Patents by Inventor Joseph Wheeler

Joseph Wheeler 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: 11379104
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for sharing user interface (UI) customization across applications. Application developers may create UIs (e.g., game control layouts) with control groups that may be customizable as a group. A control group may comprise a plurality of controls selectively assigned to cluster of sockets (e.g., a socket group) in a layout template. Controls in control groups may be customized as a group, for example, by changing a position, rotation and/or scale of a control group. Users can customize controls for comfort, switch controls for right and left-handed play and share customized preferences across applications. UI customization may be shared across applications with different UIs. For example, customization of one or more control groups in a first UI may be applied to one or more control groups in other UIs for other applications. Users may avoid tedious, time-consuming individual control changes for many UIs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Aron R. Chavez, Christopher M. Novak, Chase R. Meusel
  • Patent number: 11365540
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a modular building structure including modular cartridges. In one example, a modular residential structure comprises a systems cartridge that is configured to provide a number of services for the modular residential structure. A spine cartridge is configured to be attached to a top of or a bottom of the systems cartridge. The spine cartridge comprises conduits for conveying the services from the systems cartridge to a number of access points. A planar wall can be configured to form a portion of the modular residential structure. The systems cartridge, the planar wall, and the spine cartridge can be prefabricated at an off-site location. The systems cartridge can be attached to the spine cartridge at an on-site location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PEOPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Robert Vance
  • Patent number: 11202963
    Abstract: A display mount for connecting electronic devices includes a body, a display support, and a movable arm connected to the body and the display support. The body has a lower surface and an upper surface. The body further includes a controller connection mechanism. The arm is positioned above the upper surface to hold the display support above the body and opposite the lower surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Tyler Paul Esselstrom, Kenneth Alan Lobb, Joseph Wheeler
  • Publication number: 20210365176
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for providing media guidance with contextual controls are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises: causing a user interface to be presented that includes media interface elements, wherein each of the media interface elements is a selectable object that represents at least one media content item; determining that a media interface element from the media interface elements has been selected; in response to determining that the media interface element has been selected, causing the at least one media content item corresponding to the selected media interface element to be presented in a portion of the user interface; and concurrently with causing the at least one media content item to be presented, causing a control interface to be presented that is associated with the selected media interface element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Wheeler, David Mark Halloran
  • Patent number: 11182977
    Abstract: The described technology includes a depth ray shader stored in memory and executable to receive a depth map defining a depth in association with each pixel in a three-dimensional scene and define a color gradient between a first pixel value and a second pixel value, wherein each sequential step in the color gradient between the first pixel value and the second pixel is assigned to a corresponding depth of increasing magnitude relative to a reference point. The depth ray shader is further executable to provide an instruction to a graphics engine to cause the graphics engine to apply a depth ray layer to a select portion of the three-dimensional scene, the depth ray layer altering each pixel in the selected portion to assume a pixel value defined within the color gradient to correspond to a depth of the pixel specified by the depth map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Tyler P. Esselstrom, Craig R. Maitlen, John Edward Churchill, Joseph Wheeler
  • Publication number: 20210333060
    Abstract: A regulated gas block assembly may include a gas block including a barrel receiving bore, a gas tube receiving bore, and an intermediate passage extending from the barrel receiving bore to the gas tube receiving bore. The intermediate passage may be oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the barrel receiving bore. The intermediate passage may include a gas regulator seat, and a gas regulator may be positioned and removably secured in the gas regulator seat. A barrel including a gas ring recess may be fit to the regulated gas block assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Jacob Kunsky, Grey Oliver Beaudry, Travis Bundy, Jason Harper, Michael G. Windfeldt
  • Publication number: 20210260470
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for facilitating a convenient transfer of control elements for a gaming session from one device to another device without interrupting the gaming session for one or more players. For example, systems disclosed herein include pairing an input device (e.g., a gaming controller) with one or more client devices. Once paired, the input device may detect a trigger condition based on proximity of a registered client device to the input device. The client device may pull control of one or more control elements for the gaming session. The client device may then continue the gaming session without interrupting the experience for the user or for other users that may be engaged within the gaming session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Craig Ray MAITLEN, Christopher Michael NOVAK, Telmen Gerel DZJIND, Aron Richard CHAVEZ, Joseph WHEELER, Tyler Paul ESSELSTROM
  • Patent number: 11086501
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for providing media guidance with contextual controls are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises: causing a user interface to be presented that includes media interface elements, wherein each of the media interface elements is a selectable object that represents at least one media content item; determining that a media interface element from the media interface elements has been selected; in response to determining that the media interface element has been selected, causing the at least one media content item corresponding to the selected media interface element to be presented in a portion of the user interface; and concurrently with causing the at least one media content item to be presented, causing a control interface to be presented that is associated with the selected media interface element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Wheeler, David Mark Halloran
  • Patent number: 11041687
    Abstract: A regulated gas block assembly may include a gas block including a barrel receiving bore, a gas tube receiving bore, and an intermediate passage extending from the barrel receiving bore to the gas tube receiving bore. The intermediate passage may be oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the barrel receiving bore. The intermediate passage may include a gas regulator seat, and a gas regulator may be positioned and removably secured in the gas regulator seat. A barrel including a gas ring recess may be fit to the regulated gas block assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Maxim Defense Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Jacob Kunsky, Grey Oliver Beaudry, Travis Bundy, Jason Harper, Michael G. Windfeldt
