Patents by Inventor Evan M. Richards

Evan M. Richards 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: 10345517
    Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) including an electronic display. The electronic display is configured to output image light. The electronic display includes a display panel including a surface configured to emit image light, and a fiber optic taper. The fiber optic taper includes a mounting surface and a display surface. The mounting surface is formed to, and affixed to, the surface of the display panel to receive the image light from the display panel. The display surface has a shape configured to output the image light corrected for optical distortion in the image light received from the cylindrically curved display panel. The HMD includes an optics block configured to optically direct the corrected image light to an exit pupil of the HMD corresponding to a location of an eye of a user of the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Evan M. Richards
  • Patent number: 10338410
    Abstract: A method for modifying focal length of lenses of a HMD in accordance with a user's eyeglass prescription data and without the user having access to the eyeglass prescription data is disclosed. The method includes receiving an identifier that uniquely represents the user viewing content on the HMD. The method also includes obtaining eyeglass prescription data corresponding to the unique identifier that includes data for correcting eye defects of the user. The data is then applied by modifying optical properties such as focal length of the lenses to provide corrected vision to the user while the user views content on the HMD without the user having to wear prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Evan M. Richards
  • Patent number: 10341637
    Abstract: A method of providing display uniformity in a display apparatus comprises retrieving first calibration data representing display characteristics of a display panel of the display apparatus, the first calibration data representing luminance responses or color responses of both left and right panel regions of the display panel when corresponding pixels of both the left and right panel regions are supplied same input image data; receiving stereoscopic image data comprising left and right image data to be supplied to the left and right panel regions; and modifying the received stereoscopic image data in accordance with the first calibration data to display a stereoscopic image with a substantially same luminance response or substantially same color response in both the left panel region and right panel region when the first calibration data indicates discrepancy between the luminance response or color responses between corresponding pixels of the left and right panel regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Shizhe Shen
  • Patent number: 10339897
    Abstract: A system for calibrating an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is presented. The calibration system includes a series of photodiodes coupled to at least a portion of illumination elements of the OLED display, a controller, and a driver circuit. The series of photodiodes is configured to measure, for one or more illumination elements, illumination latencies and time delays associated with different brightness levels. The controller obtains, for each illumination element, information about brightness levels associated with image light emitted from that illumination element for at least two consecutive video frames. Based on the measured latencies, the time delays and the information about brightness levels, the controller determines a driving signal for a driver circuit for each illumination element. The driver circuit applies the determined driving signal to that illumination element to calibrate the OLED display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Matthew Robert Fulghum
  • Patent number: 10317680
    Abstract: An auto-focus head-mounted display (HMD) dynamically generates aberration-adjusted images based on the position and/or orientation of an eye of the user. An aberration-adjusted image is an image distorted to correct aberrations that would otherwise occur at a retina of the user due to image light passing through optics of the HMD that contains one or more optical imperfections. The aberration-adjusted image corrects the aberrations caused by these optical imperfections so that the resulting retinal image is free of optical aberrations due to the HMD while preserving correct eye optical aberrations that correlate with a current accommodative state of the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Youngshik Yoon, Shizhe Shen
  • Patent number: 10310288
    Abstract: In systems and methods for adjusting the position of a headset element (e.g., a display and/or other optical element), coherent light (e.g., a laser beam) is transmitted through a display of a headset to produce a diffraction pattern on a detector, which detects the diffraction pattern. The orientation of the headset element is determined based in part on the detected diffraction pattern. Based on the determined orientation and a target orientation, an adjustment to the orientation of the headset element is determined. The position of the headset element is adjusted based on the determined adjustment. This method may be repeated until the headset element is determined to be correctly oriented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Redmond D'Amico, Evan M. Richards
  • Patent number: 10311808
    Abstract: A system for calibrating a liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a plurality of temperature sensors, a storage medium, and a controller. Each temperature sensor measures a current temperature of at least one pixel in the LCD. The storage medium stores information about latencies for any LC-based pixel, wherein each latency corresponds to a time period for transition from a starting to an ending illumination state for one temperature of the LC-based pixel. The controller determines, based on the current temperature, the transition information and frame information, a time for each pixel in at least a portion of the LCD to transition from a first to a second illumination state. The controller computes, based on transition times, an LC transition time for at least the portion of the LCD and performs calibration of at least the portion of the LCD based on the LC transition time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Matthew Robert Fulghum
