Patents by Inventor Laura Blumenschein

Laura Blumenschein 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: 10948989
    Abstract: An actuation apparatus may be configured to apply forces to a user's skin using flexible-membrane actuators. Such an apparatus may include (i) an array of actuator chambers that include a flexible material layer enclosing a changeable volume of fluid, (ii) a contact surface that is coupled to each actuator chamber, and (iii) a support framework that is coupled to the actuator chambers such that the array of actuator chambers is disposed between the support framework and the contact surface, and such that distortion of actuator chambers caused by changing the volume of fluid within the actuator chambers causes the array of actuator chambers to exert forces on the contact surface and cause movement of the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Laura Blumenschein, Nathan Scot Usevitch, Jan Fras, Thomas John Farrell Wallin, Yigit Menguc