Facebook Patents

Facebook, Inc. operates a social media website and mobile app that enables people to connect, share and discover opinions, ideas, photos and videos. The company also owns Instagram, a mobile application for sharing photos and videos, as well as WhatsApp, a mobile messaging application.

Facebook Patents by Type
  • Facebook Patents Granted: Facebook patents that have been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Facebook Patent Applications: Facebook patent applications that are pending before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Patent number: 11368231
    Abstract: A system receives audio data in a frequency range of 20 Hz-20 kHz. The received audio data is encoded by the system into ultrasonic data in frequencies that are greater than 20 kHz, and transmitted into a local area that is proximal to the transmitting device, i.e., within the transmission range of the transmitting device. An ultrasonic communication device that is located in the transmission range of the transmitting device may receive the ultrasonic data. The received ultrasonic data is decoded by the ultrasonic communication system in the receiving device into audio data in a frequency range of 20 Hz-20 kHz, and subsequently presented to a user of the receiving ultrasonic communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Harty Dodds, Morteza Khaleghimeybodi, Philip Robinson, Scott Porter, William Owen Brimijoin, II, Andrew Lovitt
  • Patent number: 11366720
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes generating a handle that references a checkpoint for a service, sending the handle to the service, wherein the handle is configured to be used by the service to store one or more states of the service in the checkpoint, determining that the service needs to be restarted, restarting the service, accessing the handle for the checkpoint, and sending the handle for the checkpoint to the restarted service, wherein the handle for the checkpoint is configured to be used by the restarted service to restore the one or more states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Vadim Victor Spivak, Bernhard Poess
  • Patent number: 11360564
    Abstract: The disclosed wearable devices may include a body shaped and sized to be worn against a user's skin, a flexible vibrotactile actuator positioned on or in the body, and a tunable stiffness material adjacent to the flexible haptic actuator. The flexible vibrotactile actuator may be in a location to transmit a haptic sensation to the user's skin when the body is worn by the user. The tunable stiffness material may have an adjustable stiffness such that adjustment of the stiffness of the tunable stiffness material alters a haptic sensation induced by the flexible haptic actuator against the user's skin. Various other related methods, systems, and devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Dongsuk Shin
  • Patent number: 11363385
    Abstract: The disclosed high-efficiency motor may include the following: at least two magnets, a rigid structure arranged between the at least two magnets, where the rigid structure has traces configured to act as a moveable coil, and at least two couplings that respectively link the magnets to the rigid structure in a flexible manner. An electrical input signal applied to the moveable coil may cause motive force to be applied the rigid structure according to the input signal, so that the rigid structure moves orthogonally relative to the magnets as driven by the input signal. In this manner, the high-efficiency motor may be incorporated into a system that may reproduce a full-range audio signal. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Porter
  • Patent number: 11361522
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enabling a user or third-party to select or adjust parameters of one or more statistical models used to generate a musculoskeletal representation. The method comprises providing as input to the statistical model(s), a plurality of neuromuscular signals recorded by a plurality of neuromuscular sensors during performance of at least one gesture by a user, wherein the at least one gesture is performed by the user while wearing a wearable device having the plurality of neuromuscular sensors arranged thereon, rendering at least one visual representation based on an output of the statistical model(s), and receiving user or third-party input to adjust parameters of the statistical model(s) based on the rendered at least one visual representation, the user input including a selection of a particular statistical model of the statistical model(s) and/or an adjustment of parameters associated with the particular statistical model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Kaifosh, Adam Berenzweig, Adam Al-natsheh
  • Patent number: 11361512
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes displaying, through a head-mounted display (HMD), virtual objects to a user wearing the HMD. The method then accesses a boundary definition that corresponds to a boundary within a physical space surrounding the user and generates a plurality of spatial points based on depth measurements of physical objects within the physical space. Based on the spatial points, a location at which a physical object is likely to exist is determined. The method determines whether the location of the physical object is inside the boundary definition and, in response to this determination, issues an alert to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Gaurav Chaurasia, Alexandru-Eugen Ichim, Eldad Yitzhak, Arthur Benjamin Nieuwoudt, Gioacchino Noris, Alexander Sorkine Hornung
