Eyewear with touch-sensitive input surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345625-B2
Application number	US-201313831419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 9, 2003
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, an eyewear for a user includes an eyewear frame, electrical circuitry at least partially in the eyewear frame, and a touch sensitive input surface on the eyewear frame configured to provide an input to the electrical circuitry to perform a function via touching the touch sensitive input surface. In another embodiment, the eyewear includes a switch with at least two operational states. The operational states of the switch can be configured to be changed by sliding a finger across the touch sensitive input surface of the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An eyewear for a user comprising:
an eyewear frame;
a touch sensitive input surface on the eyewear frame configured to provide a first electrical input at least to a first electronic component in the eyewear frame to perform a first function, the first electrical input responding to detecting at least the touch sensitive input surface being contacted, wherein the detecting does not detect movement, relative to the eyewear frame, of a mechanical part being moved;
a light emitting device at an inside surface of the eyewear frame, with the inside surface of the eyewear frame facing the user when the eyewear is worn; and
a camera with at least a lens facing outward and not facing the user when the eyewear is worn.

2. An eyewear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the eyewear is a headset.

3. An eyewear as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the touch sensitive input surface is configured to operate as at least a switch, and
wherein the switch has no movable mechanical parts.

4. An eyewear as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the eyewear frame includes at least a front and a side,
wherein the side includes an outside surface facing away from the user when the eyewear is being worn, and
wherein the touch sensitive input surface is at least a portion of the outside surface of the side.

5. An eyewear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive input surface is configured to provide the eyewear with at least two operational states.

6. An eyewear as recited in claim 5 , wherein the touch sensitive input surface is configured to have the eyewear change from one operational state to another operational state through a change in capacitive effect responding to detecting the touch sensitive input surface being touched by the user.

7. An eyewear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive input surface is configured to provide the eyewear with at least two operational states, and wherein the touch sensitive input surface is configured to have the eyewear change from one operational state to another operational state through a change in resistive effect responding to detecting the touch sensitive input surface being touched.

8. An eyewear as recited in claim 1 , wherein based on the touch sensitive input surface, the eyewear is configured to sense direction of movement of the touching at the touch sensitive input surface.

9. An eyewear as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first function is dependent on the sensed direction of the movement of the touching at the touch sensitive input surface.

10. An eyewear as recited in claim 1 further comprising a sensor at least partially in the eyewear frame, wherein the sensor is configured to provide a second electrical input at least to a second electronic component in the eyewear frame to perform a second function, the second electrical input related to detecting at least a motion of the user who is wearing the eyewear.

11. An eyewear as recited in claim 10 , wherein the sensor includes an accelerometer.

12. An eyewear for a user comprising:
an eyewear frame; and
a touch sensitive input surface on the eyewear frame configured to provide an electrical input at least to an electronic component in the eyewear frame to perform a first function, the electrical input responding to detecting touch of the touch sensitive input surface,
wherein the eyewear frame includes an adjacent surface provided adjacent to the touch sensitive input surface,
wherein at least a portion of the touch sensitive input surface has a texture different from the texture of the adjacent surface, and
wherein the difference in texture is configured to provide a different tactile perception when the touch sensitive input surface and the adjacent surface are touched.

13. An eyewear for a user comprising:
an eyewear frame;
a touch sensitive input surface on the eyewear frame configured to provide an electrical input at least to an electronic component in the eyewear frame to perform a first function, the electrical input responding to detecting at least the touch sensitive input surface being touched; and
a microphone for receiving at least a voice input, and a memory storing at least a portion of voice-recognition software code for recognizing at least the voice input to perform a second function,
wherein the memory is at least partially in the eyewear frame,
wherein the touch sensitive input surface is configured to operate as at least a switch, and
wherein the switch has no movable mechanical parts.

14. An eyewear for a user comprising:
an eyewear frame;
a touch sensitive input surface on the eyewear frame configured to provide an electrical input at least to an electronic component in the eyewear frame to perform a first function, the electrical input responding to detecting at least the touch sensitive input surface being touched;
a microphone for receiving at least a voice input;
a memory storing at least a portion of voice-recognition software code for recognizing at least the voice input to perform a second function; and
a display at the eyewear frame, the display being configured to display a set of choices to the user, wherein the second function depends on at least one of the choices being selected via voice input received by the microphone.

15. An eyewear as recited in claim 14 , wherein the set of choices includes choices for a set of songs, and the second function is to initiate playing a song selected from the set of songs via voice input received by the microphone.

16. An eyewear for a user comprising:
an eyewear frame;
a touch sensitive input surface on the eyewear frame configured to provide an electrical input at least to an electronic component in the eyewear frame to perform a first function, the electrical input responding to detecting at least the touch sensitive input surface being touched;
a microphone for receiving at least a voice input, and a memory storing at least a portion of voice-recognition software code for recognizing at least the voice input to perform a second function,
wherein a set of choices is provided to the user, and the second function includes selecting at least one of the choices via voice input received by the microphone.

17. An eyewear for a user comprising:
an eyewear frame;
a touch sensitive input surface on the eyewear frame configured to provide an electrical input at least to an electronic component in the eyewear frame to perform a first function, the electrical input responding to detecting at least the touch sensitive input surface being touched;
a microphone for receiving at least a voice input, and a memory storing at least a portion of voice-recognition software code for recognizing at least the voice input to perform a second function, and
wherein the second function includes performing an electronic search for information specified in the voice input.

18. An eyewear as recited in claim 17 ,
wherein the touch sensitive input surface is configured to provide the eyewear with at least two operational states,
wherein based on the touch sensitive input surface, the eyewear frame is configured to be able to sense movement of the touching at the touch sensitive input surface, and
wherein selecting an operational state from the at least two operational states is based on a direction of the movement of the touching at the touch sensitive input surface.

19. An eyewear as recited in claim 17 ,
wherein the eyewear frame includes a front and a side,
wherein the touch sensitive input surface is on the side, and
wherein the ele

Assignees

• Ingeniospec Llc

Inventors

• Howell Thomas A
• Chao David
• Thomas C Douglass
• Tong Peter P

Classifications

• G02C5/143

  having special ear pieces · CPC title

• G02C5/14

  Side-members · CPC title

• G02C11/10 Primary

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G02C5/001

  specially adapted for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for or not fully classifiable according to technical characteristics, e.g. therapeutic glasses · CPC title