Patents by Inventor Stuart James Myron NICHOLSON
Stuart James Myron NICHOLSON 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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Publication number: 20220269083Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for accommodating multiple sets of laser light sources in an optical engine of a display system such as a laser projection system are described. Laser light beams may be combined via wavelength-, polarization-, and/or angular-separation-based techniques. First and second sets of laser light beams may be angularly separated such that different sets of partially overlapping pixels are projected by the system, thereby increasing the display pixel density and/or an expanding the field of view of the display. One or more laser die may be mounted to each submount of the optical engine. For embodiments with two laser dies on each submount, collimating lenses may introduce angular separation between laser light beams output by each pair of commonly mounted laser dies. A retroreflector prism may be disposed at a beam combiner to provide a compact extension of the optical path through the beam combiner.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Daniel Adema, Stuart James Myron Nicholson
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Publication number: 20220271836Abstract: There is provided a method including receiving an incoming ID at a first wearable heads-up display (WHUD), which incoming ID is associated with a communicant device. The method also includes sending match data from the first WHUD to a match engine. The match data includes a first WHUD ID and the incoming ID. Moreover, the method includes receiving a match indicator at the first WHUD from the match engine. The match indicator is to indicate a match event between the first WHUD and the communicant device based on the match data. Furthermore, the method includes effecting communication between the first WHUD and the communicant device comprising at least one of sending a message from the first WHUD to the communicant device and receiving at the first WHUD a corresponding message from the communicant device. The first WHUD, and a method of operating the match engine are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Ido Raveh, Stuart James Myron Nicholson
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Publication number: 20220270571Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for generating, processing, assembling, and/or formatting data for display are described. Example display controllers are described in which image data is stored in a framebuffer, and a compositor selectively retrieves portions of the image data. At least one P-operator produces lines of intermediate P-operated data by performing at least one intra-line operation on the image data retrieved by the compositor, such as repeating or reordering pixels of the image data. A Q-operator produces a stream of pixel data by performing inter-line operations on the intermediate P-operated data, such as interpolating between lines of the P-operated data. A display is driven according to the stream of pixel data.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Isaac James Deroche, Jerrold Richard Randell, Lai Pong Wong, Chris Brown
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Publication number: 20220269091Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods provide for the prevention of laser light escaping a foldable wearable heads-up display (WHUD) when the WHUD is folded. For a WHUD that adopts the form factor of conventional eyeglasses or sunglasses, enabling the WHUD to fold “like glasses” can cause an interruption in the optical path of display light and enable display light to escape into the external environment. This can be hazardous when laser light is used to provide display light. Systems, devices, and methods that automatically detect, sense, and/or respond to the fold configuration state of a WHUD are described. When the WHUD is unfolded a laser-based display operates normally. When the WHUD is folded the laser-based display is disabled to prevent laser light from projecting out of the WHUD through the folded region. Proximity sensors and laser light containing mechanisms also may be employed as alternative or supplementary safety elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Andrew S. Logan
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Publication number: 20220269084Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for accommodating multiple sets of laser light sources in an optical engine of a display system such as a laser projection system are described. Laser light beams may be combined via wavelength-, polarization-, and/or angular-separation-based techniques. First and second sets of laser light beams may be angularly separated such that different sets of partially overlapping pixels are projected by the system, thereby increasing the display pixel density and/or an expanding the field of view of the display. One or more laser die may be mounted to each submount of the optical engine. For embodiments with two laser dies on each submount, collimating lenses may introduce angular separation between laser light beams output by each pair of commonly mounted laser dies. A retroreflector prism may be disposed at a beam combiner to provide a compact extension of the optical path through the beam combiner.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Daniel Adema, Stuart James Myron Nicholson
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Publication number: 20220269077Abstract: A laser projection system utilizes a waveguide having a narrow incoupler for double-bounce mitigation and form factor reduction. An optical scanner includes an optical relay positioned in between two scan mirrors. The first scan mirror scans laser light into the optical relay in a first dimension, and the optical relay and converges the scanned laser light towards a second scan mirror. The second scan mirror scans laser light along a second dimension substantially perpendicular to a path over which the laser light is scanned across the second scan mirror, and the convergence introduced by the optical relay causes the laser light to be scanned as a line or arc path of an exit pupil plane that is coincident with the incoupler. The optical relay may include one or more lenses or may be a monolithic molded structure, which may be an Offner-style relay or a molded reflective relay.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Daniel Adema, Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Ian Andrews