  • Patent number: 11361517
    Abstract: A rhythm-based video game (“game”) is disclosed. In the game, a player slashes blocks representing musical beats using a pair of energy blades resembling a lightsaber. A gaming console renders multiple digital objects, e.g., digital blocks, digital mines and digital obstacles, that are approaching a player in a virtual space. The gaming console also renders a digital representation of an instrument, e.g., a lightsaber (“digital saber”), using which the player slashes, cuts or otherwise interacts with the digital blocks to cause a digital collision between the digital saber and the digital blocks. The player can score by slashing the digital blocks, not hitting the digital mines and avoiding the digital obstacles. The game presents the player with a stream of approaching digital objects in synchronization with music, e.g., a song's beats, being played in the game. The pace at which the digital blocks approach the player increases with the beats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vladimír Hrin{hacek over (c)}ár, Ján Ilavský
  • Patent number: 11363500
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transitioning a call between two devices are disclosed herein. An origin device for the call is determined based on a first position of an ultra-wideband (UWB) device. A destination device for the call is then determined based on a second position of the UWB device. The UWB device sends transition commands to both the origin device and the destination device, each transition command including an identifier of the other device. Using the identifier of the origin device, the destination device connects to the call the origin device is currently participating in. When the origin device detects that the destination device has connected to the call, the origin device disconnects from the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies
    Inventors: Peter Andrew Matsimanis, Igor Gurovski, Pascal Alexander Bentioulis, Tahir Turan Caliskan, Per Ingemar Kristiansson, Per-Erik Bergstrom
  • Patent number: 11363221
    Abstract: In one example, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises an image sensor configured to generate a first raw output to represent a first intensity of incident light based on a first relationship, and to generate a second raw output to represent a second intensity of incident light based on a second relationship. The apparatus further comprises a post processor configured to: generate a first post-processed output based on the first raw output and based on the first relationship such that the first post-processed output is linearly related to the first intensity based on a third relationship, and to generate a second post-processed output based on the second raw output and based on the second relationship such that the second post-processed output is linearly related to the second intensity based on the third relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Samuel Berkovich, Wei Gao, Xinqiao Liu, Song Chen
  • Patent number: 11361744
    Abstract: An audio system for a wearable device dynamically updates acoustic transfer functions. The audio system is configured to estimate a direction of arrival (DoA) of each sound source detected by a microphone array relative to a position of the wearable device within a local area. The audio system may track the movement of each sound source. The audio system may form a beam in the direction of each sound source. The audio system may identify and classify each sound source based on the sound source properties. Based on the DoA estimates, the movement tracking, and the beamforming, the audio system generates or updates the acoustic transfer functions for the sound sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vladimir Tourbabin, Jacob Ryan Donley, Antonio John Miller, Ravish Mehra
  • Patent number: 11362251
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for managing the thermal resistance and the planarity of a display package. According to certain embodiments, a device includes a display package having a molding compound; a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) dies arranged on a top surface of the display package, wherein each LED die of the plurality of LED dies includes a plurality of LEDs; a backplane die embedded within the molding compound of the display package, wherein the backplane die is electrically coupled to each LED die of the plurality of LED dies; and at least one spacer structure embedded within the molding compound of the display package. The backplane die and the at least one spacer structure together provide mechanical support and planar alignment for the plurality of LED dies arranged on the top surface of the display package. The at least one spacer structure has a first thermal conductivity, and the molding compound has a second thermal conductivity lower than the first thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Rajendra D. Pendse
  • Patent number: 11363395
