Facebook Technologies, LLC

Oculus, Vr, LLC

Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

University of California

Facebook, Inc.

Tristan Thomas Trutna

Sean Jason Keller

David R Perek

Nicholas Roy Corson

Raymond King

Garett Andrew Ochs

Brian Michael Scally

Bruce A Cleary, Iii

Jack Lindsay

Charles Stewart

Riccardo DeSalvo

Hrvoje Benko

Bruce A Cleary

Selso Luanava

Daniele Piazza

Serol Turkyilmaz

Vincenzo Casasanta, Iii

Joseph Minh Tien

Andrew Stanley

Elia Gatti

Ravish Mehra

Zachary D West

Aaron Ambuske

Brian Fletcher

Brian Cox

Christoph Omid Hohnerlein

John Dietrich Martin

Edward Francis Burress

Matthew Robert Schwab

Ke-Yu Chen

Yon Visell

Slava Karulin

Yitian Shao

Bharat Dandu

Andrew John Ouderkirk

Paul Henry Dietz

Nigel Stuart Keam

Nicholas Colonnese

John Michael Lutian

Erik Samuel Roby

Laura Cristina Trutoiu

Massimiliano Di Luca

Kenneth Paul Hinckley

Anoop Gupta

Timothy Andrew Large

Kurt Jenkins

Yanjun Ma

Wolf Kienzle

Justin Avram Clark

Yigit Menguc

William Aaron Nicholls

Tianshu Liu

Robert Manson

Adam Ahne

Joseph Davis Greer

Katherine Healy

Shawn Reese

Yang Lou

Garrett Andrew Ochs

Andrew Arthur Stanley

A wearable glove for interacting with virtual objects in an artificial-reality environment is described herein. The wearable glove comprises a matrix made of an elastic polymer, the matrix including a plurality of voids, each respective void (i) including at least one fluidic actuator and ii) not being fluidically coupled with a positionally adjacent void of the plurality of voids included in the matrix. The wearable glove further comprises at least one fluidic control device coupled to the at least one fluidic actuator. The at least one fluidic control device provides (i) a first fluid pressure to the at least one fluidic actuator, which causes the at least one fluidic actuator to enter a high-pressure state and (ii) a second fluid pressure to the at least one fluidic actuator, which causes the at least one fluidic actuator to enter a low-pressure state.

Wearable glove with a plurality of fluidic actuators and a plurality of fluidic control devices and system of use thereof

The disclosed haptic vibrotactile actuator may include a textile comprising a first major surface and a second, opposite major surface, an electrode coupled to the first major surface of the textile across at least a majority of a surface area of a first surface of the electrode, and a flexible electroactive material electrically coupled to a second, opposite surface of the electrode. Various other related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Vibrotactile actuators on textiles and related systems and methods

A liquid lens structure has an adjustable and continuous range of optical power. The liquid lens structure comprises a substrate layer and a deformable membrane which enclose a volume of liquid. The substrate layer is at least partially transparent in the optical band. The deformable membrane comprises a ground layer, two membrane layers, and two conductive layers. Each of the two conductive layers control electrical voltage applied to one of the membrane layers in reference to the ground layer, wherein each membrane layer deforms in response to applied electrical voltage. The deformation of the two membrane layers adjusts a curvature of the deformable membrane which provides the adjustable continuous range of optical power to the liquid lens structure.

Liquid lens structure with adjustable optical power

A virtual reality system enables a user to interact with virtual objects. The system includes a fiducial ring, an imaging device and a console. The fiducial ring includes a ring body that includes a plurality of fiducial markers that each correspond to a different location on the ring body. An imaging device is configured to capture one or more images of the fiducial ring. The console receives the images that include an image of one or more fiducial markers. Based on the received images of the fiducial markers, the console determines a location on the fiducial ring that corresponds to the imaged fiducial marker. The console determines a position of the fiducial ring based on the determined location of the fiducial marker on the fiducial ring. The console provides content to a head mounted display (HMD) based on the determined position of the fiducial ring.

Fiducial rings in virtual reality

The disclosed flexible vibrotactile devices may include a dielectric support material, at least one flexible electroactive element coupled to the dielectric support material, a first conductive electrode material, and a second conductive electrode material. The dielectric support material may include at least one hole therethrough for securing the flexible vibrotactile device to a textile by threading at least one fiber through the at least one hole. Various other related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Vibrotactile devices, systems, and related methods

A method for large scale integration of haptic devices is described. The method comprises forming a first elastomer layer of a large scale integration (LSI) device on a substrate according to a specified manufacturing process, the first elastomer layer having a plurality of fluid based circuits, the first elastomer layer adhering to a plurality of formation specifications. The method further comprises curing the first elastomer layer. Additionally, one or more additional elastomer layers of the LSI device are formed with the first elastomer layer according to the specified manufacturing process, the one or more additional elastomer layers having a plurality of fluid based circuits, the one or more additional elastomer layers adhering to the plurality of formation specifications.

