Facebook Patents

Facebook, Inc. operates a social media website and mobile app that enables people to connect, share and discover opinions, ideas, photos and videos. The company also owns Instagram, a mobile application for sharing photos and videos, as well as WhatsApp, a mobile messaging application.

Facebook Patents by Type
  • Facebook Patents Granted: Facebook patents that have been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Facebook Patent Applications: Facebook patent applications that are pending before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Patent number: 11153726
    Abstract: Techniques for enhancing group communication on a device are described. A method may include presenting a message in a message portion of a user interface (UI) for a group communication application executing on a first device, where the group communication application communicates messages among multiple devices. The method may further include monitoring an input component for the first device and detecting a first control directive from the input component. The first control directive may select a message displayed in the message portion of the user interface. The method may further include performing a pin operation on the selected message; and presenting the pinned message in a banner portion of the UI. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Vincent Charles Cheung, Connie Yeewei Ho, Daniel Tsuan
  • Patent number: 11153728
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving current session information associated with a first user from a beacon associated with a third-party content provider, wherein the current session information indicates that a first client system of the first user is in an active wireless communication session with the beacon, accessing session information associated with one or more second users, wherein each second user is within a threshold geographical distance of the beacon, selecting one or more of the one or more second users based on the accessed session information, wherein the accessed session information associated with each of the selected second users indicates that a second client system associated with the selected second user is not in a wireless communication session with the beacon, and sending a notification referencing the selected one or more second users to the first client system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael James LeBeau, Samuel Wharton Lessin, Joseph David Barillari, Amir Shimoni, Arlene Gabriana Murillo, Mateusz Marek Niewczas, Manish Modi, Caitlin E. Kalinowski
  • Patent number: 11153512
    Abstract: An eye is illuminated with light propagating substantially normal to a pupil plane of the eye. Illuminating the eye includes illuminating an ellipsoidal combiner that has a foci at a center of rotation of the eye. The light propagates through the pupil to become incident on the retina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Sharma, Andrew John Ouderkirk
  • Patent number: 11151209
    Abstract: A social networking system recommends objects, such as pages, of the social networking system to users of the social networking system based on the location of the user. The social networking system obtains location information identifying the location of the user. Based on the location of the user, the social networking system identifies levels of geographical partitions encompassing the location of the user. For each level of geographical partitions, the social networking system accesses relevant objects of the social networking system with connections to users located within the level of geographical partitions. The social networking system may have determined a term frequency-inverse document frequency (tf-idf) value for each relevant object. Based on the number of connections and the tf-idf value associated with each relevant object, the social networking system merges the relevant objects accessed at each level into a set of relevant objects to recommend to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Ray Green, James Wah Hou Wong, Jinyi Yao
  • Patent number: 11153246
    Abstract: Techniques for ephemeral messaging with remote ephemeral mode configuration are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a messaging component operative to receive a messaging update at a messaging client on the client device from a messaging system; determine a message thread associated with the messaging update; and determine that the messaging update indicates a transition to an ephemeral mode for the message thread; and a user interface component operative to configure a user interface for the message thread to an ephemeral mode interface based on the transition to the ephemeral mode for the message thread. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Evan Gabriel Brooks, Alexander Salem Franklin, Matthew Steiner
  • Patent number: 11152533
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for utilizing an etchant-accessible carrier substrate that enables etching through the carrier substrate. More particularly, an etchant is provided access to the adhesive layer via the etchant-accessible carrier substrate via one or more holes in the etchant-accessible carrier substrate. The size and/or pattern of the holes may vary, depending on desired functionality. The etching process may be optionally stopped prior to the removal of all of the adhesive layer such that at least a portion of the adhesive layer remains, which can help ensure the light-emitting structures do not slip off of the etchant-accessible carrier substrate as the etchant-accessible carrier substrate is moved from one location to another during the fabrication process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Bryce Thompson, Daniel Brodoceanu, Pooya Saketi
  • Patent number: 11150605
