Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Glen C Larsen

Steven Nabil Bathiche

David Douglas Bohn

Timothy Andrew Large

Kurt Jenkins

Thomas Charles Oliver

Neil Emerton

Krishna Darbha

Michael Schweers

Corey M Ladas

Andrew David Wilson

Adrian Travis

Yuan Kong

Russell Irvin Sanchez

Daniel G O'Neil

David Michael Lane

Michael Baseflug

Mike M Paull

Dan Odell

James Charles Marshall

Scott Mail

Rajeev Badyal

Randall T Crane

Jonathan Bing Knight

Jeremiah M Pope

David Zucker

Tyler Gleghorn

Michael J Wyrzykowski

Trevor Taylor

Richard E Compton

Ceasar De Leon

An aerial vehicle may receive electrical power from power modules that may be installed into or removed from the aerial vehicle during flight operations. Such power modules may be inserted into a chamber from below the aerial vehicle and may come into contact with one or more terminals or leads for powering propulsion motors or other electrical loads. Such power modules may also be removed from above the aerial vehicle, thereby uncoupling the power modules from the electrical loads. Power modules may be installed into or removed from a chamber using tension members that are guided into the chamber from lateral slots extending between a perimeter of the aerial vehicle and the chamber. The tension members may be used to not only engage and remove a power module within the chamber but also to install a power module into the chamber.

Replaceable power modules on aerial vehicles

A method and system for detecting and recovering from hostile takeovers of aerial vehicles is described. In some examples, this can include receiving, at an aerial device at a first time, a first signal expected according to a communication scheme. It can be determined that a second signal was not received at a second time based at least in part on the communication scheme. In response, an alarm signal can be generated.

Hostile takeover avoidance of unmanned vehicles

Battery carriages are provided herein that interface with batteries in the correct polarization, regardless of the orientation in which the batteries are inserted in the battery carriages. Such battery carriages may be advantageously used with any device that uses batteries. Such a device may include two or more battery carriages, wherein each of the battery carriages includes first and second dual-contact assemblies disposed on a substrate. Each of the two dual-contact assemblies may have a positive contact and a negative contact. The positive contacts may each be configured to contact a positive terminal of a battery and to be connected to a positive circuit connection, and the negative contacts may each be configured to contact a negative terminal of a battery and to be connected to a negative circuit connection.

Polarity protection for multiple batteries

A battery carriage is provided, including first and second dual-contact assemblies. The first dual contact assembly is disposed on a body portion of the battery carriage and the second dual contact assembly is disposed on a separable portion of the battery carriage. Each dual contact assembly includes a positive contact configured to contact a positive terminal of a battery and a negative contact configured to contact a negative terminal of the battery. The separable portion of the battery carriage is selectively moveable into and out of a coupled state with the body portion. When the separable portion is moved into the coupled state, the dual contact assemblies are held spaced apart to define a receptacle in which the dual contact assemblies hold opposing ends of the battery. Movement of the separable portion into the coupled state also establishes electrical conductivity between the positive contacts of each of the dual contact assemblies, and between the negative contacts of each of the dual contact assemblies.

End-loaded battery carriage

A mobile device such as a robot includes a processor, a memory that stores components executable by the processor, and a projection assembly. The projection assembly includes a projector, a lens, a movable mirror, and a first projection surface integral with a surface of the mobile device. The components include a projection component and a control component. The projection component determines the projection parameters, and projects the image onto the movable mirror, dependent upon the projection parameters. The control component causes the projector and the lens to focus the image onto the first projection surface, and further causes the movable mirror to reflect the image onto the first projection surface.

Video projection device for mobile device having a first projection surface integral with a surface of the mobile device

Described herein are technologies pertaining to autonomously docking a mobile robot at a docking station for purposes of recharging batteries of the mobile robot. The mobile robot uses vision-based navigation and a known map of the environment to navigate toward the docking station. Once sufficiently proximate to the docking station, the mobile robot captures infrared images of the docking station, and granularly aligns itself with the docking station based upon the captured infrared images of the docking station. As the robot continues to drive towards the docking station, the robot monitors infrared sensors for infrared beams emitted from the docking station. If the infrared sensors receive the infrared beams, the robot continues to drive forward until the robot successfully docks with the docking station.