    Abstract: A piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) transducer that can operate as a microphone (e.g., contact microphone) or a speaker is presented herein. The piezoelectric MEMS transducer includes a substrate, a proof mass and folded displacement sensing structures. Each folded displacement sensing structure comprises a continuous beam, a first piezoelectric stress sensor coupled to a first portion of the continuous beam, and a second piezoelectric stress sensor coupled to a second portion of the continuous beam. The first portion of the continuous beam is coupled to a respective portion of the proof mass, and the second portion of the continuous beam is coupled to a respective portion of the substrate. The first and second portions of the continuous beam come together at an acute angle. The first and second piezoelectric stress sensors output stress information responsive to a stress induced in the continuous beam by displacement of the proof mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yuri Toride, Chuming Zhao
  • Patent number: 11362237
    Abstract: A micro-light emitting diode (micro-LED) includes a current aperture to confine the current in a localized region such that the carrier recombination mostly occurs in the localized region to emit photons, thereby reducing the surface recombination and improving the quantum efficiency. The current confinement and localization are achieved using a localized breakthrough of a barrier layer by a localized contact, lightly p-doped active layers to suppress lateral transport of the carriers to the surface region, selective ion implantation, etching, or oxidation of a semiconductor layer, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Berthold Hahn, Thomas Lauermann, Markus Broell
  • Patent number: 11360308
    Abstract: An optical device for a head-mounted display device includes a first partial reflector and a second partial reflector positioned relative to the first partial reflector so that the second partial reflector receives first light transmitted through the first partial reflector and reflects at least a portion of the first light toward the first partial reflector as second light. At least a portion of the second light is reflected by the first partial reflector as third light, and at least a portion of the third light is transmitted through the second partial reflector. At least one of the first partial reflector or the second partial reflector includes a reflective holographic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Maimone, Junren Wang, Barry Silverstein
  • Patent number: 11362703
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure support a head-mounted display (HMD) wirelessly coupled to a console. The HMD includes a positional tracking system, a beam controller and a transceiver. The positional tracking system tracks position of the HMD and generates positional information describing the tracked position of the HMD. The transceiver communicates with a console via a wireless channel, in accordance with communication instructions, the communication instructions causing the transceiver to communicate over one directional beam of a plurality of directional beams. The beam controller determines a change in the positional information. Based on the change to the positional information, the beam controller determines a directional beam of the plurality of directional beams. The beam controller further generates the communication instructions identifying the determined directional beam, and provides the communication instructions to the transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qi Qu, Ganesh Venkatraman, Hongyu Zhou, Ryan Hamilton Brown, Oskar Linde, Lyle David Bainbridge, Matthew James Devoe, Ali Yazdan, Sam Padinjaremannil Alex, Nirav Rajendra Patel
  • Patent number: 11353587
    Abstract: The disclosed system may include (1) a light source that emits light pulses into a field of view, (2) a light sensor array that captures light reflected from the field of view resulting from the light pulses, (3) a light control subsystem that (a) controls an emission timing of the light source and (b) controls a capture timing of the light sensor array relative to the emission timing of the light source, and (4) a depth measurement subsystem that generated depth measurements of at least some of the field of view based at least in part on output from the light sensor array, where operation of the light control subsystem is based at least in part on prior knowledge of the field of view. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 11353698
    Abstract: An eye is illuminated with infrared illumination light. Illuminating the eye includes illuminating a near-eye ellipsoidal lensing structure. A tracking image of Purkinje reflections of the infrared illumination light is captured by a camera. An eye position of the eye is determined in response to the tracking image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Sharma, Andrew John Ouderkirk
  • Patent number: 11352726
    Abstract: The disclosed method may include bending, by an end-shaping tool, a portion of an end of a strap in a direction at least substantially perpendicular to a plane of the strap. The bending may include extending the portion of the end of the strap over a raised area of a first portion of the end-shaping tool and connecting a second portion of the end-shaping tool to the first portion. The connecting may include placing a recessed area of the second portion over the raised area of the first portion. The method may include debossing, by an end-setting tool dimensioned to accommodate the strap as bent by the end-shaping tool, the portion of the end of the strap at the bend. Various other methods, systems, and apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shane Michael Ellis, Kristen Renee Hayenga, Quintin Morris
  • Patent number: 11355043
