Patents by Inventor Mark Spitzer

Mark 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: 10564715
    Abstract: A foveated display system includes a rendering device including at least one graphics processing unit (GPU) to render a foveal region and a peripheral region of a first image, wherein the foveal region has a higher resolution than the peripheral region. The system further includes a display device coupled to the rendering device via at least one physical layer. The display device includes a pixel array and a display controller coupled to the pixel array. The display controller includes a scaling component to upscale the first peripheral region to generate a scaled first peripheral region and a blending component to blend the foveal region with the scaled first peripheral region to generate a second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Carlin Vieri, Eric Turner, Behnam Bastani
  • Patent number: 10475370
    Abstract: A display system includes a display panel having an input to receive pixel data, the pixel data comprising a plurality of pixel values, an array of pixels partitioned into a foveal region and at least one peripheral region, and an array controller to group pixels in the at least one peripheral region into subsets of at least two pixels and to control each subset using a corresponding single pixel value from the plurality of pixel values. The display system further may include a rendering system to foveally render a display image based on the locations of the foveal region and the at least one peripheral regions, wherein for each row of the display image having pixels within at least one of the peripheral region, a number of pixel values represented in the pixel data for the row is less than a number of pixels in the row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Carlin Vieri
  • Patent number: 10417739
    Abstract: A display device, such as a head mounted device (HMD), displays a virtual scene. The display device includes a motion tracker for detecting rotation of the display device. The display device also includes a processor that is configured to selectively maintain or modify a position of an array of rendered pixels relative to the virtual scene in response to the detected motion. The processor is also configured to upsample the rendered pixels to generate values of display pixels for presentation by the display device. The processor is further configured to translate the values of the display pixels in a rendering plane of the display device based on the detected motion. The translated values of the display pixels can then be presented on a display of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Behnam Bastani, Eric Turner, Mark Spitzer
  • Patent number: 10262387
    Abstract: A display system includes a display device and a graphics processing unit (GPU) coupled via at least one physical layer. The display device includes a pixel array having a non-red-green-blue (non-RGB) pixel format. The GPU is configured to render an image in the non-RGB pixel format and provide the rendered image for transmission to the pixel array via the at least one physical layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Carlin Vieri, Eric Turner, Behnam Bastani
  • Publication number: 20180275772
    Abstract: A display device, such as a head mounted device (HMD), displays a virtual scene. The display device includes a motion tracker for detecting rotation of the display device. The display device also includes a processor that is configured to selectively maintain or modify a position of an array of rendered pixels relative to the virtual scene in response to the detected motion. The processor is also configured to upsample the rendered pixels to generate values of display pixels for presentation by the display device. The processor is further configured to translate the values of the display pixels in a rendering plane of the display device based on the detected motion. The translated values of the display pixels can then be presented on a display of the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Behnam Bastani, Eric Turner, Mark Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20180137598
    Abstract: A display system includes a display device and a graphics processing unit (GPU) coupled via at least one physical layer. The display device includes a pixel array having a non-red-green-blue (non-RGB) pixel format. The GPU is configured to render an image in the non-RGB pixel format and provide the rendered image for transmission to the pixel array via the at least one physical layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Carlin Vieri, Eric Turner, Behnam Bastani
  • Publication number: 20180136720
    Abstract: A foveated display system includes a rendering device including at least one graphics processing unit (GPU) to render a foveal region and a peripheral region of a first image, wherein the foveal region has a higher resolution than the peripheral region. The system further includes a display device coupled to the rendering device via at least one physical layer. The display device includes a pixel array and a display controller coupled to the pixel array. The display controller includes a scaling component to upscale the first peripheral region to generate a scaled first peripheral region and a blending component to blend the foveal region with the scaled first peripheral region to generate a second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Carlin Vieri, Eric Turner, Behnam Bastani
  • Publication number: 20180137602
