Light Labs Inc.

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC

Facebook Technologies, LLC

The Lightco Inc.

Sapna A Shroff

Rajiv Laroia

Kathrin Berkner

Lingfei Meng

Nitesh Shroff

Sebastian Sztuk

James A Schmieder

Jun Hu

Harpuneet Singh

Jiangtao Kuang

Johana Gabriela Coyoc Escudero

David Geoffrey Stork

Mary Lou Jepsen

Nikhil Balram

Edward Buckley

Kari Pulli

Romain Bachy

Honghong Peng

Jonathan J Hull

Robert Dale Cavin

Alexander Jobe Fix

Sergey Chemishkian

Javier San Agustin Lopez

Xu Liu

Yilei Li

Zhaonian Zhang

David Tao

Demetrios Basil Karanikos

Linsen Bie

Danni Luo

A wearable device for use in immersive reality applications is provided. The wearable device has a frame including an eyepiece to provide a forward-image to a user, a first forward-looking camera mounted on the frame, the first forward-looking camera having a field of view within the forward-image, a sensor configured to receive a command from the user, the command indicative of a region of interest within the field of view, and an interface device to indicate to the user that a field of view of the first forward-looking camera is aligned with the region of interest. Methods of use of the device, a memory storing instructions and a processor to execute the instructions to cause the device to perform the methods of use, are also provided.

User interface to select field of view of a camera in a smart glass

A wearable device for use in immersive reality applications is provided. The wearable device includes eyepieces to provide a forward-image to a user, a first forward-looking camera mounted on the frame and having a field of view, a processor configured to identify a region of interest within the forward-image, and an interface device to indicate to the user that a field of view of the first forward-looking camera is misaligned with the region of interest. Methods of use of the device, a memory storing instructions and a processor to execute the instructions to cause the device to perform the methods of use, are also provided.

A method for using cameras in an augmented reality headset is provided. The method includes receiving a signal from a sensor mounted on a headset worn by a user, the signal being indicative of a user intention for capturing an image. The method also includes identifying the user intention for capturing the image, based on a model to classify the signal from the sensor according to the user intention, selecting a first image capturing device in the headset based on a specification of the first image capturing device and the user intention for capturing the image, and capturing the image with the first image capturing device. An augmented reality headset, a memory storing instructions, and a processor to execute the instructions to cause the augmented reality headset as above are also provided.

Camera control using system sensor data

A display assembly generates environmentally matched virtual content for an electronic display. The display assembly includes a display controller and a display. The display controller is configured to estimate environmental matching information for a target area within a local area based in part on light information received from a light sensor. The target area is a region for placement of a virtual object. The light information describes light values. The display controller generates display instructions for the target area based in part on a human vision model, the estimated environmental matching information, and rendering information associated with the virtual object. The display is configured to present the virtual object as part of artificial reality content in accordance with the display instructions. The color and brightness of the virtual object is environmentally matched to the portion of the local area surrounding the target area.

Display that uses a light sensor to generate environmentally matched artificial reality content

A system is describes that includes a head mounted display (HMD) and a portable docking station configured to receive the HMD for calibration of one or more components of the HMD. The portable docking station includes at least one calibration target, e.g., a checkerboard pattern and/or a convex reflector. Techniques of this disclosure include calibrating an image capture device of the HMD based on one or more images of the calibration target captured by the image capture device when the HMD is placed in the portable docking station. The disclosed techniques may be applied to calibrate multiple different components of the HMD, including image capture devices such as eye-tracking cameras and inside-out cameras, displays, illuminators, sensors, and the like. In some examples, a rechargeable battery of the HMD may be charged when the HMD is placed in the portable docking station.

Head mounted display calibration using portable docking station with calibration target

A camera device with a sensor which is mounted at an angle relative to a mounting surface or other reference surface is described. Camera modules, which include mirrors for light redirection, which are mounted at different angles in the camera device have sensors with different amounts of rotation. In some embodiments modules without mirrors use camera modules without rotated sensors while camera modules with mirrors may or may not use sensors which are rotated depending on the angle at which the modules are mounted in the camera device. By rotating the sensors of some camera modules rotation that maybe introduced by the angle at which a camera module is mounted can be offset. The images captured by different camera modules are combined in some embodiments without the need for computationally rotating an image thanks to the rotation of the sensor in the camera module used to capture the image.

