Patents by Inventor Andrew Walls
Andrew Walls has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9915825Abstract: An apparatus for use in replicating an image associated with an input-pupil to an output-pupil includes a planar optical waveguide including a bulk-substrate, and also including an input-coupler, an intermediate-component and an output-coupler. The input-coupler couples light corresponding to the image into the bulk-substrate and towards the intermediate-component. The intermediate-component performs horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and directs the light corresponding to the image towards the output-coupler. The output-coupler performs the other one of horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and couples light corresponding to the image, which travels from the input-coupler to the output-coupler, out of the waveguide. The apparatus further includes a volume layer, embedded between first and second major planar surfaces of the bulk-substrate, configured to cause light that is output by the output-coupler to have a more uniform intensity distribution compared to if the volume layer were absent.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Steven John Robbins, Scott Woltman, R. Andrew Wall, Yarn Chee Poon
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Publication number: 20180052326Abstract: An augmented reality display system utilized in computing platforms such as wearable head-mounted display (HMD) devices includes a virtual reality display that is located in front of a user's eyes to provide a direct view of virtual world images. An optical periscope, comprising reflective or diffractive optical systems, is configured to provide an indirect view of the real world. By locating the virtual reality display (and its associated optical and electrical components) close to the user's eyes and within the user's direct line of sight, the field of view (FOV) of the virtual world is increased as compared with conventional indirect-view virtual reality displays. The optical periscope provides an FOV of the real world that would otherwise be obstructed by the positioning of the direct-view virtual reality display in front of the user's eyes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2016Publication date: February 22, 2018Inventors: Richard Andrew Wall, Bernard Charles Kress
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Patent number: 9891436Abstract: A near eye or heads up display system includes a display engine, at least two optical waveguides, and a respective coating on at least one of the major surfaces of at least one of the waveguides. At least one such coating has a low reflectance for light within a specific wavelength range for the waveguide and incident on a major surface of the waveguide on which the coating is located at an angle below a low threshold angle relative to a normal, and has a high reflectance for light within the specific wavelength range for the waveguide that is incident on the major surface on which the coating is located at an angle above a high threshold angle relative to the normal.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2016Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: R. Andrew Wall, Tuomas Vallius, Pasi Pietila, Keita Oka
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Publication number: 20180003972Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to mixed reality display devices. One example provides a head-mounted display device comprising, a display, a lens system, and a curved Fresnel combiner. The curved Fresnel combiner is configured to direct light received from the display via the lens system toward an eyebox, and is at least partially transmissive to background light.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2016Publication date: January 4, 2018Inventors: Bernard C. Kress, R. Andrew Wall
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Publication number: 20170299860Abstract: A near eye or heads up display system includes a scan beam projector engine, an optical waveguide, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) optically coupled between the scan beam projector engine and the optical waveguide. The EPE improves the optical performance of the display system. The EPE could include a diffusive optical element, diffractive optical element, micro-lens array (MLA), or relay of aspherical lenses. A dual MLA EPE may have cells that prevent cross-talk between adjacent pixels. A dual MLA EPE may have a non-periodic lens array. The optical power of one MLA may be different from the other MLA.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2016Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Richard Andrew Wall, Tuomas Vallius, Mikko Juhola
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Patent number: 9791696Abstract: An apparatus for use in replicating an image associated with an input-pupil to an output-pupil includes a planar optical waveguide including a bulk-substrate, and also including an input-coupler, an intermediate-component and an output-coupler. The input-coupler couples light corresponding to the image into the bulk-substrate and towards the intermediate-component. The intermediate-component performs horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and directs the light corresponding to the image towards the output-coupler. The output-coupler performs the other one of horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and couples light corresponding to the image, which travels from the input-coupler to the output-coupler, out of the waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Scott Woltman, Steven John Robbins, R. Andrew Wall, Tuomas Vallius, Tapani Levola, Pasi Kostamo
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Publication number: 20170242249Abstract: A waveguide-based pupil relay for an optical system can comprise a light-transmissive substrate that includes a plurality of internally reflective surfaces to enable light rays of a plurality of different colors to propagate through the substrate by total internal reflection. The pupil relay can further include an input surface to input light rays of the plurality of different colors through an entry pupil of the optical waveguide, and an output surface to output light rays of the plurality of different colors from the substrate through an exit pupil of the optical waveguide. The pupil relay can have optical properties such that the entry pupil and exit pupil have substantially identical size and shape and such that the input light rays and output light rays have substantially identical chromatic properties.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2016Publication date: August 24, 2017Inventors: Richard Andrew Wall, Tuomas Heikki Sakari Vallius
