Patents by Inventor Prafulla Masalkar
Prafulla Masalkar 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).
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Patent number: 8218237Abstract: Various embodiments related to rear-projection image display are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a projector for projecting an image and a screen configured to display the image. The screen comprises a filter layer having a light reception side and an image display side. The filter layer includes an array of trapezoidal transmissive elements and an array of trapezoidal absorption elements, where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal transmissive elements faces the light reception side of the filter layer, and where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal absorption elements faces the image display side of the filer layer.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2011Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Zhiqiang Liu, Prafulla Masalkar, Karlton Powell
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Patent number: 8169701Abstract: Various embodiments related to a rear projection display screen configured to reduce an intensity of light at a viewing angle at which the light is less likely to be viewed by a user are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a diffusing screen comprising a sheet-like structure transparent to one or more wavelengths of light. The sheet-like structure has a viewing surface and comprises a diffusing pattern configured to create destructive interference of a selected wavelength of light traveling in a direction normal to a plane of the viewing surface of the screen.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2011Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Prafulla Masalkar
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Patent number: 8136690Abstract: A vessel comprising a fluid-confining surface, a basal surface disposed below the fluid-confining surface, and a light guide. The light guide includes a first window partly defining the basal surface and a second window partly defining the fluid-confining surface, where the second window is disposed above a lowest region of the fluid-confining surface. In other embodiments, an isolating structure is provided that substantially surrounds the light guide between the first and second windows.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2009Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Yun Fang, David Michael Morelock, Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20120019789Abstract: Various embodiments related to rear-projection image display are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a projector for projecting an image and a screen configured to display the image. The screen comprises a filter layer having a light reception side and an image display side. The filter layer includes an array of trapezoidal transmissive elements and an array of trapezoidal absorption elements, where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal transmissive elements faces the light reception side of the filter layer, and where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal absorption elements faces the image display side of the filer layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2011Publication date: January 26, 2012Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Zhiqiang Liu, Prafulla Masalkar, Karlton Powell
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Publication number: 20110304281Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed for setting a depth camera light source operating temperature in a thermal tuning mode executed during a depth camera manufacturing process. One embodiment of a method includes illuminating a target with light from a light source at a plurality of light source temperatures; for each light source temperature, sensing an intensity of reflected light received at a light sensor through a light filter positioned intermediate the target and the light sensor; approximating a frequency response relationship between a light filter cutoff frequency and a light source emission wavelength based on a comparison of the sensed intensities and stored reference data; generating a temperature set point so that the light source emission wavelength does not overlap the light filter cutoff frequency by more than a predetermined overlap threshold; and programming a temperature controller to control the light source to the temperature set point during depth camera operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2010Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Scott McEldowney, Prafulla Masalkar, Yun Fang
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Publication number: 20110273673Abstract: Various embodiments related to a rear projection display screen configured to reduce an intensity of light at a viewing angle at which the light is less likely to be viewed by a user are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a diffusing screen comprising a sheet-like structure transparent to one or more wavelengths of light. The sheet-like structure has a viewing surface and comprises a diffusing pattern configured to create destructive interference of a selected wavelength of light traveling in a direction normal to a plane of the viewing surface of the screen.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2011Publication date: November 10, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventor: Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20110227879Abstract: The detection of ambient light on an optical touch-sensitive device is disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises capturing an image of at least a portion of a display screen with a camera located within the display device, and determined if ambient light in the image is at an acceptable level for display screen operation. Then, a visual representation is displayed representing whether the ambient light level is acceptable for display screen operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2011Publication date: September 22, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventor: Prafulla Masalkar
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Patent number: 8018442Abstract: Embodiments related to the calibration of an optical touch-sensitive display device are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises a method of calibrating an image sensor, wherein the method comprises placing a photoluminescent panel over the display surface, and illuminating a target location on the display surface with visible light. Infrared light that is emitted by the panel in response to the illumination of the display surface is received via the image sensor. The received light then is used to calibrate the device.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2008Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Nigel Keam, Prafulla Masalkar
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Patent number: 8004760Abstract: Various embodiments related to rear-projection image display are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a projector for projecting an image and a screen configured to display the image. The screen comprises a filter layer having a light reception side and an image display side. The filter layer includes an array of trapezoidal transmissive elements and an array of trapezoidal absorption elements, where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal transmissive elements faces the light reception side of the filter layer, and where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal absorption elements faces the image display side of the filer layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Zhiqiang Liu, Prafulla Masalkar, Karlton Powell
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Patent number: 8004759Abstract: Various embodiments related to a rear projection display screen configured to reduce an intensity of light at a viewing angle at which the light is less likely to be viewed by a user are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a diffusing screen comprising a sheet-like structure transparent to one or more wavelengths of light. The sheet-like structure has a viewing surface and comprises a diffusing pattern configured to create destructive interference of a selected wavelength of light traveling in a direction normal to a plane of the viewing surface of the screen.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Prafulla Masalkar