Docking process for recharging an autonomous mobile device

A user input device for use with a computing device is provided. The user input device may include a housing with a bottom portion including a substrate that includes a transparent portion. The user input device may further include an optical tracking engine mounted in the housing proximate the substrate and being configured to transmit and/or detect light for tracking movement of the user input device through the transparent portion of the substrate.

User input device with optical tracking engine that operates through transparent substrate

Embodiments are disclosed herein related to the avoidance of undesirable optical effects in a liquid crystal display used with a touch-sensitive display input device. For example, one embodiment provides a user interface comprising a body, a light source disposed within the body, and a liquid crystal display configured to create an image displayable on one or more display surfaces coupled to the body. The user interface device further includes a light delivery system positioned optically between the light source and the liquid crystal display to deliver light produced by the light source to the liquid crystal display. The light delivery system comprises a light exit surface spaced from the liquid crystal display to form a gap positioned between the light exit surface of the light delivery system and the liquid crystal display.

Avoiding optical effects of touch on liquid crystal display

A keyboard key has a key portion that forms a cantilevered beam pivotable about an axis. A switch is disposed relative to the cantilevered beam, such that rotation of the cantilever beam about the axis causes depression of the switch. The switch is offset from an applied force-receiving portion of the key portion. A touch sensitive key also includes a touch sensor detecting contact with the key portion of the key. The invention can be extended such that the key portion is formed of transparent or semi-transparent material. The invention can also be extended to include touch sensitive areas on any portion of an upper case of the computer keyboard.

Keyboard with touch sensitive zones and corresponding computer user interface

A battery receptacle system is provided to accept various types or sizes of batteries in different orientations. The battery receptacle system includes a first radial notch for positioning a first positive terminal of a first battery to electrically connect with the first positive contact at a first position, and a second radial notch for positioning a second positive terminal of a second battery of a different size and/or type than the first battery to electrically connect with the first positive contact at a second position, different from the first position. The second radial notch is configured to prevent the first positive terminal of the first battery from electrically connecting with the first positive contact at the second position.

Flexible size and orientation battery system

A keyboard for use with a computing device and a method of manufacturing a keyboard key are provided. One disclosed keyboard includes a plurality of keys, each key having a key cap including a perimeter wall and a void positioned within the perimeter wall and opening to a top of the key cap. Each key further includes a cushion having a top portion configured to be contacted by a digit of a user and a bottom portion configured to be fitted within the void in the key cap. The cushion being may be configured to absorb an impact force directed against the key during a keystroke.

Reduced impact keyboard with cushioned keys

Embodiments of battery holders with dual-contact assemblies are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a battery holder with a substrate and a spring dual-contact assembly, wherein the spring dual-contact assembly comprises a positive contact configured to contact a positive terminal of a battery positioned in the battery holder with the positive terminal oriented toward the spring dual-contact assembly and a negative contact configured to contact a negative terminal of a battery positioned in the battery holder with the negative terminal oriented toward the spring dual-contact assembly. The positive and negative contacts are coupled to an insulator configured to hold the positive contact and negative contact in a fixed relation to one another. Further, one or more cantilever wire springs hold the negative contact, positive contact and insulator in a resiliently displaceable relationship to the substrate.

Protecting against incorrect battery polarity

A light collector is provided to converge light from a light source down to a range of acceptance angles of an illumination optic, and to couple the converged light into the illumination optic, where the range of acceptance angles of the illumination optic is less than a range of emission angles of the light source.

Light collector for an illumination optic

Mechanical architecture for providing maximum viewing area on key button tops of keys for a user input device. The viewing area is for the display of information on the key buttons, and also includes tactile feedback similar to standard laptop keyboards, all using low cost manufacturing methods such as injection molding. The architecture optimizes an aperture through the core of the key switch assembly in order to project an image through the aperture and onto the display area of the key button. The architecture relocates in at least one embodiment the tactile feedback mechanism (e.g., dome assembly) out from underneath the key button to the perimeter or side of the key switch assembly. The architecture finds particular application to input devices such as keyboards, game pods, data entry device, etc., that operate in combination with an optical surface (e.g., wedge lens).

Growing community of inventors

Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Glen C Larsen