    Abstract: A display device includes a pixel array and a display controller. The pixel array has a non-red-green-blue (non-RGB) pixel format that includes at least first, second, and third color components, and wherein sub-pixels of the first color component are present at a first resolution and sub-pixels of each of the second and third color components are present at a second resolution lower than the first resolution. The display controller is configured to receive a first image in a an RGB pixel format in which sub-pixels of the first color component, sub-pixels of the second color component, and sub-pixels of the third color component each are present in the first image at the second resolution. The display controller further is configured to scale sub-pixels of the first color component in the first image from the second resolution to the first resolution to generate a second image having the non-RGB format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Carlin Vieri, Eric Turner, Behnam Bastani
  • Publication number: 20170236466
    Abstract: A display system includes a display panel having an input to receive pixel data, the pixel data comprising a plurality of pixel values, an array of pixels partitioned into a foveal region and at least one peripheral region, and an array controller to group pixels in the at least one peripheral region into subsets of at least two pixels and to control each subset using a corresponding single pixel value from the plurality of pixel values. The display system further may include a rendering system to foveally render a display image based on the locations of the foveal region and the at least one peripheral regions, wherein for each row of the display image having pixels within at least one of the peripheral region, a number of pixel values represented in the pixel data for the row is less than a number of pixels in the row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Carlin Vieri
  • Publication number: 20150153572
    Abstract: An optical system has an aperture through which virtual and real-world images are viewable along a viewing axis. The optical system may be incorporated into a head-mounted display (HMD). By modulating the length of the optical path along an optical axis within the optical system, the virtual image may appear to be at different distances away from the HMD wearer. The wearable computer of the HMD may be used to control the length of the optical path. The length of the optical path may be modulated using, for example, a piezoelectric actuator or stepper motor. By determining the distance to an object with respect to the HMD using a range-finder or autofocus camera, the virtual images may be controlled to appear at various distances and locations in relation to the target object and/or HMD wearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoyu Miao, Adrian Wong, Mark Spitzer
  • Patent number: 8767306
    Abstract: An optical system has an aperture through which virtual and real-world images are viewable along a viewing axis. The optical system may be incorporated into a head-mounted display (HMD). By illuminating a viewing location with an infrared light source, an eye pupil may be illuminated. Infrared light is reflected from the viewing location and is collected with a proximal beam splitter. An image former is configured to reflect at least a portion of the visible light pattern generated by the display panel to form the virtual image and transmit at least a portion of the collected infrared light. The transmitted infrared light may be imaged by a camera. The HMD may use images from the camera to provide, for example, context-sensitive virtual images to a wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyu Miao, Adrian Wong, Babak Amirparviz, Mark Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20080072083
    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: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventors: Evan Weststrate, Mark Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20070103388
    Abstract: A compact, lightweight, head-mountable display device is provided for transmitting an image to a user's eye. The device includes a projection system including a display attached at one end to a head-mountable support fixture. An eyepiece assembly is attached to a second end of the support fixture. The support fixture maintains the projection system and the eyepiece assembly in alignment along an optical path through free space between the projection system and the eyepiece assembly, with the projection system disposed to transmit the image on the optical path and the eyepiece assembly disposed to receive the image from the projection system and to direct the image to the user's eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventor: Mark Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20070047091
    Abstract: An optical system for a head mounted display includes a light pipe having two parallel surfaces along which modes can travel by total internal reflection. An illumination element allows selection of modes so that the desired modes can be transmitted along the light pipe, either axially or by total internal reflection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Noa Rensing, Paul Zavracky
  • Publication number: 20050174651
    Abstract: A binocular viewing system provides images from electronic display elements to the left and right eyes of a user transmitted via right eye and left eye display assemblies connected by a nose bridging element. The binocular viewing system includes an interpupillary distance adjustment mechanism to accommodate multiple users. Accommodation for vision correction and a focus mechanism may also be provided. Component parts can be formed integrally. A source of image date is communication with the electronic display elements includes a television, a digital video disc player, an MPEG4 player, a camcorder, a digital camera, a video tape player, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, or a cellular telephone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Inventors: Mark Spitzer, Gregory Hunter, Paul Zavracky