Patents by Inventor Mark B. Spitzer

Mark B. Spitzer 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: 10136104
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling one or more devices using a computing device, such as a wearable computing device, are disclosed. Using a sensor associated with a wearable computing device, one or more inputs are generated at the wearable computing device. As one example, the sensor can be an image capture device, and the inputs can be one or more images from a point of view of a person associated with the computing device. As another example, the sensor can be a motion sensor, and the input can be locations and/or orientations, and a gaze direction can be determined. The computing device can determine an object of interest based on the inputs. A control signal can be generated for the object of interest. The control signal can be transmitted from the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 9681804
    Abstract: A hybrid optical system for a head wearable display includes a central vision lens and a peripheral vision lens. The central vision lens approximately aligns with a cornea of a user to provide lensing to a central vision of the user when the user is looking straight forward. The peripheral vision lens, different than the central vision lens, provides lensing to an extended field of view that extends angularly beyond the central vision lensed by the central vision lens when the user is looking straight forward. The peripheral vision lens is disposed around the central vision lens. The peripheral vision lens has a co-incident optical center with the central vision lens but the central vision lens is offset from a physical center of the peripheral vision lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 9606354
    Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a light guide including a proximal end, a distal end, a display positioned near the proximal end, an ocular measurement camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image ocular measurement radiation, a proximal optical element positioned in the light guide near the proximal end and a distal optical element positioned in the light guide near the distal end. The proximal optical element is optically coupled to the display, the ocular measurement camera and the distal optical element and the distal optical element is optically coupled to the proximal optical element, the ambient input region and an input/output optical element. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, John D. Perreault, Khoa Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9568734
    Abstract: An eyepiece includes a first lens body having a first interface side and a second lens body having a second interface side. At least one of the first and second interface sides includes a recess. The first and second lens bodies are mated together along the first and second interface sides to form a cavity at the recess. A lightguide insert is provided that has a shape and a size to fit within the cavity. The lightguide insert includes an in-coupling region to receive display light into the lightguide insert and an out-coupling region to direct the display light out of the lightguide insert through the first lens body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Sandeep Giri, James C. Dunphy, Mark B. Spitzer, Hongqin Shi
  • Publication number: 20160198949
    Abstract: A hybrid optical system for a head wearable display includes a central vision lens and a peripheral vision lens. The central vision lens approximately aligns with a cornea of a user to provide lensing to a central vision of the user when the user is looking straight forward. The peripheral vision lens, different than the central vision lens, provides lensing to an extended field of view that extends angularly beyond the central vision lensed by the central vision lens when the user is looking straight forward. The peripheral vision lens is disposed around the central vision lens. The peripheral vision lens has a co-incident optical center with the central vision lens but the central vision lens is offset from a physical center of the peripheral vision lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 9335549
    Abstract: An optical element for a Head Mounted Display (“HMD”) includes a lightguide. The lightguide is embedded in the optical element and optically coupled to receive display light and direct the display light in an eyeward direction. The lightguide includes an eyeward hologram, a scene-side hologram, and a propagation region disposed between the eyeward hologram and the scene-side hologram. The eyeward hologram is configured to reflect a wavelength range of the display light that is incident upon the eyeward hologram at a specific angle. The scene-side hologram is configured to reflect the wavelength range of the display light that is incident upon the scene-side hologram at the specific angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ozan Cakmakci, Anurag Gupta, Mark B. Spitzer, Evan M. Richards
  • Patent number: 9280005
    Abstract: An eyepiece includes a viewing region to emit display light out of the eyepiece along an eye-ward direction, an input end peripherally located from the viewing region and configured to receive the display light into the eyepiece, one or more optical elements positioned to direct the display light received into the eyepiece out of the viewing region along the eye-ward direction, a first side through which ambient scene light is received into the eyepiece, a second side out of which the ambient scene light and the display light are passed along the eye-ward direction, and a photo-chromic coating disposed on the first side and the second side, the photo-chromic coating to darken in the presence of UV light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Anurag Gupta
