Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Buresift Data Ltd. LLC

Harjit Singh

Craig Steven Ranta

Jeffrey Michael Alexander

Gregory George Williams

Avi Bar-Zeev

John Allen Tardif

Mark Stefan Grossman

J Andrew Goossen

Chee Kiong Fong

Suet Fong Tin

Leonardo G Del Castillo

Jeremy Braun

Damon V Danieli

Duane Martin Evans

Wei Guo

Michael G Love

Ankur Varma

Peter Anthony Atkinson

Mitchell Stephen Dernis

J David Egner

Margaret E Winsor

Donald Charles Grome

Perry Samuel Stultz

David S Montague

Scott A Randell

Vinicio Manfrini

Stephen Z Au

Michael Hiett

Eiko Junus

Kent W Ng

Robert T Kilzer

Jeffery Mark Reents

Peter Atkinson

A system that includes a head mounted display device and a processing unit connected to the head mounted display device is used to fuse virtual content into real content. In one embodiment, the processing unit is in communication with a hub computing device. The processing unit and hub may collaboratively determine a map of the mixed reality environment. Further, state data may be extrapolated to predict a field of view for a user in the future at a time when the mixed reality is to be displayed to the user. This extrapolation can remove latency from the system.

Low-latency fusing of virtual and real content

A communication system where first and second devices communicate concurrently and bidirectionally over a single wire and a ground. The second device can be a computing device having a powered component which requires a certain power output, for instance, and the first device may be a power supply unit. The second device provides a signal on a control line (the single wire) which is characterized by a frequency, pulse width, duty cycle and/or an amplitude which is associated with a message from the second device. The first device recognizes the message in the signal and invokes a corresponding function, such as by enabling a corresponding power supply. The power supply provides power to the second device via a separate power line. Further, the first device modifies the signal, without adding power, to provide a message from the first device, concurrent with the message from the second device.

Single wire concurrent bi-directional communication for PSU

An extension to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol that utilizes reserved bits in the OHCI Endpoint Descriptors to signal which root hub port(s) should transmit the data. Typically, all ports transmit (broadcast) data. The present invention encodes transmission information that can be used by the hardware to effectively control which port(s) need to be tri-stated. However, by setting, the 'on' bits for all the ports, the present invention retains standard USB functionality. Also provided is a method to increase the bandwidth of low speed devices connected to the USB bus by increasing the data payload for such devices.

Extended USB protocol with selective broadcast mechanism

A method and system for decoding and storing encoded control data delivered via the horizontal overscan area of a video signal. An interactive device performs behavior defined by control data encoded into a video signal that can be broadcast or played-back from video tape. The interactive device is equipped with a non-volatile memory that permits the control data to be stored for performance subsequent to, or during, the transmission session. The control data is delivered as a series of control data words that include genus codes identifying the interactive device to which the data word is directed. During a transmission session, control data words will be repeated, so that an interactive device receives several control data words with the same sequence number. Based on the relative gradings, the interactive device will replace previously received control data words of lower quality than subsequently received data words having the same sequence number.

Method and system for downloading and storing interactive device content using the horizontal overscan portion of a video signal

An external AC power adapter. The adapter includes a housing which, in one embodiment, defines an air inlet compartment, an air outlet compartment and a partially sealed electronics compartment containing electrical components for converting an AC input to a DC output. A blower generates an airflow within the electronics compartment for cooling the electrical components in the electronics compartment. Barriers are located in the air inlet compartment and the air outlet compartment to prevent liquid from entering the electronics compartment.

Liquid resistant A/C adaptor

A method and system for decoding and storing encoded control data delivered via the horizontal overscan area of a video signal. An interactive device such as a toy performs behavior defined by control data that can be encoded into a video signal. The toy is equipped with a decoder for extracting data from the horizontal overscan portion of the video signal, and a non-volatile memory that permits the control data to be stored for use after the video signal is no longer being received. The control data are delivered as a series of words that include genus codes and sequence codes. Genus codes identify the specific toy to which the word is directed, as more than one toy may receive the video signal. Error grading is used to minimize the effect of such signal deterioration, so the toy will replace previously received words if newer words are of higher quality.

A memory controller is utilized to overcome NAND flash memory's propensity for comprising bad blocks of memory. The memory controller utilizes minimal hardware and is essentially transparent to a device requesting access to the NAND memory. A NAND flash memory device is configured to comprise a set of main blocks of memory and a set of auxiliary blocks of memory. Each block is divided into pages of memory and each page includes metadata. The metadata includes a block status indicator, indicating whether a block is good or bad. When receiving a request to access a page in the NAND flash memory, if the block in which the page resides is good, that block is accessed. If the block is bad, auxiliary memory is searched until a block containing the address of the bad block in its metadata is found. The found block is accessed in lieu of the bad block.

