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).
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Patent number: 11167213Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 23, 2019Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Valve CorporationInventors: Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Scott Nietfeld, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
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Patent number: 10898796Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 5, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Valve CorporationInventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
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Patent number: 10874939Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 15, 2018Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Valve CorporationInventors: Scott Nietfeld, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
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Patent number: 10549183Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 7, 2017Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Valve CorporationInventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
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Publication number: 20190344173Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2019Publication date: November 14, 2019Inventors: Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Scott Nietfeld, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
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Patent number: 10391400Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 17, 2017Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Valve CorporationInventors: Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Scott Nietfeld, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
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Publication number: 20190232160Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Inventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
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Patent number: 10307669Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 7, 2017Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: Valve CorporationInventors: Eric James Hope, Scott Nietfeld, Carl Conlee, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Jeremy Slocum
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Publication number: 20180361234Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2018Publication date: December 20, 2018Applicant: VALVE CORPORATIONInventors: Scott Nietfeld, Jeffrey George Leinbaugh, Eric James Hope, Philip Bryan, Scott Richard Britt, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Claire Michelle Gottschalk, Jeremy Slocum
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Publication number: 20180104576Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2017Publication date: April 19, 2018Applicant: VALVE CORPORATIONInventors: ERIC JAMES HOPE, SCOTT NIETFELD, CARL CONLEE, SCOTT RICHARD BRITT, JEFFREY WALTER MUCHA, JEFFREY GEORGE LEINBAUGH, JEREMY SLOCUM
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Publication number: 20180099219Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2017Publication date: April 12, 2018Applicant: VALVE CORPORATIONInventors: ERIC JAMES HOPE, SCOTT NIETFELD, CARL CONLEE, SCOTT RICHARD BRITT, JEFFREY WALTER MUCHA, JEFFREY GEORGE LEINBAUGH, JEREMY SLOCUM