Patents by Inventor Eric Michael Whitmire

Eric Michael Whitmire 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).

  • Patent number: 11175731
    Abstract: An apparatus for directional acoustic sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The wearable may include a signal generator that propagates an acoustic wave via a body of the user toward a specific body part. The wearable may also include an acoustic sensor that detects an acoustic reflection of the acoustic wave propagated by the signal generator. The wearable may further include at least one processing device that is communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor. The processing device may determine that the specific body part has made physical contact with an object based at least in part on the acoustic reflection. In response, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific body part making physical contact with the object. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Whitmire, Wolf Kienzle, David R. Perek, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 11150737
    Abstract: The disclosed wrist-tracking apparatus includes (1) a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of a user of an artificial reality system and (2) a set of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors coupled to the wristband, wherein each of the ToF sensors comprises (A) an emitter that emits a modulated pulse of energy, (B) a receiver that facilitates detecting a reflection of the modulated pulse of energy, and (C) a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the emitter and the receiver, wherein the processing circuit calculates a time of flight for the modulated pulse of energy based at least in part on the modulated pulse of energy and the reflection. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Farshid Salemi Parizi, Wolf Kienzle, Eric Michael Whitmire
  • Publication number: 20210286436
    Abstract: The disclosed wrist-tracking apparatus includes (1) a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of a user of an artificial reality system and (2) a set of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors coupled to the wristband, wherein each of the ToF sensors comprises (A) an emitter that emits a modulated pulse of energy, (B) a receiver that facilitates detecting a reflection of the modulated pulse of energy, and (C) a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the emitter and the receiver, wherein the processing circuit calculates a time of flight for the modulated pulse of energy based at least in part on the modulated pulse of energy and the reflection. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Farshid Salemi Parizi, Wolf Kienzle, Eric Michael Whitmire
  • Patent number: 10948976
    Abstract: A system may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include an energy measuring device incorporated into the wearable. The energy measuring device may measure an electrical energy differential between a body of the user and a surface within an environment occupied by the user. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device. The processing device may detect, based at least in part on the electrical energy differential measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface within the environment. In response to this detection, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Whitmire, Wolf Kienzle, David R. Perek, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 10928889
    Abstract: An apparatus for directional acoustic sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The wearable may include a signal generator that propagates an acoustic wave via a body of the user toward a specific body part. The wearable may also include an acoustic sensor that detects an acoustic reflection of the acoustic wave propagated by the signal generator. The wearable may further include at least one processing device that is communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor. The processing device may determine that the specific body part has made physical contact with an object based at least in part on the acoustic reflection. In response, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific body part making physical contact with the object. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Whitmire, Wolf Kienzle, David R. Perek, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 10665243
    Abstract: A system for subvocalized speech recognition includes a plurality of sensors, a controller and a processor. The sensors are coupled to a near-eye display (NED) and configured to capture non-audible and subvocalized commands provided by a user wearing the NED. The controller interfaced with the plurality of sensors is configured to combine data acquired by each of the plurality of sensors. The processor coupled to the controller is configured to extract one or more features from the combined data, compare the one or more extracted features with a pre-determined set of commands, and determine a command of the user based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Whitmire, Laura Cristina Trutoiu
  • Patent number: 10426338
    Abstract: A wearable eye tracking system includes a pair of looping coils in a Helmholtz configuration and an additional looping coil. In one configuration, areas enclosed by the pair of looping coils in the Helmholtz configuration are in parallel with each other, while an area enclosed by the additional looping coil is offset from (i.e., not parallel with) the areas enclosed by the pair of looping coils. In this configuration, the pair of looping coils generates uniform magnetic fields between the two areas of the pair of looping coils in a first direction orthogonal to the areas of the pair of looping coils, and the additional looping coil generates additional non-uniform (or divergent) magnetic fields in a second direction transversal to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Dale Cavin, Eric Michael Whitmire, Brian Michael Scally, Laura Cristina Trutoiu
  • Publication number: 20170172409
    Abstract: A wearable eye tracking system includes a pair of looping coils in a Helmholtz configuration and an additional looping coil. In one configuration, areas enclosed by the pair of looping coils in the Helmholtz configuration are in parallel with each other, while an area enclosed by the additional looping coil is offset from (i.e., not parallel with) the areas enclosed by the pair of looping coils. In this configuration, the pair of looping coils generates uniform magnetic fields between the two areas of the pair of looping coils in a first direction orthogonal to the areas of the pair of looping coils, and the additional looping coil generates additional non-uniform (or divergent) magnetic fields in a second direction transversal to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Robert Dale Cavin, Eric Michael Whitmire, Brian Michael Scally, Laura Cristina Trutoiu