Device, system and method for detecting overlap of an ophthalmic device by an eyelid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10386655-B2
Application number	US-201615221522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2016
Priority date	Jul 27, 2016
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms for sensing an overlap of an ophthalmic device by an eyelid of a user while the ophthalmic device is disposed in or on an eye of the user. In an embodiment, a circuit, disposed in a sealed enclosure of the ophthalmic device, interacts via an electromagnetic field with a film of tear fluid that is formed on the ophthalmic device. Based on the electromagnetic interaction, an oscillation characteristic of the circuit is evaluated. The oscillation characteristic varies with a resistance that is due in part to an eyelid of the user overlapping at least some portion of the ophthalmic device. Based on the evaluated oscillation characteristic, an amount of the eyelid overlap is determined by circuitry of the ophthalmic device. In another embodiment, the amount of eyelid overlap is used to determine one or more characteristics of gazing by the user's eye.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ophthalmic device comprising:
a lens forming a sealed enclosure;
an oscillator circuit including a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion, the oscillator circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure of the lens;
a driver circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure, the driver circuit coupled to drive the oscillator circuit with a signal to cause the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion to emit an electromagnetic field that extends from the lens, wherein the driver circuit includes a pulse generator coupled to the oscillator circuit to perturb the oscillator circuit;
an oscillation detector circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure, the oscillation detector circuit coupled to the oscillator circuit to monitor the oscillator circuit for a threshold state of oscillation in response to perturbation from the pulse generator; and
an evaluation circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure, the evaluation circuit coupled to the oscillation detector circuit to receive an indication of the threshold state of oscillation and to correlate the indication of the threshold state of oscillation with an amount of eyelid overlap with the ophthalmic device.

2. The ophthalmic device of claim 1 , wherein the driver circuit includes:
initialization circuitry coupled to successively configure multiple initialization states of the oscillator circuit,
wherein the pulse generator is coupled to the oscillation circuit to provide a respective perturbation of each of the multiple initialization states, wherein the oscillation detector circuit is coupled to the oscillation circuit to detect for an oscillation response to each of the respective perturbations.

3. The ophthalmic device of claim 1 , wherein the oscillation detector circuit includes a first memory to store criteria including:
a minimum number of transitions by an output from the oscillator circuit within a defined time period, or a minimum amplitude of the output from the oscillator circuit;
wherein the oscillation detector circuit to monitor the oscillator circuit for the threshold state of oscillation based on the criteria.

4. The ophthalmic device of claim 3 , wherein the evaluation circuit includes a second memory to store reference information that corresponds multiple initialization states of the oscillator circuit each with a different respective amount of eyelid overlap.

5. The ophthalmic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion are different respective portions of an inductive loop structure.

6. The ophthalmic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode portion is coupled to the second electrode portion via only one end of the first electrode portion.

7. The ophthalmic device of claim 1 , wherein the oscillation detector circuit to perform test rounds each to detect a respective threshold oscillation state of the oscillator circuit, wherein the test rounds each include multiple sample cycles each corresponding to a different respective initialization state of the oscillator circuit.

8. The ophthalmic device of claim 7 , wherein, for a first test round of the test rounds, the multiple sample cycles of the first test round each correspond to a different respective value of an input to be provided to the oscillator circuit with the driver circuit.

9. The ophthalmic device of claim 8 , wherein the driver circuit includes a current source, wherein the input includes a current provided by the current source.

10. The ophthalmic device of claim 8 , wherein the input includes a bias voltage.

11. The ophthalmic device of claim 8 , wherein the oscillation detector circuit to perform a first test round of the test rounds includes the oscillation detector circuit to select, based on a result of a first sample cycle and a binary search algorithm, a second sample cycle to be performed.

12. A method of operation of an ophthalmic device, the method comprising:
driving an oscillator circuit, including a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion each disposed within a sealed enclosure formed by a lens of the ophthalmic device, to emit an electromagnetic field from the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion that is influenced by an amount an eyelid overlaps the ophthalmic device when worn by a user;
perturbing the oscillator circuit;
monitoring the oscillator circuit for a threshold state of oscillation in response to the perturbing; and
correlating the threshold state of oscillation with the amount the eyelid overlaps the ophthalmic device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein driving the oscillator circuit comprises driving the oscillator circuit with a variable current.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein monitoring the oscillator circuit for the threshold state of oscillation comprises monitoring the oscillator circuit for the threshold state of oscillation while successively changing the variable current.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein correlating the threshold state of oscillation with the amount the eyelid overlaps the ophthalmic device comprises correlating a level of the variable current which corresponds to the threshold state of oscillation with the amount the eyelid overlaps the ophthalmic device.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a gaze direction of the user based, at least in part, upon the threshold state of oscillation of the oscillator circuit; and
adjusting an optical power of an accommodation actuator disposed within the sealed enclosure of the lens in response to the determined gaze direction.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising performing test rounds each to detect a respective threshold oscillation state of the oscillator circuit, wherein the test rounds each include multiple sample cycles each corresponding to a different respective initialization state of the oscillator circuit.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein performing a first test round of the test rounds includes selecting, based on a result of a first sample cycle and a binary search algorithm, a second sample cycle to be performed.

19. An eye-mountable device (EMD) comprising:
a lens forming a sealed enclosure;
an oscillator circuit including a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion, the oscillator circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure of the lens;
a driver circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure, the driver circuit coupled to drive the oscillator circuit with a signal to cause the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion to emit an electromagnetic field that extends from the lens, wherein the driver circuit includes a pulse generator coupled to the oscillator circuit to perturb the oscillator circuit;
an oscillation detector circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure, the oscillation detector circuit coupled to the oscillator circuit to monitor the oscillator circuit for a threshold state of oscillation in response to perturbation from the pulse generator;
an evaluation circuit disposed within the sealed enclosure, the evaluation circuit coupled to the oscillation detector circuit to receive an indication of the threshold state of oscillation and to correlate the indication of the threshold state of oscillation with an amount of eyelid overlap;
an accommodation actuator disposed within the sealed enclosure; and
control circuitry coupled to the accommodation actuator and the evaluation circuit to adjust the accommodation actuator based on feedback from the evaluation circuit.

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Lee Shungneng
• Jow Uei-Ming
• Pletcher Nathan

Classifications

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02C11/10

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• A61B3/10

  Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions · CPC title

• G02C7/04

  Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00) · CPC title

• G02C7/083 Primary

  Electrooptic lenses · CPC title