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system may generate a hologram by processing a first image using a machine-learning model. The system may generate a second image based on at least a portion of the hologram using a processing model that is configured to simulate interactions between a light source and the hologram. The system may compare the second image to the first image to calculate a loss based on a loss function. The system may update the machine-learning model based on the loss between the first image and the second image. The updated machine-learning model is configured to process one or more input images to generate one or more corresponding holograms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lei Xiao, Andrew Maimone, Robin Joseph Swanson, Douglas Robert Lanman
  • Patent number: 11148377
    Abstract: A curable liquid is provided to a mold having a rigid surface disposed opposite a deformable surface. The curable liquid contacts the rigid surface and the deformable surface. The deformable surface is shaped according to a surface profile by driving actuators configured to move the deformable surface. The curable liquid is cured while the deformable surface is shaped according to the surface profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Sharma, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Katherine Marie Smyth, Karol Constantine Hatzilias, Kurt Allen Jenkins, Christopher Yuan-Ting Liao
  • Patent number: 11150324
    Abstract: A controller is formed as an array of transmitting antennas and receiving antennas that are placed on the skin of a user so that the underlying movement of the user's skin can be measured by the interaction of the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas. In an embodiment, the transmitting antennas and receiving antennas are located in an area proximate to the wrist. The movement of the transmitting antennas and subsequent measurement of signals received by receiving antennas are used in order to determine position and pose of the hand and its digits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: David Holman
  • Patent number: 11150730
    Abstract: The disclosed human computer interface (HCI) system may include (1) at least one processor, (2) a plurality of sensors that detect one or more neuromuscular signals from a forearm or wrist of a user, and (3) memory that stores (A) one or more trained inferential models that determine an amount of force associated with the one or more neuromuscular signals and (B) computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to (I) identify the amount of force determined by the one or more trained inferential models, (II) determine that the amount of force satisfies a threshold force value, and in accordance with the determination that the amount of force satisfies the threshold force value, (III) generate a first input command for the HCI system. Various other devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Anderson, Adam Berenzweig, Scott Draves, Daniel Wetmore
  • Patent number: 11150865
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are configured to receive metadata for audio content associated with an audio content item for presentation in a news feed to be displayed on a screen of a computing device associated with a user. The metadata is transformed for display in the audio content item. The transformed metadata is displayed in the audio content item. In addition, systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are configured to present an audio content item in a news feed to be displayed on a screen of a computing device associated with a user. An input by the user for scrolling the news feed and the audio content item on the screen is received. A pop out player is presented in response to disappearance of the audio content item from the screen based on the scrolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Matthew Quirino, Michael Luis Cerda, Holly Marie Ormseth
  • Patent number: 11150795
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can provide a first interface in which a content feed of a first user is presented. The content feed can include one or more content items that were posted by other users, and the first interface being presented on a display screen of a computing device. A determination is made that the first user has performed at least one operation to scroll a content item included in the content feed, the content item being posted by a second user. A second interface is provided through which at least one content item included in an account feed of the second user is presented. The account feed including one or more content items that were posted by the second user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Barton Dickens, William Samuel Bailey
  • Patent number: 11150437
    Abstract: Head-mounted display systems may include a display subsystem, an optics subsystem, a prescription accommodation subsystem, and a varifocal adjustment subsystem. The prescription accommodation subsystem may include a prescription accommodation actuator that is configured to adjust a focus of a displayed image to account for the user's visual refractive error. The varifocal adjustment subsystem may include a varifocal adjustment actuator configured to further adjust the focus of the image to change a perceived view of the image on the display subsystem. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ryan Michael Ebert
  • Patent number: 11150782
