Patents by Inventor Gordon Wayne Stoll

Gordon Wayne Stoll 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: 11933976
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking the position of one or more head-mounted display (HMD) system components of an HMD system. The HMD components may carry a plurality of angle sensitive detectors or other types of detectors. The HMD system may be operative to detect corrupted position tracking samples, allowing such samples to be ignored, thereby improving the position tracking process. Control circuitry causes light sources to emit light according a specified pattern, and receives sensor data from the plurality of detectors. Control circuitry may process the sensor data, for example using machine learning or other techniques, to track a position of one or more HMD components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Evan Fletcher, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Joshua Mark Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Charles Lohr
  • Publication number: 20230110716
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking the position of one or more head-mounted display (HMD) system components of an HMD system. The HMD components may carry a plurality of angle sensitive detectors or other types of detectors. The HMD system may be operative to detect corrupted position tracking samples, allowing such samples to be ignored, thereby improving the position tracking process. Control circuitry causes light sources to emit light according a specified pattern, and receives sensor data from the plurality of detectors. Control circuitry may process the sensor data, for example using machine learning or other techniques, to track a position of one or more HMD components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Evan Fletcher, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Joshua Mark Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Charles Lohr
  • Publication number: 20220292790
    Abstract: This application describes a head-mounted display (HMD) for use in virtual-reality (VR) environments. The systems and methods described herein may determine information about a real-world environment surrounding the user, a location of the user within the real-world environment, and/or a pose of the user within the real-world environment. Such information may allow the HMD to display images of the real-world environment in a pass-through manner and without detracting the user from the VR environment. In some instances, the HMD may pass-through images of the real-world environment based on one or more triggering events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Charles N. Lohr, Gordon Wayne Stoll
  • Patent number: 11442542
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of eye tracking for use in various applications, such as virtual reality or augmented reality applications that include head-mounted display devices. An eye tracking subsystem may be provided that includes a plurality of assemblies that each include a light source, such as an LED, a light detector, such as a silicon photodiode, and a polarizer that is configured to prevent light reflected via specular reflection from reaching the light detectors so that only scattered light is detected by the light detectors. Machine learning or other techniques may be used to track or otherwise determine a user's gaze direction, which may be used by one or more components of an HMD device to improve its functionality in various ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Evan Fletcher
  • Patent number: 11361513
    Abstract: This application describes a head-mounted display (HMD) for use in virtual-reality (VR) environments. The systems and methods described herein may determine information about a real-world environment surrounding the user, a location of the user within the real-world environment, and/or a pose of the user within the real-world environment. Such information may allow the HMD to display images of the real-world environment in a pass-through manner and without detracting the user from the VR environment. In some instances, the HMD may pass-through images of the real-world environment based on one or more triggering events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Charles N. Lohr, Gordon Wayne Stoll
  • Patent number: 11209657
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking the position of a head-mounted display (HMD) system component, such as a wearable HMD device or a hand-held controller. The HMD component may include a support structure that carries a plurality of angle sensitive detectors that are able to detect the angle of arrival of light emitted from a light source. A processor causes light sources to emit light according a specified pattern, and receive sensor data from the plurality of angle sensitive detectors. The processor may process the received sensor data using machine learning or other techniques to track a position of the head-mounted display component based on the processing of the received sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Evan Fletcher
  • Publication number: 20210325963
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of eye tracking for use in various applications, such as virtual reality or augmented reality applications that include head-mounted display devices. An eye tracking subsystem may be provided that includes a plurality of assemblies that each include a light source, such as an LED, a light detector, such as a silicon photodiode, and a polarizer that is configured to prevent light reflected via specular reflection from reaching the light detectors so that only scattered light is detected by the light detectors. Machine learning or other techniques may be used to track or otherwise determine a user's gaze direction, which may be used by one or more components of an HMD device to improve its functionality in various ways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Joshua Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Evan Fletcher
  • Patent number: 11137484
    Abstract: A calibration system for calibrating tracking equipment includes a segmented dish formed from a plurality of individual panels, a support frame formed from a plurality of individual structural shafts to support the segmented dish, and a rotatable platform to hold the tracking equipment to be calibrated. The segmented dish includes a plurality of sensor assemblies rotatably coupled to its individual panels and a plurality of motor assemblies to control operation of the sensor assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventor: Gordon Wayne Stoll
  • Publication number: 20210231962
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking the position of a head-mounted display (HMD) system component, such as a wearable HMD device or a hand-held controller. The HMD component may include a support structure that carries a plurality of angle sensitive detectors that are able to detect the angle of arrival of light emitted from a light source. A processor causes light sources to emit light according a specified pattern, and receive sensor data from the plurality of angle sensitive detectors. The processor may process the received sensor data using machine learning or other techniques to track a position of the head-mounted display component based on the processing of the received sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Joshua Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Evan Fletcher
  • Publication number: 20210232216
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of eye tracking for use in various applications, such as virtual reality or augmented reality applications that include head-mounted display devices. An eye tracking subsystem may be provided that includes a plurality of assemblies that each include a light source, such as an LED, a light detector, such as a silicon photodiode, and a polarizer that is configured to prevent light reflected via specular reflection from reaching the light detectors so that only scattered light is detected by the light detectors. Machine learning or other techniques may be used to track or otherwise determine a user's gaze direction, which may be used by one or more components of an HMD device to improve its functionality in various ways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Joshua Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Evan Fletcher
