Patents by Inventor Nicholas William Melena

Nicholas William Melena 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: 11984061
    Abstract: Systems and methods for varying an intensity of pixels of displays are provided. A display subsystem may include a display driver for receiving image frame data and commands from an image or data source, including pixel intensity values for bit planes of an image frame; a parser for receiving the image frame data and the commands, and configured to determine a drive waveform having an pixel drive value and a pixel drive time interval for each bit plane of the image frame data; a display backplane for receiving the drive waveform, the display backplane including a pixel array comprising an array of pixels, each pixel driven by a pixel circuit; and display driver circuitry for driving the pixels in accordance with the drive waveform; and wherein an intensity of the pixel varies for each bit plane according to the pixel drive value and the pixel drive time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Kyles, Nicholas William Melena, Edmund Passon, Joshua T. Wiersma
  • Patent number: 11955053
    Abstract: Systems and methods for varying an intensity of pixels of displays are provided. A display subsystem may include a display driver for receiving image frame data and commands from an image or data source, including pixel intensity values for bit planes of an image frame; a parser for receiving the image frame data and the commands, and configured to determine a drive waveform having an pixel drive value and a pixel drive time interval for each bit plane of the image frame data; a display backplane for receiving the drive waveform, the display backplane including a pixel array comprising an array of pixels, each pixel driven by a pixel circuit; and display driver circuitry for driving the pixels in accordance with the drive waveform; and wherein an intensity of the pixel varies for each bit plane according to the pixel drive value and the pixel drive time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Kyles, Nicholas William Melena, Edmund Passon, Joshua T. Wiersma
  • Publication number: 20230408824
    Abstract: Optical display engines with reduced size and/or increased efficiency for Augmented Reality (AR) and near-eye devices that incorporate LED, microLED, and/or OLED displays. Example optical systems provide different light paths for polarized (or split unpolarized) light, with recombining oppositely polarized light corresponding to different image portions/channels, in a compact system using polarized beam splitters, quarter wave plates, half wave plates, and reflective elements such as curved mirrors or reflective lenses, resulting in high optical power. Images and/or portions thereof are presented at multiple observation planes to project a more realistic synthetic image, and at different angular resolutions to enable creation of a large composite field of view with high apparent resolution from a single small and efficient display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Joshua T. Wiersma, Nicholas William Melena
  • Publication number: 20230350247
    Abstract: A system includes a spatial light modulator comprising a first substrate, a second. substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spatial light modulator is characterized by a first retardation and a first phase retardation and has a first slow axis for light propagation. A voltage source is configured to apply a drive voltage to the spatial light modulator is a function of the drive voltage. A retarder is positioned external to the spatial light modulator and is characterized by a second retardation and a second phase retardation. The retarder includes a second slow axis for light propagation. The second retardation has a value such that all illumination wavelengths in a set of illumination wavelengths are above or below a phase retardation value of 0.25. The set of illumination wavelengths includes at least one illumination wavelength in each of at least three different color spectrums.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Nicholas William Melena, Terry James Scheffer
  • Patent number: 11782315
    Abstract: A system includes a spatial light modulator comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spatial light modulator is characterized by a first retardation and a first phase retardation and has a first slow axis for light propagation. A voltage source is configured to apply a drive voltage to the spatial light modulator and the first retardation of the spatial light modulator is a function of the drive voltage. A retarder is positioned external to the spatial light modulator and is characterized by a second retardation and a second phase retardation. The retarder includes a second slow axis for light propagation. The second retardation has a value such that all illumination wavelengths in a set of illumination wavelengths are above or below a phase retardation value of 0.25. The set of illumination wavelengths includes at least one illumination wavelength in each of at least three different color spectrums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas William Melena, Terry James Scheffer
  • Patent number: 11733565
    Abstract: A system includes a spatial light modulator comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spatial light modulator is characterized by a first retardation and a first phase retardation and has a first slow axis for light propagation. A voltage source is configured to apply a drive voltage to the spatial light modulator and the first retardation of the spatial light modulator is a function of the drive voltage. A retarder is positioned external to the spatial light modulator and is characterized by a second retardation and a second phase retardation. The retarder includes a second slow axis for light propagation. The second retardation has a value such that all illumination wavelengths in a set of illumination wavelengths are above or below a phase retardation value of 0.25. The set of illumination wavelengths includes at least one illumination wavelength in each of at least three different color spectrums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas William Melena, Terry James Scheffer
  • Publication number: 20230022217
    Abstract: Systems and methods for varying an intensity of pixels of displays are provided. A display subsystem may include a display driver for receiving image frame data and commands from an image or data source, including pixel intensity values for bit planes of an image frame; a parser for receiving the image frame data and the commands, and configured to determine a drive waveform having an pixel drive value and a pixel drive time interval for each bit plane of the image frame data; a display backplane for receiving the drive waveform, the display backplane including a pixel array comprising an array of pixels, each pixel driven by a pixel circuit; and display driver circuitry for driving the pixels in accordance with the drive waveform; and wherein an intensity of the pixel varies for each bit plane according to the pixel drive value and the pixel drive time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Ian Kyles, Nicholas William Melena, Edmund Passon, Joshua T. Wiersma
  • Publication number: 20220050332
    Abstract: A system includes a spatial light modulator comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spatial light modulator is characterized by a first retardation and a first phase retardation and has a first slow axis for light propagation. A voltage source is configured to apply a drive voltage to the spatial light modulator and the first retardation of the spatial light modulator is a function of the drive voltage. A retarder is positioned external to the spatial light modulator and is characterized by a second retardation and a second phase retardation. The retarder includes a second slow axis for light propagation. The second retardation has a value such that all illumination wavelengths in a set of illumination wavelengths are above or below a phase retardation value of 0.25. The set of illumination wavelengths includes at least one illumination wavelength in each of at least three different color spectrums.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2019
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Nicholas William Melena, Terry James Scheffer