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include accessing content channels available to a user, where each content channel includes a communication space with at least one specified type of content and an audience with various audience members. The method may also include generating a channel overview that provides context information related to the content channels available to the user. The channel overview may include a navigable list of the accessed content channels. The method may further include receiving a selection input indicating that a specified content channel has been selected from the channel overview. The method may also include navigating to the selected content channel from the channel overview. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Joseph Roark Underwood, Geoff David Joseph Teehan, George Lewis Kedenburg, III, Jason Holland
  • Patent number: 11150480
    Abstract: The disclosed head-mounted display systems may include an optical element supported by a head-mounted display frame, a projector mounted to the head-mounted display frame, and at least one voice coil actuator mounted on the head-mounted display frame. The projector may be configured to project, via the optical element, an image toward an eye of a user of the head-mounted display system. The at least one voice coil actuator may be coupled to at least one of the projector or the optical element. When actuated, the at least one voice coil actuator may translate at least one of the projector or the optical element in at least one direction relative to the head-mounted display frame. Various other methods, systems, and methods of manufacture are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ryan Michael Ebert
  • Patent number: 11150737
    Abstract: The disclosed wrist-tracking apparatus includes (1) a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of a user of an artificial reality system and (2) a set of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors coupled to the wristband, wherein each of the ToF sensors comprises (A) an emitter that emits a modulated pulse of energy, (B) a receiver that facilitates detecting a reflection of the modulated pulse of energy, and (C) a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the emitter and the receiver, wherein the processing circuit calculates a time of flight for the modulated pulse of energy based at least in part on the modulated pulse of energy and the reflection. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Farshid Salemi Parizi, Wolf Kienzle, Eric Michael Whitmire
  • Patent number: 11150473
    Abstract: An optical device includes a first polarization selective reflector; a second polarization selective reflector positioned relative to the first polarization selective reflector so that the first polarization selective reflector directs first light having a first nonplanar polarization toward the second polarization selective reflector and the second polarization selective reflector directs at least a portion of the first light toward the first polarization selective reflector as second light. The optical device includes a first reflector positioned relative to the first polarization selective reflector so that the first polarization selective reflector directs at least a portion of the second light having a second nonplanar polarization toward the first reflector as third light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Tanya Malhotra, Weichuan Gao, Ying Geng, Babak Amirsolaimani
  • Patent number: 11151916
    Abstract: Techniques are described for operating a display comprising an array of emitters arranged in at least one column. A data shifting circuit stores digital data or an analog representation thereof in a first storage element. The data shifting circuit outputs the digital data or analog representation multiple times to a display driver circuit, using a multiplexer. The first storage element can be a shift register or a capacitor. Digital data can be internally shifted within the data shifting circuit, through multiple shift registers, prior to output to the display driver circuit. An analog representation can be stored and read from the same capacitor without internal shifting. The display driver circuit drives a different emitter of the column each time. A scanning assembly including a reflective surface that receives light from the emitter array forms an output image by rotating the reflective surface in synchronization with driving of the emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: William Thomas Blank, Ilias Pappas
  • Patent number: 11150800
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) monitoring, at a computing device via one or more sensors, positions of one or more fingers of a user relative to an opposing thumb of the user, (2) detecting, while monitoring the positions, a pinch gesture of the one or more fingers, (3) determining one or more user inputs to which at least the pinch gesture has been mapped, and (4) performing, at the computing device, a user-input operation based on the one or more user inputs. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Matthew Longest
  • Patent number: 11150394
    Abstract: Techniques for fabricating a slanted structure are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a slanted surface-relief structure in a material layer includes forming a thin hard mask on top of an intermediate mask layer, etching the intermediate mask layer at a slant angle using the thin hard mask to form a slanted intermediate mask, and etching the material layer at the slant angle using the slanted intermediate mask to form the slanted surface-relief structure in the material layer. The intermediate mask layer is characterized by an etch rate greater than an etch rate of the material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Nihar Ranjan Mohanty, Matthew E. Colburn
  • Patent number: 11150482
