Projector with integrated antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12300877-B2
Application number	US-202217697065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An antenna that is coupled to and integrated with a projector, such as a projector included with smart glasses including eyewear. The projector has a housing and includes optical components configured to display an image. At least one antenna is coupled to the projector, wherein the optical components operate and function as an antenna substrate. The optical components are nonmetallic such that the antenna generates a strong E-field. The antenna may be coupled to the projector housing, such as on the inside or the outside surface of the housing. Multiple antennas can be included to generate multiple resonances simultaneously in different frequency bands.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An eyewear, comprising:
a frame configured to support an optical member within the frame;
a temple coupled to and extending from the frame; and
a projector coupled to the temple, comprising:
a housing:
a light source configured to generate a light beam;
a controller configured to control the light source;
a display configured to modulate the light beam to generate an image;
optical components configured to route the light beam from the light source to the display; and
a first antenna coupled to the controller and configured to generate a wireless signal having an E-field, and
wherein the optical components are configured to operate as an antenna substrate or as an antenna superstrate for the first antenna.

2. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the optical components are configured to operate as an antenna substrate or as an antenna superstrate for the first antenna.

3. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein a return loss of the first antenna is less than −15 dB.

4. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the optical components are configured such that the E-field generated by the first antenna is drawn towards the optical components.

5. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna is coupled to a surface of the housing.

6. The eyewear of claim 5 , wherein the housing is comprised of a non-metallic material.

7. The eyewear of claim 6 , wherein the optical components are comprised of a non-metallic material.

8. The eyewear of claim 1 , further comprising a second antenna coupled to the controller, wherein the optical components increase the coupling between the antennas.

9. The eyewear of claim 8 , wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are tightly coupled to each other and configured to generate a respective wireless signal in different frequency bands.

10. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the optical member is viewable by a user when the eyewear is worn by the user.

11. A method of using an eyewear comprising a frame configured to support an optical member within the frame, a temple coupled to and extending from the frame, and a projector coupled to the temple and comprising a housing, a light source configured to generate a light beam, a controller configured to control the light source, a display configured to modulate the light beam to generate an image, optical components configured to route the light beam from the light source to the display, and a first antenna coupled to the controller and configured to generate a wireless signal having an E-field, wherein the optical components operate as an antenna substrate for the first antenna, comprising:
energizing the first antenna to generate a wireless signal having the E-field.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical components operate as an antenna substrate for the first antenna.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a return loss of the first antenna is less than −15 dB.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the E-field generated by the first antenna is drawn towards the optical components but is not burned off in resistive losses.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first antenna is coupled to a surface of the housing.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the housing is comprised of a non-metallic material.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the optical components are comprised of a non-metallic material.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising a second antenna coupled to the controller, wherein the optical components operate as an antenna substrate for the second antenna.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are tightly coupled to each other and generate a respective wireless signal in different frequency bands.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical member is viewable by a user when the eyewear is worn by the user.

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Fliszar David G
• Olgun Ugur
• Ryner Michael Christian
• Simons Patrick Timothy Mcsweeney
• You Choonshin

Classifications

• G02C11/10

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• H01Q5/307

  Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way · CPC title

• H01Q5/22

  RF wavebands combined with non-RF wavebands, e.g. infrared or optical · CPC title