Eyewear docking station and electronic module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11487138-B2
Application number	US-202016819262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2020
Priority date	Jan 6, 2012
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

An eyewear system including an eyewear frame and an application module. The eyewear frame including a docking station, and an electronic connector including a first set of preconfigured application connection points. The application module adapted to be mounted to the docking station, and including an electronic device configured to perform a function, and a second set of preconfigured application connection points corresponding to at least some of the first set of preconfigured application connection points. The second set of preconfigured application connection points including at least two different sub-function connections used to support the function of the electronic device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Eyewear comprising:
an eyewear frame having a first temple and a second temple;
a speaker coupled to the eyewear frame; and
an application module mechanically coupled to the eyewear frame and operably coupled to the speaker, the application module comprising:
a microphone to receive a verbal query from a wearer of the eyewear; and
a Bluetooth chip, operably coupled to the microphone and the speaker, to connect to a Bluetooth-enabled external device, to transmit the verbal query to the Bluetooth-enabled external device, to receive a response to the verbal query from the Bluetooth-enabled external device, and to provide the response to the wearer via the speaker,
wherein the verbal query causes the Bluetooth-enabled external device to obtain the response to the verbal query via the Internet by searching the Internet for the response to the verbal query.

2. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the Bluetooth-enabled external device is configured to control an external audio device based at least in part on an instruction from the wearer.

3. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the Bluetooth-enabled external device is configured to control an external video device based at least in part on an instruction from the wearer.

4. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the Bluetooth-enabled external device is configured to control light and/or temperature in an environment of the wearer based at least in part on preferences of the wearer.

5. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the application module further comprises:
a voice recognition chip operably coupled to the microphone and the Bluetooth chip.

6. A method comprising:
receiving, by a microphone mechanically coupled to an eyewear frame, a verbal query from a person wearing the eyewear frame;
transmitting, by a wireless chip mechanically coupled to the eyewear frame and operably coupled to the microphone, the verbal query to an external device, the verbal query causing the external device to search the internet for a response to the verbal query;
receiving, by the wireless chip, the response to the verbal query from the external device; and
providing the response to the verbal query to the person wearing the eyewear frame via a speaker operably coupled to the wireless chip.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the verbal query is a query about weather and the response to the verbal query includes information about the weather.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the wireless chip is a Bluetooth wireless chip, and further comprising:
pairing the Bluetooth wireless chip with the external device before transmitting the verbal query to the external device.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
controlling light in an environment of the person wearing the eyewear frame based at least in part on preferences of the person wearing the eyewear frame.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
controlling a temperature of an environment of the person wearing the eyewear frame based at least in part on preferences of the person wearing the eyewear frame.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the external device is at least one of a cell phone, a smart phone, a computer, an iPad, and/or a tablet.

12. Eyewear comprising:
an eyewear frame having a first temple and a second temple; and
an application module mechanically coupled to the eyewear frame and operably coupled to a speaker, the application module comprising:
a microphone to receive a verbal query from a wearer of the eyewear; and
a processor, operably coupled to the microphone and the speaker, to transmit the verbal query to an external device, receive a response to the verbal query from the external device, and provide the response to the wearer via the speaker,
wherein the verbal query causes the external device to obtain the response to the verbal query by searching the Internet for the response to the verbal query.

13. The eyewear of claim 12 , wherein the external device is a smart phone.

14. The eyewear of claim 13 , wherein the application module further comprises a wireless chip, operably coupled to the processor, to wirelessly transmit the verbal query to the external device.

15. The eyewear of claim 14 , wherein the wireless chip is a Bluetooth chip.

16. The eyewear of claim 12 , wherein the external device is a computer.

17. The eyewear of claim 12 , wherein the verbal query includes a query about the weather.

18. The eyewear of claim 17 , wherein a response to the query includes information about the weather.

19. The eyewear of claim 12 , wherein the external device is configured to control an external audio device based at least in part on an instruction from the wearer.

20. The eyewear of claim 12 , wherein the external device is configured to control an external video device based at least in part on an instruction from the wearer.

Assignees

• E Vision Smart Optics Inc

Inventors

• Blum Ronald
• Wang Yongping
• Graham Mark
• Kokonaski William
• Clompus Richard

Classifications

• G02C7/081 Primary

  Ophthalmic lenses with variable focal length · CPC title

• G02C11/04

  Illuminating means · CPC title

• G06K19/0715

  the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit · CPC title

• G02C11/10 Primary

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• A61F9/061

  with movable shutters, e.g. filter discs; Actuating means therefor · CPC title