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a virtual content to a physical object is described. A processor includes an augmented reality application. The augmented reality application creates virtual content at the head mounted device, and associates the virtual content with predefined conditions based on data from sensors embedded in the head mounted device at a time of creation of the virtual content. The virtual content is displayed in a display of the head mounted device in response to sensor data satisfying the predefined conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Mullins, Matthew Kammerait
  • Patent number: 11150977
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for remediating computing resources may include (i) detecting a failure in a computer peripheral device and (ii) performing a remediation action in response to detecting the failure in the computer peripheral device. The remediation action may include selectively modifying a signal to a computing bus to which the computer peripheral device is connected. Selectively modifying the signal to the computing bus may simulate both unplugging the computer peripheral device from the computing bus without physically removing the computer peripheral device and also plugging back the computer peripheral device into the computing bus without physically reinserting the computer peripheral device into the computing bus. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Christopher Van Der Westhuizen
  • Patent number: 11150468
    Abstract: An optical device and an eye-tracking system to suppress a rainbow effect are provided. The optical device includes a grating. The grating includes at least one substrate and a grating structure coupled to the at least one substrate. The grating structure is configured to diffract an infrared light beam and transmit a visible light beam with a diffraction efficiency less than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Yun-Han Lee, Lu Lu, Mengfei Wang, Fenglin Peng, Junren Wang
  • Patent number: 11151770
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for rendering objects within an operating system includes receiving multiple data structures from applications executing on the operating system. Each data structure includes a declarative definition of one or more objects within a volumetric space to be displayed to a user of the operating system. The operating system can generate a render graph that includes the declarative definition of each data structure and can cause images of the objects associated with each data structure to be rendered based on the render graph and a pose of the user relative to the volumetric space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Charles Constable, David Teitlebaum
  • Patent number: 11143221
    Abstract: A device housing comprises a front panel, a back panel, and a support structure. The front panel further comprises at least one threaded interface position on an edge of the front panel. The back panel further comprises at least one securing interface positioned on an edge of the back panel. The support structure is configured to mount the front panel and the back panel. The support structure further comprises a slot configured to couple the threaded interface on the front panel and a securing to configured to couple the securing interface on the back panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Davies, Way Chet Lim
  • Patent number: 11143693
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of first LEDs, a plurality of second LEDs, a first controllable current source that is configured to generate a first bias current for driving a first one of the plurality of first LEDs and a plurality of first ones of the plurality of second LEDs, a first measurement circuit that is configured to measure a first current-voltage (I-V) performance characteristic of the first one of the plurality of first LEDs, and a lens that is arranged to receive light from the plurality of second LEDs. A property of the first bias current is determined as a function of at least two measurements of the first I-V performance characteristic that are acquired while the first bias current is applied to the first one of the plurality of first LEDs and the plurality of first ones of the plurality of second LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Yee, Ramakrishna Chilukuri, William Thomas Blank, Ilias Pappas
  • Patent number: 11144812
    Abstract: A preprocessing module of a neural network has a first input and second input. The module generates multiple, different first latent vector representations of its first input, and multiple, different second latent vector representations of its second input. The module then models pairwise interactions between every unique pairwise combination of the first and second latent vector representations. The module then produces an intermediate output by combining the results of the modeled pairwise interactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Xianjie Chen, Wenlin Chen, Liang Xiong, Tianshi Gao
  • Patent number: 11143875
    Abstract: An optical device is provided. The optical device includes a first liquid crystal (“LC”) cell and a second LC cell stacked with the first LC cell. The first and second LC cells are configured to provide a phase retardation to a light transmitted therethrough. The optical device also includes at least one first compensation film disposed between the first LC cell and the second LC cell. The optical device also includes a second compensation film disposed at a first side of the first LC cell opposite to a second side of the first LC cell where the at least one first compensation film is disposed. The optical device also includes a third compensation film disposed at a first side of the second LC cell opposite to a second side of the second LC cell where the at least one first compensation film is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Lu Lu, Fenglin Peng, Mengfei Wang, Wai Sze Tiffany Lam, Scott Charles McEldowney
  • Patent number: 11144182
