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: 10739945
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Wheeler, Chris Lauritzen
  • Publication number: 20200240737
    Abstract: A muzzle booster or similar device for regulating firearm discharge gases from an autoloading firearm is disclosed. The muzzle booster may include a shroud and an interior component. The interior component may include a blast baffle that is configured and dimensioned to provide internal and external geometries such that exhaust pressure within the gas system is extended as a function of time to increase the overall minimum pressure impulse from the gas system into the operating mechanism of the host firearm. The blast baffle or interior component may be of M baffle type, K baffle type, or other baffle design, including monocore designs, or baffle designs integrated into monocore designs. The shroud and the interior component may cooperate with the barrel of the host firearm to form a taper lock system for securing the muzzle booster or device to the host firearm barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Jacob Kunsky, Travis Bundy
  • Publication number: 20200234511
    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: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Tyler P. ESSELSTROM, Craig R. MAITLEN, John Edward CHURCHILL, Joseph WHEELER
  • Publication number: 20200224989
    Abstract: An apparatus and methods for regulating firearm discharge gases are disclosed. The apparatus may include a muzzle booster having a main body and an orifice including an inner surface. A first baffle may be positioned in the orifice, a second baffle may be positioned against the first baffle. The second baffle may be secured to the inner surface. A distal end cap may be secured to the second baffle. The distal end cap may further include a distal bore. One or more expansion modules may be removably secured to the muzzle booster with a quick connect disconnect fitting. The expansion modules may include modular suppressors for various operational requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Travis Bundy, Joseph Wheeler, Jason Harper, Jacob Kunsky
  • Patent number: 10642827
    Abstract: Functionality is described herein for presenting representations of the z most recently presented items. The functionality also presents indicators which convey the presentation modes that were last used to present the z items. When the user selects one of the z items, the functionality presents it, as a default, using the last-used presentation mode, as conveyed by the indicator associated with this item. In one particular case, the last-used presentation mode corresponds to a full mode or a snap mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: John E. Churchill, Joseph Wheeler, Jérôme Jean-Louis Vasseur, Thomas R. Fuller, Jason D. Giles
  • Patent number: 10643398
    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: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Tyler P. Esselstrom, Craig R. Maitlen, John Edward Churchill, Joseph Wheeler
  • Publication number: 20200101382
    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: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Christopher M. Novak, Aron R. Chavez, Tyler Esselstrom, Peter M. Wiest
  • Patent number: 10569174
    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: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Licensing Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Christopher M. Novak, Aron R. Chavez, Tyler Esselstrom, Peter M. Wiest
  • Publication number: 20200027280
    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: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Tyler P. ESSELSTROM, Craig R. MAITLEN, John Edward CHURCHILL, Joseph WHEELER
  • Patent number: 10540824
    Abstract: Techniques for managing transitions in a three-dimensional environment include rendering, on the displays, a first three-dimensional scene. An indication is received that the first three-dimensional scene is to be replaced with a second three-dimensional scene. Graphics data is received that is representative of a transition to the second three-dimensional scene. The first three-dimensional scene is transitioned to the second three-dimensional scene using the graphics data. Control of rendering the second three-dimensional scene is transitioned to a process configured to render the second three-dimensional scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Craig R. Maitlen, John Edward Churchill, Joseph Wheeler, Tyler P. Esselstrom
  • Publication number: 20200013231
    Abstract: Techniques for managing transitions in a three-dimensional environment include rendering, on the displays, a first three-dimensional scene. An indication is received that the first three-dimensional scene is to be replaced with a second three-dimensional scene. Graphics data is received that is representative of a transition to the second three-dimensional scene. The first three-dimensional scene is transitioned to the second three-dimensional scene using the graphics data. Control of rendering the second three-dimensional scene is transitioned to a process configured to render the second three-dimensional scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Craig R. MAITLEN, John Edward CHURCHILL, Joseph WHEELER, Tyler P. ESSELSTROM
  • Patent number: 10430851
    Abstract: A computing system for managing product customization is provided. The computing system includes instructions stored in memory and executable by a processor to receive, for each of a plurality of parts of a 3D product, a color selection input specifying a color selected by a user for that part, responsive to receiving the color selection inputs, generate a color histogram of the 3D product including a plurality of units, each unit being associated with one of the parts and assigned the color of that part, where the number of units allocated to each part is based on a size of the part, and display the color histogram in a graphical user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Craig R. Maitlen, Devin Brown, Jurgen Brenkert
  • Patent number: 10354056
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure are directed towards providing feedback to users of multi-user system that has biometric recognition capabilities, so that a user knows whether the system has correctly associated the user with his or her identity. The feedback may include a display of a current camera view, along with visible identity information that is associated with each user in the view. The feedback may include per-user icons (e.g., tiles, thumbnail images and so on) by which a user visually confirms that he or she is correctly recognized. Any misrecognition may be detected via the feedback and corrected. Feedback may convey other information, such as the current interaction state/capabilities of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Mitchell Smith, Emily M. Yang, Joseph Wheeler, Sergio Paolantonio, Xiaoji Chen, Eric C. Sanderson, Calvin Kent Carter, Christian Klein, Mark D. Schwesinger, Rita A. Yu
  • Publication number: 20190095061
    Abstract: A video playlist associated with a set of videos is distinguished in a graphical user interface using a dynamic thumbnail to represent the playlist. The dynamic thumbnail comprises a static portion comprising a first image associated with the set of videos and a dynamic portion comprising one or more second images associated with the set of videos. An image provided in the dynamic portion is configured to change while the first image remains the same in response to a shift in the graphical user interface that results in a change in position of the thumbnail about the user graphical user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Wheeler, Chris Lauritzen
  • Patent number: D853409
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Tyler Paul Esselstrom, Joseph Wheeler, Giancarlo Lari, Nando Costa, Anthony J. Giardini, Craig R. Maitlen
  • Patent number: D858537
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Tyler Paul Esselstrom, Joseph Wheeler, Giancarlo Lari, Nando Costa, Anthony J. Giardini, Craig R. Maitlen
  • Patent number: D892153
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Aron Richard Chavez, Theodore Aaron Haberman, Yi-An Chien, Kenneth Lobb
  • Patent number: D892164
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Wheeler, Aron Richard Chavez, Theodore Aaron Haberman, Yi-An Chien, Kenneth Lobb
  • Patent number: D892836
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    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: D892858
    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