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a display device including pixels arranged in rows and columns, where duty cycles of the pixels are dynamically programmed according to eye tracking information. For a display frame, the display device may determine a gaze region and a non-gaze region based on the eye tracking information. A control circuit of the display device controls a first subset of pixels in the gaze region to operate with a first duty cycle and controls a second subset of pixels in the non-gaze region to operate with a second duty cycle greater than the first duty cycle. The first subset of pixels emits light with greater brightness than the second subset of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Min Hyuk Choi, Wenhao Qiao, Donghee Nam, Wonjae Choi, Zhiming Zhuang
  • Patent number: 11353636
    Abstract: A mount includes an active area in which an optical element may be located. The mount is bonded to a neighboring mount using adhesives that are placed on a top side of a wall structure of the mount. Migration of the adhesives from the wall of the mount into the active area is prevented by use of groove-structures and micro-wall structures located in a buffer area of the mount that circumscribes the active area. In some embodiments, a diffuser is located in the buffer area of the mount to redirect the emitted light as desired for a particular application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Timothy Sullivan, Yaakov Yonatan Layosh, Danilo Bueno
  • Patent number: 11354575
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes projecting a source image onto a surface using a lens approximation component, where the surface is associated with sampling points approximating photoreceptors of an eye, where each sampling point has a corresponding photoreceptor type, sampling color information from the projected source image at the sampling points, where the color information sampled at each sampling point depends on the corresponding photoreceptor type, accessing pooling units approximating retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of the eye, where each pooling unit is associated with groups of one or more of the sampling points, calculating weighted aggregations of the sampled color information associated with the groups of one or more sampling points associated with each pooling unit, and computing a perception profile for the source image based on the weighted aggregations associated with each of the pooling units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Todd Goodall, Anjul Patney, Trisha Lian, Romain Bachy, Gizem Rufo
  • Patent number: 11353767
    Abstract: A varifocal system comprises a stacked first-type liquid crystal (LC) lens structure and a stacked second-type LC lens structure in optical series. The stacked first-type LC lens structure includes a plurality of first-type LC lenses, and a first-type LC lens provides continuously variable optical states in a first step resolution. The stacked second-type LC lens structure includes a plurality of second-type LC lenses and provides a plurality of optical states in a second step resolution. The first step resolution is smaller than the second step resolution, such that when the stacked second-type LC lens structure is switched between two optical states, the first-type LC lenses provide a continuous adjustment of optical power between the two optical states. The stacked first-type LC lens structure and the stacked second-type LC lens structure together provide a continuous adjustment range of optical power for the varifocal system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Lu Lu, Fenglin Peng, Douglas Lanman
  • Patent number: 11353966
    Abstract: The disclosed handheld controllers may include at least one finger force-feedback mechanism. The finger force-feedback mechanism may include a rotational element positioned to have an axis of rotation that is located along a palm side of a finger of an intended user's hand when holding the handheld controller, a proximal linkage element positioned and configured to rotate with the intended user's finger about the major knuckle when the user squeezes the handheld controller, and a distal linkage element positioned and configured to rotate relative to the proximal linkage element with the intended user's finger about the second knuckle when the user squeezes the handheld controller. Various other handheld controllers, artificial-reality systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ryan Michael Ebert
  • Patent number: 11353135
    Abstract: Magnetic fluidic valves of the present disclosure may include a valve body having at least one cavity therein, a ferromagnetic gate transmission element disposed within the cavity, an inlet port, an outlet port, a permanent magnet configured to bias the gate transmission element to a closed position, and an electromagnetic coil configured to, upon actuation, overcome a magnetic force acting on the gate transmission element from the permanent magnet. The gate transmission element may be configured to move from the closed position blocking the inlet port to an open position unblocking the inlet port upon actuation of the electromagnetic coil. Various other fluidic systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert B. Koenig, Massimiliano Di Luca, Jan Andrzej Walczak
  • Patent number: 11355665
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for forming a thin-film circuit layer on an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs in the array of LEDs can be singulated by various processes, such as etching and ion implantation. Singulating LEDs can be performed before or after forming the thin-film circuit layer on the array of LEDs. The array of LEDs can be bonded to a transparent or non-transparent substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chloe Astrid Marie Fabien, Michael Grundmann