Wearable device with fluid-based circuits and stretch-sensitive materials, and systems including the wearable device used in conjunction with a virtual-reality headset

A wearable glove for interacting with virtual objects is described herein. An example wearable glove includes a fabric material to be worn on a user's hand. The wearable glove also includes a matrix made of an elastic polymer, the matrix including a plurality of voids, each respective void (i) including at least one fluidic actuator and (ii) not being fluidically coupled with a positionally adjacent void. The wearable glove additionally includes a non-fluidic actuator configured to restrict movement of one of the user's digits; and one or more position sensors for monitoring positional data used to a determine a position of the wearable glove within a three-dimensional space. The wearable device can control the at least one fluidic actuator and the at least one non-fluidic actuator to simulate real-world interactions in the artificial-reality environment based on the position of the wearable device as compared to respective positions of virtual objects.

Wearable gloves including a fabric material worn by a user, a position sensor, and a matrix with a plurality of voids that each include at least one fluidic actuator

The disclosed technology provides for a device and method related to powering an electronic stylus with a removable, integrated battery that acts as a structural segment and external casing along the long axis of the stylus body. The integrated battery incorporates interlocking features, which removes the need for an external tube around a battery cell. As a result, the electronic stylus has one structural component performing multiple functions (e.g., providing power, functioning as the stylus casing), which achieves a more lightweight and compact electronic stylus. The placement of the battery along the long axis can vary to provide comfortable weight distribution for writing, which can involve an interlocking interface at one end of the battery or at both ends of the battery (e.g., to interlock with one or both ends of the electronic stylus).

Interlocking integrated battery structure for an electronic stylus

A fluidic device comprises a channel, a gate, and one or more additional elements. The channel is configured to transport a fluid from a source to a drain. The gate includes a chamber with an adjustable volume that affects fluid flow within the channel by displacing a wall of the channel toward an opposite wall of the channel based in part on fluid pressure within the chamber exceeding a threshold pressure. A high pressure state of the gate corresponds to a first chamber size and a first flow rate of the fluid. A low pressure state of the gate corresponds to a second chamber size that is smaller than the first chamber size and a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate. The additional elements are configured to reduce the threshold pressure past which the chamber decreases the cross-sectional area of the channel.

Fluidic devices and related methods and wearable devices

The disclosed haptic vibrotactile actuators on inflatable bladders may include an inflatable bladder and a flexible haptic vibrotactile actuator positioned on or in the inflatable bladder such that inflation and deflation of the inflatable bladder alters a vibrotactile sensation induced by the flexible haptic vibrotactile actuator in response to activation of the flexible haptic vibrotactile actuator. Various other related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Systems including vibrotactile actuators and inflatable bladders, and related methods

An example method of identifying a touch gesture on a user is provided. The method includes receiving, by one or more transducers of a wearable device, a set of signals that establish a signal pathway to the wearable device. The method also includes, while receiving the set of signals, determining baseline characteristics for the signal pathway, and sensing a change in the baseline characteristics caused by user interaction with an affordance of a user interface projected or perceived on the user's appendage. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the sensed change in the baseline characteristics satisfies a contact criterion, reporting a candidate touch event on the user's appendage to a separate electronic device that creates the user interface or is in communication with another electronic device that creates the user interface.

Methods, devices, and systems for displaying a user interface on a user and detecting touch gestures

A method creates haptic stimulations on a user of an artificial reality system. The system includes a head-mounted display (HMD) and a wearable device. The HMD includes a display and speakers. The wearable device includes a plurality of transducers that can each generate waves to provide haptic feedback to a user. The system displays media content on the display and, in accordance with the displayed media content, determines a virtual object location in the displayed media content corresponding to a physical object location. The system provides, to the user, audio directed to the virtual object location. The system activates one or more transducers to provide haptic feedback at a target location on the user, distinct from the physical object location, to produce haptic feedback whose perceptual interpretation is at the physical object location based on a combination of the displayed media, the provided audio, and the haptic feedback.

Methods, devices, and systems for modifying perceived haptic stimulations on a user

An electrostatic zipping actuator includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlying the primary electrode, a dielectric layer located between and abutting at least a portion of the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, and a dielectric fluid disposed at least at a junction between the dielectric layer and one of the electrodes, where an average total thickness of the dielectric layer is less than approximately 10 micrometers.

Electrostatic zipper

The disclosed flexible vibrotactile devices may include a flexible electroactive material that has a substantially spiral shape, a first electrode electrically coupled to a first side of the flexible electroactive material, and a second electrode electrically coupled to a second, opposite side of the flexible electroactive material. The first electrode and the second electrode may be positioned and configured to apply an electrical voltage to the flexible electroactive material to induce haptic vibration in the flexible electroactive material. Various other related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Spiral haptic vibrotactile actuators and related systems and methods

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Tristan Thomas Trutna