Patents by Inventor Jared I. Drinkwater

Jared I. Drinkwater 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: 10725305
    Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing head mounted displays may include lens movement assemblies. A head mounted display system includes a display housing surrounding one or more display devices, a first lens and a second lens. An input device on the display housing includes a control member moveable between a first position and a second position. A lens movement assembly is operatively coupled to the input device and the first and second lenses and is configured to move the first lens relative to the second lens in response to movement of the control member between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Alan Tempel, Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller
  • Patent number: 10712813
    Abstract: Technology is provided for a tracking constellation assembly for use in a virtual reality system. The tracking constellation assembly includes a translucent panel having an outward facing surface, and an inward facing surface and a mounting surface each opposite the outward facing surface. The translucent panel is substantially opaque to visible light and translucent to infrared light. The assembly includes a flexible circuit board including first and second opposed surfaces. A spacer interconnects the first surface of the flexible circuit board and the mounting surface of the translucent panel. Infrared light emitting diodes are connected to the flexible circuit board and positioned to direct light through the translucent panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller, Boyd Drew Allin
  • Patent number: 10663739
    Abstract: Technology is provided for a facial interface assembly for use with a head mounted display. The facial interface assembly includes a contoured spacer frame and an interchangeable face gasket removably attached to the contoured spacer frame. The contoured spacer frame includes a forehead interface portion, a pair of cheek interface portions, a bridge portion extending between the pair of cheek interface portions, and one or more attachment tabs configured to mate with a housing of the head mounted display. The face gasket includes a high-density foam layer, a low-density foam layer, and a fabric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller
  • Publication number: 20200033601
    Abstract: A haptic skull cap provides different types of haptic feedback to a user, which can be advantageous for providing a more immersive virtual reality experience. The haptic skull cap includes a fabric cap worn by a user. Physically attached to the fabric cap is a linear actuator that provides a focal impact to a user's forehead. Additionally, vibrational motors are physically attached to the fabric cap, where each vibration motor provides vibrational feedback to a different location of the user's head. The haptic skull cap can be worn by a user in conjunction with a head mounted display. Therefore, each type of haptic feedback provided by the haptic skull cap can be synchronized with the visual data stream provided by the head mounted display which further enhances the overall virtual reality experience for a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Lesley Ribble Magrath, Adam Hewko, Robin Michael Miller, Jared I. Drinkwater, Michael Roy Bland, Shane Michael Ellis, Paul Michael Zornes, Bradley Morris Johnson, John R. Dombey, Khaled Boulos, Jason Higgins
  • Patent number: 10444517
    Abstract: A telescoping strap adjuster is embodied as a gas spring that enables a head strap of a head mounted display system to be worn around an individual's head. The gas spring includes a piston rod that translationally displaces, which adjusts the size of an opening of formed by the head strap. In the default configuration, the piston rod of the telescoping strap adjuster is fully extended, thereby causing the head strap opening to be minimized. A user can provide a force input to enlarge the head strap opening and subsequently don the head mounted display system. Once the force input is ceased, the telescoping strap adjuster reverts towards its default configuration and tightens the head strap such that the opening is tailored for the user's head size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jared I. Drinkwater
  • Patent number: 10317682
    Abstract: Friction joints for use with head mounted displays are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, a head mounted display includes a front display module and a strap assembly. The strap assembly includes first and second connectors coupling the strap assembly to the front display module. The connectors allow the strap assembly to be moved toward and away from the front display module. The connectors are coupled to the front display module with first and second friction joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller, Lesley Ribble Magrath, Boyd Drew Allin
  • Patent number: 10281728
    Abstract: Technology is provided for restraint systems for use with head mounted displays and head mounted displays incorporating the same. The head mounted display includes a display unit including a display housing and one or more display devices. A retention assembly attaches to the display unit to support the unit on a user's head. The retention assembly includes at least one tensioner mechanism including a housing having an anchor portion coupled to the display housing and a slider positioned in the housing. A strap is coupled to the slider and configured to support the head mounted display on the user's head. A tension element having a first end portion coupled to the housing and a second end portion coupled to the slider provides a constant force on the strap to comfortably pull the strap against the user's head in order to retain the head mounted display on the user's head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Michael Miller, Peter Wesley Bristol, Joseph Patrick Sullivan, Jared I. Drinkwater
  • Patent number: 10222622
    Abstract: Head mounted displays having lens movement assemblies and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a head mounted display system includes a display housing surrounding one or more display devices, a first lens and a second lens. An input device on the display housing includes a control member moveable between a first position and a second position. A lens movement assembly is operatively coupled to the input device and the first and second lenses, and is configured to move the first lens relative to the second lens in response to movement of the control member between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Mark Alan Tempel, Robin Michael Miller, Joseph Patrick Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10209524
    Abstract: Technology is provided for a facial interface assembly for use with a head mounted display. The facial interface assembly includes a contoured spacer frame and an interchangeable face gasket removably attached to the contoured spacer frame. The contoured spacer frame includes a forehead interface portion, a pair of cheek interface portions, a bridge portion extending between the pair of cheek interface portions, and one or more attachment tabs configured to mate with a housing of the head mounted display. The face gasket includes a high-density foam layer, a low-density foam layer, and a fabric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller
  • Patent number: 10156727
    Abstract: A strap system for a head-mounted display system includes a rigid bar having an opening at a first end and a vertical slot situated on an outer surface of the rigid bar. The opening extends within the rigid bar in a lateral dimension. The strap system also includes a rigid segment with an end inserted into the opening of the rigid bar in the lateral dimension, one or more compression springs coupled to the rigid segment, a shuttle to press against the one or more compression springs so as to slide along the lateral dimension, and an adjustment strap fixedly coupled to the shuttle and extending beyond the end of the rigid segment and through the vertical slot on the rigid bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Michael Miller, Jared I. Drinkwater, Lesley Ribble Magrath, Peter Wesley Bristol, Joseph Patrick Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10149039
