Patents by Inventor Wolf Kienzle

Wolf Kienzle 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: 11941174
    Abstract: The disclosed system may include a support structure dimensioned for a user's hand. The system may also include transmitting electrodes coupled to a first finger portion of the support structure and may further include receiving electrodes coupled to a second, different finger portion of the support structure. The system may also include a controller that is coupled to the support structure and that is communicatively connected to the transmitting and receiving electrodes. The controller may also be configured to cause the transmitting electrodes to transmit a signal, detect at least some of the transmitted signal at the receiving electrodes and, based on the detected signal, determine that at least two fingers of the user's hand are touching each other. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shiu Sang Ng, Yanjun Ma, Wolf Kienzle, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 11630520
    Abstract: A system for vibration-driven sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include a vibration sensor that is incorporated into the wearable and generates an electrical response that corresponds to a vibration detected at the wearable. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor. The processing device may determine, based at least in part on the electrical response generated by the vibration sensor, that the user has made a specific gesture with at least one body part. In response to this determination, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the specific gesture made by the user. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hrvoje Benko, Wolf Kienzle, Neil Weiss, Yu-Te Wang, Yanjun Ma, David R Perek
  • Patent number: 11599193
    Abstract: The disclosed system may include a support structure dimensioned for a user's hand. The system may also include transmitting electrodes coupled to a first finger portion of the support structure and may further include receiving electrodes coupled to a second, different finger portion of the support structure. The system may also include a controller that is coupled to the support structure and that is communicatively connected to the transmitting and receiving electrodes. The controller may also be configured to cause the transmitting electrodes to transmit a signal, detect at least some of the transmitted signal at the receiving electrodes and, based on the detected signal, determine that at least two fingers of the user's hand are touching each other. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Shiu Sang Ng, Yanjun Ma, Wolf Kienzle, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 11531389
    Abstract: A system may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include an energy measuring device incorporated into the wearable. The energy measuring device may measure an electrical energy differential between a body of the user and a surface. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device. The processing device may detect, based at least in part on the electrical energy differential measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface. In response to this detection, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Whitmire, Wolf Kienzle, David R Perek, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 11488361
    Abstract: The disclosed wearable may include (1) a plurality of electrodes dimensioned to interface with a skin surface of a user of an artificial reality system, wherein the electrodes are spaced a known distance from one another, (2) a signal generator communicatively coupled to one of the electrodes, wherein the signal generator injects a test signal into the skin surface of the user via the one of the electrodes, (3) at least one sensor communicatively coupled to another one of the electrodes, wherein the sensor measures the test signal as received by the another one of the electrodes, and (4) at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the processing device determines a current impedance of the skin surface based at least in part on the known distance and the measurement of the test signal. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shiu Sang Ng, Yanjun Ma, Wolf Kienzle, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 11366527
    Abstract: A system for vibration-driven sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include a vibration sensor that is incorporated into the wearable and generates an electrical response that corresponds to a vibration detected at the wearable. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor. The processing device may determine, based at least in part on the electrical response generated by the vibration sensor, that the user has made a specific gesture with at least one body part. In response to this determination, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the specific gesture made by the user. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hrvoje Benko, Wolf Kienzle, Neil Weiss, Yu-Te Wang, Yanjun Ma, David R. Perek
  • Publication number: 20220137625
    Abstract: Signals usable to determine a path of a vehicle towards a particular stopping point in a vicinity of a destination are detected from an individual authorized to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle. Based at least in part on the signals and a data set pertaining to the external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path are identified. A directive is transmitted to a motion control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate one of the vehicular movements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott M. Herz, Sawyer I. Cohen, Samuel B. Gooch, Wolf Kienzle, Karlin Y. Bark, Jack J. Wanderman
  • Patent number: 11287885
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position of artificial reality wearables may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The apparatus may also include a sensor incorporated into the wearable. The sensor may detect physical interactions between the wearable and at least one specific body part of the user. The apparatus may further include a processing device communicatively coupled to the sensor. The processing device may determine, based at least in part on one or more physical interactions between the wearable and the specific body part of the user, a change in a position of the wearable relative to the specific body part of the user. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wolf Kienzle, Hrvoje Benko, Joseph Davis Greer, Tristan Thomas Trutna, Raymond King, Yanjun Ma
  • Patent number: 11226625
    Abstract: Signals usable to determine a path of a vehicle towards a particular stopping point in a vicinity of a destination are detected from an individual authorized to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle. Based at least in part on the signals and a data set pertaining to the external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path are identified. A directive is transmitted to a motion control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate one of the vehicular movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott M. Herz, Sawyer I. Cohen, Samuel B. Gooch, Wolf Kienzle, Karlin Y. Bark, Jack J. Wanderman
  • Publication number: 20210406578
    Abstract: A “Stroke Untangler” composes handwritten messages from handwritten strokes representing overlapping letters or partial letter segments are drawn on a touchscreen device or touch-sensitive surface. These overlapping strokes are automatically untangled and then segmented and combined into one or more letters, words, or phrases. Advantageously, segmentation and composition is performed without requiring user gestures, timeouts, or other inputs to delimit characters within words, and without using handwriting recognition-based techniques to guide untangling and composing of the overlapping strokes to form characters. In other words, the user draws multiple overlapping strokes. Those strokes are then automatically segmented and combined into one or more corresponding characters. Text recognition of the resulting characters is then performed. Further, the segmentation and combination is performed in real-time, thereby enabling real-time rendering of the resulting characters in a user interface window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Paul Hinckley, Wolf Kienzle, Mudit Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11175731