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Publication number: 20170235142Abstract: A near eye or heads up display system includes a display engine, at least two optical waveguides, and a respective coating on at least one of the major surfaces of at least one of the waveguides. At least one such coating has a low reflectance for light within a specific wavelength range for the waveguide and incident on a major surface of the waveguide on which the coating is located at an angle below a low threshold angle relative to a normal, and has a high reflectance for light within the specific wavelength range for the waveguide that is incident on the major surface on which the coating is located at an angle above a high threshold angle relative to the normal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2016Publication date: August 17, 2017Inventors: R. Andrew Wall, Tuomas Vallius, Pasi Pietila, Keita Oka
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Publication number: 20170176747Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and method for increasing the FOV of displayed images in a head-mounted display (HMD) device. A display apparatus comprises a display module and a waveguide optically coupled to the display module. The display module may generate individually multiple different portions of an image, to be conveyed to an optical receptor of a user of the HMD device, and may include multiple optical output ports, each to output a different portion of the image. The waveguide may include multiple optical input ports, each optically coupled to a different one of the optical output ports of the display module, where the waveguide is configured to output, to the optical receptor of the user, light corresponding to the image in its entirety.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2015Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventors: Tuomas Heikki Sakari Vallius, Richard Andrew Wall, Pasi Petteri Pietilä, Yarn Chee Poon, Ian Anh Nguyen, Jeb Wu
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Publication number: 20170131545Abstract: An apparatus for use in replicating an image associated with an input-pupil to an output-pupil includes a planar optical waveguide including a bulk-substrate, and also including an input-coupler, an intermediate-component and an output-coupler. The input-coupler couples light corresponding to the image into the bulk-substrate and towards the intermediate-component. The intermediate-component performs horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and directs the light corresponding to the image towards the output-coupler. The output-coupler performs the other one of horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and couples light corresponding to the image, which travels from the input-coupler to the output-coupler, out of the waveguide. The apparatus further includes an adjacent planar optical component to provide a more uniform intensity distribution compared to if the adjacent planar optical component were absent.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: R. Andrew Wall, Scott Woltman, Steven John Robbins, Xinye Lou, Gangok Lee, Yarn Chee Poon, Tuomas Vallius, Pasi Kostamo, Tapani Levola, Yijing Fu
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Publication number: 20170131546Abstract: An apparatus for use in replicating an image associated with an input-pupil to an output-pupil includes a planar optical waveguide including a bulk-substrate, and also including an input-coupler, an intermediate-component and an output-coupler. The input-coupler couples light corresponding to the image into the bulk-substrate and towards the intermediate-component. The intermediate-component performs horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and directs the light corresponding to the image towards the output-coupler. The output-coupler performs the other one of horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and couples light corresponding to the image, which travels from the input-coupler to the output-coupler, out of the waveguide.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Scott Woltman, Steven John Robbins, R. Andrew Wall, Tuomas Vallius, Tapani Levola, Pasi Kostamo
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Publication number: 20170131551Abstract: An apparatus for use in replicating an image associated with an input-pupil to an output-pupil includes a planar optical waveguide including a bulk-substrate, and also including an input-coupler, an intermediate-component and an output-coupler. The input-coupler couples light corresponding to the image into the bulk-substrate and towards the intermediate-component. The intermediate-component performs horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and directs the light corresponding to the image towards the output-coupler. The output-coupler performs the other one of horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and couples light corresponding to the image, which travels from the input-coupler to the output-coupler, out of the waveguide. The apparatus further includes a volume layer, embedded between first and second major planar surfaces of the bulk-substrate, configured to cause light that is output by the output-coupler to have a more uniform intensity distribution compared to if the volume layer were absent.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Steven John Robbins, Scott Woltman, R. Andrew Wall, Yarn Chee Poon
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Patent number: 9639462Abstract: Device for selecting a level for at least one read voltage for reading data stored in a multi-level memory device. The multi-level memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks, in which each of the memory blocks includes a plurality of word lines, each of the word lines being allocated to a plurality of memory pages and being indexed by a word line index. The device includes a first mapping unit for mapping each of the word line indices to one bin label, in which the number of bin labels is smaller than the number of word lines, and a second mapping unit for mapping each of the bin labels to a voltage information being indicative for at least one read voltage, in which the level for the at least one read voltage for reading data is selectable for each word line based on the respective word line index.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2014Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Charles J. Camp, Evangelos S Eleftheriou, Thomas Mittelholzer, Thomas Parnell, Nikolaos Papandreou, Charalampos Pozidis, Andrew Walls
