Adaptive lenses with photovoltaic devices

1 . An eyewear apparatus comprising:

a pair of adaptive lenses, each adaptive lens of the pair of adaptive lenses comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a peripheral edge surface disposed between the first surface and the second surface surrounding each adaptive lens;

a frame configured to hold the pair of adaptive lenses;

at least one photovoltaic device per adaptive lens of the pair of adaptive lenses, wherein each of the at least one photvoltaic device is a band and the band of the respective photvoltaic device is disposed around an entirety of the peripheral edge surface of a respective adaptive lens, wherein each of the at least one photovoltaic device is radially sandwiched between the frame and the outer peripheral surface each photovoltaic device being configured to convert light incident upon a respective photosensitive surface of the respective photovoltaic device into electricity usable to power the respective adaptive lens.

2 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive surfaces of the at least one photovoltaic device lie along an entirety of the periphery of the respective adaptive lens.

3 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respective adaptive lens comprises a plurality of nanoparticles that are to be employed to direct a portion of the light incident thereupon towards the photosensitive surfaces of the at least one photovoltaic device.

4 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are dispersed in a substrate of the respective adaptive lens.

5 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are dispersed in a coating formed on a substrate of the respective adaptive lens.

6 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the light that is to be directed by the plurality of nanoparticles towards the photosensitive surfaces is at least one of: infrared light, ultraviolet light.

7 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive surfaces of the at least one photovoltaic device has a bandpass filter provided thereon that is to be employed to allow only a given spectral band to pass therethrough.

8 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of light sensors configured to sense reflections of light off a surface of a user's eye, the plurality of light sensors being arranged along a portion of the periphery of the respective adaptive lens; and

a processor configured to:

process sensor data pertaining to the sensed reflections to determine a gaze direction of the user's eye; and

generate a drive signal to control an optical power of the adaptive lens, based on the gaze direction.

9 . The eyewear apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising at least one light source, arranged on the periphery of the respective adaptive lens, that is configured to emit light towards the user's eye.

10 . A method for manufacturing an eyewear apparatus, the method comprising:

arranging at least one photovoltaic device on a respective adaptive lens of a pair of adaptive lenses configured to be held in a frame, each adaptive lens of the pair of adaptive lenses comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a peripheral edge surface disposed between the first surface and the second surface surrounding each adaptive lens, wherein each of the at least one photvoltaic device is a band and the band of the respective photvoltaic device is disposed around an entirety of the peripheral edge surface of a respective adaptive lens;

providing electrical connections between the at least one photovoltaic device and an electronic circuitry of the respective adaptive lens; and fitting the respective adaptive lens to the frame, wherein the at least one photovoltaic device is radially sandwiched between the frame and the outer peripheral surface.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a photosensitive surface of the at least one photovoltaic device is configured to lie along an entirety of the periphery of the respective adaptive lens.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a plurality of nanoparticles in the respective adaptive lens, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are to be employed to direct a portion of light incident thereupon towards the photosensitive surface of the at least one photovoltaic device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of providing the plurality of nanoparticles in the respective adaptive lens comprises using a substrate in which the plurality of nanoparticles are dispersed, to form the respective adaptive lens.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of providing the plurality of nanoparticles in the respective adaptive lens comprises applying on a substrate of the respective adaptive lens a coating of a material in which the plurality of nanoparticles are dispersed.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the portion of the light that is to be directed by the plurality of nanoparticles towards the photosensitive surface is at least one of: infrared light, ultraviolet light.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a bandpass filter on the photosensitive surface of the at least one photovoltaic device, wherein the bandpass filter allows only a given spectral band to pass therethrough.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

arranging a plurality of light sensors along a portion of the periphery of the respective adaptive lens, wherein the plurality of light sensors are configured to be employed to sense reflections of light off a surface of a user's eye; and

configuring a processor to:

process sensor data pertaining to the sensed reflections to determine a gaze direction of the user's eye; and

generate a drive signal to control an optical power of the respective adaptive lens, based on the gaze direction; and

providing electrical connections between the at least one photovoltaic device and the plurality of light sensors, and between the at least one photovoltaic device and the processor.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

arranging at least one light source on the periphery of the respective adaptive lens, wherein the at least one light source is to be employed to emit light towards the user's eye; and

providing electrical connections between the at least one photovoltaic device and the at least one light source.

19 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one photovoltaic device is in a form of a band, and wherein the step of arranging the at least one photovoltaic device on the respective adaptive lens comprises wrapping the band of the at least one photovoltaic device around a curved surface of the respective adaptive lens that lies between a world-facing surface and a user-facing surface of the respective adaptive lens.