MVIS/MSFT HoloLens Timeline

Hat-tip to Mike Oxlong for getting us started.

Whether it means anything is up to you the reader to decide. THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE MVIS IS IN THE NEXT HOLOLENS (2019) AS OF THIS DATE (7/20/2018). THIS THREAD IS SPECULATIVE. But as best we know the dates are right. Feel free to suggest additions and cites for the dating in the thread below and if I think they are worthy and relevant we'll add them to the master timeline up here in post 1.

April 13, 2016 --MSFT files waveguide patent [referencing several in-force MVIS patents.] (https://www.reddit.com/r/MVIS/comments/8zqiso/microvision_waveguidebased_displays_with_exit/) (h/t flyingmirrors). Several of the referenced in-force MVIS patents have inventors that now work for MSFT.

Q3 2016 - MVIS signed Phase I contract to deliver proof of concept prototype display for AR application with "world leading technology company".

Dec 16, 2016 --MSFT FOV patent filed [referencing MVIS and relying on LBS (Laser Beam Scanning --MVIS 20+ year specialty and IP patent strength) to double FOV.] (https://www.reddit.com/r/MVIS/comments/8tqkfu/new_patent_promises_to_double_field_of_view_of/) (h/t view-from-afar)

January 2017 - MVIS delivered proof of concept prototype demonstrator for AR under Phase I contract initiated in Q3 2016 above.

February 2017 - Sumit Sharma (former "Head of Operations --Project GLASS" at Google) of MVIS promoted from VP of Operations to VP Product Engineering & Operations. Receives 130k shares worth of options --more options than MVIS new CEO would receive later that year.

February 20, 2017 --Reports MSFT has cancelled v2 of HoloLens to go for a more ambitious v3 in 2019 instead.

January 2017 - March 5, 2017 - MVIS signed Phase II AR contract for $900K

March 27, 2017 -- "It is also gratifying to see the company engage in augmented and virtual reality eyewear, an application with roots in the early days of MicroVision when I joined the board.” - Outgoing MicroVision Director Richard Cowell (h/t gaporter)

March 2017 - Wyatt Davis leaves after 14 years as Principal Engineer/MEMS Technical Lead at Microvision for Microsoft to become Principal Display Systems Engineer (h/t view-from-afar)

April 20th, 2017 - MVIS $24M "Large NRE" agreement signed with "major technology company". Agreement foresees development of a new generation of MVIS MEMS and ASICs and is expected to complete by the end of 2018.

June 8th, 2017 --MVIS Annual Shareholders Meeting presentation by CEO narrows identification of AR customer who received HMD prototype as a Fortune Global 100 company. See slide 13. AR customer description now "world leading technology company" + FG100 member. (h/t L-urch).

June 13th, 2017 --MVIS belatedly decides Sumit Sharma is "reportable" for "insider ownership" purposes and files Form 3 on him with the SEC for the first time disclosing his 130k shares Feb 2017 options award and 200k shares total in options (subject to vesting --dates listed are earliest partial vest date which is one year after initial award).

June 15th, 2017 --MSFT files patent describing method to design a 1440p-capable two-mirror LBS MEMS design. (h/t gaporter) (See April 26, 2018 below).

August 2, 2017 --MVIS 2Q 10-Q seems to prove AR HMD customer and "Large NRE" customer are the same company in 'Concentration of Customers' data. (h/t, umm, me.)

August 3, 2017 -- “Some customers are starting on scanning mirror more carefully right now...” - Jordan Wu, CEO of Himax, the company that provides LCOS for the current generation Hololens. (h/t gaporter)

April 26, 2018 --MVIS announces sampling of a new generation two-mirror LBS MEMS scanner at 1440p and 120Hz. Old scanner in HMD prototype of January 2017 was likely current gen at 720p/60Hz. (See also June 15th, 2017 above)

June 7, 2018 --MVIS announces Sumit Sharma promoted to COO, a position that had not existed at the company since the elevation of Alexander Tokman from COO to CEO in 2006.

June 2018 --MSFT next HoloLens code named "Sydney" rumored for 1Q 2019 release.

July 31st, 2018 -- MVIS CEO Perry Mulligan reports "We're about two-thirds of the way through that contract and we believe the difficult technical tasks are now behind us." Also says customer confirms 2019 launch.