  • Patent number: 10311824
    Abstract: A display device that includes a liquid crystal (LC) panel, a back light unit (BLU), a first data driver, and a second data driver. The back light unit (BLU) emits light during an illumination portion of a frame period and does not emit light during a remaining portion of the frame period. A first data driver writes data to a first portion of the pixels of the LC panel. A second data driver writes data to a second portion of the pixels of the LC panel. The first and second data drivers write data at an overlapping time during a write portion of the frame period. The write portion overlaps in time with the remaining portion of the frame period during which the BLU does not emit light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Nirav Rajendra Patel
  • Patent number: 10303211
    Abstract: An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display including a conic OLED panel portion and a base OLED panel portion. The conic OLED panel portion includes peripheral display surfaces forming a truncated conic shape with an open base region around a center of the conic OLED panel portion. The OLED base portion includes a display surface. The base OLED panel portion is positioned to cover the open base region of the conic OLED panel portion such that the peripheral display surfaces surround the base display surface. The OLED display approximates a circular convex display. The conic OLED panel portion may be fabricated from a flat, flexible OLED panel portion that is bent along the fold regions defining bending axes between the peripheral display surfaces to form the truncated conic shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shie Ping Jeffrey Tseng, Evan M. Richards, Shizhe Shen, Jianru Shi, Yue Shi
  • Patent number: 10276130
    Abstract: A system for calibrating an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is presented. The calibration system includes a series of photodiodes coupled to at least a portion of illumination elements of the OLED display, a controller, and a driver circuit. The series of photodiodes is configured to measure, for one or more illumination elements, illumination latencies and time delays associated with different brightness levels. The controller obtains, for each illumination element, information about brightness levels associated with image light emitted from that illumination element for at least two consecutive video frames. Based on the measured latencies, the time delays and the information about brightness levels, the controller determines a driving signal for a driver circuit for each illumination element. The driver circuit applies the determined driving signal to that illumination element to calibrate the OLED display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Matthew Robert Fulghum
  • Patent number: 10274728
    Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) includes an electronic display element and an optics block. The electronic display element includes a plurality of display panels that together output image light. The plurality of panels including a first display panel and a second display panel. The first display panel includes a first plurality of sub-pixels that are separated from each other by a non-emission area. The second panel includes a second plurality of sub-pixels. The second display panel is positioned offset from the first display panel such that the second plurality of sub-pixels emit light through the non-emission area of the first display panel. The optics block configured to direct the image light to an exit pupil of the HMD corresponding to a location of an eye of a user of the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Shizhe Shen, Atman Jacob Binstock
  • Patent number: 10255881
    Abstract: A display calibration system determines compensation factors for each subpixel in an electronic display to compensate for non-uniformity due to aging of the electronic display. The system takes a first measurement of the display at an input setting, instructs the display to operate an input sequence, and takes a second measurement of the display at the same input setting. The system determines one or more compensation factors for each subpixel of the electronic display based on the first measurement, the second measurement, and one or more previous characterizations of a similar subpixel on a similar display. A compensation matrix may be stored in memory on an HMD that houses the electronic display, or it may be stored in the cloud and accessed when the display is operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nirav Rajendra Patel, Evan M. Richards
  • Patent number: 10241545
    Abstract: A distortion calibration system generates a distortion map for a head-mounted display (HMD). The system includes a camera that takes pictures of a test pattern displayed by the HMD. The images are taken at different camera positions and/or states of the HMD. The system determines a distortion map using the captured images, and uploads it to the HMD as part of, e.g., an optical model. The HMD comprises an electronic display, an eye tracking unit, an optics block, and a module. The module estimates distortion values based on eye tracking information from the eye tracking unit, an optical model, and a state of the HMD (e.g., a distance between the optics block and the electronic display). The module determines an adjusted state of the HMD using the estimated distortion values, the eye tracking information, and the optical model, and adjusts the state of the HMD to the adjusted state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Brant Carlton Lewis, Youngshik Yoon, Shizhe Shen
  • Patent number: 10235914
    Abstract: A camera colorimeter system simultaneously lights up one or more pixel units on a display panel, each pixel unit including colored subpixels, for characterization of the display panel. The system includes optical elements that directs the light emitted by the simultaneously lit one or more pixel units to a filter and a corresponding imaging device. Each filter is configured to block wavelengths of light other than predetermined range of wavelengths, thereby ensuring that each imaging device captures a filtered spectrum of light that originates from subpixels of the same color. Using the filtered spectrum, the system reconstructs the full spectrum of light, which can subsequently be used to regenerate the display characteristics of each pixel unit (and corresponding colored subpixels). Thus, the camera colorimeter system can characterize a display panel in significantly less time as compared to conventional systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Ye Yin, Shizhe Shen, Simon Hallam
