Abstract: A user notification system and a computer input device, such as a mouse. The computer input device includes an illumination member that enables a user to quickly and accurately position the input device during poor lighting conditions and determine whether the computer is ON. The input device includes a housing and an illumination device that is supported by the housing. Illumination from the illumination device is visible when the input device is placed on a support surface. The illumination member is also used to notify the user if one or more of various events have occurred in a computer application being run on the computer. The notification information is presented to the user by changing the state of the illumination member. An example of event for notification includes the receipt of a message in a communications program such as an e-mail message.

Abstract: A method for displaying or capturing an image comprises directing an illumination beam onto a mirror of a highly resonant, mirror-mount system and applying a drive signal to a transducer to deflect the mirror. In this method, the drive signal has a pulse frequency approaching a resonance frequency of the mirror-mount system. The method further comprises reflecting the illumination beam off the mirror so that the illumination beam scans through an area where the image is to be displayed or captured, and, addressing each pixel of the image in synchronicity with the drive signal to display or capture the image.

Abstract: A touch-pressure sensitive panel includes a locally and resiliently deformable waveguide having an exterior surface for receiving localized touch pressure from a user, and a wetting surface opposite the exterior surface. The panel also includes a de-wettable layer presenting a de-wettable surface arranged beneath the wetting surface, such that the localized touch pressure reversibly increases localized optical wetting of the de-wettable surface by the wetting surface. The panel also includes an imaging detector configured to receive light coupled into the de-wettable layer due to the localized optical wetting.

Abstract: A docking station for an electronic device includes a magnet that holds the electronic device in a mated orientation relative to the docking station. The docking station may include a mounting surface with two or more different charge-contact regions, each charge-contact region electrically coupled to a terminal of an electric power source and positioned to form an electrical connection with a charging terminal of the electronic device when the electronic device mates with the mounting surface.

Abstract: A user notification system and a computer input device, such as a mouse. The computer input device includes an illumination member that enables a user to quickly and accurately position the input device during poor lighting conditions and determine whether the computer is ON. The input device includes a housing and an illumination device that is supported by the housing. Illumination from the illumination device is visible when the input device is placed on a support surface. The illumination member is also used to notify the user if one or more of various events have occurred in a computer application being run on the computer. The notification information is presented to the user by changing the state of the illumination member. An example of event for notification includes the receipt of a message in a communications program such as an e-mail message.

Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed that relate to scanning the direction of light emitted from optical collimators. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a system for scanning collimated light, the system comprising an optical wedge, a light injection system, and a controller. The optical wedge comprises a thin end, a thick end opposite the thin end, a viewing surface extending at least partially between the thick end and the thin end, and a back surface opposite the viewing surface. The thick end of the optical wedge further comprises an end reflector comprising a faceted lens structure. The light injection system is configured to inject light into the thin end of the optical wedge, and the controller is configured to control the location along the thin end of the optical wedge at which the light injection system injects light.

Abstract: Embodiments of optical collimators are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises an optical waveguide having a first end, a second end opposing the first end, a viewing surface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end, and a back surface opposing the viewing surface. The viewing surface comprises a first critical angle of internal reflection, and the back surface is configured to be reflective at the first critical angle of internal reflection. Further, a collimating end reflector comprising a faceted lens structure having a plurality of facets is disposed at the second end of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A sensor manager provides dynamic input fusion using thermal imaging to identify and segment a region of interest. Thermal overlay is used to focus heterogeneous sensors on regions of interest according to optimal sensor ranges and to reduce ambiguity of objects of interest. In one implementation, a thermal imaging sensor locates a region of interest that includes an object of interest within predetermined wavelengths. Based on the thermal imaging sensor input, the regions each of the plurality of sensors are focused on and the parameters each sensor employs to capture data from a region of interest are dynamically adjusted. The thermal imaging sensor input may be used during data pre-processing to dynamically eliminate or reduce unnecessary data and to dynamically focus data processing on sensor input corresponding to a region of interest.

Abstract: A detected region of interest is used to reduce the data processed by a capture device and/or transmitted by the capture device to a console, and/or to reduce power consumption by the capture device. Raw data from the one or more sensors is processed in the capture device to reduce data corresponding to regions outside the region of interest. Such a data reduces computational requirements, which conserves power. Operational parameters of the capture device are adjusted based on the region of interest mask. A field of view, the resolution, or the sensitivity of at least one of the sensors may be narrowed to focus resources on the region of interest. Adjusting the operational parameters of a sensor reduces the power consumption of the capture device and reduces data input. An illumination source may be adjusted to focus the illumination source on the region of interest to use less power.

Abstract: Embodiments related to identifying and displaying portions of video content taken from longer video content are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a portion of a video item is provided by receiving, for a video item, an emotional response profile for each viewer of a plurality of viewers, each emotional response profile comprising a temporal correlation of a particular viewer's emotional response to the video item when viewed by the particular viewer. The method further comprises selecting, using the emotional response profiles, a first portion of the video item judged to be more emotionally stimulating than a second portion of the video item, and sending the first portion of the video item to another computing device in response to a request for the first portion of the video item without sending the second portion of the video item.

Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed that relate to the presentation of video images in a presentation space via a head-mounted display. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises receiving viewer location data and orientation data from a location and orientation sensing system, and from the viewer location data and the viewer orientation data, locate a viewer in a presentation space, determine a direction in which the user is facing, and determine an orientation of the head-mounted display system. From the determined location, direction, and orientation, a presentation image is determined based upon a portion of and an orientation of a volumetric image mapped to the portion of the presentation space that is within the viewer's field of view. The presentation image is then sent to the head-mounted display.

Abstract: A “Concurrent Projector-Camera” uses an image projection device in combination with one or more cameras to enable various techniques that provide visually flicker-free projection of images or video, while real-time image or video capture is occurring in that same space. The Concurrent Projector-Camera provides this projection in a manner that eliminates video feedback into the real-time image or video capture. More specifically, the Concurrent Projector-Camera dynamically synchronizes a combination of projector lighting (or light-control points) on-state temporal compression in combination with on-state temporal shifting during each image frame projection to open a “capture time slot” for image capture during which no image is being projected. This capture time slot represents a tradeoff between image capture time and decreased brightness of the projected image.

Abstract: Embodiments related to providing video items to a plurality of viewers in a video viewing environment are provided. In one embodiment, the video item is provided by determining identities for each of the viewers from data received from video viewing environment sensors, obtaining the video item based on those identities, and sending the video item for display.

Abstract: A node device in a distributed virtual environment captures locational signals projected by another node device into a capture area of the node device and reflected from the capture area to a capture device of the node device. The location of the node device relative to the other node device is determined based on the captured locational signals. The determined location can be based on an angular relationship determined between the node device and the other node device based on the captured locational signals. The determined location can also be based on a relative distance determined between the node device and the other node device based on the captured locational signals. Topology of the capture area can also be detected by the node device, and topologies of multiple capture areas can be combined to define one or more surfaces in a virtual environment.

Abstract: A method for constructing a 3D representation of a subject comprises capturing, with a camera, a 2D image of the subject. The method further comprises scanning a modulated illumination beam over the subject to illuminate, one at a time, a plurality of target regions of the subject, and measuring a modulation aspect of light from the illumination beam reflected from each of the target regions. A moving-mirror beam scanner is used to scan the illumination beam, and a photodetector is used to measure the modulation aspect. The method further comprises computing a depth aspect based on the modulation aspect measured for each of the target regions, and associating the depth aspect with a corresponding pixel of the 2D image.

Abstract: A “Contact Discriminator” provides various techniques for differentiating between valid and invalid contacts received from any input methodology by one or more touch-sensitive surfaces of a touch-sensitive computing device. Examples of contacts include single, sequential, concurrent, or simultaneous user finger touches (including gesture type touches), pen or stylus touches or inputs, hover-type inputs, or any combination thereof. The Contact Discriminator then acts on valid contacts (i.e., contacts intended as inputs) while rejecting or ignoring invalid contacts or inputs. Advantageously, the Contact Discriminator is further capable of disabling or ignoring regions of input surfaces, such tablet touch screens, that are expected to receive unintentional contacts, or intentional contacts not intended as inputs, for device or application control purposes.

Abstract: A user notification system and a computer input device, such as a mouse. The computer input device includes an illumination member that enables a user to quickly and accurately position the input device during poor lighting conditions and determine whether the computer is ON. The input device includes a housing and an illumination device that is supported by the housing. Illumination from the illumination device is visible when the input device is placed on a support surface. The illumination member is also used to notify the user if one or more of various events have occurred in a computer application being run on the computer. The notification information is presented to the user by changing the state of the illumination member. An example of event for notification includes the receipt of a message in a communications program such as an e-mail message. The notification can make the illumination member blink as a function of the number of messages received.

Abstract: Embodiments of optical collimators are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises an optical waveguide having a first end, a second end opposing the first end, a viewing surface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end, and a back surface opposing the viewing surface. The viewing surface comprises a first critical angle of internal reflection, and the back surface is configured to be reflective at the first critical angle of internal reflection. Further, a collimating end reflector comprising a faceted lens structure having a plurality of facets is disposed at the second end of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A touch-pressure sensitive panel includes a locally and resiliently deformable waveguide having an exterior surface for receiving localized touch pressure from a user, and a wetting surface opposite the exterior surface. The panel also includes a de-wettable layer presenting a de-wettable surface arranged beneath the wetting surface, such that the localized touch pressure reversibly increases localized optical wetting of the de-wettable surface by the wetting surface. The panel also includes an imaging detector configured to receive light coupled into the de-wettable layer due to the localized optical wetting.

Abstract: Embodiments of optical collimators are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises an optical waveguide having a first end, a second end opposing the first end, a viewing surface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end, and a back surface opposing the viewing surface. The viewing surface comprises a first critical angle of internal reflection, and the back surface is configured to be reflective at the first critical angle of internal reflection. Further, a collimating end reflector comprising a faceted lens structure having a plurality of facets is disposed at the second end of the optical waveguide.