Harman International Industries, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Nokia Corporation

Mirjana Spasojevic

Stefan J Marti

Davide Di Censo

Jaime Elliot Nahman

Arif Abdulhusein Merchant

John Wilkes

Joseph Verbeke

Richard Andrew Golding

Elizabeth Lynn Borowsky

Hayes Solos Raffle

Rafael A Ballagas

Koichi Mori

Michele Mae Covell

Hiroshi Horii

Adam Boulanger

Nina Bhatti

Sumit Roy

Elizabeth A Shriver

Leonidas Kontothanassis

Beomjoo Seo

Rakhl S Rajani

Timothy P Kindberg

Glenda Revelle

Tim Sullivan

Alexandra Ju

Jaime Elliott Nahman

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for adjusting a head-mounted audio device. The technique includes determining that the head-mounted audio device has been placed on a head of a user. The technique further includes, in response to determining that the head-mounted audio device has been placed on the head of the user, causing the head-mounted audio device to transition from a first state to a second state. The first state corresponds to a first set of physical parameters associated with the head-mounted audio device, and the second state corresponds to a second set of physical parameters associated with the head-mounted audio device.

Self-adjusting head-mounted audio device

A system for exerting forces on a user. The system includes a user-mounted device including one or more masses, one or more sensors configured to acquire sensor data, and a processor coupled to the one or more sensors. The processor is configured to determine at least one of an orientation and a position associated with the user-mounted device based on the sensor data. The processor is further configured to compute a force to be exerted on the user via the one or more masses based on a force direction associated with a force event and at least one of the orientation and the position. The processor is further configured to generate, based on the force, a control signal to change a position of the one or more masses relative to the user-mounted device.

Center of gravity shifting force device

A notification control system (NCS) is configured to coordinate the delivery of notifications issued from a set of devices to the driver of a vehicle. The NCS registers all interactive devices residing in a vehicle and causes those devices to conform to specific directives generated by the NCS. The NCS analyzes and predicts the cognitive and emotional load on the driver and also estimates the cognitive and emotional impact on the driver potentially caused by any incoming notifications. The NCS then coordinates the delivery of notifications to the driver in a manner that avoids overwhelming the cognitive and/or emotional capacity of the driver. Accordingly, the NCS may avoid situations where device notifications cause the driver to unsafely divert attention away from driving.

Coordinating delivery of notifications to the driver of a vehicle to reduce distractions

An audio sharing system is configured to operate in at least two modes of operation. In a private mode, the audio sharing system outputs sound only to a user and may isolate the user from the surrounding acoustic environment. In a public mode of operation, the audio sharing system broadcasts sound to the user and to any other listeners in proximity to the user, thereby sharing sound in a social manner. The audio sharing system may also operate in other modes of operation that allow the selective sharing of sounds.

Wearable sound system with configurable privacy modes

In one embodiment, a cognitive load driving assistant increases driving safety based on cognitive loads. In operation, the cognitive load driving assistant computes a current cognitive load of a driver based on sensor data. If the current cognitive load exceeds a threshold cognitive load, then the cognitive load driving assistant modifies the driving environment to reduce the cognitive load required to perform the primary driving task and/secondary task(s), such as texting via a cellular phone. The cognitive load driving assistant may modify the driving environment indirectly via sensory feedback to the driver or directly through reducing the complexity of the primary driving task and/or secondary tasks. In particular, if the driver is exhibiting elevated cognitive loads typically associated with distracted driving, then the cognitive load driving assistant modifies the driving environment to allow the driver to devote appropriate mental resources to the primary driving task, thereby increasing driving safety.

Cognitive load driving assistant

A system for exerting forces on a user. The system includes a user-mounted device having one or more masses disposed along one or more tracks. The system further includes a processor configured to generate a first actuator control signal to configure a first actuator to move a first mass included in the one or more masses at a first acceleration in a first direction along a first track included in the one or more tracks. The processor is further configured to generate a second actuator control signal to configure at least one of the first actuator and a second actuator to move the first mass at a second acceleration in the first direction along the first track. A magnitude of the first acceleration is above a threshold acceleration, and a magnitude of the second acceleration is below the threshold acceleration.

Pseudo force device

A system for changing the shape of a vehicle component includes one or more actuators coupled to the vehicle component and a processor coupled to the one or more actuators. The processor is configured to determine that a software application has switched from a first mode to a second mode and cause the one or more actuators to transition a surface of the vehicle component from a first shape associated with the first mode to a second shape associated with the second mode.

Shape-changing surface

A system for modifying a stiffness of at least a portion of a vehicle component includes one or more devices coupled to the vehicle component and a processor coupled to the one or more devices. The processor is configured to determine that a software application has switched from a first mode to a second mode and cause the one or more devices to modify the stiffness of the at least a portion of the vehicle component from a first stiffness associated with the first mode to a second stiffness associated with the second mode.

Feedback by modifying stiffness

In one embodiment of the present invention, a haptic engine dynamically configures a haptic controller to provide information regarding the state of an interactive system via sensations of texture. In operation, as the state of the interactive system changes, the haptic engine dynamically updates a haptic state that includes texture characteristics, such as texture patterns, that are designed to reflect the state of the interactive system in an intuitive fashion. The haptic engine then generates signals that configure touch surfaces included in the haptic controller to convey these texture characteristics. Advantageously, providing information regarding the correct state and/or operation of the interactive system based on sensations of texture reduces distractions attributable to many conventional audio and/or visual interactive systems. Notably, in-vehicle infotainment systems that provide dynamically updated texture data increase driving safety compared to conventional in-vehicle infotainment systems that often induce drivers to take their eyes off the road.

Techniques for dynamically changing tactile surfaces of a haptic controller to convey interactive system information

Wearable loudspeaker

A method comprises determining a status of an object on a first device and sending an indicator of the status of the object to a remote device, the indicator being configured to allow the remote device to present the status of the object. The method may further comprise establishing audio and video communication with the remote device. The audio and video communication with the remote device may be established over a network. The object may be a book, and the status may be associated with a page number of the book. The method may further comprise displaying animated content based on the determined status of the object. The displaying of animated content may include displaying an animated character providing commentary or asking questions related to content associated with the object.

Remote communication system and method

Methods and systems thereof for monitoring the performance of a streaming media server are described. Server-side measurements are performed with the server operating under a load. Client-side measurements are performed along with the server-side measurements. Data from the server-side measurements and data from the client-side measurements are aligned by time.

Monitoring the performance of a streaming media server using server-side and client-side measurements

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a cradle comprising: a housing configured to receive a mobile device; wherein the housing configured to receive a mobile device having at least two positions; a detecting element configured to detect a state of the mobile device and; a mechanism configured to change position of the housing in response to detecting a change in the state of the mobile device.

Apparatus for a tangible interface

An exemplary method for conveying access to digital content using a physical token comprises receiving a first identifier, receiving a second identifier, determining whether any of the first and second identifiers is associated with digital content, associating the digital content associated with one of the first and second identifiers with another of the first and second identifiers, and enabling a conveyance of the another of the first and second identifiers as a physical token.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Mirjana Spasojevic