  • Patent number: 10198984
    Abstract: A system calibrates luminance of an electronic display panel. The system includes a luminance detection device, an actuator and a computing device. The luminance detection device comprises a plurality of detectors arranged along a width or length of the electronic display panel to simultaneously measure luminance parameters of at least one row or column of areas in the electronic display panel. Each of the plurality of detectors covers an area in the at least one row or column of the electronic display panel. The actuator is configured to cause a relative translational movement in a length direction or a width direction of the electronic display panel. The computing device is coupled to the luminance detection device to receive the measured luminance parameters, and the computing device is configured to generate calibration data for adjusting brightness of areas of the electronic display panel by processing the measured luminance parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologise, LLC
    Inventors: Kieran Tobias Levin, Simon Hallam, Ye Yin, Evan M. Richards, Shizhe Shen
  • Patent number: 10175417
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) device including a backlight with vertically stacked light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LCD device includes an LCD panel and a backlight for illuminating the LCD panel. The backlight includes a plurality of LEDs and a light guide. The plurality of LEDs are stacked vertically and disposed behind the LCD panel along one or more edges of the LCD panel. The plurality of LEDs include at least a first color LED and a second color LED emitting first light and second light at a first direction, respectively, at a first wavelength and a second wavelength, respectively. The light guide is disposed behind the LCD panel and adjacent to the plurality of LEDs. The light guide is configured to combine the first light and the second light received from the plurality of LEDs into combined light to illuminate the LCD panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianru Shi, Evan M. Richards, Yue Shi, Shie Ping Jeffrey Tseng
  • Patent number: 10175414
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) device a LCD panel and a segmented backlight for illuminating the LCD panel. The backlight includes a light guide having an array of light channels. The array of light channels is defined by an array of notches on the bottom surface of the light guide. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are disposed along the side surface of the light guide to emit light in a first direction into the array of light channels of the light guide. The array of light channels receives the light from the LEDs and directs the light in a second direction from the top surface of the light guide toward the LCD panel. One or more LEDs may selectively emit light into each light channel. The notches defined between light channels controls light leakage across adjacent light channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianru Shi, Evan M. Richards
  • Patent number: 10168466
    Abstract: A corner cut liquid crystal display (LCD) device including a LCD panel and a backlight. The LCD panel includes adjacent panel portions of different width that collectively define a corner cut profile shape for the LCD panel. The backlight includes a light guide and light sources that emit light into the light guide. The backlight directs the light from the light sources toward the LCD panel. The light guide includes adjacent light guide portions of different width that define the corner cut profile shape. Each light guide portion illuminates a corresponding LCD panel portion. The LCD device can be incorporated into a head-mounted display (HMD). The corner cut profile shapes of two adjacent LCD devices, one for the left eye and one for the right eye, may define an open region for placement of other components or parts of the user, such as the user's nose when wearing the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan M. Richards, Shizhe Shen, Jianru Shi
  • Patent number: 10170060
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is driven in interlaced scan to accommodate for liquid crystal (LC) setting times without sacrificing brightness. The LCD device includes an LCD panel including a first group of (e.g., even) pixel lines and a second group (e.g., odd) pixel lines, a backlight disposed behind the LCD panel to emit light toward the even and odd pixel lines, a shift grating disposed between the LCD and the backlight, the shift grating configured to block the light from the backlight from reaching either the first group of pixel lines or the second group of pixel lines, and a controller. The controller drives the LCD panel using an interlaced scan, coordinates the activation of the backlight (e.g., a strobed backlight), and changes the state of the shift grating to block the light from the backlight from reaching either the first group of pixel lines or the second group of pixel lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shie Ping Jeffrey Tseng, Evan M. Richards, Jianru Shi, Yue Shi
  • Patent number: 10161791
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring characteristics of an electronic display panel includes an array of optical elements. Each optical element has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface faces the electronic display panel and receives light from pixels of the electronic display panel. The second surface faces away from the electronic display panel and has an area smaller than the area of the first surface. The second surface emits a combined version of the light received by the first surface. The apparatus further includes a light sensor facing the second surface to measure one or more parameters of the emitted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ye Yin, Simon Hallam, Shizhe Shen, Evan M. Richards