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Patent number: 7973779Abstract: The detection of ambient light on an optical touch-sensitive device is disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises capturing an image of at least a portion of a display screen with a camera located within the display device, and determined if ambient light in the image is at an acceptable level for display screen operation. Then, a visual representation is displayed representing whether the ambient light level is acceptable for display screen operation.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: July 5, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20110115747Abstract: Various embodiments related to infrared vision for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device are disclosed herein. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a display system, comprising an LCD device and a display backlight configured to illuminate the LCD device by directing visible light toward an interior surface of the LCD device. The display system further comprises a wavelength-selective reflector disposed between the display backlight and the LCD device and having a smooth surface facing the interior surface of the LCD device, where the wavelength-selective reflector has a wavelength-selective coating configured to cause incident visible light from the display backlight to be transmitted through the wavelength-selective reflector to the LCD device, and cause incident infrared light reflected from an object on or near an exterior surface of the LCD device to be reflected off of the wavelength-selective reflector and directed to an infrared vision subsystem.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2009Publication date: May 19, 2011Inventors: Karlton Powell, Zhiqiang Liu, Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20110096394Abstract: Various embodiments related to rear-projection image display are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a projector for projecting an image and a screen configured to display the image. The screen comprises a filter layer having a light reception side and an image display side. The filter layer includes an array of trapezoidal transmissive elements and an array of trapezoidal absorption elements, where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal transmissive elements faces the light reception side of the filter layer, and where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal absorption elements faces the image display side of the filer layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2009Publication date: April 28, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Zhiqiang Liu, Prafulla Masalkar, Karlton Powell
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Publication number: 20110043490Abstract: An integrated vision and display system comprises a display-image forming layer configured to transmit a display image for viewing through a display surface; an imaging detector configured to image infrared light of a narrow range of angles relative to the display surface normal and including a reflection from one or more objects on or near the display surface; a vision-system emitter configured to emit the infrared light for illuminating the objects; a visible- and infrared-transmissive light guide having opposing upper and/or lower face, configured to receive the infrared light from the vision-system emitter, to conduct the infrared light via TIR from the upper and lower faces, and to project the infrared light onto the objects outside of the narrow range of angles relative to the display surface normal.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2009Publication date: February 24, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Karlton Powell, Prafulla Masalkar, Timothy Large, Steven Bathiche
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Patent number: 7874495Abstract: Various embodiments of substantially visibly transparent optically readable tags are disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, a tag formed on a substrate comprises a first bit value structure that comprises a higher reflectance than transmittance at one or more infrared wavelengths and a higher transmittance than reflectance at one or more visible wavelengths, and a second bit value structure that comprises a higher absorbance than transmittance at one or more infrared wavelengths and a higher transmittance than absorbance at one or more visible wavelengths.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2008Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20100258575Abstract: A vessel comprising a fluid-confining surface, a basal surface disposed below the fluid-confining surface, and a light guide. The light guide includes a first window partly defining the basal surface and a second window partly defining the fluid-confining surface, where the second window is disposed above a lowest region of the fluid-confining surface. In other embodiments, an isolating structure is provided that substantially surrounds the light guide between the first and second windows.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2009Publication date: October 14, 2010Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Yun Fang, David Michael Morelock, Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20100195202Abstract: Various embodiments related to a rear projection display screen configured to reduce an intensity of light at a viewing angle at which the light is less likely to be viewed by a user are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a diffusing screen comprising a sheet-like structure transparent to one or more wavelengths of light. The sheet-like structure has a viewing surface and comprises a diffusing pattern configured to create destructive interference of a selected wavelength of light traveling in a direction normal to a plane of the viewing surface of the screen.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2009Publication date: August 5, 2010Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventor: Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20100073326Abstract: Embodiments related to the calibration of an optical touch-sensitive display device are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises a method of calibrating an image sensor, wherein the method comprises placing a photoluminescent panel over the display surface, and illuminating a target location on the display surface with visible light. Infrared light that is emitted by the panel in response to the illumination of the display surface is received via the image sensor. The received light then is used to calibrate the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2008Publication date: March 25, 2010Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Nigel Keam, Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20090309838Abstract: A rear projection display devices includes a diffusion layer having an interface surface configured to diffuse visible light, and a visible light projection subsystem configured to project a display image at the interface surface using the visible light to be diffused by the diffusion layer. The rear projection display devices may also include a light transmissive base configured to provide a support for the interface surface, and an infrared touch-sensing subsystem including an infrared light source configured to project infrared light at the base, and an infrared light detector configured to detect infrared light reflecting from the interface surface. Separation elements may be disposed between the diffusion layer and the base so as to maintain a separation between the diffusion layer and the base.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2008Publication date: December 17, 2009Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Manolito Adan, Bernard Schultz, Prafulla Masalkar
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Publication number: 20090200384Abstract: Various embodiments of substantially visibly transparent optically readable tags are disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, a tag formed on a substrate comprises a first bit value structure that comprises a higher reflectance than transmittance at one or more infrared wavelengths and a higher transmittance than reflectance at one or more visible wavelengths, and a second bit value structure that comprises a higher absorbance than transmittance at one or more infrared wavelengths and a higher transmittance than absorbance at one or more visible wavelengths.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2008Publication date: August 13, 2009Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventor: Prafulla Masalkar