Patents by Inventor Nicholas Colonnese

Nicholas Colonnese 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: 11366522
    Abstract: The disclosed wearable apparatus may include (1) a device dimensioned to fit about a body part of a user, (2) a tensioning mechanism that harnesses to the device in a manner that is relative to the fit of the device about the body part of the user, and (3) an actuator couples to the tensioning mechanism that, when actuated, causes substantially tangential movement of the tensioning mechanism relative to a surface of the body part to produce substantially orthogonal movement of the device relative to the surface of the body part. Various other methods, systems, and/or computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan Matthew Pezent, Priyanshu Agarwal, Hrvoje Benko, Nicholas Colonnese, Ali Israr, Shea Jonathan Robinson
  • Patent number: 11132061
    Abstract: A fluidic haptic device includes a chamber, a compressible or incompressible fluid disposed within the chamber, and an actuatable element in hydraulic or pneumatic contact with the fluid. The actuatable element is adapted to be displaced by movement of a user of the device, which can apply pressure to the fluid. The haptic device may interact directly with one or more body parts of a user, including the user's skin, and may be operable without an external pressure source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Arthur Stanley, Nathan Scot Usevitch, Amirhossein Hajiagha Memar, Nicholas Colonnese
  • Publication number: 20210284525
    Abstract: An electrostatic zipping actuator includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlying the primary electrode, a dielectric layer located between and abutting at least a portion of the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, and a dielectric fluid disposed at least at a junction between the dielectric layer and one of the electrodes, where an average total thickness of the dielectric layer is less than approximately 10 micrometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Tianshu Liu, Yigit Menguc, Robert Manson, Shawn Reese, Tristan Thomas Trutna, Erik Samuel Roby, Katherine Healy, Nicholas Colonnese
  • Patent number: 11062573
    Abstract: A method for executing commands includes a wearable device with an inflatable bladder and a sensor integrated with the inflatable bladder. The method includes transitioning the inflatable bladder from an unpressurized state to a pressurized state. The inflatable bladder is associated with an executable command when in the pressurized state. The method further includes detecting, by the sensor, the magnitude of depression of the inflatable bladder and determining whether the magnitude of depression satisfies a predetermined threshold. When the magnitude of depression satisfies the predetermined threshold, the method executes the executable command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Young, Priyanshu Agarwal, Nicholas Colonnese, Amirhossein Hajiagha Memar
  • Patent number: 11042187
    Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) includes a set of one or more lenses defining an optical axis, a display configured to project light through the set of the one or more lenses, a voice coil actuator coupled with the display and configured to move the display along the optical axis, and a first guide that is separate from the first voice coil actuator and coupled with the first display to guide the movement of the first display. The HMD additionally includes a set of one or more position sensors configured to determine a position of the display long the optical axis and an electronic controller configured to receive information identifying a reference position of the display along the optical axis and generate one or more electrical signals for initiating a movement of the first display toward the first reference point along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joyce Fang, Nicholas Colonnese, Bruce A. Cleary, Ryan Michael Ebert, Douglas Robert Lanman
  • Patent number: 11009713
    Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) includes a set of one or more lenses defining an optical axis, a display configured to project light through the set of the one or more lenses, a voice coil actuator coupled with the display and configured to move the display along the optical axis, and a first guide that is slidingly coupled with the first voice coil actuator to guide the movement of the first display. The HMD additionally includes a set of one or more position sensors configured to determine a position of the display long the optical axis and an electronic controller configured to receive information identifying a reference position of the display along the optical axis and generate one or more electrical signals for initiating a movement of the first display toward the first reference point along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joyce Fang, Nicholas Colonnese, Bruce A. Cleary, Ryan Michael Ebert, Douglas Robert Lanman
  • Publication number: 20210081048
    Abstract: An apparatus for creating haptic stimulations is provided. The apparatus includes an inflatable bladder and a support structure attached to a portion of the inflatable bladder. The inflatable bladder is fluidically coupled to a pressure-changing device that is configured to control a fluid pressure of the inflatable bladder. The support structure includes a predefined pattern of cuts, and is configured to expand (or otherwise deform) in one or more directions according to a design of the predefined pattern of cuts and in relation with a fluid pressure inside the inflatable bladder. When the inflatable bladder receives the fluid from the source, the inflatable bladder expands, which causes the support structure to expand in the one or more directions and also to reinforce the inflatable bladder in the one or more directions. A wearable device and a system for creating haptic simulations are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Audrey Ann Sedal, Nicholas Roy Corson, Jose Antonio Barreiros Flores, Katherine Healy, Amirhossein Hajiagha Memar, Andrew Doxon, Nicholas Colonnese, Shawn Reese, Adam Ahne, Yigit Menguc, Talha Agcayazi
