IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,042,045
Granted Patent B2
US 11,042,045 · App. 16/031,046 · Granted Jun 22, 2021

Electronic eyewear and display

Inventors: David Chao (Saratoga, CA); Thomas A. Howell (San Jose, CA); C. Douglass Thomas (Saratoga, CA); Peter P. Tong (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: IngenioSpec, LLC
G02C11/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,042,045
App. No.
16/031,046
Granted
Jun 22, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Novel eyewear apparatuses including a display are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus also includes a frame. The frame includes a side region that includes an extendable arm. The first end of the extendable arm is attached to the frame and a second end of the extendable arm is attached to the display. The side region includes a cavity, where the extendable arm is adapted to retract back. The extendable arm is further adapted to extend out of the cavity and orient the display to be visually observable by a user of the eyewear apparatus. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a concave reflective and an image source. The image source and the concave reflective surface are oriented to enable a user of the eyewear apparatus to view at least an image from the image source as reflected by the concave reflective surface.

Claims (67)

1. An eyewear apparatus, comprising:

an eyewear frame for supporting at least a lens; and

at least an image source, including at least a circuit board having at least an electrical component attached thereon, configured to produce at least an image, with at least a portion of the at least an image source being in the eyewear frame,

wherein the at least an image source and at least a concave reflective surface of the eyewear apparatus are oriented to enable a user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface,

wherein the at least an image source is configured to be positioned above the center of the at least a concave reflective surface when the eyewear frame is worn, to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface, and

wherein the center of the at least a concave reflective surface is configured to be positioned off from the center of the at least a lens.

2. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 comprising at least a battery, wherein the at least an image source and at least the battery are in a module.

3. The eyewear apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the module is configured to be in the eyewear frame.

4. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the eyewear frame includes the at least a lens, and

wherein the at least a concave reflective surface is a part of the at least a lens.

5. The eyewear apparatus of claim 4 comprising at least a battery, wherein the at least an image source and at least the battery are in a module.

6. The eyewear apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the module is configured to be in the eyewear frame.

7. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 comprising a sensor with at least an electrical component configured to sense at least an attribute regarding the user, wherein at least an operation of the at least an image source is based on at least an output of the sensor, and wherein at least a portion of the sensor is in the eyewear frame.

8. The eyewear apparatus as recited in claim 7 comprising:

at least a battery,

wherein the eyewear frame includes the at least a lens,

wherein the at least an image source and at least the battery are in a module,

wherein at least a portion of the module is configured to be in the eyewear frame, and

wherein the at least a concave reflective surface is a part of the at least a lens.

9. An eyewear apparatus, comprising:

an eyewear frame including at least a lens and at least a concave reflective surface; and

at least an image source, including at least a circuit board having at least an electrical component attached thereon, configured to produce at least an image, with at least a portion of the at least an image source being in the eyewear frame,

wherein the at least an image source and the at least a concave reflective surface are oriented to enable a user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface,

wherein the at least an image source is configured to be positioned above the center of the at least a concave reflective surface when the eyewear frame is worn, to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface, and

wherein the center of the at least a concave reflective surface is configured to be positioned off from the center of the at least a lens.

10. The eyewear apparatus as recited in claim 9 comprising a sensor configured to sense at least an attribute of the user, wherein at least a portion of the sensor is in the eyewear frame.

11. An eyewear apparatus, comprising:

an eyewear frame for supporting at least a lens; and

at least an image source, including at least a circuit board having at least an electrical component attached thereon, configured to produce at least an image, with at least a portion of the at least an image source being in the eyewear frame,

wherein at least a part of the at least a lens is configured to operate as at least a concave reflective surface,

wherein the at least an image source and the at least a concave reflective surface are oriented to enable a user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface,

wherein the at least an image source is configured to be positioned above the center of the at least a concave reflective surface when the eyewear frame is worn, to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface, and

wherein the center of the at least a concave reflective surface is configured to be positioned off from the center of the at least a lens.

12. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least an image source is configured to be in the vicinity of a top portion of the at least a lens.

13. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 comprising at least another image source configured to produce at least another image, with at least a portion of the at least another image source being in the eyewear frame, wherein the at least another image source and at least another concave reflective surface of the eyewear apparatus are oriented to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see the at least another image from the at least another image source at least as reflected by the at least another concave reflective surface.

14. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 comprising a being-worn sensor configured to help determine whether the eyewear is being worn, wherein at least a portion of the being-worn sensor is in the eyewear frame.

15. The eyewear apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the being-worn sensor includes a motion sensor.

16. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 comprising a sensor configured to sense at least an attribute of the user, wherein at least a portion of the sensor is in the eyewear frame.

17. The eyewear apparatus of claim 12 comprising a sensor configured to sense at least an attribute of the user, wherein at least a portion of the sensor is in the eyewear frame.

