number: 11185787
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to enabling access to a game instance through a messenger application. A client-side player component facilitates communication between a game instance on the client device and a backend server of a social networking system. The communication information can be stored in or retrieved from a social graph of the social networking system. The game instance can be initialized from a social platform of the social networking system, and the game can be played without leaving the messenger application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Andrea Vaccari, Richard Kenneth Zadorozny, Jeremy Harrison Goldberg, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Lei Guang, Li Yang, Jennifer A. Burge
  • Patent number: 11188156
    Abstract: An artificial reality system can display notifications in various configurations including in a minimized version or a maximized version. The artificial reality system can initially display a minimized version of the notification. Upon identifying a first trigger event, such as the user's gaze resting on the minimized version of the notification or a rotation of a user's wrist, the artificial reality system can change the display of the notification from the minimized version to the maximized version. The artificial reality system can identify a second trigger event, such as the user's gaze not being directed to the maximized version of the notification or a rotation of the wrist in an opposite direction from the first wrist rotation. In response to the second trigger event, the artificial reality system can stop display of the maximized version of the notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anastasia Victor-Faichney, Alexander Chen Runke, Difei Wang, Flavio Mattos de Carvalho
  • Patent number: 11188846
    Abstract: An online system receives information describing events corresponding to actions associated with a third party system performed by an individual. The received information describes event types and times at which the events occurred. The online system generates nodes of a directed graph associated with the third party system, in which each node corresponds to an event type. For each event, a node count associated with a node corresponding to the event's type is incremented by the online system. Pairs of consecutively occurring events are identified based on times at which the events occurred and an edge describing each transition from one event to another is generated by the online system. The online system determines an edge count for each transition indicating a number of edges describing the transition as well as a sequential order of event types based on one or more node counts and one or more edge counts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Lian He, Minghao Wang, Tobias Henry Wooldridge
  • Patent number: D937833
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Wesley Bristol, Yi-yaun Chen, Mauricio Romano, Peter Allan Chase Newbury
  • Patent number: D937863
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Christine Choi, Rennie Song, Yo-Tzu Yeh
  • Patent number: D938447
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Holland
  • Patent number: D938450
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Holland
  • Patent number: D938451
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Holland
  • Patent number: D938462
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Christine Choi, Yo-Tzu Yeh
  • Patent number: D938482
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Joseph Roark Underwood, Geoff David Joseph Teehan, George Lewis Kedenburg, III, Jason Holland