    Abstract: An apparatus for directional acoustic sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The wearable may include a signal generator that propagates an acoustic wave via a body of the user toward a specific body part. The wearable may also include an acoustic sensor that detects an acoustic reflection of the acoustic wave propagated by the signal generator. The wearable may further include at least one processing device that is communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor. The processing device may determine that the specific body part has made physical contact with an object based at least in part on the acoustic reflection. In response, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific body part making physical contact with the object. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Whitmire, Wolf Kienzle, David R. Perek, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 11150737
    Abstract: The disclosed wrist-tracking apparatus includes (1) a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of a user of an artificial reality system and (2) a set of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors coupled to the wristband, wherein each of the ToF sensors comprises (A) an emitter that emits a modulated pulse of energy, (B) a receiver that facilitates detecting a reflection of the modulated pulse of energy, and (C) a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the emitter and the receiver, wherein the processing circuit calculates a time of flight for the modulated pulse of energy based at least in part on the modulated pulse of energy and the reflection. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Farshid Salemi Parizi, Wolf Kienzle, Eric Michael Whitmire
  • Publication number: 20210286436
    Abstract: The disclosed wrist-tracking apparatus includes (1) a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of a user of an artificial reality system and (2) a set of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors coupled to the wristband, wherein each of the ToF sensors comprises (A) an emitter that emits a modulated pulse of energy, (B) a receiver that facilitates detecting a reflection of the modulated pulse of energy, and (C) a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the emitter and the receiver, wherein the processing circuit calculates a time of flight for the modulated pulse of energy based at least in part on the modulated pulse of energy and the reflection. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Farshid Salemi Parizi, Wolf Kienzle, Eric Michael Whitmire
  • Patent number: 11093035
    Abstract: The disclosed system may include a support structure dimensioned for a user's hand. The system may also include transmitting electrodes coupled to a first finger portion of the support structure and may further include receiving electrodes coupled to a second, different finger portion of the support structure. The system may also include a controller that is coupled to the support structure and that is communicatively connected to the transmitting and receiving electrodes. The controller may also be configured to cause the transmitting electrodes to transmit a signal, detect at least some of the transmitted signal at the receiving electrodes and, based on the detected signal, determine that at least two fingers of the user's hand are touching each other. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shiu Sang Ng, Yanjun Ma, Wolf Kienzle, Hrvoje Benko
  • Publication number: 20210081650
    Abstract: A first set of signals corresponding to a first signal modality (such as the direction of a gaze) during a time interval is collected from an individual. A second set of signals corresponding to a different signal modality (such as hand-pointing gestures made by the individual) is also collected. In response to a command, where the command does not identify a particular object to which the command is directed, the first and second set of signals is used to identify candidate objects of interest, and an operation associated with a selected object from the candidates is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wolf Kienzle, Douglas A. Bowman
  • Patent number: 10948976
    Abstract: A system may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include an energy measuring device incorporated into the wearable. The energy measuring device may measure an electrical energy differential between a body of the user and a surface within an environment occupied by the user. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device. The processing device may detect, based at least in part on the electrical energy differential measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface within the environment. In response to this detection, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Whitmire, Wolf Kienzle, David R. Perek, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 10928889
    Abstract: An apparatus for directional acoustic sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The wearable may include a signal generator that propagates an acoustic wave via a body of the user toward a specific body part. The wearable may also include an acoustic sensor that detects an acoustic reflection of the acoustic wave propagated by the signal generator. The wearable may further include at least one processing device that is communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor. The processing device may determine that the specific body part has made physical contact with an object based at least in part on the acoustic reflection. In response, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific body part making physical contact with the object. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Whitmire, Wolf Kienzle, David R. Perek, Hrvoje Benko
  • Patent number: 10832031
    Abstract: A first set of signals corresponding to a first signal modality (such as the direction of a gaze) during a time interval is collected from an individual. A second set of signals corresponding to a different signal modality (such as hand-pointing gestures made by the individual) is also collected. In response to a command, where the command does not identify a particular object to which the command is directed, the first and second set of signals is used to identify candidate objects of interest, and an operation associated with a selected object from the candidates is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wolf Kienzle, Douglas A. Bowman
  • Patent number: 10788897
    Abstract: A system for vibration-driven sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include a vibration sensor that is incorporated into the wearable and generates an electrical response that corresponds to a vibration detected at the wearable. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor. The processing device may determine, based at least in part on the electrical response generated by the vibration sensor, that the user has made a specific gesture with at least one body part. In response to this determination, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the specific gesture made by the user. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hrvoje Benko, Wolf Kienzle, Neil Weiss, Yu-Te Wang, Yanjun Ma, David R. Perek
  • Publication number: 20200233212
    Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for interaction between a user and a machine. In one implementation, a system is provided that receives an input from a user of a mobile machine which indicates or describes an object in the world. In one example, the user may gesture to the object which is detected by a visual sensor. In another example, the user may verbally describe the object which is detected by an audio sensor. The system receiving the input may then determine which object near the location of the user that the user is indicating. Such a determination may include utilizing known objects near the geographic location of the user or the autonomous or mobile machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick S. Piemonte, Wolf Kienzle, Douglas Bowman, Shaun D. Budhram, Madhurani R. Sapre, Vyacheslav Leizerovich, Daniel De Rocha Rosario