Patents by Inventor SCOTT NIETFELD

SCOTT NIETFELD 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: 11167213
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a controller body having a handle portion, a tracking arc that is fixed to the controller body, and a hand retainer configured to physically bias a user's palm against an outside surface of the handle portion. A plurality of tracking sensors is disposed in the tracking arc, and are responsive to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electronic system. An array of proximity sensors are spatially distributed around the outer surface of the handle portion, and are responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outside surface of the handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Scott Nietfeld, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
  • Patent number: 10898796
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a tracking member fixed to a controller body. The controller body has a head that adjoins a handle at a neck region, and that includes at least one thumb-operated control. The controller includes a hand retainer that in a closed position is configured to physically bias the user's palm against an outer surface of the handle. The hand retainer includes a resilient member that biases the hand retainer towards an open position. The resilient member is attached to an anchor that is attached to the head by an adjustment mechanism that permits the resilient member to be moved towards or away from the user's purlicue. The tracking member includes transducers that are coupled to the electronic system by electromagnetic radiation. Proximity sensors, spatially distributed on the handle, are responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outer surface of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
  • Patent number: 10874939
    Abstract: A controller includes a body having a handle, and an array of proximity sensors spatially distributed on, in, beneath, or near the outer surface of the handle, responsive to a proximity of a user's fingers to that outer surface. A finger tracker converts the output of the array of proximity sensors to a set of joint angles corresponding to a plurality of the user's fingers. The controller may include a renderer for processing the joint angles to deform a hand mesh that is rendered for display. Values may be calculated to facilitate normalization of the output of the proximity sensor array and thereby generate a set of normalized finger detection data. This data may be processed through curl logic to produce a linear estimate of gross finger curl with respect to the user and thereby generate a set of estimates for a plurality of finger joint angles for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Nietfeld, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
  • Patent number: 10549183
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a controller body having a head and a handle, and a tracking member that is fixed to the controller body. The head includes at least one thumb-operated control, and the handle has a tubular housing that is partially wrapped by an outer shell. The controller includes a hand retainer configured to physically bias the user's palm against the outer shell. A first plurality of tracking transducers is disposed in the tracking member, the first plurality of tracking sensors being coupled with the electronic system via electromagnetic radiation. An array of proximity sensors is spatially distributed on the outer shell, the array of proximity sensors being responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
  • Publication number: 20190344173
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a controller body having a handle portion, a tracking arc that is fixed to the controller body, and a hand retainer configured to physically bias a user's palm against an outside surface of the handle portion. A plurality of tracking sensors is disposed in the tracking arc, and are responsive to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electronic system. An array of proximity sensors are spatially distributed around the outer surface of the handle portion, and are responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outside surface of the handle portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Scott Nietfeld, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
  • Patent number: 10391400
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a controller body having a handle portion, a tracking arc that is fixed to the controller body, and a hand retainer configured to physically bias a user's palm against an outside surface of the handle portion. A plurality of tracking sensors is disposed in the tracking arc, and are responsive to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electronic system. An array of proximity sensors are spatially distributed around the outer surface of the handle portion, and are responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outside surface of the handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Scott Nietfeld, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
  • Publication number: 20190232160
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a tracking member fixed to a controller body. The controller body has a head that adjoins a handle at a neck region, and that includes at least one thumb-operated control. The controller includes a hand retainer that in a closed position is configured to physically bias the user's palm against an outer surface of the handle. The hand retainer includes a resilient member that biases the hand retainer towards an open position. The resilient member is attached to an anchor that is attached to the head by an adjustment mechanism that permits the resilient member to be moved towards or away from the user's purlicue. The tracking member includes transducers that are coupled to the electronic system by electromagnetic radiation. Proximity sensors, spatially distributed on the handle, are responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outer surface of the handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
  • Patent number: 10307669
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a tracking member fixed to a controller body. The controller body has a head that adjoins a handle at a neck region, and that includes at least one thumb-operated control. The controller includes a hand retainer that in a closed position is configured to physically bias the user's palm against an outer surface of the handle. The hand retainer includes a resilient member that biases the hand retainer towards an open position. The resilient member is attached to an anchor that is attached to the head by an adjustment mechanism that permits the resilient member to be moved towards or away from the user's purlicue. The tracking member includes transducers that are coupled to the electronic system by electromagnetic radiation. Proximity sensors, spatially distributed on the handle, are responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outer surface of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
  • Publication number: 20180361234
    Abstract: A controller includes a body having a handle, and an array of proximity sensors spatially distributed on, in, beneath, or near the outer surface of the handle, responsive to a proximity of a user's fingers to that outer surface. A finger tracker converts the output of the array of proximity sensors to a set of joint angles corresponding to a plurality of the user's fingers. The controller may include a renderer for processing the joint angles to deform a hand mesh that is rendered for display. Values may be calculated to facilitate normalization of the output of the proximity sensor array and thereby generate a set of normalized finger detection data. This data may be processed through curl logic to produce a linear estimate of gross finger curl with respect to the user and thereby generate a set of estimates for a plurality of finger joint angles for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: VALVE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott Nietfeld, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
  • Publication number: 20180104576
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a controller body having a head and a handle, and a tracking member that is fixed to the controller body. The head includes at least one thumb-operated control, and the handle has a tubular housing that is partially wrapped by an outer shell. The controller includes a hand retainer configured to physically bias the user's palm against the outer shell. A first plurality of tracking transducers is disposed in the tracking member, the first plurality of tracking sensors being coupled with the electronic system via electromagnetic radiation. An array of proximity sensors is spatially distributed on the outer shell, the array of proximity sensors being responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outer shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: VALVE CORPORATION
    Inventors: ERIC JAMES HOPE, SCOTT NIETFELD, CARL CONLEE, SCOTT RICHARD BRITT, JEFFREY WALTER MUCHA, JEFFREY GEORGE LEINBAUGH, JEREMY SLOCUM
  • Publication number: 20180099219
    Abstract: A controller for an electronic system includes a tracking member fixed to a controller body. The controller body has a head that adjoins a handle at a neck region, and that includes at least one thumb-operated control. The controller includes a hand retainer that in a closed position is configured to physically bias the user's palm against an outer surface of the handle. The hand retainer includes a resilient member that biases the hand retainer towards an open position. The resilient member is attached to an anchor that is attached to the head by an adjustment mechanism that permits the resilient member to be moved towards or away from the user's purlicue. The tracking member includes transducers that are coupled to the electronic system by electromagnetic radiation. Proximity sensors, spatially distributed on the handle, are responsive to a proximity of the user's fingers to the outer surface of the handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Applicant: VALVE CORPORATION
    Inventors: ERIC JAMES HOPE, SCOTT NIETFELD, CARL CONLEE, SCOTT RICHARD BRITT, JEFFREY WALTER MUCHA, JEFFREY GEORGE LEINBAUGH, JEREMY SLOCUM