    Abstract: An audio headphone to couple to a strap for a head-mounted display is disclosed. The audio headphone includes a headphone speaker, a strap connector, and a four-bar linkage coupled to the strap connector to provide movement of the headphone speaker with respect to a user's ear. The four-bar linkage comprises a first member coupled to the strap connector via a first joint, a second member coupled to the first member via a second joint, a third member coupled to the second member via a third joint, and a fourth member coupled to the third member. The fourth member has first and second sides that are coupled to the first member via a fourth joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Blake Francis Andersen
  • Patent number: 10124251
    Abstract: A virtual-reality system includes a head-mounted display, a camera protruding from a surface of the head-mounted display, and a compressible shock mount mounting the camera to the head-mounted display. The shock mount is to retract the camera towards the head-mounted display when compressed. The shock mount protects the camera from damage when the head-mounted display is dropped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: OCULUS VR, LLC
    Inventors: Boyd Drew Allin, Robin Michael Miller, Jared I. Drinkwater
  • Patent number: 10085004
    Abstract: A head-mounted display system includes a left lens for a user's left eye and a right lens for the user's right eye. The head-mounted display system also includes left and right display screens. The left display screen is coupled to the left lens to provide images to the user's left eye through the left lens. The right display screen is coupled to the right lens to provide images to the user's right eye through the right lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: OCULUS VR, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Alan Tempel, Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller, Joseph Patrick Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10007116
    Abstract: A head-mounted display for a virtual-reality system includes one or more outer surfaces having a plurality of recesses. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are installed in respective recesses of the plurality of recesses. The recesses are covered with covers that are substantially flush with respective surfaces of the one or more outer surfaces of the head-mounted display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: OCULUS VR, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Mark Alan Tempel, Robin Michael Miller, Peter Wesley Bristol, Boyd Drew Allin, Joseph Patrick Sullivan, Yi-yaun Chen
  • Patent number: 9977494
    Abstract: Technology is provided for a tracking constellation assembly for use in a virtual reality system. The tracking constellation assembly includes a translucent panel having an outward facing surface, and an inward facing surface and a mounting surface each opposite the outward facing surface. The translucent panel is substantially opaque to visible light and translucent to infrared light. The assembly includes a flexible circuit board including first and second opposed surfaces. A spacer interconnects the first surface of the flexible circuit board and the mounting surface of the translucent panel. Infrared light emitting diodes are connected to the flexible circuit board and positioned to direct light through the translucent panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller, Boyd Drew Allin
  • Publication number: 20180055202
    Abstract: Technology is provided for restraint systems for use with head mounted displays and head mounted displays incorporating the same. The head mounted display includes a display unit including a display housing and one or more display devices. A retention assembly attaches to the display unit to support the unit on a user's head. The retention assembly includes at least one tensioner mechanism including a housing having an anchor portion coupled to the display housing and a slider positioned in the housing. A strap is coupled to the slider and configured to support the head mounted display on the user's head. A tension element having a first end portion coupled to the housing and a second end portion coupled to the slider provides a constant force on the strap to comfortably pull the strap against the user's head in order to retain the head mounted display on the user's head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Robin Michael Miller, Peter Wesley Bristol, Joseph Patrick Sullivan, Jared I. Drinkwater
  • Publication number: 20180059424
    Abstract: A strap system for a head-mounted display system includes a rigid bar having an opening at a first end and a vertical slot situated on an outer surface of the rigid bar. The opening extends within the rigid bar in a lateral dimension. The strap system also includes a rigid segment with an end inserted into the opening of the rigid bar in the lateral dimension, one or more compression springs coupled to the rigid segment, a shuttle to press against the one or more compression springs so as to slide along the lateral dimension, and an adjustment strap fixedly coupled to the shuttle and extending beyond the end of the rigid segment and through the vertical slot on the rigid bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Robin Michael Miller, Jared I. Drinkwater, Lesley Ribble Magrath, Peter Wesley Bristol, Joseph Patrick Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9874755
    Abstract: A head-mounted display includes a first display screen and a second display screen to display images to respective eyes of a user. The head-mounted display further includes a first member comprising a first rack and a second member comprising a second rack. The first member is coupled to the first display screen, and the second member is coupled to the second display screen. The head-mounted display includes a button and a gear train to transfer a linear sliding motion of the button to a linear motion of the first rack in a first direction and a linear motion of the second rack in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The gear train includes a first gear engaged with the first rack and a second gear concurrently engaged with the first gear and the second rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: OCULUS VR, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Alan Tempel, Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller, Joseph Patrick Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9864406
    Abstract: A strap system for a head-mounted display is disclosed. The strap system includes a rigid segment and a cylindrical structure to couple the rigid segment to the head-mounted display. The strap system also includes a flat circuit within the rigid segment and the cylindrical structure, to couple to the head-mounted display through the cylindrical structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: OCULUS VR, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Michael Miller, Jared I. Drinkwater, Lesley Ribble Magrath, Peter Wesley Bristol, Joseph Patrick Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9857596
    Abstract: Head mounted displays are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, a head mounted display includes a front display module and a strap assembly. The strap assembly includes first and second connector arms coupling the strap assembly to the front display module. The head mounted display further includes a flex circuit for providing power and control to an electronic component coupled to the strap assembly. The flex circuit can deflect to allow the strap assembly to move relative to the front display module without damaging the flex circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC
    Inventors: Jared I. Drinkwater, Robin Michael Miller, Lesley Ribble Magrath, Blake Francis Andersen