  • Patent number: 9256071
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling one or more devices using a computing device, such as a wearable computing device, are disclosed. Using a sensor associated with a wearable computing device, one or more inputs are generated at the wearable computing device. As one example, the sensor can be an image capture device, and the inputs can be one or more images from a point of view of a person associated with the computing device. As another example, the sensor can be a motion sensor, and the input can be locations and/or orientations, and a gaze direction can be determined. The computing device can determine an object of interest based on the inputs. A control signal can be generated for the object of interest. The control signal can be transmitted from the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20160018639
    Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a light guide including a proximal end, a distal end, a display positioned near the proximal end, an ocular measurement camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image ocular measurement radiation, a proximal optical element positioned in the light guide near the proximal end and a distal optical element positioned in the light guide near the distal end. The proximal optical element is optically coupled to the display, the ocular measurement camera and the distal optical element and the distal optical element is optically coupled to the proximal optical element, the ambient input region and an input/output optical element. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, John D. Perreault, Khoa Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9213178
    Abstract: An eyepiece for a head wearable display includes a first lens body having a first interface side in which a first recess is disposed and a second lens body having a second interface side in which a second recess is disposed. The first and second lens bodies are mated together along the first and second interface sides and the first and second recesses are aligned to form a cavity. A lightguide insert is provided that has a shape and a size to fit within the cavity defined by the first and second recesses. The lightguide insert includes an in-coupling region to receive display light into the lightguide insert and an out-coupling region to direct the display light out of the lightguide insert through the first lens body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Sandeep Giri, James Dunphy, Mark B. Spitzer, Hongqin Shi
  • Publication number: 20150268467
    Abstract: An optical element for a Head Mounted Display (“HMD”) includes a lightguide. The lightguide is embedded in the optical element and optically coupled to receive display light and direct the display light in an eyeward direction. The lightguide includes an eyeward hologram, a scene-side hologram, and a propagation region disposed between the eyeward hologram and the scene-side hologram. The eyeward hologram is configured to reflect a wavelength range of the display light that is incident upon the eyeward hologram at a specific angle. The scene-side hologram is configured to reflect the wavelength range of the display light that is incident upon the scene-side hologram at the specific angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ozan Cakmakci, Anurag Gupta, Mark B. Spitzer, Evan M. Richards
  • Publication number: 20140211290
    Abstract: An eyepiece includes a viewing region to emit display light out of the eyepiece along an eye-ward direction, an input end peripherally located from the viewing region and configured to receive the display light into the eyepiece, one or more optical elements positioned to direct the display light received into the eyepiece out of the viewing region along the eye-ward direction, a first side through which ambient scene light is received into the eyepiece, a second side out of which the ambient scene light and the display light are passed along the eye-ward direction, and a photo-chromic coating disposed on the first side and the second side, the photo-chromic coating to darken in the presence of UV light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Anurag Gupta
  • Patent number: 8767305
    Abstract: An eyepiece for a head mounted display includes an illumination module, an end reflector, a viewing region, and a polarization rotator. The illumination module provides CGI light along a forward propagation path within the eyepiece. The end reflector is disposed at an opposite end of the eyepiece from the illumination module to reflect the CGI light back along a reverse propagation path within the eyepiece. The viewing is disposed between the illumination module and the end reflector and includes an out-coupling polarizing beam splitter (“PBS”). The out-coupling PBS passes the CGI light traveling along the forward propagation path and redirects the CGI light traveling along the reverse propagation path out of an eye-ward side of the eyepiece. The polarization rotator is disposed in the forward and reverse propagation paths between the out-coupling PBS and the end reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Xiaoyu Miao, Babak Amirparviz
  • Patent number: 8724206
    Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) includes a display module for generating CGI light, an eyepiece, and a frame assembly to support the eyepiece in front of an eye of the user. The eyepiece includes a viewing region to emit the CGI light along an eye-ward direction, an input end peripherally located from the viewing region and optically coupled to receive the CGI light into the eyepiece from the display module, and light bending optics to redirect the CGI light. The eyepiece further includes an ambient scene side through which ambient scene light is received into the eyepiece and an eye-ward side opposite the ambient scene side out of which the ambient scene light and the CGI light are passed along the eye-ward direction. A photo-chromic coating is disposed on the ambient scene and eye-ward sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Anurag Gupta
