Patents by Inventor Brian Watson Cranton

Brian Watson Cranton 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).

  • Publication number: 20260164008
    Abstract: Prescription profile information for corrective lenses used in conjunction with a near-eye display device is obtained by the near-eye display device to facilitate correction of aberrations introduced by the corrective lenses. The prescription profile information can be transmitted electronically to the near-eye display device, embedded on the lens surface of the corrective lens itself using a near invisible marking such as near-infrared ink that can be detected by a gaze-tracking camera of the near-eye display device, or the near-eye display device can infer the prescription profile information for the corrective lenses based on the locations of glints reflected by the corrective lenses and detected by the gaze-tracking camera. Based on the prescription profile information, the near-eye display device calibrates the display, sensors, and/or gaze-tracking circuitry to correct aberrations introduced by the corrective lenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2025
    Publication date: June 11, 2026
    Inventors: Jennifer Han, Brian Cousins, Brian Watson Cranton, David Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20260153738
    Abstract: A wearable heads-up display (WHUD) reduces the prevalence of visual artifacts by employing a projector with a combiner including a plurality of combiner elements such as dichroic prisms. The projector is configured with one or more features that 1) reduce the amount of stray light generated at the combiner 2) change the path of the stray light so that the stray light is unable to exit the projector and thus is unable to create visual artifacts, or any combination thereof. By reducing the stray light that is generated and by changing the path of the stray light as described herein, the likelihood that a user will see a visual artifact is reduced, thus improving the user experience with the WHUD system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 4, 2026
    Inventors: Nan MA, Ian ANDREWS, Nam-Hyong KIM, Joseph MA, Christopher Charles TOWNSEND, Vance R. MORRISON, Benjamin WALES, Daniel J. EFFINGER, Geoff WHITE, Tyler G. ANDERSON, Brian Watson CRANTON
  • Patent number: 12585114
    Abstract: A system and method of calibrating a head-mounted display (HMD) by positioning an optical combiner of the HMD into a holder of a calibration station such that the optical combiner is in a primary optical path of light provided from a micro-display of the HMD and a camera of the calibration station, adjusting a tunable correction unit to correct defocus caused by a corrective prescription of the optical combiner, capturing images of a reference target by the camera as viewed through the tunable correction unit and optical combiner, and generating a distortion model from the captured images and calibrating the HMD in order to apply the distortion model to images projected by the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Daniel David Albin Balzerson, Brian Watson Cranton, Qianli Ma, Haven John David Szostak
  • Publication number: 20250335020
    Abstract: An illustrative display device preserves scotopic vision for a user. The display device includes a display configured to present image content, a memory storing instructions and operating parameters, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions. The operating parameters may include a color parameter and an additional parameter, such that the execution of the instructions allows the processor to switch the display device between: 1) a normal operating mode in which the color parameter is set to cause the display to present the image content in full color and the additional parameter is set to a first setting, and 2) a scotopic preservation mode in which the color parameter is set to cause the display to present the image content in red color and the additional parameter is set to a second setting different from the first setting. Corresponding methods and devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2024
    Publication date: October 30, 2025
    Inventors: Jennifer Sy-en Han, Brian Watson Cranton
  • Patent number: 12455404
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and assemblies for implementing multi-focal lens portions in wearable heads-up displays are described. Multi-focal lens portions may include at least two regions having different optical power, and at least one transition region between regions having different optical power. If display light is directed through a transition region, aberrations or distortion may be visible in the display presented to the user. The present systems, devices, and assemblies address this issue through shaping, positioning, and orienting of regions of a multi-focal lens portion, through positioning, orientation, and aiming of display optics, and/or through arrangements of lens assemblies which prevent display light from travelling through a multi-focal lens portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2025
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Brian Watson Cranton, Darren Edward Ihmels, Ian Andrews, Lloyd Frederick Holland
  • Patent number: 12455616
    Abstract: An illustrative display device preserves scotopic vision for a user. The display device includes a display configured to present image content, a memory storing instructions and operating parameters, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions. The operating parameters may include a color parameter and an additional parameter, such that the execution of the instructions allows the processor to switch the display device between: 1) a normal operating mode in which the color parameter is set to cause the display to present the image content in full color and the additional parameter is set to a first setting, and 2) a scotopic preservation mode in which the color parameter is set to cause the display to present the image content in red color and the additional parameter is set to a second setting different from the first setting. Corresponding methods and devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2025
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jennifer Sy-en Han, Brian Watson Cranton
  • Patent number: 12386178
