Patents by Inventor Lawrence Albert PRATHER

Lawrence Albert PRATHER 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).

  • Publication number: 20230418368
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to determining a capacitance based on a charge accumulated on a sense capacitor electrode. One example provides a head-mounted device comprising a facial-tracking sensor, a controller, and a charge sensing circuit connected to the facial-tracking sensor. The facial-tracking sensor comprises a sense capacitor electrode configured to be positioned proximate to a surface of a face and form a capacitance based upon a distance between the sense capacitor electrode and the surface of the face, and the controller configured to apply a reference voltage to the sense capacitor electrode. The charge sensing circuit is configured to determine the capacitance of the sense capacitor electrode by determining an amount of charge accumulated on the sense capacitor electrode resulting from the reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Charles Walter BOECKER, Jouya JADIDIAN, Barry THOMPSON, Niranjan Achugundla PUTTASWAMY, Lawrence Albert PRATHER
  • Patent number: 10306172
    Abstract: A time-of-flight image sensor including a readout circuit is provided. The readout circuit may include a pixel array including multiple pixels. The pixel array may be configured to produce a pixel signal for each of one or more pixels over a series of timesteps. The pixel signal may include an illuminated value and a reset value. The readout circuit may further include a plurality of gain selection comparators configured to receive the pixel signal and select an amplifier gain value. The readout circuit may further include analog correlated double sampling circuitry. The readout circuit may further include a programmable gain amplifier configured to generate an amplified pixel signal from the pixel signal, which may be amplified at the selected amplifier gain value. The readout circuit may further include a plurality of analog-to-digital converters. Each of the analog-to-digital converters may have a common ramp generated by a global ramp generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Barry Thompson, Lawrence Albert Prather
  • Publication number: 20190082132
    Abstract: A time-of-flight image sensor including a readout circuit is provided. The readout circuit may include a pixel array including multiple pixels. The pixel array may be configured to produce a pixel signal for each of one or more pixels over a series of timesteps. The pixel signal may include an illuminated value and a reset value. The readout circuit may further include a plurality of gain selection comparators configured to receive the pixel signal and select an amplifier gain value. The readout circuit may further include analog correlated double sampling circuitry. The readout circuit may further include a programmable gain amplifier configured to generate an amplified pixel signal from the pixel signal, which may be amplified at the selected amplifier gain value. The readout circuit may further include a plurality of analog-to-digital converters. Each of the analog-to-digital converters may have a common ramp generated by a global ramp generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Barry THOMPSON, Lawrence Albert PRATHER