Patents by Inventor H. C. Liu

H. C. Liu 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: 10591656
    Abstract: A passive illuminator includes a luminescent region with a semiconductor material that absorbs first photons having energy greater than or equal to a threshold energy. In response to absorbing the first photons, the semiconductor material emits second photons, through a spontaneous emission process, having less energy than the first photons. A waveguide is optically coupled to the luminescent region to transport the second photons a distance from the luminescent region. An extraction region optically coupled to the waveguide to emit the second photons, and the waveguide is disposed between the extraction region and the luminescent region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Martin F. Schubert, Eric H. C. Liu
  • Patent number: 10528316
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for presenting requested content on public display devices are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Eric H C Liu, Kenneth Wayne Dauber, Michel Weksler, Jeremy Lyon
  • Patent number: 10477273
    Abstract: This application is directed to changing a TV operating mode based on a potential relationship among viewers of a connected TV. In some implementations, a method includes: determining viewer identities and identifying the potential relationship among the viewers or a subset of the viewers; in accordance with a determination that the potential relationship allows the viewers to share private information, placing or maintaining the connected TV in or into a first operating mode that is unrelated to media content being displayed and allows personal information to be displayed on the connected TV; and in accordance with a determination that the potential relationship does not allow the viewers to share private information, placing or maintaining the connected TV in or into a second operating mode that is unrelated to the media content and does not allow personal information to be displayed on the connected TV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Alok Chandel, Eric H C Liu, Pierre-Yves Laligand, Justin Koh
  • Patent number: 10425725
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for ambient background noise modification are provided. In some implementations, the method comprises: identifying at least one noise present in an environment of a user having a user device, an activity the user is currently engaged in, and a physical or emotional state of the user; determining a target ambient noise to be produced in the environment based at least in part on the identified noise, the activity the user is currently engaged in, and the physical or emotional state of the user; identifying at least one device associated with the user device to be used to produce the target ambient noise; determining sound outputs corresponding to each of the one or more identified devices, wherein a combination of the sound outputs produces an approximation of one or more characteristics of the target ambient noise; and causing the one or more identified devices to produce the determined sound outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Charles Goran, Eric H C Liu, Kevin Brune, Duane Richard Valz
  • Patent number: 10409646
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides modular electronic devices that are capable of managing task performance based on a particular context of computing resources currently available from the ad hoc combination of devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
  • Patent number: 10374889
    Abstract: Systems and methods of determining network configurations for a modular computing entity are disclosed. For instance, a desired functionality to be implemented by a modular computing entity can be identified. Capacity data associated with one or more candidate network devices that are available to join a network associated with the modular computing entity is received. A network combination to implement the desired functionality can be determined based at least in part on the received capacity data. The network combination can include at least a subset of the candidate network devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
  • Patent number: 10341741
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for presenting suggestions of media content are provided. In some implementations, the method comprises: determining an item of media content; determining a probability of the item of media content being watched at one or more times based on at least one of: a characteristic of a person; a characteristic of a group; and a characteristic of the item of media content; creating a user interface which suggests that the item of media content be watched at one or more times based on the determined probability; and presenting the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jason Bayer, Eric H C Liu, Calvin Lee, Stephen Chau
  • Patent number: 10282233
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides modular electronic devices that are capable of predicting future availability of module combinations and associated computing resources and/or capable of predicting future tasks. Based on such predictions, the module or modular electronic device can choose to schedule or delay certain tasks, alter resource negotiation behavior/strategy, or select from among various different resource providers. As an example, a modular electronic device of the present disclosure can identify one or more computing tasks to be performed; predict one or more future sets of computing resources that will be respectively available to the modular electronic device at one or more future time periods; and determine a schedule for performance of the one or more computing tasks based at least in part on the prediction of the one or more future sets of computing resources that will be respectively available at the one or more future time periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
  • Patent number: 10284537
    Abstract: Methods, systems and media for presenting information related to an event based on metadata are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Eric H C Liu, Charles Goran, Jonathan James Effrat
  • Patent number: 10268520
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing task performance for a modular electronic device. In one implementation, a modular electronic device can include one or more electronic modular components. The modular electronic device can identify a computational task associated with the modular electronic device and identify one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task. The modular electronic device can obtain one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of the computing devices. The modular electronic device can determine a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task by the computing devices. The modular electronic device can perform at least a portion of the computational task with the computing devices based, at least in part, on the sets of data associated with the computational resources and the potential benefit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