  • Patent number: 10871627
    Abstract: A head-mounted display device includes one or more lenses and a display configured to provide visual data through the one or more lenses. The head-mounted display device also includes a direct-current (DC) motor mechanically coupled to the display, and the DC motor is configured to move the display along an axis by rotating a rotatable component of the DC motor. The head-mounted display device further includes: position sensor(s) configured to determine a position of the display, and electronic controller(s) in communication with the position sensor(s). The electronic controller(s) are configured to: (i) receive, from the position sensor(s), the determined position of the display as a first position of the display, (ii) receive information identifying a second position of the display, and (iii) generate electrical signal(s) that cause the DC motor to move the display from the first position to the second position along the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joyce Fang, Nicholas Colonnese, Bruce A. Cleary, Ryan Michael Ebert, Douglas Robert Lanman
  • Publication number: 20200250942
    Abstract: A method for executing commands includes a wearable device with an inflatable bladder and a sensor integrated with the inflatable bladder. The method includes transitioning the inflatable bladder from an unpressurized state to a pressurized state. The inflatable bladder is associated with an executable command when in the pressurized state. The method further includes detecting, by the sensor, the magnitude of depression of the inflatable bladder and determining whether the magnitude of depression satisfies a predetermined threshold. When the magnitude of depression satisfies the predetermined threshold, the method executes the executable command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Eric Young, Priyanshu Agarwal, Nicholas Colonnese, Amirhossein Hajiagha Memar
  • Patent number: 10705606
    Abstract: A tracking sensor integration system presented herein collects sensor data obtained for each time frame by a plurality of sensors attached to a wearable garment placed on a user's hand. A controller coupled to the tracking sensor integration system calculates a measurement gain based at least in part on collected sensor data, and determines prediction for a pose of the user's hand for the current time frame using the collected sensor data and a plurality of estimation parameters for the current time frame. The controller then updates the estimation parameters for the current time frame, based in part on the measurement gain and the prediction for the pose of the user's hand. The controller determines an estimated pose for the user's hand, based in part on the updated estimation parameters and the collected sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Colonnese, Justin Clark, Sean Jason Keller, Tristan Thomas Trutna
  • Patent number: 10678334
    Abstract: The disclosed wearable apparatus may include wearable apparatus includes a (1) device dimensioned to fit about a body part of a user, (2) a tensioning mechanism that harnesses to the device in a manner that is relative to the fit of the device about the body part of the user, and (3) an actuator couples to the tensioning mechanism that, when actuated, causes substantially tangential movement of the tensioning mechanism relative to a surface of the body part to produce substantially orthogonal movement of the device relative to the surface of the body part. Various other methods, systems, and/or computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Evan Matthew Pezent, Priyanshu Agarwal, Hrvoje Benko, Nicholas Colonnese, Ali Israr, Shea Jonathan Robinson
  • Patent number: 10636260
    Abstract: A wearable device for providing haptic stimulations is provided. The wearable device includes: (i) a wearable structure attachable to a portion of a user's body; (ii) a plurality of bladders, integrated with the wearable structure, configured to expand and contract according to fluid pressure within each bladder, where each bladder of the plurality of bladders delivers a haptic stimulation to the user wearing the wearable structure when the bladder expands a threshold amount; and (iii) at least one conduit configured to transport a fluid from a fluid source to one or more bladders of the plurality of bladders, where the fluid from the fluid source increases the fluid pressure within at least the one or more bladders. The haptic stimulation experienced by the user can correspond to media presented to the user by an artificial-reality system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Young, Priyanshu Agarwal, Nicholas Colonnese, Amirhossein Hajiagha Memar
  • Patent number: 10534433
    Abstract: A haptic device is provided that includes a jamming assembly, anchored to the back of a user's hand, having (i) a jamming lever, (ii) an actuator to move the jamming lever from a first position to a second position different from the first position, and (iii) a slidable member configured to move back and forth in response to movement of a first of the user's fingers. The haptic device also includes an elongated element with opposing first and second end portions, where (i) the first end portion is anchored to a predefined portion of the user's first finger, and (ii) the second end portion is attached to an end portion of the slidable member. The jamming lever, when moved to the second position by the actuator, engages with a portion of the slidable member to prevent movement of the member, the elongated element, and the user's finger in a direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Priyanshu Agarwal, Nicholas Colonnese