Circuits and methods for wearable device charging and wired control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12456874-B2
Application number	US-202418625460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2024
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

Methods and devices for wired charging and communication with a wearable device are described. In one embodiment, a symmetrical contact interface comprises a first contact pad and a second contact pad, and particular wired circuitry is coupled to the first and second contact pad to enable charging as well as receive and transmit communications via the contact pads as part of various device states.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wearable device comprising:
a hinge coupled to the wearable device; and a symmetrical contact interface comprising a first contact pad and a second contact pad, wherein the symmetrical contact interface is disposed in a temple portion of a front end of the wearable device proximate to the hinge, such that an arm coupled to the temple portion via the hinge covers the symmetrical contact interface if the arm is in an open position, and the arm exposes the symmetrical contact interface if the arm is in a closed position, wherein the first contact pad is connected to a first n-type field effect transistor (NFET) and the second contact pad is connected to a second NFET, or the first contact pad is connected to a first p-type field effect transistor (PFET) and the second contact pad is connected to a second PFET.

2 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is augmented reality (AR) glasses.

3 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the temple portion is a left temple piece or a right temple piece.

4 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the symmetrical contact interface further comprises magnetic fastening contacts configured to couple with corresponding magnets of a reversible connector head of a cable.

5 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the first n-type field effect transistor (NFET) comprises a source connected to a communication path to be coupled with communication circuitry of the wearable device, a gate connected to a control input configured for selecting between a charging mode and a communication mode of the wearable device, and a drain connected to a data input path; and
a second NFET having a gate connected to the control input, a source connected to a ground, and a drain connected to a ground path for the data input path.

6 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the symmetrical contact interface further comprises ferromagnetic material configured to couple with ferromagnetic material of a reversible connector head of a cable.

7 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact pad and the second contact pad are conductive path contacts to circuitry, the wearable device comprising the circuitry.

8 . The wearable device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry comprises circuitry configured to charge a battery of the wearable device.

9 . The wearable device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry comprises circuitry configured to perform data input and output with a device coupled with the symmetrical contact interface.

10 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the first PFET comprises a drain connected to a communication path to be coupled with communication circuitry of the wearable device, a gate connected to a control input configured for selecting between a charging mode and a communication mode of the wearable device, and a source connected to a data input path of the wearable device; and
the second PFET comprises a gate connected to the control input, a drain connected to a ground, and a source connected to a ground path for the data input path.

11 . The wearable device of claim 10 wherein a high voltage of a control input selects the communication mode or the charging mode.

12 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the symmetrical contact interface is a flat surface comprising the first contact pad, the second contact pad, and the hinge.

13 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the temple portion is a first temple portion, and wherein the wearable device further comprises:
a second hinge coupled to a second arm, the second hinge coupled to a second temple portion.

14 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge is a first hinge, the arm is a first arm, the temple portion is a first temple position, the symmetrical contact interface is a first symmetrical contact interface, and wherein the wearable device further comprises a second symmetrical contact interface comprising a third contact pad and a fourth contact pad, wherein the symmetrical contact interface is disposed in a second temple portion of the front end of the wearable device proximate to a second hinge, such that a second arm coupled to the second temple portion via the second hinge covers the second symmetrical contact interface if the second arm is in an open position, and the second arm exposes the second symmetrical contact interface if the second arm is in a closed position.

15 . An apparatus for of a wearable device comprising:
a symmetrical contact interface comprising a first contact pad and a second contact pad, wherein the symmetrical contact interface is disposed in a portion of a temple of a front end of the apparatus of the wearable device proximate to a first hinge, such that a first arm coupled to the portion of the temple via the first hinge covers the symmetrical contact interface if the first arm is in an open position, and the first arm exposes the symmetrical contact interface if the first arm is in a closed position, wherein the first contact pad is connected to a first n-type field effect transistor (NFET) and the second contact pad is connected to a second NFET, or the first contact pad is connected to a first p-type field effect transistor (PFET) and the second contact pad is connected to a second PFET.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the wearable device is augmented reality (AR) glasses.

17 . Glasses comprising:
a symmetrical contact interface comprising a first contact pad and a second contact pad, wherein the symmetrical contact interface is disposed in a portion of a temple of a front end of the glasses are proximate to a first hinge, such that a first arm coupled to the portion of the temple via the first hinge covers the symmetrical contact interface if the first arm is in an open position, and the first arm exposes the symmetrical contact interface if the first arm is in a closed position, wherein the first contact pad is connected to a first n-type field effect transistor (NFET) and the second contact pad is connected to a second NFET, or the first contact pad is connected to a first p-type field effect transistor (PFET) and the second contact pad is connected to a second PFET.

18 . The glasses of claim 17 , wherein the glasses are augmented reality (AR) glasses.

19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the portion of the temple is a left temple piece or a right temple piece.

20 . The glasses of claim 17 , wherein the portion of the temple is a left temple piece or a right temple piece.

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Patton Russell Douglas
• Rodriguez Ii Jonathan M
• Steger Stephen Andrew

Classifications

• H02J7/63

  against overdischarge · CPC title

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title