Methods and apparatus for implementing and using camera devices

A plenoptic otoscope enables three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging of the inside of the ear to assist in improved diagnosis of inflammations and infections. The plenoptic otoscope includes a primary imaging system and a plenoptic sensor. The primary imaging system includes an otoscope objective and relay optics, which cooperate to form an image of an inside of an ear at an intermediate image plane. The plenoptic sensor includes a microimaging array positioned at the intermediate image plane and a sensor array positioned at a conjugate of the pupil plane. An optional filter module may be positioned at the pupil plane or one of its conjugates to facilitate three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging.

Plenoptic otoscope

A device for eye tracking is disclosed. The device includes a first depth profiler configured to determine a distance from the first depth profiler to a surface of an eye. The device may also include a display device configured to display one or more images selected based on a position of the eye. The position of the eye is determined based on the determined distance. Also disclosed is a method for eye tracking. The method includes determining, with a first depth profiler, a distance from the first depth profiler to a surface of an eye. A position of the eye is determined based on the determine distance. One or more images selected based on the position of the eye are displayed on a display device.

Methods and devices for eye tracking based on depth sensing

Methods and apparatus for implementing a camera device including multiple camera modules and which supports zoom operations are described. A plurality of moveable camera modules are included with the position of the moveable camera modules being controlled as a function of a zoom setting. One or more fixed camera modules are also included to facilitate image combining. A fixed camera module having a smaller focal length than the movable camera modules is used in some embodiments to capture a scene area including scene area portions which will be captured by movable camera modules. The image captured by the fixed camera module, with the small focal length, is used in aligning images captured by the movable camera modules during generation of a composite image. The camera may also include another fixed camera module, e.g., having the same focal length as the movable camera modules, for capturing the center of a scene.

Methods and apparatus for implementing zoom using one or more moveable camera modules

Methods and apparatus provide for simulated, e.g., synthetic, aperture control. In some embodiments a user, after a camera autofocus or user selection of an object to focus on, sets a blur level and views the effect. Once the user controlled blur setting is complete, images are captured with the in-focus, e.g., autofocus, setting and other images are captured with the focus set to capture a blurred image based on the set blur level. In focus and out of focus images are captured in parallel using different camera modules in some embodiments. A composite image is generated by combining portions of one or more sharp and blurred images. Thus a user can capture portions of images with a desired level of blurriness without risking blurring other portions of an image while controlling how the captured images are combined to form a composite image with in-focus and blurred portions.

Methods and apparatus for facilitating selective blurring of one or more image portions

In various embodiments a camera with multiple optical chains, e.g., camera modules, is controlled to operate in one of a variety of supported modes of operation. The modes include a non-motion mode, a motion mode, a normal burst mode and/or a reduced data burst mode. Motion mode is well suited for capturing an image including motion, e.g., moving object(s) with some modules being used to capture scene areas using a shorter exposure time than other modules and the captured images then being combined taking into consideration locations of motion. A reduced data burst mode is supported in some embodiments in which camera modules with different focal lengths capture images at different rates. While the camera modules of different focal length operate at different image capture rates in the reduced data burst mode, images are combined to support a desired composite image output rate, e.g., a desired frame rate.

Methods and apparatus for supporting burst modes of camera operation

Methods and apparatus relating to a camera including one or more optical chains with a light redirection device, e.g., mirror, and an outer protective cover are described. The cover maybe a flat or sloped surface or a lens. Features avoid stray light rays from reaching an image sensor of an optical chain. In some but not all embodiments a 2-sided anti-reflection coating is used on the cover to avoid or reduce back reflections from the cover into the optical system. In some embodiments mirror angles are limited to a range in which stray light reflections are directed away from the camera module. In some embodiments a tilted cover configuration is used where the cover is sloped relative to a face of the camera and/or camera module. Different features such as the sloped cover glass, control of mirror angle, and/or antireflective coating can be used alone or in combination.

Methods and apparatus for implementing and/or using camera devices with one or more light redirection devices

Methods and apparatus for implementing optical chains, e.g., camera modules, which can be used in a camera device are described as well as camera devices including multiple camera modules. In various embodiments one or more camera modules include mirror assemblies which support a movable mirror. The mirror is driven in some embodiments by a linear actuator, e.g., piezo electric actuator with the linear motion of the actuator's push rod being converted into angular mirror rotation by use of hinge, e.g., pivot on which the mirror is mounted. A return spring provide a force contrary to that provided by the actuator. A recess is included in a mounting board to allow the bottom of the mirror or a portion of the mirror mounting hinge to be placed below the surface of the mounting board to which the camera module is secured.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Sapna A Shroff