Touch sensor for controlling eyewear

1. A video eyewear device comprising:

a receiver, disposed in a head-mounted housing, for receiving an input signal having encoded therein video and audio information representing a multimedia presentation;

a first microdisplay coupled to the head-mounted housing using a first arm, the first microdisplay and first arm arranged to occlude a field of view of a user, the first microdisplay including a first screen arranged to be viewed directly by the user, the first screen being opaque;

a speaker coupled to the head-mounted housing;

a video driver circuit disposed in the head-mounted housing and receiving the input signal, and the video driver circuit providing a video portion of the multimedia presentation to the first microdisplay;

an audio driver circuit receiving the input signal and providing an audio portion of the multimedia presentation to the speaker;

a capacitive sense array formed of at least two capacitive touch sensors, each capacitive touch sensor patterned onto a flexible circuit and disposed in the head-mounted housing, the capacitive touch sensor receiving a user input at one of a location closer to the speaker to control rendering of the audio portion through the speaker and at a location closer to the microdisplay to control display of the video portion through the first screen, and the capacitive sense array providing in response to said user input a control signal to at least one of the video driver circuit or audio driver circuit, the control signal for controlling directly, without menu navigation, an aspect of the multimedia presentation on the video eyewear device, wherein the capacitive sense array enables a user to intuitively control the first microdisplay and the speaker as a function of location of user input relative to the speaker and the microdisplay, while continuing to watch the multimedia presentation unhindered; and

a second microdisplay coupled to the head-mounted housing using a second arm, the second microdisplay and second arm arranged to occlude a second field of view of a user, the second microdisplay including a second screen arranged to be viewed directly by the user, the second screen being opaque;

wherein the video driver circuit further provides a video portion of the multimedia presentation to the second microdisplay; and

wherein the user input is applied to adjust a relative offset between video signals presented on the first and second microdisplays.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user input is a volume control applied to control a volume level of an audio signal to the speaker indicative of the audio portion of the multimedia presentation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 additionally wherein the user input causes a corresponding image of a volume level to appear in the microdisplay.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user input is a video control applied to control a brightness or contrast of the multimedia presentation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user input is a power control signal to control power applied to one or more components of the video eyewear device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pinch motion input received by one of the capacitive touch sensors at a location close to the first and second microdisplays is used to reduce the relative offset.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein a spread motion input on the one capacitive touch sensor is used to increase the relative offset.

8. A video eyewear device comprising:

a microdisplay;

a frame supporting the microdisplay and a speaker, the frame supporting the microdisplay in a position near a user's face, the frame being head-worn and incorporating a video driver circuit, an audio driver circuit, a capacitive proximity sensor, and a capacitive sense array, and the frame having an arm coupling to the microdisplay, the microdisplay and the arm arranged to occlude a field of view of a user, the microdisplay including a screen arranged to be viewed directly by the user, the screen being opaque;

the capacitive proximity sensor, for sensing proximity of the device near the user's face, and in response thereto, controlling application of power to at least one of the video driver circuit or the microdisplay;

the capacitive sense array formed of at least two capacitive touch sensors, each capacitive touch sensor patterned onto a flexible circuit and disposed in the frame, the capacitive touch sensor receiving a user input at one of a location closer to the speaker to control rendering of an audio portion of a multimedia presentation through a speaker and at a location closer to the microdisplay to control display of a video portion of the multimedia presentation through the screen, and the capacitive sense array providing in response to said user input a control signal to at least one of the video driver circuit or audio driver circuit, the control signal for controlling directly, without menu navigation, an aspect of the multimedia presentation on the video eyewear device, wherein the capacitive sense array enables a user to intuitively control the microdisplay and the speaker as a function of location of user input relative to the speaker and the microdisplay, while continuing to watch the multimedia presentation unhindered; and

a second microdisplay coupled to a head-mounted housing using a second arm, the second microdisplay and the second arm arranged to occlude a field of view of a user, the second microdisplay including a second screen arranged to be viewed directly by the user, the second screen being opaque;

wherein the video driver circuit further provides the video portion of the multimedia presentation to the second microdisplay; and

wherein the user input is applied to adjust a relative offset between video signals presented on the first and second microdisplays.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the user input is a volume control applied to control a volume level of an audio signal to the speaker.

10. The device of claim 9 additionally wherein the user input causes a corresponding image of a volume level to appear in the microdisplay.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the user input is a video control applied to control a brightness or contrast of the multimedia presentation.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the user input is a power control signal to control power applied to one or more components of the video eyewear device.