Patents by Inventor Lucas Allen Whipple

Lucas Allen Whipple 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: 12239903
    Abstract: Described herein are controllers with sensor-rich controls for enhanced controller functionality. An example control may include a pressure sensor that is configured to detect an amount of a force of a press on a cover of the control based at least in part on a proximity of a metal layer to the pressure sensor. This control may further include a touch sensor for detecting an object contacting the cover of the control. Additional embodiments disclose, among other things, integrated trackpads and D-pads, as well as backlighting features that indicate a functional state of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Judson VanWyk, Lucas Allen Whipple, Walter Petersen, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Scott Dalton, Pierre-Loup Miguel Griffais
  • Publication number: 20250061787
    Abstract: Described herein is a broadband haptic system for a controller of a controller system to provide enhanced haptic functionality. A control, such as a trackpad, of the controller may include a cover, a circuit board disposed behind the cover and coupled to the cover, a haptic actuator mounted to the circuit board, and a spring disposed behind the cover, the spring being coupled to the cover and mounted to a housing of the controller. The haptic actuator is configured to vibrate and the spring is configured to deflect bidirectionally in response to a vibration of the haptic actuator. Furthermore, the haptic actuator has a first resonant frequency, and the control has a second resonant frequency different than the first resonant frequency to provide a broadband haptic system for the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Inventors: Lucas Allen Whipple, Richard Karstens
  • Publication number: 20230246531
    Abstract: A multi-coil voice coil motor (VCM) may be configured to be used as a haptic actuator for providing haptic feedback to a user. When implemented in a handheld controller having one or more controls, the multi-coil VCM may be configured to provide haptic feedback to a user of the controller. The multi-coil VCM may include a housing, multiple concentric coils, and a magnet coupled to the housing. The multiple concentric coils may include a first coil disposed on a first support coupled to the housing and a second coil disposed on a second support coupled to the housing, wherein the multiple concentric coils may have different diameters to allow for the concentricity of the coils. A system may include one or more haptic actuators, such as the multi-coil VCM, the haptic actuator(s) being configured to provide haptic feedback by causing at least a portion of a finger-operated control(s) to vibrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Brett Thomas Angelo, Lucas Allen Whipple
  • Publication number: 20230085784
    Abstract: Described herein are controllers with sensor-rich controls for enhanced controller functionality. An example control may include a pressure sensor that is configured to detect an amount of a force of a press on a cover of the control based at least in part on a proximity of a metal layer to the pressure sensor. This control may further include a touch sensor for detecting an object contacting the cover of the control. Additional embodiments disclose, among other things, integrated trackpads and D-pads, as well as backlighting features that indicate a functional state of the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Eric Judson VanWyk, Lucas Allen Whipple, Walter Petersen, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Scott Dalton, Pierre-Loup Miguel Griffais
  • Patent number: 11511186
    Abstract: Described herein are controllers with sensor-rich controls for enhanced controller functionality. An example control may include a pressure sensor that is configured to detect an amount of a force of a press on a cover of the control based at least in part on a proximity of a metal layer to the pressure sensor. This control may further include a touch sensor for detecting an object contacting the cover of the control. Additional embodiments disclose, among other things, integrated trackpads and D-pads, as well as backlighting features that indicate a functional state of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Judson VanWyk, Lucas Allen Whipple, Walter Petersen, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Scott Dalton, Pierre-Loup Miguel Griffais
  • Patent number: 11458386
    Abstract: Controllers that allow for adjusting various features of the controller are disclosed. The controller may include may include one or more speakers for outputting sound or audio content. A user may contact one or more of the speakers with a finger(s) to adjust a characteristic of the audio content and/or to adjust audio settings. For example, a user may touch a speaker with his/her finger to change (e.g., increase or decrease) the volume or to mute the sound. In some instances, the speakers may be located on the controller body of the handheld controller for convenient and quick access by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Judson VanWyk, Lucas Allen Whipple, John Ikeda, Benoit Collette
