Patents by Inventor Francois Morier

Francois Morier 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: 11907445
    Abstract: A computer peripheral device (e.g., a computer mouse) includes an optical sensor configured to generate optical data corresponding to a surface that the computer peripheral device is placed upon and a processor(s) configured to determine, based on the optical data, a relative displacement of the computer peripheral device along the surface, identify one or more characteristics of the surface based on the optical data; compare the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics stored in memory; classify, based on the comparing of the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics, a type of the surface; and adjust, based on the classified type of the surface, an aspect of the determination of the relative displacement of the peripheral device or an operation of the optical sensor that alters the generating of the optical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Patent number: 11740712
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving first and second movement data corresponding to a movement of a first and second computer mouse, respectively, wherein the first and second computer mice are oriented in a same direction are moving in unison over a same trajectory while the first and second movement data is contemporaneously received; determining a movement distance for the first and second computer mice based on the first and second movement data, respectively; determining a performance characteristic for the first computer mouse based on the determined first movement distance; determining the performance characteristic for the second computer mouse based on the determined second movement distance; determining a difference in the performance characteristic for the first computer mouse with respect to the second computer mouse; and calibrating the performance characteristic of the second computer mouse to match the performance characteristic of the first computer mouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: François Morier, Junghyun Kim, Andrew Coonrad, Christine Flores, Chris Hughes, Florian Jeannerat
  • Patent number: 11663156
    Abstract: A system can include a serial, full-duplex, synchronous peripheral communication interface composed of four communication lines that communicatively couple a host processor to an optical sensor, the four communication lines including: a clock (CLK) line; a chip select (CS) line; a host output (MOSI) line; and a sensor output (MISO) line, the MISO line operating according to the following conditions when the CS line is selected: provide a service register data indicating when one or more predetermined conditions have occurred prior to receiving any commands from the host processor; provide a state register data defining the one or more predetermined conditions that occurred; and in response to receiving a command from the host processor received after the service register data and state register data is provided, the command requesting input device operational data, provide the operational data to the host processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: François Morier, Berni Joss
  • Publication number: 20230120650
    Abstract: A computer peripheral device (e.g., a computer mouse) includes an optical sensor configured to generate optical data corresponding to a surface that the computer peripheral device is placed upon and a processor(s) configured to determine, based on the optical data, a relative displacement of the computer peripheral device along the surface, identify one or more characteristics of the surface based on the optical data; compare the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics stored in memory; classify, based on the comparing of the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics, a type of the surface; and adjust, based on the classified type of the surface, an aspect of the determination of the relative displacement of the peripheral device or an operation of the optical sensor that alters the generating of the optical data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Patent number: 11625108
    Abstract: A method of operating an input device can include generating a light beam by a light source module, steering the light beam towards a target location on an underlying surface, steering a reflected light beam towards an image sensor of the input device, receiving the reflected light beam by the image sensor, and generating tracking data by the image sensor that corresponds to a two-dimensional (2D) movement of the input device on the underlying surface. The method further includes determining that the input device is operating: on and in contact with the underlying surface when the reflected light beam received by the image sensor is located on a first set of pixels of the image sensor, and above and not in contact with the underlying surface when the reflected light beam is located on a second set of pixels of the plurality of pixels of the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, Francois Morier, Francois Scholder, Florian Jeannerat
  • Patent number: 11567592
    Abstract: A computer peripheral device (e.g., a computer mouse) includes an optical sensor configured to generate optical data corresponding to a surface that the computer peripheral device is placed upon and a processor(s) configured to determine, based on the optical data, a relative displacement of the computer peripheral device along the surface, identify one or more characteristics of the surface based on the optical data; compare the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics stored in memory; classify, based on the comparing of the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics, a type of the surface; and adjust, based on the classified type of the surface, an aspect of the determination of the relative displacement of the peripheral device or an operation of the optical sensor that alters the generating of the optical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Patent number: 11568549
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a displacement of a peripheral device are provided. In one example, a peripheral device comprises: an image sensor, and a hardware processor configured to: control the image sensor to capture a first image of a surface when the peripheral device is at a first location on the surface, the first image comprising a feature of the first location of the surface; execute a trained machine learning model using data derived from the first image to estimate a displacement of the feature between the first image and a reference image captured at a second location of the surface; and determine a displacement of the peripheral device based on the estimated displacement of the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, Francois Morier, Helmut Grabner
  • Publication number: 20220326788
    Abstract: A computer peripheral device (e.g., a computer mouse) includes an optical sensor configured to generate optical data corresponding to a surface that the computer peripheral device is placed upon and a processor(s) configured to determine, based on the optical data, a relative displacement of the computer peripheral device along the surface, identify one or more characteristics of the surface based on the optical data; compare the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics stored in memory; classify, based on the comparing of the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics, a type of the surface; and adjust, based on the classified type of the surface, an aspect of the determination of the relative displacement of the peripheral device or an operation of the optical sensor that alters the generating of the optical data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Patent number: 11442559
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, an input device includes a housing, a processor disposed in the housing, and an image sensor to track a movement of the input device with respect to an underlying surface. The image sensor includes a pixel array and operates in two modes of operation including a first mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a first plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device or a second mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a second plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device, where the second plurality of pixels has fewer pixels than the first plurality of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: François Morier, Olivier Theytaz
  • Patent number: 11347327