  • Patent number: 11033819
    Abstract: A system is configured to implement a graphical overlay in a streaming game based on a current game state. Game data generated by a video game is received including game video in the form of a video stream containing game video frames. The game video is displayed on a display screen of a computing device to represent the video game to a user playing the video game at the computing device. At least one feature of the video game is identified at least in the game data. A user interface (UI) control configuration associated with the identified at least one feature is selected from among a plurality of UI control configurations for the video game and a graphical overlay corresponding to the selected UI control configuration is implemented on the video game in the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Christopher M. Novak, Aron R. Chavez, Tyler Esselstrom, Peter M. Wiest
  • Publication number: 20210109632
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for navigating a user interface are provided. In some embodiments, a method for navigating a user interface is provided, the method comprising: causing a user interface to be presented including a plurality of media identifier elements corresponding to media assets; causing the plurality of media identifier elements to be arranged along a first direction of the user interface; selecting a first media asset associated with a first media identifier element for presentation; identifying related media assets in response to selection of the first media asset; causing the first media asset to be presented in a first portion of the user interface; and causing related media identifier elements to be presented in a second portion of the user interface aligned with the first portion along the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Wheeler, Chris Lauritzen
  • Publication number: 20210079645
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a modular building structure including modular cartridges. In one example, a modular residential structure comprises a systems cartridge that is configured to provide a number of services for the modular residential structure. A spine cartridge is configured to be attached to a top of or a bottom of the systems cartridge. The spine cartridge comprises conduits for conveying the services from the systems cartridge to a number of access points. A planar wall can be configured to form a portion of the modular residential structure. The systems cartridge, the planar wall, and the spine cartridge can be prefabricated at an off-site location. The systems cartridge can be attached to the spine cartridge at an on-site location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Robert Vance
  • Patent number: 10877626
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for navigating a user interface are provided. In some embodiments, a method for navigating a user interface is provided, the method comprising: causing a user interface to be presented including a plurality of media identifier elements corresponding to media assets; causing the plurality of media identifier elements to be arranged along a first direction of the user interface; selecting a first media asset associated with a first media identifier element for presentation; identifying related media assets in response to selection of the first media asset; causing the first media asset to be presented in a first portion of the user interface; and causing related media identifier elements to be presented in a second portion of the user interface aligned with the first portion along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Wheeler, Chris Lauritzen
  • Publication number: 20200387297
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for sharing user interface (UI) customization across applications. Application developers may create UIs (e.g., game control layouts) with control groups that may be customizable as a group. A control group may comprise a plurality of controls selectively assigned to cluster of sockets (e.g., a socket group) in a layout template. Controls in control groups may be customized as a group, for example, by changing a position, rotation and/or scale of a control group. Users can customize controls for comfort, switch controls for right and left-handed play and share customized preferences across applications. UI customization may be shared across applications with different UIs. For example, customization of one or more control groups in a first UI may be applied to one or more control groups in other UIs for other applications. Users may avoid tedious, time-consuming individual control changes for many UIs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Aron R. Chavez, Christopher M. Novak, Chase R. Meusel
  • Publication number: 20200371649
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for navigating a user interface are provided. In some embodiments, methods for navigating a user interface is provided, the method comprising: causing a user interface to be presented including media identifiers that correspond media assets; causing the media identifiers to be arranged along a first direction; causing a first media identifier at a first position to be highlighted; causing a menu element to be presented at a first menu position associated with the first media identifier; receiving an instruction from a user input device to navigate to a next element along the first direction; causing a second media identifier next to the first position to be highlighted in response to receiving the instruction; causing the menu element to be presented at a second menu position associated with the second media identifier; and inhibiting presentation of the menu element at the first menu position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Wheeler, Chris Lauritzen
  • Publication number: 20200353369
    Abstract: A display mount for connecting electronic devices includes a body, a display support, and a movable arm connected to the body and the display support. The body has a lower surface and an upper surface. The body further includes a controller connection mechanism. The arm is positioned above the upper surface to hold the display support above the body and opposite the lower surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Tyler Paul ESSELSTROM, Kenneth Alan LOBB, Joseph WHEELER
  • Publication number: 20200278165
    Abstract: A regulated gas block assembly may include a gas block including a barrel receiving bore, a gas tube receiving bore, and an intermediate passage extending from the barrel receiving bore to the gas tube receiving bore. The intermediate passage may be oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the barrel receiving bore. The intermediate passage may include a gas regulator seat, and a gas regulator may be positioned and removably secured in the gas regulator seat. A barrel including a gas ring recess may be fit to the regulated gas block assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Jacob Kunsky, Grey Oliver Beaudry, Travis Bundy, Jason Harper, Michael G. Windfeldt
  • Patent number: D892859
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Aron Richard Chavez, Theodore Aaron Haberman, Yi-An Chien, Kenneth Lobb
  • Patent number: D893533
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Aron Richard Chavez, Theodore Aaron Haberman, Yi-An Chien, Kenneth Lobb
  • Patent number: D953470
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Maxim Defense Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Michael G. Windfeldt, Jacob Kunsky, Joseph Wheeler