  • Publication number: 20210252383
    Abstract: Controllers that allow for adjusting various features of the controller are disclosed. The controller may include may include one or more speakers for outputting sound or audio content. A user may contact one or more of the speakers with a finger(s) to adjust a characteristic of the audio content and/or to adjust audio settings. For example, a user may touch a speaker with his/her finger to change (e.g., increase or decrease) the volume or to mute the sound. In some instances, the speakers may be located on the controller body of the handheld controller for convenient and quick access by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Eric Judson VanWyk, Lucas Allen Whipple, John Ikeda, Benoit Collette
  • Publication number: 20210252388
    Abstract: Described herein are controllers with sensor-rich controls for enhanced controller functionality. An example control may include a pressure sensor that is configured to detect an amount of a force of a press on a cover of the control based at least in part on a proximity of a metal layer to the pressure sensor. This control may further include a touch sensor for detecting an object contacting the cover of the control. Additional embodiments disclose, among other things, integrated trackpads and D-pads, as well as backlighting features that indicate a functional state of the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Eric Judson VanWyk, Lucas Allen Whipple, Walter Petersen, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Scott Dalton, Pierre-Loup Miguel Griffais
  • Patent number: 9855637
    Abstract: A method and system for observing and monitoring thermal characteristics of a machining operation, such as a surface finishing operation, performed on a workpiece is disclosed. The surface finishing operation can be performed on the workpiece in order to remove a surface defect, e.g. a parting line, on a surface of the workpiece and/or to provide a mirror-like finish to the workpiece. In one embodiment, an emissive layer is applied to the workpiece to increase a thermal emissivity of the workpiece. In some embodiments, a finishing surface, such as a polishing or buffing wheel, and/or a lubricant used in a finishing operation is monitored. A thermal profile of the surface of the workpiece, finishing surface and/or lubricant can be obtained. The finishing operation can be modified in response to the monitored thermal characteristics to prevent the occurrence of defects and improve the efficacy of the finishing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lucas Allen Whipple, Simon Regis Louis Lancaster-Larocque, Collin D. Chan, Christopher R. Fagan, Vincent Yan, Ian S. Theilacker, Brian K. Miehm, Shravan Bharadwaj
  • Publication number: 20150290764
    Abstract: A method and system for observing and monitoring thermal characteristics of a machining operation, such as a surface finishing operation, performed on a workpiece is disclosed. The surface finishing operation can be performed on the workpiece in order to remove a surface defect, e.g. a parting line, on a surface of the workpiece and/or to provide a mirror-like finish to the workpiece. In one embodiment, an emissive layer is applied to the workpiece to increase a thermal emissivity of the workpiece. In some embodiments, a finishing surface, such as a polishing or buffing wheel, and/or a lubricant used in a finishing operation is monitored. A thermal profile of the surface of the workpiece, finishing surface and/or lubricant can be obtained. The finishing operation can be modified in response to the monitored thermal characteristics to prevent the occurrence of defects and improve the efficacy of the finishing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Lucas Allen Whipple, Simon Regis Louis Lancaster-Larocque, Collin D. Chan, Christopher R. Fagan, Vincent Yan, IAN S. THEILACKER, Brian K. Miehm, Shravan Bharadwaj
  • Patent number: 8798782
    Abstract: The described embodiment relates generally to the polishing of a device housing. The device housing can be formed of a thermoplastic, or a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel. More particularly, a method and an apparatus are described for accurately measuring the amount of material removed during a polishing process. Accurate measurement of such a polishing process can be especially helpful in measuring material removal on curved surfaces and edges where material removal rates tend to be less predictable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Simon R. Lancaster-Larocque, Lucas Allen Whipple
  • Patent number: D1036548
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Benoit Collette, John Ikeda, Jeremy Slocum, Walter Petersen, Pierre-Loup Miguel Griffais, Lucas Allen Whipple, Carl Samuel Conlee, IV