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Patent number: 11347062Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a wearable heads-up display (WHUD). The WHUD may include a light source, a spatial modulator, and a display optic. The method may include generating, by the light source, an output light to form an image viewable by a user of the WHUD. The method may also include receiving a position of a pupil of the user relative to an eyebox of the WHUD, and obtaining an image correction map based on the position of the pupil. Moreover, the method may include adjusting the output light to form an adjusted output light. The adjusted output light may be adjusted based on the image correction map to reduce at least one of an intensity non-uniformity and a color balance non-uniformity of the image. The method may also include directing, by the display optic, the adjusted output light into a field of view of the user.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2020Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Timothy Paul Bodiya, Shreyas Potnis, Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Bergen Fletcher
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Publication number: 20220057637Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for eyebox expansion in wearable heads-up displays (“WHUDs”) are described. The WHUDs described herein each include a projector and an optical waveguide positioned in an optical path between the projector and an eye of the user. For any given light signal from the projector, the optical waveguide receives the light signal at an input coupler and outputs multiple instances or copies of the light signal from multiple discrete, spatially-separated output couplers. The multiple instances or copies of the light signal may be converged by the optical waveguide directly to respective exit pupils at the user's eye or may be routed by the optical waveguide to a holographic combiner in the user's field of view from which the light signals may be converged to respective exit pupils at the user's eye. The optical waveguide employs exit pupil replication to expand the eyebox of the WHUD.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Timothy Paul Bodiya, Stefan Alexander
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Publication number: 20220030203Abstract: There is provided a method including obtaining an initial spatial coordinate of a pixel of an image to be projected. The method may also include generating a pre-warped spatial coordinate associated with the initial spatial coordinate. The pre-warped spatial coordinate may be calculated as a sum of a value of a warp path function at the initial spatial coordinate and a delta. Moreover, the method may include outputting the pre-warped spatial coordinate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2021Publication date: January 27, 2022Inventors: Isaac James Deroche, Lai Pong Wong, Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Jerrold Richard Randell, Dustin Griesdorf
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Patent number: 11175506Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for eyebox expansion in wearable heads-up displays (“WHUDs”) are described. The WHUDs described herein each include a projector and an optical waveguide positioned in an optical path between the projector and an eye of the user. For any given light signal from the projector, the optical waveguide receives the light signal at an input coupler and outputs multiple instances or copies of the light signal from multiple discrete, spatially-separated output couplers. The multiple instances or copies of the light signal may be converged by the optical waveguide directly to respective exit pupils at the user's eye or may be routed by the optical waveguide to a holographic combiner in the user's field of view from which the light signals may be converged to respective exit pupils at the user's eye. The optical waveguide employs exit pupil replication to expand the eyebox of the WHUD.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2018Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Timothy Paul Bodiya, Stefan Alexander
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Patent number: 11153539Abstract: There is provided a method including obtaining an initial spatial coordinate of a pixel of an image to be projected. The method may also include generating a pre-warped spatial coordinate associated with the initial spatial coordinate. The pre-warped spatial coordinate may be calculated as a sum of a value of a warp path function at the initial spatial coordinate and a delta. Moreover, the method may include outputting the pre-warped spatial coordinate.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Isaac James Deroche, Lai Pong Wong, Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Jerrold Richard Randell, Dustin Griesdorf
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Patent number: 11143861Abstract: There is provided a wearable heads-up display (WHUD) having a laser projector to generate a display image. The display image can have a pixel having a pixel on-time. Furthermore, the laser projector can have a laser diode to emit laser light. The WHUD can also include a controller communicatively coupled to the laser diode. The controller can modulate the laser diode during the pixel on-time to be off during a laser off-time of the pixel on-time and on during a laser on-time of the pixel on-time. Moreover, the WHUD can include a holographic optical element to receive the laser light from the laser projector and redirect the laser light towards an eye of a user of the WHUD.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: Google LLCInventor: Stuart James Myron Nicholson
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Patent number: 11126000Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for increasing resolution in wearable heads-up displays (WHUD) are described. A WHUD includes a support structure, a scanning laser projector (SLP), a fold mirror, a split mirror, an optical splitter, and an optical combiner. When the WHUD is worn on the head of a user, the optical combiner is positioned in a field of view of the user. The SLP scans light signals onto the fold mirror which reflects light onto one of at least two reflective surfaces of the split mirror, based on a state of the fold mirror. The split mirror redirects the light signals onto the optical splitter, which, in turn, redirects the light signals towards the optical combiner. The optical combiner redirects the light signals to the eye at exit pupils containing the full usable resolution of the SLP.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2020Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Google LLCInventor: Stuart James Myron Nicholson