  • Patent number: 11073906
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of eye tracking for use in various applications, such as virtual reality or augmented reality applications that include head-mounted display devices. An eye tracking subsystem may be provided that includes a plurality of assemblies that each include a light source, such as an LED, a light detector, such as a silicon photodiode, and a polarizer that is configured to prevent light reflected via specular reflection from reaching the light detectors so that only scattered light is detected by the light detectors. Machine learning or other techniques may be used to track or otherwise determine a user's gaze direction, which may be used by one or more components of an HMD device to improve its functionality in various ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Hudman, Alan Yates, Gordon Wayne Stoll, Evan Fletcher
  • Publication number: 20200342673
    Abstract: This application describes a head-mounted display (HMD) for use in virtual-reality (VR) environments. The systems and methods described herein may determine information about a real-world environment surrounding the user, a location of the user within the real-world environment, and/or a pose of the user within the real-world environment. Such information may allow the HMD to display images of the real-world environment in a pass-through manner and without detracting the user from the VR environment. In some instances, the HMD may pass-through images of the real-world environment based on one or more triggering events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Charles N. Lohr, Gordon Wayne Stoll
  • Patent number: 10726765
    Abstract: Techniques are described for using information from tracking position of a display device to control display of image data. The display device may, for example, be a head-mounted display (“HMD”) device used for virtual reality (“VR”) and/or augmented reality (“AR”) display of images showing part of a simulated environment around a user wearing the HMD device, and the tracking including determining a position of the HMD device in an actual physical environment (e.g., location and/or orientation in 3D space). Operations of the HMD device or other display device and of an associated image rendering system that provides images for display is improved by determining and using information about a latency or other delay between acquiring tracking data for the device and displaying corresponding images on the device, including to initiate a safe mode operation of the device if the determined delay is too large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon Wayne Stoll, Montgomery Vincent Goodson
  • Patent number: 10621708
    Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to techniques for using information about a user's actual or predicted pupil location for correcting optical distortions that are specific to an optical lens and display assembly through which the user is viewing one or more images. The described techniques may include identifying and mapping optical distortions specific to an optical lens and display assembly, and using such mapped optical distortions to correct images displayed to a wearer or other user receiving images via the assembly, such as based at least in part on pupil location of the wearer or other user. As one example, the one or more optical lens may be mounted inside a head-mounted display (HMD) that also includes a display panel or other image source for an eye of a wearer, and if so one or more pupil tracking mechanisms may be integrated into the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: VALVE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasser Malaika, Dan Newell, Gordon Wayne Stoll
  • Publication number: 20190339529
    Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to techniques for using information about a user's actual or predicted pupil location for correcting optical distortions that are specific to an optical lens and display assembly through which the user is viewing one or more images. The described techniques may include identifying and mapping optical distortions specific to an optical lens and display assembly, and using such mapped optical distortions to correct images displayed to a wearer or other user receiving images via the assembly, such as based at least in part on pupil location of the wearer or other user. As one example, the one or more optical lens may be mounted inside a head-mounted display (HMD) that also includes a display panel or other image source for an eye of a wearer, and if so one or more pupil tracking mechanisms may be integrated into the HMD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Yasser Malaika, Dan Newell, Gordon Wayne Stoll
  • Publication number: 20190251892
    Abstract: Techniques are described for using information from tracking position of a display device to control display of image data. The display device may, for example, be a head-mounted display (“HMD”) device used for virtual reality (“VR”) and/or augmented reality (“AR”) display of images showing part of a simulated environment around a user wearing the HMD device, and the tracking including determining a position of the HMD device in an actual physical environment (e.g., location and/or orientation in 3D space). Operations of the HMD device or other display device and of an associated image rendering system that provides images for display is improved by determining and using information about a latency or other delay between acquiring tracking data for the device and displaying corresponding images on the device, including to initiate a safe mode operation of the device if the determined delay is too large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Gordon Wayne Stoll, Montgomery Vincent Goodson
  • Patent number: 10373297
    Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to techniques for using information about a user's actual or predicted pupil location for correcting optical distortions that are specific to an optical lens and display assembly through which the user is viewing one or more images. The described techniques may include identifying and mapping optical distortions specific to an optical lens and display assembly, and using such mapped optical distortions to correct images displayed to a wearer or other user receiving images via the assembly, such as based at least in part on pupil location of the wearer or other user. As one example, the one or more optical lens may be mounted inside a head-mounted display (HMD) that also includes a display panel or other image source for an eye of a wearer, and if so one or more pupil tracking mechanisms may be integrated into the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Yasser Malaika, Dan Newell, Gordon Wayne Stoll
  • Publication number: 20180114298
    Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to techniques for using information about a user's actual or predicted pupil location for correcting optical distortions that are specific to an optical lens and display assembly through which the user is viewing one or more images. The described techniques may include identifying and mapping optical distortions specific to an optical lens and display assembly, and using such mapped optical distortions to correct images displayed to a wearer or other user receiving images via the assembly, such as based at least in part on pupil location of the wearer or other user. As one example, the one or more optical lens may be mounted inside a head-mounted display (HMD) that also includes a display panel or other image source for an eye of a wearer, and if so one or more pupil tracking mechanisms may be integrated into the HMD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Yasser Malaika, Dan Newell, Gordon Wayne Stoll