Eyewear with detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539459-B2
Application number	US-201916426351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	Apr 15, 2004
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

Eyewear having monitoring capability, such as for radiation, is disclosed. Radiation, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, infrared (IR) radiation or light, can be measured by a detector. The measured radiation can then be used in providing radiation-related information to a user of the eyewear. Advantageously, the user of the eyewear is able to easily monitor their exposure to radiation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Eyewear, comprising:
a supporting frame for the eyewear;
a radiation detector to capture data, the radiation detector being an electrical component that is at least partially in the supporting frame;
an electronic circuit provided at or within the supporting frame and electrically connected to the radiation detector, the electronic circuit configured to process at least the data captured by the radiation detector;
a communication module operable to transmit data to or from the eyewear, the communication module being provided within the supporting frame;
a switching device that is coupled to the supporting frame and at least partially exposed external to the supporting frame, the switching device being configured to distinguish whether the supporting frame is in a wearable position by a user or in a collapsed position in which the supporting frame is not in a wearable position; and
a controller operatively connected to the electronic circuit, the communication module and the switching device, the controller being provided within the supporting frame.

2. An eyewear device, comprising:
a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements, at least one temple connected to the frame at a joint such that the temple is movable relative to the frame between a collapsed position and a wearable position, wherein with the temple in the wearable position, the eyewear device can be wearable by a user;
at least one electronic component provided internal to the frame; and
a switching device that is provided proximate to the joint and that is configured to distinguish whether the temple is in the wearable position or in the collapsed position.

3. An eyewear device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the switching device includes at least a first element on a first face of the temple.

4. An eyewear device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the joint comprises a hinge assembly that is configured such that the first element is configured to contact a complementary surface or a second element on the frame when the temple is in the wearable condition.

5. An eyewear device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the joint comprises a hinge assembly that is configured such that the first element is configured to interact with a complementary surface or a second element on the frame when the temple is in the wearable condition.

6. An eyewear device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the eyewear device comprises a battery internal to the at least one temple.

7. An eyewear device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the frame includes a front portion, the temple is movably coupled to the front portion of the frame, and the switch is positioned proximate to an end portion of the front portion of the frame.

8. An eyewear device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the frame includes a front portion, and
wherein the front portion includes at least a lens holder provided at an end of the front portion, and
wherein a forward end of the temple is adjacent and movably coupled to the end of the front portion or the lens holder at the end of the front portion.

9. An eyewear device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the switching device includes a first element attached to the forward end of the temple, and a second element attached to the end of the front portion or the lens holder at the end of the front portion.

10. An eyewear device as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the eyewear device comprises a rechargeable battery provided internal to the frame,
wherein the at least one electronic component is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery, and
an electrical connector at least partially contained within the eyewear frame, the electrical connector being electrically connected to the rechargeable battery.

11. An eyewear device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the eyewear device comprises a circuit substrate provided internal to the frame of the eyewear device and coupled to the at least one electronic component.

12. An eyewear device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the eyewear comprises:
at least one auxiliary sensor configured to provide auxiliary sensor data;
an audio output device to inform a user of the eyewear of output information,
wherein the audio output device is at least partially embedded in the temple of the eyewear device.

13. An eyewear device as recited in claim 12 , wherein a front section of the frame includes one or more lens holders to hold one or more lenses, the one or more lenses permit a user whom wears the eyewear device to view its physical environment through the one or more lenses.

14. Eyewear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector is a photodetector.

15. Eyewear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the eyewear comprises:
at least one auxiliary sensor configured to provide auxiliary sensor data; and
an audio output device to inform a user of the eyewear of output information,
wherein the at least one auxiliary sensor and the audio output device are each at least partially embedded in the supporting frame of the eyewear.

16. Eyewear as recited in claim 15 ,
wherein the supporting frame includes a front portion and at least one temple, the temple is movably coupled to the front portion of the supporting frame, and the switching device is positioned proximate to an end portion of the front portion of the frame, and
wherein the front section of the supporting frame includes one or more lens holders to hold one or more lenses, the one or more lenses permit a user whom wears the eyewear to view its physical environment through the one or more lenses.

17. An eyewear device comprising:
a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements, at least one temple connected to the frame at a joint such that the temple is movable relative to the frame between a collapsed position and a wearable position, wherein with the temple in the wearable position, the eyewear device can be wearable by a user;
electronic components comprising at least a first electronic component internal to the frame and a second electronic component internal to the temple; and
a switching device that is provided proximate to the joint and that is configured to distinguish whether the temple is in the wearable position or in the collapsed position.

18. An eyewear device as recited in claim 17 , wherein the switching device includes at least a first element on a first face of the temple, wherein the joint comprises a hinge assembly that is configured such that the first element is configured to contact a complementary surface or second element on the frame when the temple is in the wearable condition.

19. An eyewear device as recited in claim 17 , wherein the first element or the second element includes at least a pin.

20. An eyewear device as recited in claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the switching device is covered at least in part by the temple when the temple is in a certain position relative to the frame.

Assignees

• Ingeniospec Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G01J2001/0257

  portable · CPC title

• G02C11/00 Primary

  Non-optical adjuncts; Attachment thereof (G02C7/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/746

  Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms · CPC title

• G01J1/0238

  making use of sensor-related data, e.g. for identification of sensor or optical parts · CPC title

• G01J1/44

  Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} · CPC title