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Publication number: 20160266398Abstract: An optical light engine includes a pair of lenticular microlenslet arrays (MLAs) located on each side of a polarization converter. Non-polarized light from a source in the engine is focused by the first MLA onto cells of the polarization converter which converts the light to a common state of polarization to increase efficiency and improve contrast in the system. A half wave retarder is included on the polarization converter to change the polarization of any light that is reflected from downstream optical components to match that of the forward propagating light. The second MLA, which includes a relatively large number of microlenslet elements, collects the light from the polarization converter and homogenizes the light to be highly uniform when received at a downstream imaging panel in the light engine such as a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2015Publication date: September 15, 2016Inventors: Yarn Chee Poon, Steve Robbins, Angus Wu, Jeb Wu, James Webster, Richard Andrew Wall, Richard James, Robin Hsiung, RuPing Huang, Freeway Lin
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Publication number: 20160041390Abstract: The technology provides decoupling an aspheric optical element from a birdbath optical element in a near-eye display (NED) device. One or more aspheric lens are used with a spherical birdbath reflective mirror in a projection light engine of a NED device. A projection light engine provides image light (or other information), by way of the spherical birdbath reflective mirror and at least one aspheric lens, to a near-eye display of the NED device. The spherical birdbath reflective mirror collimates and reflects the image light to an exit pupil external to the projection light engine. Decoupling the aspheric optical element from the spherical birdbath reflective mirror may enable high modulation transfer function (MTF) and improved manufacturability of the projection light engine. The NED device having aspheric optical elements decoupled from a birdbath optical element may be positioned by a support structure in a head-mounted display (HMD) or head-up display (HUD).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2014Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: Yarn Chee Poon, Joshua A Hudman, R Andrew Wall, Scott McEldowney, Steven John Robbins
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Patent number: 9153138Abstract: A particular method includes receiving a conflict notice from a first airfield computing agent associated with a first airfield at a first aircraft computing agent associated with a first aircraft. The conflict notice indicates that the first aircraft is associated with a first conflict of the first airfield. The method also includes identifying, based on parameters associated with the first aircraft, one or more actions associated with the first aircraft to address the first conflict.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2010Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANYInventors: Stephen P. Jewett, Thomas J. Hollerich, Eric L. Nicks, Andrew Wall, William E. Wojczyk, Jr.
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Patent number: 9081914Abstract: A system and methods to record a configuration record for components of an asset is provided. The system includes a user interface device comprising a screen having a plurality of attributes and a plurality of link hotspots coupled to the plurality of attributes. A database is coupled to the user interface device, wherein the database includes an aspect associated with each of the plurality of attributes. The system includes a processor coupled to the user interface device and the database, wherein the processor configured to couple the aspect to the plurality of link hotspots.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2012Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: William Talion Edwards, Timothy Joseph Josten, Scott Randall Greene, Michael L. Piasse, Andrew Wall, William E. Wojczyk, Jr.
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Publication number: 20150169468Abstract: Device for selecting a level for at least one read voltage for reading data stored in a multi-level memory device. The multi-level memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks, in which each of the memory blocks includes a plurality of word lines, each of the word lines being allocated to a plurality of memory pages and being indexed by a word line index. The device includes a first mapping unit for mapping each of the word line indices to one bin label, in which the number of bin labels is smaller than the number of word lines, and a second mapping unit for mapping each of the bin labels to a voltage information being indicative for at least one read voltage, in which the level for the at least one read voltage for reading data is selectable for each word line based on the respective word line index.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2014Publication date: June 18, 2015Inventors: Charles J. Camp, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Thomas Mittelholzer, Thomas Parnell, Nikolaos Papandreou, Charalampos Pozidis, Andrew Walls
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Publication number: 20130297633Abstract: A system and methods to record a configuration record for components of an asset is provided. The system includes a user interface device comprising a screen having a plurality of attributes and a plurality of link hotspots coupled to the plurality of attributes. A database is coupled to the user interface device, wherein the database includes an aspect associated with each of the plurality of attributes. The system includes a processor coupled to the user interface device and the database, wherein the processor configured to couple the aspect to the plurality of link hotspots.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2012Publication date: November 7, 2013Inventors: William Talion Edwards, Timothy Joseph Josten, Scott Randall Greene, Michael L. Piasse, Andrew Wall, William E. Wojczyk, JR.
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Publication number: 20120296418Abstract: The present disclosure concerns embodiments of implantable prosthetic devices, and in particular, implantable prosthetic valves, and methods for making such devices. In one aspect, a prosthetic device includes encapsulating layers that extend over a fabric layer and secure the fabric layer to another component of the device. In particular embodiments, the prosthetic device comprises a prosthetic heart valve, and can be configured to be implanted in any of the native heart valves. In addition, the prosthetic heart valve can be, for example, a transcatheter heart valve, a surgical heart valve, or a minimally-invasive heart valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2012Publication date: November 22, 2012Applicant: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATIONInventors: Celeste Bonyuet, Andrew Walls, John F. Migliazza, Itai Pelled