    Abstract: A social networking system identifies a user's relative preference for objects maintained by the social networking system, such as pages associated with movies, restaurants, businesses, or other content. To obtain the user's preferences, the system provides pairs, or groups, of objects to a user and prompts the user to indicate a preference between the objects in each pair. This obtained information about the user's relative preferences is stored in conjunction with the user's profile, which can then be used to select content subsequently presented to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Pike, Yuankai Ge, Chad E. Little
  • Patent number: 11143873
    Abstract: A compact light projection system is described for use in artificial reality systems, and which outputs patterned interferometric illumination that may be dynamically adjustable. The light projection systems are Integrated Circuits (IC)s, which are compact and easily added to other electronic devices in an artificial reality device. The IC illumination sources described herein provide flexibility by incorporating dynamically adjustable components as well as static components, such as phase delay devices, coupling controllers, switch-able light sources, and output gratings, which may each be adjusted to control the resulting pattern of interferometric illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qing Chao, Zhaoming Zhu, Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 11144115
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are related to a system and a method for porting a physical object in a physical space into a virtual reality. In one approach, the method includes detecting an input device in a physical space relative to a user of the input device. In one approach, the method includes presenting, by a display device to the user, a virtual model of the detected input device in a virtual space at a location and an orientation. The location and the orientation of the virtual model in the virtual space may correspond to a location and an orientation of the input device in the physical space relative to the user. In one approach, the method includes visually providing relative to the virtual model in the virtual space, through the display device, spatial feedback on the user's interaction with the input device in the physical space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jan Herling, Adrian Brian Ratter
  • Patent number: 11143218
    Abstract: A fluidic logic-gate device may include inlet ports, input ports, an output port, fluid channels each configured to route fluid from one of the inlet ports to the output port, and pistons that each include (1) a restricting gate transmission element configured to block, when the piston is in a first blocking position and unblock, when the piston is in a second blocking position, one of fluid channels, (2) a first controlling gate transmission element configured to interface with a first control pressure that, when applied to the first controlling gate transmission element, forces the piston towards the first blocking position, and (3) a second controlling gate transmission element configured to interface with a second control pressure that, when applied to the second controlling gate transmission element, forces the piston towards the second blocking position. Various other related devices and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Casey Glick, Andrew Arthur Stanley, Erik Roby
  • Patent number: 11144099
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can present landscape content through a display screen of the computing device, the landscape content being presented in a landscape viewing mode. A rotation of the display screen to transition to a portrait viewing mode can be determined. The landscape content can be scaled based on the rotation of the display screen, wherein the scaled landscape content is presented through the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian McIntyre Silber, Thomas Frederick Dimson, Ryan Keenan Olson
  • Patent number: 11146511
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in the design of a messaging inbox. The inbox may display different units or “modules” for providing a user with quick access to different inbox functionalities. After a number of recent or unread messages are shown in the inbox's initial interface, the messages end and are replaced with modules. In some embodiments, promotional material may be integrated into a module, or may be integrated as a module. For example, a new message thread may be created to indicate a store in which a discount is offered. The message may appear in a module, or may stand in the place of a module. The promotional material may be selected based on proximity. The messaging service may differentiate between sponsored materials advertising a product or service, and purely beneficial materials such as coupons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Vinodh Jayaram, Andrew Yaoshu Song, Jonathan David Perlow
  • Patent number: 11145107
    Abstract: This disclosure describes efficient communication of surface texture data between system on a chip (SOC) integrated circuits. An example system includes a first integrated circuit and a second integrated circuit communicatively coupled to the first integrated circuit by a video communication interface. The first integrated generates a superframe in a video frame of the video communication interface for transmission to the second integrated circuit. The superframe includes multiple subframe payloads that carry surface texture data to be updated in the frame and corresponding subframe headers that include parameters of the subframe payloads. The second integrated circuit includes a direct access memory (DMA) controller. The DMA upon receipt of the superframe, writes the surface texture data within each of the subframe payloads directly to an allocated location in memory based on the parameters included in the corresponding one of the subframe headers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Lawrence Greene, Steve John Clohset, Benjamin Charles Constable