NAND flash memory management

Detecting a connection between two circuits utilizing a high-speed interface. Interface circuitry internal to a computing device performs an initialization process between two processors automatically to determine the state of the interface connection. Test circuitry retrieves the interface state from the interface circuitry. Neither the configuration process, the interface circuitry or the test circuitry require full functionality of an IC on which they reside in order to operate.

Design for test for a high speed serial interface

An indication of sharpness of focus is provided to a user to assist in focusing a camera. In one embodiment, the camera is coupled to a personal computer. An algorithm is implemented by the personal computer to determine a sharpness of focus based upon differences between the luminance of adjacent pixels in a selected region of an image produced by the camera. A visual or aural indication of the sharpness of focus is provided to the user to enable the user to focus the camera to the sharpest possible focus. Alternatively, the algorithm can be implemented by a processor within a camera so that a visual or aural indicator on the camera provides the indication of sharpness of focus as a user adjusts the focus of the camera.

Focusing aid for camera

A method and system for decoding and storing encoded control data delivered via the horizontal overscan area of a video signal. An interactive device such as an interactive toy performs behavior defined by control data that can be encoded into a video signal that can be broadcast or played-back from video tape. The interactive device is equipped with a non-volatile memory that permits the control data to be stored for performance subsequent to the transmission session (e.g., a televised program). The interactive device also may be equipped to perform behavior during the transmission session. The control data is delivered as a series of control data words that include genus codes and sequence codes. Genus codes identify the interactive device to which the data word is directed, so that a particular interactive device will respond (i.e., perform behavior) only in accordance with the control data words including the appropriate genus code. Because video transmissions are subject to video signal deterioration, error grading is used to minimize the effect of such signal deterioration. During a given control data transmission session, control data words will be repeated, so that an interactive device receives several control data words with the same sequence number. Based on the relative gradings, the interactive device will replace previously received control data words of lower quality than subsequently received data words having the same sequence number.

A process for preparing a consumable beverage containing a natural dairy beverage additive in the form of agglomerated natural milk powder. The powder is combined with other ingredients, either prior to being placed in the vending machine or upon demand within the vending machine, for the subsequent creation of a consumable beverage which includes the natural dairy beverage additive.

Agglomerated milk in coffee and tea

A method and apparatus for identifying a module installed in a base from a plurality of different modules and selecting a set of functions corresponding to the installed module. A preferred embodiment is the Intelli-Table&trade; toy that includes three modules, each of which can be installed into an annular channel in the base. When a module is installed, a unique pattern of recesses or flat surfaces on the bottom of the module is detected by a first set of switches in the channel. Based on the unique state of these switches, the base selects a set of functions corresponding to the installed module. Each module includes a plurality of different movable elements that activate a second set of switches in the base. Moving an element activates a switch, causing the base to perform a function unique to that element and to the module installed.

Method to detect installed module and select corresponding behavior

A Bandwidth Resolution Conflict component combines control data for multiple controlled devices into a unified control data signal that can be transmitted on a single communication channel. To resolve any bandwidth conflicts, the BCR component implements one or more of the following techniques to resolve the bandwidth conflicts: (1) regenerating the control data signal by increasing at least one compression parameter used in creating the first and second segments of control data; (2) interleaving the control data signal by replacing two adjacent frames of the control data segment with a single frame designated as a repeat frame; (3) reorganizing the control data by moving a frame of control data segment into an unoccupied frame in the control data signal; (4) pre-stuffing the control data signal by moving a portion of the control data to frames in which the moved control data will accumulate for delayed performance in a buffer in one of the controlled devices; and (5) selecting one of the controlled device for data starving based on predefined selection criteria and deleting one or more frames of the control data for the selected controlled device. One or more of these techniques may be applied individually or consecutively until all bandwidth conflicts are resolved.

Method for simultaneously controlling multiple devices using a single communication channel

A communications system that provides bandwidth efficient, bi-directional communications over a single communications channel, allowing a master device to control the operation of remote devices. A computer system continuously provides an audio/video presentation on a speaker and display device. During a first time period, the computer system also provides control and speech data, relevant to the presentation, to a link master controller. The link master controller encodes the control and speech data to reduce bandwidth requirements, and then transmits the encoded data to a remote device. The remote device receives and decodes the encoded data, places the data into a data buffer, and uses the data to control at least one motion servo motor and/or provide data to a speech synthesizer. During a second time period, the remote device continues to operate on the data in the data buffer while formulating a response message based on the status of at least one sensor device, encoding the response message, and transmitting the encoded response message to the link master controller. In response to receiving the encoded response message, the link master controller decodes the encoded response message, and provides the response message to the computer system. The computer system responds to the reception of the response data by altering the audio/video presentation in accordance with the response data.

Controller and associated mechanical characters operable for continuously performing received control data while engaging in bidirectional communications over a single communications channel

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Harjit Singh