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Publication number: 20210109353Abstract: A wearable heads-up display includes a power source, laser sources, and a lightguide. A photodetector is positioned to detect an intensity of a test light emitted at a perimeter of the lightguide from an optical path within the lightguide. A laser safety circuit provides a control to reduce or shut off a supply of electrical power from the power source to the laser sources in response to an output signal from the photodetector indicating that the detected intensity is below a threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Inventors: Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Timothy Paul Bodiya
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Publication number: 20200404229Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for driving projectors are described. The actual area projected over by a laser projector for a given pixel may not exactly match a desired projection area for the pixel, especially at edge regions of an image. In the present systems, devices, and methods, projection data is provided for at least one image to be projected by a laser projector. The projection data can include sets of alternative data sections at edge regions of the at least one image, effectively increasing resolution for the edge regions of the image. Depending on a projection pattern being used by a laser projector at a given time, select alternative data sections can be projected which closely match the actual area covered by the projection pattern, improving image quality.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2020Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Isaac James Deroche, Jerrold Richard Randell
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Publication number: 20200404225Abstract: There is provided a method including obtaining an initial spatial coordinate of a pixel of an image to be projected. The method may also include generating a pre-warped spatial coordinate associated with the initial spatial coordinate. The pre-warped spatial coordinate may be calculated as a sum of a value of a warp path function at the initial spatial coordinate and a delta. Moreover, the method may include outputting the pre-warped spatial coordinate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2020Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Isaac James Deroche, Lai Pong Wong, Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Jerrold Richard Randell, Dustin Griesdorf
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Publication number: 20200249483Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for increasing resolution in wearable heads-up displays (WHUD) are described. A WHUD includes a support structure, a scanning laser projector (SLP), a fold mirror, a split mirror, an optical splitter, and an optical combiner. When the WHUD is worn on the head of a user, the optical combiner is positioned in a field of view of the user. The SLP scans light signals onto the fold mirror which reflects light onto one of at least two reflective surfaces of the split mirror, based on a state of the fold mirror. The split mirror redirects the light signals onto the optical splitter, which, in turn, redirects the light signals towards the optical combiner. The optical combiner redirects the light signals to the eye at exit pupils containing the full usable resolution of the SLP.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventor: Stuart James Myron Nicholson
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Publication number: 20200225481Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a wearable heads-up display (WHUD). The WHUD may include a light source, a spatial modulator, and a display optic. The method may include generating, by the light source, an output light to form an image viewable by a user of the WHUD. The method may also include receiving a position of a pupil of the user relative to an eyebox of the WHUD, and obtaining an image correction map based on the position of the pupil. Moreover, the method may include adjusting the output light to form an adjusted output light. The adjusted output light may be adjusted based on the image correction map to reduce at least one of an intensity non-uniformity and a color balance non-uniformity of the image. The method may also include directing, by the display optic, the adjusted output light into a field of view of the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2020Publication date: July 16, 2020Inventors: Timothy Paul Bodiya, Shreyas Potnis, Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Bergen Fletcher
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Publication number: 20200026069Abstract: There is provided a wearable heads-up display (WHUD) having a laser projector to generate a display image. The display image can have a pixel having a pixel on-time. Furthermore, the laser projector can have a laser diode to emit laser light. The WHUD can also include a controller communicatively coupled to the laser diode. The controller can modulate the laser diode during the pixel on-time to be off during a laser off-time of the pixel on-time and on during a laser on-time of the pixel on-time. Moreover, the WHUD can include a holographic optical element to receive the laser light from the laser projector and redirect the laser light towards an eye of a user of the WHUD.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventor: Stuart James Myron Nicholson
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Publication number: 20190094549Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for eyebox expansion in wearable heads-up displays (“WHUDs”) are described. The WHUDs described herein each include a projector and an optical waveguide positioned in an optical path between the projector and an eye of the user. For any given light signal from the projector, the optical waveguide receives the light signal at an input coupler and outputs multiple instances or copies of the light signal from multiple discrete, spatially-separated output couplers. The multiple instances or copies of the light signal may be converged by the optical waveguide directly to respective exit pupils at the user's eye or may be routed by the optical waveguide to a holographic combiner in the user's field of view from which the light signals may be converged to respective exit pupils at the user's eye. The optical waveguide employs exit pupil replication to expand the eyebox of the WHUD.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2018Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: Stuart James Myron Nicholson, Timothy Paul Bodiya, Stefan Alexander