  • Patent number: 8699842
    Abstract: Described are embodiments of a process including patterning one or more reflectors on a surface of a substrate of a material, the surface oriented at a selected angle relative to a (100) crystallographic plane of the material, and etching one or more reflectors in the surface, each reflector including one or more reflective surfaces formed by (111) crystallographic planes of the material. Also described are process embodiments for forming a molded waveguide including preparing a waveguide mold, the waveguide mold comprising a master mold including one or more reflectors on a surface of a substrate of a master mold material, the surface oriented at a selected angle relative to a (100) crystallographic plane of the material, each reflector including one or more reflective surfaces formed by (111) crystallographic planes of the material, injecting a waveguide material into the waveguide mold, and releasing the molded waveguide from the waveguide mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20130108229
    Abstract: Implementations are described of a waveguide apparatus including a proximal end, a distal end, a front surface and a back surface, the back surface being spaced apart from the front surface. A display input region is positioned at or near the proximal end, an ambient input region is positioned on the front surface near the distal end and an output region is positioned on the back surface near the distal end. One or more optical elements is positioned in or adjacent to the waveguide to direct display light from the display input region to the output region and to direct ambient light from the ambient input region to the output region, and an switchable mirror layer is positioned in or on the waveguide to selectively control the amount of ambient light that is directed to the output region. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Thad E. Starner, Edward Keyes, Chia-Jean Wang, Xiaoyu Miao, Mark B. Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20130033756
    Abstract: An eyepiece for a head mounted display includes an illumination module, an end reflector, a viewing region, and a polarization rotator. The illumination module provides CGI light along a forward propagation path within the eyepiece. The end reflector is disposed at an opposite end of the eyepiece from the illumination module to reflect the CGI light back along a reverse propagation path within the eyepiece. The viewing is disposed between the illumination module and the end reflector and includes an out-coupling polarizing beam splitter (“PBS”). The out-coupling PBS passes the CGI light traveling along the forward propagation path and redirects the CGI light traveling along the reverse propagation path out of an eye-ward side of the eyepiece. The polarization rotator is disposed in the forward and reverse propagation paths between the out-coupling PBS and the end reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Xiaoyu Miao, Babak Amirparviz
  • Publication number: 20120301074
    Abstract: Described are embodiments of a process including patterning one or more reflectors on a surface of a substrate of a material, the surface oriented at a selected angle relative to a (100) crystallographic plane of the material, and etching one or more reflectors in the surface, each reflector including one or more reflective surfaces formed by (111) crystallographic planes of the material. Also described are process embodiments for forming a molded waveguide including preparing a waveguide mold, the waveguide mold comprising a master mold including one or more reflectors on a surface of a substrate of a master mold material, the surface oriented at a selected angle relative to a (100) crystallographic plane of the material, each reflector including one or more reflective surfaces formed by (111) crystallographic planes of the material, injecting a waveguide material into the waveguide mold, and releasing the molded waveguide from the waveguide mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20120060918
    Abstract: An energy conversion device is provided for use, for example, in a photovoltaic solar cell. The device includes an up conversion composite material disposed in cavities in a semiconductor material or in a heat spreader bonded to the solar cell. The up conversion composite material is formed from a mixture of at least two different up conversion materials formed as crystal grains dispersed within an optically transmitting dispersion medium. The up conversion materials may include a crystal material doped with dopant atoms capable of absorbing photons having wavelengths longer than an absorption edge of the semiconductor material and emitting photons having wavelengths shorter than the absorption edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 7900068
    Abstract: A power supply and interface circuit assembly is used with a portable media player (PMP) to relay signals between the PMP and a peripheral device(s), such as a head-mounted display. A power supply in or attached to the assembly provides power to the circuitry, the PMP, and the peripheral device. The assembly is able to manage the charging and discharging of power to the PMP and the peripheral device and to manage multi-media signals between the PMP and the peripheral device to provide a complete, mobile interface assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Evan Weststrate, Mark B. Spitzer