  • Patent number: 11353955
    Abstract: A system can include one or more processors that determine a first position of an object in view of a user of a head mounted display (HMD) and a first gaze direction towards the first position. The object can be detected by one or more sensors. The one or more processors detect that the user is gazing at the object. The one or more processors determine, responsive to detecting that the user is gazing at the object, a second gaze direction based on at least a second position of one or more eyes of the user of the HMD provided via an eye tracking operation of the HMD. The one or more processors calibrate, based at least on a difference between the first gaze direction and the second gaze direction, the eye tracking operation of the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kirk Erik Burgess, Sebastian Sztuk
  • Patent number: 11355901
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) die package includes a bottom substrate comprising a bottom contact pad electrically contacting a bottom electrode on a bottom surface of a VCSEL die. The VCSEL die package includes a submount including a submount contact pad electrically contacting a first electrode on another surface of the VCSEL die. The submount contact pad overlaps a portion of the first electrode, wherein the VCSEL die is positioned between the submount and the bottom substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jonatan Ginzburg, Mark Timothy Sullivan
  • Patent number: 11353768
    Abstract: A hybrid lens includes a transmissive adaptive liquid lens and an optical element including liquid crystals. The adaptive liquid lens includes a layer of optical fluid on a substrate. A focal length of the adaptive liquid lens is adjustable. The optical element including liquid crystals is optically coupled with the adaptive liquid lens. The optical element including liquid crystals is configured to adjust a refractive index across the optical element including liquid crystals in conjunction with adjusting the focal length of the adaptive liquid lens so that the optical element reduces optical artifacts caused by the adaptive liquid lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lu Lu, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Scott Charles McEldowney
  • Patent number: 11355666
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for bonding components of LEDs. According to certain embodiments, a device includes a first component having a semiconductor layer stack including an n-side semiconductor layer, an active light emitting layer, and a p-side semiconductor layer. A plurality of mesa shapes are formed within the n-side semiconductor layer, the active light emitting layer, and the p-side semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer stack comprises a III-V semiconductor material. The device also includes a second component having a passive or an active matrix integrated circuit within a Si layer. A first dielectric material of the first component is bonded to a second dielectric material of the second component, first contacts of the first component are aligned with and bonded to second contacts of the second component, and a run-out between the first contacts and the second contacts is less than 200 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Stephan Lutgen, Thomas Lauermann
  • Patent number: 11355480
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for providing conductivity. The apparatus may include an epitaxial layered structure having a first-type doped semiconductor layer, a second-type doped semiconductor layer, and an active layer between the first-type doped semiconductor layer and the second-type doped semiconductor layer. The apparatus may also include a conductive layer adjacent to and in ohmic contact with the first-type doped semiconductor layer. The conductive layer may have a micropixellated structure comprising a plurality of micropixel contact areas that are electrically isolated from each other. The plurality of micropixel contact areas may be sized and spaced to allow multiple ones of the plurality of micropixel contact areas to overlap a single contact pad for providing charge flow for a pixel in an array of pixels formed using the epitaxial layered structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gareth Valentine
  • Publication number: 20220172444
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to creating and administering artificial reality collaborative working environments and providing interaction modes for them. An XR work system can provide and control such artificial reality collaborative working environments to enable, for example, A) links between real-world surfaces and XR surfaces; B) links between multiple real-world areas to XR areas with dedicated functionality; C) maintaining access, while inside the artificial reality working environment, to real-world work tools such as the user's computer screen and keyboard; D) various hand and controller modes for different interaction and collaboration modalities; E) use-based, multi-desk collaborative room configurations; and F) context-based auto population of users and content items into the artificial reality working environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James LEBEAU, Manuel Ricardo FREIRE SANTOS, Aleksejs ANPILOGOVS, Alexander SORKINE HORNUNG, Björn WANBO, Connor TREACY, Fangwei LEE, Federico RUIZ, Jonathan MALLINSON, Jonathan Richard MAYOH, Marcus TANNER, Panya INVERSIN, Sarthak RAY, Sheng SHEN, William Arthur Hugh STEPTOE, Alessia MARRA, Gioacchino NORIS, Derrick READINGER, Jeffrey Wai-King LOCK, Jeffrey WITTHUHN, Jennifer Lynn SPURLOCK, Larissa Heike LAICH, Javier Alejandro Sierra SANTOS