  • Patent number: 11145786
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for wafer-to-wafer bonding for manufacturing light emitting diodes (LEDs). In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing LEDs includes modifying a p-type layer of a semiconductor material to form a plurality of alternating high resistivity areas and low resistivity areas, wherein the low resistivity areas correspond to light emitters; bonding a base wafer to a first surface of the p-type layer; removing a substrate from a second surface of the semiconductor material, wherein the second surface of the semiconductor material is opposite to the first surface of the p-type layer; and patterning a trench between each adjacent pair of the light emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: William Padraic Henry, James Ronald Bonar, Gareth Valentine
  • Patent number: 11145126
    Abstract: This disclosure describes an artificial reality system that presents artificial reality content in the context of a physical environment that includes a mirror or other reflective surface. In one example, this disclosure describes a method that includes capturing capture data representative of a physical environment, wherein the physical environment includes a reflective surface and a plurality of objects, determining a pose of the HMD, determining a map of the physical environment, wherein the map includes position information about the reflective surface and position information about each of the plurality of physical objects in the physical environment, identifying a visible object from among the plurality of physical objects, and generating artificial reality content associated with the visible object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chad Austin Bramwell, Caryn Vainio, Charlene Mary Atlas, Mark Terrano
  • Patent number: 11145242
    Abstract: An apparatus for efficiently driving visual displays via light-emitting devices may include (1) at least one light-emitting device, (2) a buck driver circuit electrically coupled to the light-emitting device, wherein the buck driver circuit includes an inductor, and (3) a boost circuit electrically coupled between the buck driver circuit and a power source, wherein the boost circuit includes an additional inductor. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yuming Liu, Xiaobei Li, Lawrence Chang-Yung Wang, Sam Sarmast, Phillip Freeman King, Benjamin Nicholas Jones
  • Patent number: 11145631
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel having a first emission region and a second emission region that is distinct from and mutually exclusive to the first emission region and surrounds the first emission region. The display device includes a first plurality of light emitters arranged in the first emission region, a plurality of activation lines for the first emission region, a second plurality of light emitters arranged in the second emission region, and a plurality of activation lines for the second emission region. A single activation line of the plurality of activation lines for the first emission region is electrically coupled with a first number of light emitters in the first emission region and a single activation line of the plurality of activation lines for the second emission region is electrically coupled with a second number, distinct from the first number, of light emitters in the second emission region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, James Ronald Bonar, Jasmine Soria Sears
  • Patent number: 11144826
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing an input vector representing an input post, wherein: the vector space comprises clusters each associated with a topic; each cluster was determined based on a clustering of training-page vectors corresponding to training pages that each comprise training posts, each training post submitted by a user to a training page and comprises content selected by the user; and each training-page vector was generated by an ANN that was trained, based on the training posts of training pages associated with the ANN, to receive a post and then output a probability that the received post is related to the training posts of the training pages; determining that the input vector is located within a particular cluster in the vector space; and determining a topic of the input post based on the topic associated with the particular cluster that the input vector is located within.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Ying Zhang, Wenhai Yang, Ou Jin
  • Patent number: 11145006
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph maintained by an online social network, the social graph including nodes and edges connecting the nodes, each edge representing a relationship between two of the nodes. The method also includes receiving an indication that a first user of the online social network has interacted with a content object posted by a second user of the online social network, wherein the content object is associated with a first entity. The method also includes accessing user data associated with the first user and entity data associated with the first entity. In response to receiving the indication, the method identifies one or more prompts based on the user data and the entity data. Finally, at least one of the prompts is sent to a client device of the first user for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Gery Gutnik, Mark J. Kilgore, Ken Deeter
  • Patent number: 11144953