  • Patent number: 10223459
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for personalizing computerized services based on mood and/or behavior information from multiple data sources are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Eric H C Liu, Charles Goran
  • Patent number: 10225519
    Abstract: Systems and methods for videoconferencing using an avatar are described. The presence of a user may be detected by analyzing video captured by a digital camera. The avatar may be provided to a remote device to represent the detected user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Eric H C Liu
  • Patent number: 10154311
    Abstract: This application is directed to changing a TV operating mode based on a potential relationship among viewers of a connected TV. In some implementations, a method includes: determining viewer identities and identifying the potential relationship among the viewers or a subset of the viewers; in accordance with a determination that the potential relationship allows the viewers to share private information, placing or maintaining the connected TV in or into a first operating mode that is unrelated to media content being displayed and allows personal information to be displayed on the connected TV; and in accordance with a determination that the potential relationship does not allow the viewers to share private information, placing or maintaining the connected TV in or into a second operating mode that is unrelated to the media content and does not allow personal information to be displayed on the connected TV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Alok Chandel, Eric H C Liu, Pierre-Yves Laligand, Justin Koh
  • Patent number: 10129085
    Abstract: Systems and methods of determining network configurations for a modular computing entity are disclosed. For instance, a desired functionality to be implemented by a modular computing entity can be identified. Capacity data associated with one or more candidate network devices that are available to join a network associated with the modular computing entity is received. A network combination to implement the desired functionality can be determined based at least in part on the received capacity data. The network combination can include at least a subset of the candidate network devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
  • Patent number: 10122955
    Abstract: A system and method for interfacing a television with a second device is provided. The system includes an interfacing unit to enter an interfacing mode between the television mode and the second device; a card storage unit to store a first card and a second card, the first card being presently displayed on the television and the second card being previously displayed on the television; a current card display register to store the first card; an interactive retrieval unit to retrieve a plurality of interactive functions associated with the first card; and a display unit to display the first card and the plurality of interactive functions in response to being in the interfacing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Eric H C Liu, Haywai Hayward Chan
  • Patent number: 10108390
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for presenting requested content on public display devices are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Eric H C Liu, Kenneth Wayne Dauber, Michel Weksler, Jeremy Lyon
  • Patent number: 10025636
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides modular electronic devices that are capable of managing task performance based on a particular context of computing resources currently available from the ad hoc combination of devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
  • Patent number: 9990235
    Abstract: Systems and methods of determining tasks to be performed by a modular entity are disclosed. For instance, data associated with one or more tasks performed by one or more first modular entities within one or more modular computing environments can be obtained. Each first modular entity includes at least one modular component. A performance score can be determined for each task performed by each first modular entity. The performance scores can provide a measure of efficiency of a performance of a task by a first modular entity. An entity profile can be determined for each first modular entity based at least in part on the determined performance scores. At least one task to be performed by at least one modular entity can be determined based at least in part on the determined entity profiles for the one or more first modular entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
  • Patent number: 9977697
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing task performance for a modular electronic device. In one implementation, a modular electronic device can include one or more electronic modular components. The modular electronic device can identify a computational task associated with the modular electronic device and identify one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task. The modular electronic device can obtain one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of the computing devices. The modular electronic device can determine a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task by the computing devices. The modular electronic device can perform at least a portion of the computational task with the computing devices based, at least in part, on the sets of data associated with the computational resources and the potential benefit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
  • Patent number: 9967320
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for controlling information utilized to present content using a public display device are provided. In some implementations a method for presenting content on a public display device is provided, the method comprising: (a) initiating communication with one or more display devices; (b) selecting a display device; (c) establishing a communication channel with the selected display device; (d) receiving information related to an area of a screen allocated for use by the user device; (e) identifying content that is to be presented using the selected display device; (f) generating formatted content based on the area of the screen allocated for use by the user device; (g) transmitting the formatted content to the display device using the communication channel; and repeating at least (e) to (g) until (h) determining that presentation of content using the selected display device is to be inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Brune, Eric H C Liu