Automatic focus prescription lens eyeglasses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9465237-B2
Application number	US-201314142591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2013
Priority date	Dec 27, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments are generally directed to automatic focus prescription lens eyeglasses. An embodiment of an apparatus includes one or more variable focus lenses coupled; one or more actuators to change the focus of the variable focus lenses; and one or more focus distance components coupled to detect a focus distance of one or more eyes of a user of the apparatus. The one or more actuators set a focal distance of each of the one or more variable focus lenses, a focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses being determined in response to the focus distance of the one or both eyes of the user; and the focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses includes adjustment for a vision prescription of the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a one or two variable focus lenses, including a first variable focus lens for a first eve of a user of the apparatus;
one or two lens actuators to change the focus of the one or two variable focus lenses, including a first lens actuator to change the focus of the first variable focus lens; and
one or more focus distance components coupled to detect a focus distance of one or both eyes of a user of the apparatus, wherein a first focus distance of the one or more focus distance components includes an eve sensor to continuously determine widths of a lens of an eve of the user to detect the focus distance of one or both eyes of the user;
wherein the one or more each of the one or two lens actuators is to set a focal distance of each of the one or more a respective variable focus lens, a focal distance setting for each of the one or two variable focus lenses to be determined in response to the focus distance of the one or both eyes of the user detected by the one or more focus distance components; and
wherein the focal distance setting for each of the one or two variable focus lenses includes adjustment for a vision prescription of the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller to control at least some processes of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment for a vision prescription of the user includes an adjustment for the user for a plurality of different distances.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a transceiver to transmit and receive wireless communication data with an external apparatus or one or more ports to transmit and receive wired communication data with the external apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the data received by the transceiver includes vision prescription data for the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more variable focus lenses is either:
an opto-mechanical variable focus lens, wherein the lens actuator for the opto-mechanical lens includes a motor to adjust focus of the opto-mechanical lens; or
an electro-optical variable focus lens, wherein the lens actuator of the electro-optical lens includes a component to control a current to adjust a focus of the electro-optical lens.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further includes a training mode to determine eye characteristics of the user for operation of the eye sensor, wherein the eye characteristics include a width a lens of an eye of the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further includes one or more of a macro function and a telephoto function, wherein the macro function or telephoto function includes a zoom function.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an outward facing camera, wherein the apparatus provides a macro function or telephoto function utilizing an image captured by the outward facing camera.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
one or more projectors to provide an image for the user and one or more prisms to direct the image of each of the one or more projectors to one or more eyes of the user; or
one or more transparent computer displays to provide an image for the user.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a training mode to determine the vision prescription of the user.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
obtaining vision prescription data for a user of automatic focus prescription lens eyeglasses;
entering an automatic adjusting mode for the eyeglasses, the eyeglasses including one or two variable focus lenses;
continuously detecting a focus distance of one or both eyes of the user,
wherein detecting a focus distance includes continuously detecting with an eye sensor widths of a lens of one or both eyes of the user of the eyeglasses;
determining a lens focal distance setting based on at least the width of the lens of one or both eyes of the user of the eyeglasses,
wherein the lens focal distance setting is offset by a correction based on the vision prescription data for the user; and
if the determined focal distance setting is different than a current focal distance setting for the eyeglasses, automatically changing focus of the one or two variable focus lenses of the eyeglasses with one or two lens actuators to the determined focal distance setting.

13. The medium of claim 12 , wherein obtaining vision prescription data includes loading received vision prescription data.

14. The medium of claim 12 , obtaining vision prescription data includes a focus training process to determine a vision prescription for the user, wherein the focus training process includes requesting the user to choose between varying focal distance settings.

15. The medium of claim 12 , and further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
performing an eye characteristic training process to determine lens width measurements for the user.

16. The medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
enabling a telephoto function or macro function of the eyeglasses.

17. The medium of claim 16 , wherein enabling the telephoto function or macro function includes automatically enabling the telephoto function or macro function in response to detecting a distance at which the user is viewing.

18. A system comprising: automatic focus prescription lens eyeglasses including:
a one or two variable focus lenses, including a first variable focus lens for a first eve of a user of the apparatus;
one or two lens actuators to change the focus of the one or two variable focus lenses, including a first lens actuator to change the focus of the first variable focus lens one or more focus distance components coupled with the frame to detect a focus distance of one or both eyes of a user of the apparatus,
wherein a first focus distance of the one or more focus distance components includes an eve sensor to continuously determine widths of a lens of an eye of the user to detect the focus distance of one or both eyes of the user, and at least one of a wireless transceiver for wireless communication or a communication port for wired communications; and
an external apparatus to operate cooperatively with the eyeglasses, the external apparatus including: at least one of a wireless transceiver for wireless communication or a communication port for wired communications, a controller to control at least some operations relating to the eyeglasses, and a memory to store data;
wherein the one or more each of the one or two lens actuators is to set a focal distance of each of the one or more a respective variable focus lens, a focal distance setting for each of the one or two variable focus lenses to be determined in response to the focus distance of the one or both eyes of the user detected by the one or more focus distance components; and wherein the focal distance setting for each of the one or two variable focus lenses includes adjustment for a vision prescription of the user.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the adjustment for a vision prescription of the user includes an adjustment for the user for a plurality of different distances.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Tate Larry R
• Peffers Simon N

Classifications

• G02C11/10 Primary

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02C7/083

  Electrooptic lenses · CPC title