    Abstract: A user action associated with a content item performed by a target user is detected. Information describing online publishers that delivered the content item to the target user is retrieved. For each publisher, a likelihood that the user action would have occurred without the publisher's delivery of the content item to the target user is determined. An estimated increase in the likelihood that the user action occurred due to the publisher's delivery of the content item to the target user is determined. A baseline value indicating a likelihood that the user action would have occurred without delivery of the content item to the target user by any publishers is estimated based on attributes for the target user. A performance metric is determined for each publisher, wherein ratios of the metrics are scaled based on the baseline value and are related based on corresponding ratios of the estimated increases in likelihoods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Jie Zhang, Pu Zhang, Ying Jiang, Sergiy Dubynskiy, Goran Predovic
  • Patent number: 11144954
    Abstract: An online system promotes physical store visits by presenting users with content items for a physical store location and subsequently logs visits of online system users to the physical store location to track performance of a campaign associated with the presented content item. The online system registers attention events associated with the presented content items presented to users on third party publishing sites via tracking pixels and registers attention events as store front visit conversion events if, within a predetermined period of time from a valid attention event, a user has subsequently gone in and visited the physical store front location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Liang Xu, Chaochao Cai, Qing Li, Goran Predovic
  • Patent number: 11143866
    Abstract: A waveguide is provided for conveying image light. The waveguide includes an input port for receiving a first beam of image light carrying an image in a wavelength band. A first diffraction grating of the waveguide includes a plurality of volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) configured to expand the first beam along a first axis and to redirect the first beam towards a second diffraction grating of the waveguide. The second diffraction grating includes a plurality of VBGs configured to receive the first beam from the first diffraction grating and to out-couple different portions of the first wavelength band of the first beam along a second axis, thereby expanding the first beam along the second axis for observation of the image by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Wanli Chi, Hee Yoon Lee, Pasi Saarikko
  • Patent number: 11146891
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) coil assembly is presented herein. In some embodiments, the MEMS coil assembly includes a foldable substrate and a plurality of coil segments. Each coil segment includes a portion of the substrate, two conductors arranged on the portion of the substrate. The substrate can be folded to stack the coil segments on top of each other and to electrically connect first and second conductors of adjacent coil segments. In some other embodiments, the MEMS coil assembly includes a plurality of coil layers stacked onto each other. Each coil layer includes a substrate and a conductor to form a coil. The conductors of adjacent coil layers are connected through a via. The MEMS coil assembly can be arranged between a pair of magnets. An input signal can be applied to the MEMS coil assembly to cause the MEMS coil assembly to move orthogonally relative to the magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Porter, Chuming Zhao, Antonio John Miller, Peter Daniel Clyde
  • Patent number: 11146646
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes launching, by a client system of a first user, a video-call session to enable a video stream for display in a small-overlay-window on a display of the client system of the first user; receiving, by the client system of the first user, a video stream comprising video from a client system of a second user; determining at least one property for the small-overlay-window based on information associated with the second user; and displaying the video stream in the small-overlay-window, wherein the small-overlay-window is customized based on the determined at least one property, and wherein the small-overlay-window is positioned directly over an interface of an active application running on the client system of the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 11145797
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to forming an elastomeric interface layer (elayer) with a flap over multiple light emitting diode (LED) dies by forming materials across multiple LED dies and removing the materials between the LED dies. The formed flap of the elayer provides a large surface area for adhesion between each LED and a pick-up surface. For example, the flap may have a surface area that is larger than the light emitting surface of the LED die, or larger than the surface area of an elastomeric interface layer without the flap. As such, the elayer allows each LED to be picked up by a pick-up surface and placed onto a display substrate including control circuits for sub-pixels of an electronic display. In some embodiments, the LED dies are micro-LED (?LED) dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Oscar Torrents Abad, Tilman Zehender, Pooya Saketi, Karsten Moh
  • Patent number: D933067
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin John Parfitt
  • Patent number: D933082
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Rhyu, Riccardo Carlet, Alessandra Villaamil
  • Patent number: D933696
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Joseph Roark Underwood, Geoff David Joseph Teehan, George Lewis Kedenburg, III, Jason Holland