  • Patent number: 11347310
    Abstract: A wearable device includes a plurality of magnetic field generators positioned at different points to be tracked. The magnetic field generators emit magnetic fields that are sensed by a plurality of magnetic field sensors having known positions relative to each other. The wearable device may have magnetic field generators placed at tracked points corresponding to portions of the fingers and the palm of the device, and magnetic field sensors located at predetermined positions. A position analyzer determines the spatial position of the tracked points on the palm as well as the tracked points on the fingers from the output signals of the magnetic field sensors. From the determined spatial positions of the tracked points, a gesture identification system determines a gesture corresponding to the spatial positions of the points of the wearable device where the magnetic field generators are positioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Shiu Sang Ng
  • Patent number: 11350030
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing system receives one or more signals indicative of light intensities captured by one or more cameras. These signals are captured in a plurality of frames at a first frame rate. The computing system calculates light intensity metrics for each frame of the plurality of frames based on the one or more signals captured in the respective frames. The computing system detects one or more peaks based on the light intensity metrics associated with one or more frames of the plurality of frames. The one or more frames were captured in a predetermined time period. The computing system determines a likelihood of perceptible flicker based on the detected one or more peaks. The computing system generates a notification indicating the likelihood of perceptible flicker in response to a determination that the likelihood of perceptible flicker exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventor: Mariano Jos Jaimez Tarifa
  • Patent number: 11347544
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes generating one or more queues by an application executing on a client system, wherein each queue is associated with one or more declarative attributes, wherein each declarative attribute declares a processing requirement or a processing preference, generating one or more work items to be processed, for each of the one or more work items enqueuing the work item into a selected one of the one or more queues based on the one or more declarative attributes associated with the selected queue, and providing the one or more queues to a scheduler of an operating system of the client system, wherein the scheduler is configured to schedule each of the one or more work items for processing based on one or more policies and the one or more declarative attributes of the selected queue for that work item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Vadim Victor Spivak, Bernhard Poess
  • Patent number: 11347071
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a first reflector and a second reflector. The first reflector is positioned to receive first light having a first polarization and provide the first light toward a first direction, and receive second light having the first polarization and provide the second light toward a second direction. The second reflector is positioned to receive the second light from the first reflector and reflect the second light back toward the first reflector. The first reflector receives light having a second polarization, having been reflected by the second reflector, and provide the light toward the first direction so that a first image corresponding to the first light and a second image corresponding to the second light are projected on a common image plane where at least a portion of the second image is located between two portions of the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, Ying Geng, Yusufu Njoni Bamaxam Sulai, Fenglin Peng, Brian Wheelwright
  • Patent number: 11347252
    Abstract: A power converter includes an input circuit, an output circuit, and a configuration circuit. The input circuit is configured to receive an input voltage or current. The output circuit is electrically isolated from the input circuit and is configured to generate a combined output voltage or a combined output current in response to the input circuit. The output circuit includes a plurality of output stages that are each configured to generate a respective partial output voltage or current. The configuration circuit is coupled to the plurality of output stages to dynamically reconfigure a connection among the plurality of output stages to combine the respective partial output voltages or currents to adjust the combined output voltage, the combined output current, or a combined output impedance of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Robert Peterson, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Maik Andre Scheller, Christopher Yuan-Ting Liao
  • Patent number: 11348319