    Abstract: A computer peripheral device (e.g., a computer mouse) includes an optical sensor configured to generate optical data corresponding to a surface that the computer peripheral device is placed upon and a processor(s) configured to determine, based on the optical data, a relative displacement of the computer peripheral device along the surface, identify one or more characteristics of the surface based on the optical data; compare the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics stored in memory; classify, based on the comparing of the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics, a type of the surface; and adjust, based on the classified type of the surface, an aspect of the determination of the relative displacement of the peripheral device or an operation of the optical sensor that alters the generating of the optical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Patent number: 11340713
    Abstract: A system including a first device with a surface and an identification feature that includes or encodes machine-readable data related to the surface, and a second device including a sensor and one or more processors coupled to the sensor that are configured to determine a relative displacement of the second device as it is moved along the surface of the first device. The second device receives the machine-readable data related to the surface from the identification features from the first device and configures the second device to determine the relative displacement along the surface differently (e.g., improves displacement tracking) based on the machine-readable data related to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Publication number: 20220100288
    Abstract: A method of operating an input device can include generating a light beam by a light source module, steering the light beam towards a target location on an underlying surface, steering a reflected light beam towards an image sensor of the input device, receiving the reflected light beam by the image sensor, and generating tracking data by the image sensor that corresponds to a two-dimensional (2D) movement of the input device on the underlying surface. The method further includes determining that the input device is operating: on and in contact with the underlying surface when the reflected light beam received by the image sensor is located on a first set of pixels of the image sensor, and above and not in contact with the underlying surface when the reflected light beam is located on a second set of pixels of the plurality of pixels of the image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, Francois Morier, Francois Scholder, Florian Jeannerat
  • Publication number: 20210405770
    Abstract: A system including a first device with a surface and an identification feature that includes or encodes machine-readable data related to the surface, and a second device including a sensor and one or more processors coupled to the sensor that are configured to determine a relative displacement of the second device as it is moved along the surface of the first device. The second device receives the machine-readable data related to the surface from the identification features from the first device and configures the second device to determine the relative displacement along the surface differently (e.g., improves displacement tracking) based on the machine-readable data related to the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Publication number: 20210405775
    Abstract: A computer peripheral device (e.g., a computer mouse) includes an optical sensor configured to generate optical data corresponding to a surface that the computer peripheral device is placed upon and a processor(s) configured to determine, based on the optical data, a relative displacement of the computer peripheral device along the surface, identify one or more characteristics of the surface based on the optical data; compare the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics stored in memory; classify, based on the comparing of the one or more characteristics with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics, a type of the surface; and adjust, based on the classified type of the surface, an aspect of the determination of the relative displacement of the peripheral device or an operation of the optical sensor that alters the generating of the optical data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier
  • Publication number: 20210365130
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, an input device includes a housing, a processor disposed in the housing, and an image sensor to track a movement of the input device with respect to an underlying surface. The image sensor includes a pixel array and operates in two modes of operation including a first mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a first plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device or a second mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a second plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device, where the second plurality of pixels has fewer pixels than the first plurality of pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: François Morier, Olivier Theytaz
  • Publication number: 20210287380
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a displacement of a peripheral device are provided. In one example, a peripheral device comprises: an image sensor, and a hardware processor configured to: control the image sensor to capture a first image of a surface when the peripheral device is at a first location on the surface, the first image comprising a feature of the first location of the surface; execute a trained machine learning model using data derived from the first image to estimate a displacement of the feature between the first image and a reference image captured at a second location of the surface; and determine a displacement of the peripheral device based on the estimated displacement of the feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, Francois Morier, Helmut Grabner
  • Patent number: 11079861
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, an input device includes a housing, a processor disposed in the housing, and an image sensor to track a movement of the input device with respect to an underlying surface. The image sensor includes a pixel array and operates in two modes of operation including a first mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a first plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device or a second mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a second plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device, where the second plurality of pixels has fewer pixels than the first plurality of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: François Morier, Olivier Theytaz
  • Patent number: 11042992
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a displacement of a peripheral device are provided. In one example, a peripheral device comprises: an image sensor, and a hardware processor configured to: control the image sensor to capture a first image of a surface when the peripheral device is at a first location on the surface, the first image comprising a feature of the first location of the surface; execute a trained machine learning model using data derived from the first image to estimate a displacement of the feature between the first image and a reference image captured at a second location of the surface; and determine a displacement of the peripheral device based on the estimated displacement of the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Chauvin, François Morier, Helmut Grabner
  • Publication number: 20200319724
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, an input device includes a housing, a processor disposed in the housing, and an image sensor to track a movement of the input device with respect to an underlying surface. The image sensor includes a pixel array and operates in two modes of operation including a first mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a first plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device or a second mode of operation where the processor causes the image sensor to utilize a second plurality of pixels in the pixel array when tracking the movement of the input device, where the second plurality of pixels has fewer pixels than the first plurality of pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: François Morier, Olivier Theytaz
  • Patent number: 10749368
    Abstract: A method of operating a computer mouse includes receiving electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitted from a source external to the computer mouse, the received EM radiation induces noise within one or more bands of noise frequencies and an image sensor circuit of the computer mouse generates erroneous movement detection signals in response to an operating frequency of the image sensor circuit being within the one or more bands of noise frequencies. The method further includes determining the operating frequency of the image sensor circuit, comparing the operating frequency to a target frequency, wherein the target frequency is outside of the one or more bands of noise frequencies, and tuning the operating frequency of the image sensor circuit towards the target frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: François Morier, Laurent Plancherel, Florian Jeannerat, Jean Salathé, Hugues Favey, Frédéric Fortin, Fabrice Sauterel