18. The eyewear apparatus of claim 17 comprising at least another image source configured to produce at least another image, with at least a portion of the at least another image source being in the eyewear frame, wherein the at least another image source and at least another concave reflective surface of the eyewear apparatus are oriented to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see the at least another image from the at least another image source at least as reflected by the at least another concave reflective surface.

19. The eyewear apparatus of claim 18 comprising a being-worn sensor configured to help determine whether the eyewear is being worn, wherein at least a portion of the being-worn sensor is in the eyewear frame.

20. The eyewear apparatus of claim 13 comprising a sensor configured to sense at least an attribute of the user, wherein at least a portion of the sensor is in the eyewear frame.

21. The eyewear apparatus of claim 20 comprising a being-worn sensor configured to help determine whether the eyewear is being worn, wherein at least a portion of the being-worn sensor is in the eyewear frame.

22. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least an image source is configured to be in the vicinity of a top portion of the at least a lens.

23. The eyewear apparatus of claim 22 comprising a sensor configured to sense at least an attribute of the user, wherein at least a portion of the sensor is in the eyewear frame.

24. The eyewear apparatus of claim 23 comprising at least another image source configured to produce at least another image, with at least a portion of the at least another image source being in the eyewear frame, wherein the at least another image source and at least another concave reflective surface of the eyewear apparatus are oriented to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see the at least another image from the at least another image source at least as reflected by the at least another concave reflective surface.

25. The eyewear apparatus of claim 24 comprising a being-worn sensor configured to help determine whether the eyewear is being worn, wherein at least a portion of the being-worn sensor is in the eyewear frame.

26. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1 comprising at least another image source configured to produce at least another image, with at least a portion of the at least another image source being in the eyewear frame, wherein the at least another image source and at least another concave reflective surface of the eyewear apparatus are oriented to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see the at least another image from the at least another image source at least as reflected by the at least another concave reflective surface.

27. The eyewear apparatus of claim 26 comprising a sensor configured to sense at least an attribute of the user, wherein at least a portion of the sensor is in the eyewear frame.

28. The eyewear apparatus of claim 27 comprising a being-worn sensor configured to help determine whether the eyewear is being worn, wherein at least a portion of the being-worn sensor is in the eyewear frame.

29. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least a lens includes a wrap-around lens.

30. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the eyewear apparatus includes at least a timer in the eyewear frame, the timer configured to measure a duration of time regarding a usage of the eyewear apparatus by the user.

31. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the eyewear apparatus includes at least a motion sensor in the eyewear frame, the at least a motion sensor configured to measure at least a motion of the user.

32. The eyewear apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the at least a motion sensor includes at least an accelerometer.

33. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11 , wherein with the at least a part of the at least a lens to operate as the at least a concave reflective surface, the eyewear apparatus enables the user to see the at least an image from the at least an image source and at the same time to see through the at least a lens.

34. An eyewear apparatus for a user, comprising:

an eyewear frame for supporting at least a lens;

at least a timer in the eyewear frame, the timer configured to measure a duration of time regarding a usage of the eyewear apparatus by the user;

at least a motion sensor in the eyewear frame, the at least a motion sensor configured to measure at least a motion of the user, wherein the at least a motion sensor includes at least an accelerometer; and

at least an image source, including at least a circuit board having at least an electrical component attached thereon, configured to produce at least an image, with at least a portion of the at least an image source being in the vicinity of a top portion of the at least a lens,

wherein at least a part of the at least a lens is configured to operate as at least a concave reflective surface,

wherein the at least an image source and the at least a concave reflective surface are oriented to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface,

wherein the at least an image source is configured to be positioned above the center of the at least a concave reflective surface when the eyewear frame is worn, to enable the user of the eyewear apparatus to see at least the image from the at least an image source at least as reflected by the at least a concave reflective surface,

wherein the center of the at least a concave reflective surface is configured to be positioned off from the center of the at least a lens, and

wherein with the at least a part of the at least a lens to operate as the at least a concave reflective surface, the eyewear apparatus enables the user to see the at least an image from the at least an image source and at the same time to see through the at least a lens.

35. An eyewear apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the at least a lens includes a wrap-around lens.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2021
From: TONG, PETER P.; THOMAS, C. DOUGLASS
To: INGENIOSPEC, LLC
Reel/Frame 056213/0050 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2021
From: IPVENTURE, INC.
To: TONG, PETER P.; THOMAS, C. DOUGLASS
Reel/Frame 056184/0476 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14211491 · Mar 14, 2014
Provisional Application 61868676 · Aug 22, 2013
Provisional Application 61792702 · Mar 15, 2013
Related Publication 20180314079A1 · Nov 1, 2018
Cited By (12)
US 12,216,339 US 12,216,341 US 12,238,494 US 12,242,138 US 12,248,198 US 12,276,867 US 12,282,206 US 12,313,913 US 12,345,955 US 12,535,698 US 12,573,865 US 12,699,287