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes reconstructing a three-dimensional shape of a target object, creating a two-dimensional normal map for the three-dimensional shape of the target object, accessing image data and depth data associated with the target object, generating a first normal data associated with the target object using the image data and the depth data, updating the normal map using the first normal data, and re-rendering the three-dimensional shape of the target object based on the updated normal map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Tony Tung, Zerong Zheng
  • Patent number: 11344971
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for using microlens arrays for parallel micropatterning of features. A method includes emitting a laser beam providing the laser beam to a lenslet array including a plurality of lenslets, and generating, from the laser beam, a plurality of laser sub-beams using the lenslet array. Each one of the plurality of laser sub-beams is generated by a corresponding one of the plurality of lenslets. Each lenslet of the plurality of lenslets has the same shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Brodoceanu, Oscar Torrents Abad
  • Patent number: 11350232
    Abstract: A system for determining a room impulse response of an environment is disclosed. The system includes one or more microphones configured to detect acoustic energy in an area, an input/output interface configured to connect to a network, and one or more processors coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The system is configured to identify a sound detected by the one or more microphones, retrieve a copy of the sound via the network, and determine a room impulse response of the area based on the sound and the copy of the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Philip Robinson, Paul Thomas Calamia
  • Patent number: 11348262
    Abstract: A camera assembly for depth sensing of a local area. The camera assembly includes a projector, a sensor and a controller. The projector emits, into the local area, a structured light (SL) pattern at multiple phases. The sensor images the local area using multiple augmented pixels. Each augmented pixel has multiple gates and at least some of the gates have a respective local storage location. Each capture phase of the augmented pixel is divided into a respective plurality of time bins associated with a respective subset of the gates. Each local storage location of the subset of gates stores image data during a respective time bin, the image data based on portions of the SL pattern emitted at a respective phase and reflected from the local area. The controller determines depth information for the local area based on the image data stored during at least one capture phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fengqiang Li, Zihe Gao, Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 11349053
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to the design of an electronic device capable having flexible interconnects that connect together a first body and a second body of the electronic device. The flexible interconnects allow the electrical device to better withstand thermal-mechanical stress during fabrication of the electronic device and user usage of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Zheng Sung Chio, Daniel Brodoceanu, Ali Sengül, Oscar Torrents Abad, Jeb Wu, Pooya Saketi, Chao Kai Tung, Tennyson Nguty, Allan Pourchet
  • Patent number: 11346943
    Abstract: An eye tracking unit that includes one or more transmitters that transmit a signal (e.g., a radar signal or an ultrasonic sound) at an eye, one or more receivers that receive a reflection of the signal generated by interaction of the signal with the eye, and an eye orientation estimation module that estimates an orientation of the eye based on the reflected signal received by the one or more ultrasonic receivers and based on a model of the eye. The eye tracking unit may be part of a head-mounted display (HMD) that includes a display element configured to display content to a user wearing the HMD. The model of the eye may be trained by displaying a visual indicator on the electronic element and detecting a reflected signal corresponding to the eye looking at the visual indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Michael Scally, David R. Perek
  • Patent number: 11349052
    Abstract: For small, high-resolution, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, such as for a near-eye display in an artificial-reality headset, LEDs are spaced closely together. A backplane can be used to drive an array of LEDs in an LED display. A plurality of interconnects electrically couple the backplane with the array of LEDs. The backplane can have a different coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than the array of LEDs. During bonding of the backplane to the array of LEDs, CTE mismatch can cause misalignment of bonding sites. The higher the bonding temperature, the greater the misalignment of bonding sites. Lower temperature bonding, using materials with lower melting or bonding temperatures, can be used to mitigate misalignment during bonding so that interconnects can be more closely spaced, which can allow LEDs to be more closely spaced, to enable a higher-resolution display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Henry Morris, John Goward, Chloe Astrid Marie Fabien, Michael Grundmann
  • Patent number: 11342479
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques relating to wafer-to-wafer bonding for manufacturing light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In some embodiments, a method includes reducing bowing of a layered structure including a semiconductor material and a substrate on which the semiconductor material is formed by generating breakages, fractures, or at least one region of weakened bonding within the layered structure. The method also includes bonding a base wafer to the semiconductor material, removing the substrate from the semiconductor material, and forming a plurality of trenches through the semiconductor material to produce a plurality of LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: William Padraic Henry, Allan Pourchet
