Patents by Inventor Thad Starner

Thad Starner 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: 9429990
    Abstract: Example methods and systems may be implemented by a wearable computer to utilize optical-flow analysis to recognize a predetermined user-action, such as selecting an object. An example method may involve a wearable computing device: (a) receiving video data from a video camera of a wearable computing device: (b) determining optical flow for the video data; (c) determining that an optical-flow differential exists at an area within the optical flow for the video data; and (d) responsive to determining that the optical-flow differential exists at the area: (i) identifying an object that is located at the area where the optical-flow differential exists; (ii) performing a search on the object; and (iii) causing a graphical display to display information that corresponds to results from the search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Thad Starner
  • Patent number: 9141194
    Abstract: A wearable computing device such as a head-mounted display (HMD) may be equipped with a magnetometer for detecting presence and motion of a hand-wearable magnet (HWM). The HMD may analyze magnetic field measurements of the magnetometer to determine when the HWM moves within a threshold distance of the magnetometer, and may thereafter determine one or more patterns of motion of the HWM based the magnetic field measurements. The HMD may operate in a background detection state in order to determine a background magnetic field strength and to monitor for magnetic disturbances from the HWM. Upon occurrence of a trigger event corresponding to magnetic disturbance above a threshold level, the HMD may transition to operating in a gesture detection state in which it analyzes magnetometer measurements for correspondence with known gestures. Upon recognizing a known gesture, the HMD may carry out one or more actions based on the recognized known gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Keyes, Michael Patrick Johnson, Thad Starner
  • Patent number: 8994613
    Abstract: Methods and systems for customizing user-experience of media content and providing content of interest to a user are provided. A computing device, such as a wearable user device having a head-mounted display (HMD) may receive media content and physiological data associated with a user experiencing the media content. The received physiological data may include one of a pupillary response, a galvanic skin response, an electrocardiographic response, an electroencephalographic response, a body temperature response, or a blood pressure response. The computing device may determine a portion of the media content which corresponds to the physiological data, and accordingly search for content of interest to the user. The content of interest may then be provided to the user, thereby customizing the user-experience of the user. The content of interest to the user may be displayed on a display of the wearable user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Johnson, Joshua Weaver, Thad Starner
  • Patent number: 8838708
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and devices for displaying one or more electronic communications associated with a meeting. A request to filter a plurality of electronic communications based on an identifier of a participant of the meeting is received at a computing device. The computing device filters the plurality of electronic communications, based at least on the identifier of the participant, to obtain at least one filtered electronic communication. The computing device generates a display of the at least one filtered electronic communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Rhodes, Thad Starner, Cliff L. Biffle
  • Publication number: 20120287123
    Abstract: Example methods and systems may be implemented by a wearable computer to utilize optical-flow analysis to recognize a predetermined user-action, such as selecting an object. An example method may involve a wearable computing device: (a) receiving video data from a video camera of a wearable computing device: (b) determining optical flow for the video data; (c) determining that an optical-flow differential exists at an area within the optical flow for the video data; and (d) responsive to determining that the optical-flow differential exists at the area: (i) identifying an object that is located at the area where the optical-flow differential exists; (ii) performing a search on the object; and (iii) causing a graphical display to display information that corresponds to results from the search.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Thad Starner
  • Patent number: 8209183
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to correcting errors are disclosed. Inputs having a plurality of input types can be received at a wearable computing device. A text string corresponding to the inputs can be generated using the wearable computing device. The text string can include a plurality of segments, where each segment can be associated with an input type. For a given segment of the text string, one or more corrected segments can be generated by applying an error-correction filter configured to correct errors based on an input type associated with the given segment and a location-sensitive context. At least one of the corrected segments can be displayed using the wearable computing device. A corrected segment can be selected using the wearable computing device. A corrected text string including the selected corrected segment can be displayed using the wearable computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Nirmal Patel, Thad Starner, Josh Weaver
  • Patent number: 8203605