    Abstract: A lens specification for multiple lens layers of a lens structure is generated by one or more processors. A multifocal correction (MFC) component is assigned to at least one lens layer of the multiple lens layers. Parameters are generated for a display optics (DO) lens layer comprising an augmented reality (AR) display, the DO lens layer having a first side for facing an eye of the user and a second side for facing away from the eye of the user. Parameters are generated for one or more eye side (ES) lens layers of the multiple lens layers to be disposed adjacent to the first side of the DO lens layer, and for one or more world side (WS) lens layers to be disposed adjacent to the second side of the DO lens layer. The generated lens specification is provided for use in production of the lens structure for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Brian Watson Cranton, Darren Edward Ihmels, Lloyd Frederick Holland, Cecilia Abadie
  • Publication number: 20240411138
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes tinting techniques in a lens stack assembly for a wearable head mounted display (WHMD). The lens stack assembly includes a waveguide disposed between two lenses, where the two lenses include tints to selectively reduce the amount of ambient light transmitted to the user while not reducing the amount of the display light in the WHMD. In addition, the tinting techniques described herein reduce or eliminate the generation of ghost images resulting from the reflection of outcoupled light from the waveguide away from the user back toward the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel Adema, Syed Moez Haque, Thuy Hong Nguyen, Brian Watson Cranton, Lloyd Frederick Holland
  • Patent number: 12117611
    Abstract: A system includes a head-mounted display (HMD) device configured to project digital images to a user's eye and a viewing device. The viewing device includes an optical relay unit having a world-facing surface and an eye-facing surface and a holder coupled to the optical relay unit and configured to support the HMD device near the world-facing surface. The optical relay unit is configured to transmit light projected by the HMD device to an eye-facing aperture disposed at the eye-facing surface of the optical relay. The system shifts an eyebox of the HMD by receiving light projected from an optical combiner of the HMD, transmitting the light through the optical relay unit of the viewing device to the eye-facing aperture of the optical relay unit, and outputting the light from the eye-facing aperture such that the light is focused at an eyebox in which a user's eye is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Brian Watson Cranton, Lloyd Frederick Holland
  • Publication number: 20230228994
    Abstract: A lens specification for multiple lens layers of a lens structure is generated by one or more processors. A multifocal correction (MFC) component is assigned to at least one lens layer of the multiple lens layers. Parameters are generated for a display optics (DO) lens layer comprising an augmented reality (AR) display, the DO lens layer having a first side for facing an eye of the user and a second side for facing away from the eye of the user. Parameters are generated for one or more eye side (ES) lens layers of the multiple lens layers to be disposed adjacent to the first side of the DO lens layer, and for one or more world side (WS) lens layers to be disposed adjacent to the second side of the DO lens layer. The generated lens specification is provided for use in production of the lens structure for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Brian Watson Cranton, Darren Edward Ihmels, Lloyd Frederick Holland, Cecilia Abadie
  • Publication number: 20230118615
    Abstract: A system includes a head-mounted display (HMD) device configured to project digital images to a user's eye and a viewing device. The viewing device includes an optical relay unit having a world-facing surface and an eye-facing surface and a holder coupled to the optical relay unit and configured to support the HMD device near the world-facing surface. The optical relay unit is configured to transmit light projected by the HMD device to an eye-facing aperture disposed at the eye-facing surface of the optical relay. The system shifts an eyebox of the HMD by receiving light projected from an optical combiner of the HMD, transmitting the light through the optical relay unit of the viewing device to the eye-facing aperture of the optical relay unit, and outputting the light from the eye-facing aperture such that the light is focused at an eyebox in which a user's eye is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Brian Watson Cranton, Lloyd Frederick Holland
  • Publication number: 20220373802
    Abstract: A system and method of calibrating a head-mounted display (HMD) by positioning an optical combiner of the HMD into a holder of a calibration station such that the optical combiner is in a primary optical path of light provided from a micro-display of the HMD and a camera of the calibration station, adjusting a tunable correction unit to correct defocus caused by a corrective prescription of the optical combiner, capturing images of a reference target by the camera as viewed through the tunable correction unit and optical combiner, and generating a distortion model from the captured images and calibrating the HMD in order to apply the distortion model to images projected by the HMD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel David Albin Balzerson, Brian Watson Cranton, Qianli Ma, Haven John David Szostak
  • Publication number: 20220268970
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and assemblies for implementing multi-focal lens portions in wearable heads-up displays are described. Multi-focal lens portions may include at least two regions having different optical power, and at least one transition region between regions having different optical power. If display light is directed through a transition region, aberrations or distortion may be visible in the display presented to the user. The present systems, devices, and assemblies address this issue through shaping, positioning, and orienting of regions of a multi-focal lens portion, through positioning, orientation, and aiming of display optics, and/or through arrangements of lens assemblies which prevent display light from travelling through a multi-focal lens portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Brian Watson Cranton, Darren Edward Ihmels, Ian Andrews, Lloyd Frederick Holland