  • Patent number: 11340463
    Abstract: An artificial-reality device is provided. The artificial-reality device includes a frame having at least one temple section (e.g., a frame arm) and a front section, where the front section is configured to hold at least one lens. The artificial-reality device also includes a hinge pivotally coupling the at least one temple section and the front section. The hinge includes: (A) a front magnetic component that includes a static magnet, and (B) a rear magnetic component, coupled to the at least one temple section, that includes: (i) two or more primary magnets oriented so as to be attracted to the static magnet of the front magnetic component, and (ii) at least one secondary magnet, positioned between the two or more primary magnets, oriented so as to be repelled by the static magnet of the front magnetic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Aaron Bobuk
  • Patent number: 11337652
    Abstract: A method for determining spatial information for a multi-segment articulated rigid body system having at least an anchored segment and a non-anchored segment coupled to the anchored segment, each segment in the multi-segment articulated rigid body system representing a respective body part of a user, the method comprising: obtaining signals recorded by a first autonomous movement sensor coupled to a body part of the user represented by the non-anchored segment; providing the obtained signals as input to a trained statistical model and obtaining corresponding output of the trained statistical model; and determining, based on the corresponding output of the trained statistical model, spatial information for at least the non-anchored segment of the multi-segment articulated rigid body system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Kaifosh, Timothy Machado, Thomas Reardon, Erik Schomburg, Calvin Tong
  • Patent number: 11340476
    Abstract: A hinge assembly for an electronic device. The hinge assembly includes a first component coupled to a second component by a cam. The cam includes a cylinder coupled to the first component and a bottom cap coupled to the second component by a fastener. The cylinder includes a first port and a second port, where an energy waveguide passes from the first component into the first port and through the second port into the second component. The first component rotates about an axis of rotation in relation to the second component from a first rotational position to a second rotational position. The first component is offset relative to the second component in the second rotational position. The offset includes a translation along an axis parallel to an axis of rotation and a rotation about the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aaron Bobuk
  • Patent number: 11341335
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a user input from a client system associated with a user, determining a task based on the user input and a confidence score associated with the task, generating one or more first dialog acts based on a task policy which specifies dialog acts associated with the task, generating one or more second dialog acts based on an override policy responsive to the confidence score being less than a threshold score, wherein the override policy specifies dialog acts that modify dialog acts specified by the task policy; and sending instructions for presenting a response to the user input to the client system, wherein the response is based on one or more of the first dialog acts or the second dialog acts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Anthony Crook, Baiyang Liu, Pararth Paresh Shah, Bing Liu
  • Patent number: 11341652
    Abstract: A survey application generates a survey of components associated with a three-dimensional model of an object. The survey application receives video feeds, location information, and orientation information from wearable devices in proximity to the object. The three-dimensional model of the object is generated based on the video feeds, sensor data, location information, and orientation information received from the wearable devices. Analytics is performed from the video feeds to identify a manipulation on the object. The three-dimensional model of the object is updated based on the manipulation on the object. A dynamic status related to the manipulation on the object is generated with respect to reference data related the object. A survey of components associated with the three-dimensional model of the object is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Mullins
  • Patent number: 11340702
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for eye tracking in near-eye display devices. In some embodiments, an illuminator for eye tracking is provided. The illuminator includes a light source configured to be positioned within a field of view of an eye of a user; a first reflector configured to shadow the light source from a field of view of a camera; and a second reflector configured to receive light from the light source that is reflected by the eye of the user, and to direct the light toward the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Sharma, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Qi Zhang