    Abstract: Example methods and systems are disclosed that utilize optical-flow analysis to help recognize the performance of a predetermined user-action by a user of a wearable computer, such as a user-action for selecting an object within the user's view. An example method may involve a wearable computing device: (a) receiving a video from a video camera of a wearable computing device: (b) determining optical flow for the video; (c) determining that an optical-flow differential exists at an area within the optical flow for the video; and (d) responsive to determining that the optical-flow differential exists at the area within the optical flow: (i) identifying an object that is located at the area where the optical-flow differential exists; (ii) performing a search on the object that is located at the area where the optical-flow differential exists; and (iii) causing a graphical display to display information that corresponds to results from the search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Thad Starner
  • Publication number: 20110029849
    Abstract: A file browser output apparatus and method that may display contents two-dimensionally are provided. The file browser output apparatus sets a retrieval object, sets an arrangement condition associated with a time in one of a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, and sets an arrangement condition unassociated with time in the other axis. The file browser output apparatus displays retrieval object contents based on the arrangement condition of the horizontal axis and the arrangement condition of the vertical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicants: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nam Wook Kang, Nirmal Patel, Seung Eok Choi, In Sik Myung, Sin Ae Kim, James Clawson, Thad Starner
  • Publication number: 20100091104
    Abstract: The present invention discloses systems and methods for the measurement of surfaces. More particularly, the present invention discloses a portable, hand-held, non-contact surface measuring system comprising an image capturing element, at least four projectable reference elements positioned parallel to one another at known locations around the image capturing element, a processing unit, and a user interface. The present invention further discloses a method for the non-contact surface measurement comprising projecting at least four references onto a target surface, capturing an image of the targeted surface and the projected references with the image transferring device, transferring the image to a processing unit, processing the image using triangulation-based computer vision techniques to correct for skew and to obtain surface measurement data, transferring the data to the user interface, modifying the data with the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Sprigle, Thad Starner, Mark Duckworth, Nirmal J. Patel, Shawn M. Lankton
  • Patent number: 7048370
    Abstract: Magnetic mount auxiliary lenses with optional display system enabling user ease of removal, storage and fine tuning by adding or removing magnets in complimentary positive/negatively charged polar compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Charmed Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thad Starner, Dan Ashbrook
  • Publication number: 20050021679
    Abstract: Techniques and approaches that facilitate acquisition, transmission or retrieval of data for wearable devices are disclosed. These wearable devices are electronic devices, such as mobile computing devices or wireless communication devices, and are often small in scale and very portable. Wearable devices are able to communicate with one another to exchange information. Wearable devices are also able to exchange information with a portal server. Personal portals can also be provided for users of the wearable devices so that they can easily access information gather by their wearable device and subsequently transmitted to their personal portal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Alexander Lightman, Alex Pentland, Thad Starner, Jackson Pair, Kenneth Russell, Brian Jordan, Russell Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6757719
    Abstract: Techniques and approaches that facilitate acquisition, transmission or retrieval of data for wearable devices are disclosed. These wearable devices are electronic devices, such as mobile computing devices or wireless communication devices, and are often small in scale and very portable. Wearable devices are able to communicate with one another to exchange information. Wearable devices are also able to exchange information with a portal server. Personal portals can also be provided for users of the wearable devices so that they can easily access information gather by their wearable device and subsequently transmitted to their personal portal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Charmed.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Lightman, Alex Paul Pentland, Thad Starner, Jackson Jarrell Pair, Kenneth Russell, Brian L. Jordan, Russell Eugene Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6711414
    Abstract: Techniques and approaches that enable wireless communication devices, namely, wearable devices, to assist users in new ways by interacting with other devices or surroundings to notify users of things that would be of interest to users. In one aspect of the invention, wearable devices display information for users in response to surrounding signals. The surrounding signals can come from a nearby wireless transceiver that may be included in another wearable device, a terminal device or an isolated device provided in a setting. In another aspect of the invention, wireless communication or computing devices (e.g., wearable devices) can interact and perform social filtering. The users of the devices can then be suitably notified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Charmed Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Lightman, Thad Starner
  • Publication number: 20020089639
    Abstract: Magnetic mount auxiliary lenses with optional display system enabling user ease of removal, storage and fine tuning by adding or removing magnets in complimentary positive/negatively charged polar compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Thad Starner, Dan Starner