Dynamic presbyopia correction in electronic contact lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10775643-B2
Application number	US-201816120221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2018
Priority date	Sep 1, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

An electronic contact lens can address the effects of presbyopia, aiding a user in adjusting focus when viewing objects at different distances from the user. The electronic contact lens includes a liquid crystal matrix. When the electronic contact lens is configured to operate in a reading mode, an aperture is formed within the liquid crystal matrix by configuring elements of the liquid crystal matrix immediately surrounding the aperture to block light from passing through the surrounding elements. The resulting aperture increases the focus of light passing through the aperture as a result of the pinhole effect. The aperture can be centered within the user's visual axis, and the location within the liquid crystal matrix corresponding to the user's visual axis can be determined during a calibration of the electronic contact lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact lens comprising:
a liquid crystal matrix embedded within the contact lens, the liquid crystal matrix comprising an array of elements, each of which can be individually controlled to enable light to pass through the element or to block light from passing through the element; and
a controller coupled to the liquid crystal matrix, wherein:
in a reading mode, the controller controls elements within an aperture to pass light and controls elements outside the aperture to block light;
in a normal operating mode, the controller controls all elements to pass light; and
in a calibration mode, the controller receives an input from a user indicating a location within the liquid crystal matrix corresponding to a center of the user's visual axis and adjusts the aperture within the contact lens to be centered on the location within the liquid crystal matrix corresponding to the center of the user's visual axis.

2. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein, in the configuration mode, the controller: controlsthe liquid crystal matrix to indicate a candidate location within the liquid crystal matrix corresponding to the center of the user's visual axis;
wherein the received input from the user indicates a direction from the candidate location within the liquid crystal matrix to the location within the liquid crystal matrix corresponding to the center of the user's visual axis.

3. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the input from the user comprises one or more of: a voice input, a hand gesture input, an eye gesture input, and an input received from a device.

4. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates in the calibration mode in response to one or more of: an initialization of the contact lens, a passage of a threshold interval of time since a previous calibration, and a user request for calibration.

5. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates in the reading mode in response to a voice input or a hand gesture input.

6. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates in the reading mode in response to detecting a vergence of both eyes of the user.

7. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates in the reading mode in response to determining that the user is reading.

8. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates in the reading mode in response to detecting that the user is looking downward.

9. The contact lens of claim 8 , wherein detecting that the user is looking downward comprises detecting a bottom eyelid of the user by a capacitive sensor within the contact lens.

10. The contact lens of claim 8 , wherein detecting that the user is looking downward comprises detecting downward motion of an eye of the user by an accelerometer within the contact lens.

11. A contact lens comprising:
a liquid crystal matrix embedded within the contact lens, the liquid crystal matrix comprising an array of elements, each of which can be individually controlled to enable light to pass through the element or to block light from passing through the element; and
a controller coupled to the liquid crystal matrix, wherein:
in a reading mode, the controller controls elements within an aperture to pass light and controls elements outside the aperture to block light;
in a normal operating mode, the controller controls all elements to pass light; and
in a calibration mode, the controller selects a size of the aperture within the contact lens.

12. The contact lens of claim 11 , wherein the controller selects the size of the aperture based on feedback from the user.

13. The contact lens of claim 11 , wherein the controller selects the size of the aperture based on one of a depth of focus associated with the aperture and a brightness associated with the aperture.

14. The contact lens of claim 11 , wherein, in the reading mode, the controller adjusts the size of the aperture within the contact lens in response to an input from the user.

15. A method for operating an electronic contact lens, the electronic contact lens containing a liquid crystal matrix with an array of elements, each of which can be individually controlled to enable light to pass through the element or to block light from passing through the element, the method comprising:
operating the electronic contact lens in a normal operating mode, in which all elements pass light;
receiving a request to operate the electronic contact lens in a reading mode; and
in response to the request, operating the electronic contact lens in the reading mode, in which elements within an aperture pass light and elements outside the aperture block light;
receiving a second request to operate the electronic contact lens in a calibration mode; and
in response to the second request, operating the electronic contact lens in the calibration mode, in which the aperture within the contact lens is centered on a location within the liquid crystal matrix corresponding to a center of a user's visual axis, wherein the location within the liquid crystal matrix corresponding to the center of the user's visual axis is determined based on a calibration input received from the user.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electronic contact lens operates in the calibration mode in response to one or more of: an initialization of the contact lens, a passage of a threshold interval of time since a previous calibration, and a user request for calibration.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein, in the calibration mode, a size of the aperture within the contact lens is selected.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electronic contact lens operates in the reading mode in response to a determination that the user is reading.

Assignees

• Spy Eye Llc
• Tectus Corp

Inventors

• Tuan Kuang-Mon Ashley

Classifications

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02C7/101 Primary

  having an electro-optical light valve (electro-optical elements per se G02F) · CPC title

• G02C7/083

  Electrooptic lenses · CPC title

• G02C7/04

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

• G02C7/041 Primary

  bifocal; multifocal · CPC title