Spectacle with invisible optics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753287-B2
Application number	US-201314101864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2013
Priority date	Dec 13, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A wearable electronic display that includes an eyewear frame having a first side frame portion. A display module with a micro-display for generating images can be mounted to the first side frame portion. The display module can have an elongate portion with an image exit window positioned for directing viewable images to a user's eye.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable electronic display comprising:
an eyewear frame having a first side frame portion in which the eyewear frame has the configuration of eyeglasses, with a front frame portion connected to the first side frame portion and having above eye and below eye frame members being upper and lower portions of two eyewear rims; and
a display module mounted to the eyewear frame having a micro-display for generating images, the display module having an elongate portion with an image exit window positioned for directing viewable images to a user's eye, the elongate portion of the display module having a generally comparable width and/or thickness as the eyewear rims, while extending laterally generally along the level of one of the above eye and below eye frame members of the eyewear rims with the image exit window being positioned near or at a center of an eyewear rim, the display module being sized, shaped, positioned and configured to be blended into an appearance of said one of the above eye and below eye frame members so as to be not readily apparent or seen, and at the same time the image exit window already being in proper position for viewing.

2. The wearable electronic display of claim 1 in which the eyewear frame has a second side frame portion, and the front frame portion is connected between the first and second side frame portions.

3. The wearable electronic display of claim 2 in which the eyewear frame has a center bridge having at least one of an adjustable width for providing interpupillary distance adjustment, and an adjustable height for adjusting the height of the front frame portion relative thereto.

4. The wearable electronic display of claim 3 in which the center bridge includes at least one slider mechanism.

5. The wearable electronic display of claim 2 in which the front frame portion is pivotably secured to the first side frame portion and the second side frame portion by pivots about a horizontal axis for providing tilting of the front frame portion relative to the side frame portions for angular optical axis adjustment.

6. The wearable electronic display of claim 2 further comprising a second display module mounted to the eyewear frame for providing binocular viewing.

7. The wearable electronic display of claim 1 in which the image exit window is tilted in one of upwardly and downwardly directions for viewing.

8. The wearable electronic display of claim 1 in which the display module has an angular shaped portion that at least a portion thereof is positioned in a corner between the first side frame portion and the front frame portion.

9. The wearable electronic display of claim 1 in which the display module is mounted on the above eye frame member, extending laterally generally along the level of the above eye frame member, blending into the appearance of the above eye frame member.

10. A wearable electronic display comprising:
an eyewear frame having the configuration of eyeglasses, including a front frame portion having two eyewear rims with upper and lower portions, the front frame portion being connected between first and second side frame members; and
a display module mounted to the eyewear frame having a micro-display for generating images, the display module having an elongate portion with an image exit window positioned for directing viewable images to a user's eye, the elongate portion of the display module extending laterally generally along the level of the upper portion of one eyewear rim and having a generally comparable thickness as said eyewear rim, the image exit window being positioned near or at a center of said eyewear rim and tilted in a downwardly direction for viewing, the display module being sized, shaped, positioned and configured to be blended into an appearance of the upper portion of said one eyewear rim so as to be not readily apparent or seen, and at the same time the image exit window already being in proper position for viewing.

11. A method of viewing images comprising:
wearing a wearable electronic display, the wearable electronic display having an eyewear frame with a first side frame portion worn by a user in which the eyewear frame has the configuration of eyeglasses, with a front frame portion connected to the first side frame portion and having above eye and below eye frame members being upper and lower portions of two eyewear rims, a display module being mounted to the eyewear frame and having a micro-display for generating images; and
directing viewable images to an eye of the user from an image exit window positioned at an elongate portion of the display module, the elongate portion of the display module having a generally comparable width and/or thickness as the eyewear rims, while extending laterally generally along the level of one of the above eye and below eye frame members of the eyewear rims with the image exit window being positioned near or at a center of an eyewear rim, the display module being sized, shaped, positioned and configured to be blended into an appearance of said one of the above eye and below eye frame members so as to be not readily apparent or seen, and at the same time the image exit window already being in proper position for viewing.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing the eyewear frame with a second side frame portion, and the front frame portion being connected between the first and second side frame portions.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing the eyewear frame with a center bridge having at least one of an adjustable width for providing interpupillary distance adjustment, and an adjustable height for adjusting the height of the front frame portion relative thereto.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing the center bridge with at least one slider mechanism.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising pivotably securing the front frame portion to the first side frame portion and the second side frame portion with pivots about a horizontal axis for providing tilting of the front frame portion relative to the side frame portions for angular optical axis adjustment.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a second display module mounted to the eyewear frame for providing binocular viewing.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
tilting the image exit window in one of upwardly or downwardly directions for viewing by the eye of the user.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing the display module with an angular shaped portion, and positioning at least a portion thereof in a corner between the first side frame portion and the front frame portion.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the display module is mounted on the above eye frame member, extending laterally generally along the level of the above eye frame member, blending into the appearance of the above eye frame member.

20. A method of viewing images comprising:
wearing a wearable electronic display, the wearable electronic display having an eyewear frame with the configuration of eyeglasses, including a front frame portion having two eyewear rims with upper and lower portions, the front frame portion being connected between first and second side frame members and worn by a user, a display module being mounted to the eyewear frame and having a micro-display for generating images; and
directing viewable images to an eye of the user from an image exit window positioned at an elongate portion of the display module, the elongate portion extending lateral

Assignees

• Kopin Corp

Inventors

• Chow Kenny W Y
• Kokinakis Kenneth A
• Fan John C C

Classifications

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B27/0176 Primary

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/0158

  with adjustable nose pad · CPC title

• G02C11/10

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G02B2027/0132

  comprising binocular systems · CPC title