Wearable electronically enabled interface system

• US 10,222,617 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oakley, Inc. (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Original Assignee: Oakley, Inc. (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Inventors: Jannard, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US13/935,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 8, 351 41, 351111, 351123, 351158, 381327-329, 381370-379, 381381, 455 66, 455347-351
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/06 Hearing aids construction of hearing aids H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

A data input management system is disclosed, for allowing a user to select one or more data sources, to be placed either simultaneously or one at a time into electrical communication with a single user interface. The user interface may comprise a wearable support, such as an eyeglass frame, adapted to carry one or more of speakers, microphone and video display, depending upon the desired functionality. Source electronics may be carried by the support or carried remotely, and in wireless communication with the support using Bluetooth protocols or other data transmission technology.

Claims

1. A wearable electronically enabled interface system for providing audio and/or video input to a wearer from at least two sources, comprising:

a headworn support;

an electronics module configured to simultaneously receive communications from multiple electronic input sources, wherein the communications include wireless communications received and transmitted over at least a first network over a first wireless protocol and a second network over a second wireless protocol, wherein the wireless communications are received and transmitted via multiple transceivers;

a speaker for providing audio output to the wearer; and

a selector configured to provide a signal to the wearer in response to a reception of data from a second input when a first signal associated with a first input is being provided to the wearer, wherein the selector is configured to enable the wearer to select at least one of the first input and the second input, the selector configured to provide the first signal associated with the first input to the wearer by selectively coupling a first transceiver of the multiple transceivers to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the user of the first input, and to provide a second signal associated with the second input to the wearer by selectively coupling a second transceiver of the multiple transceivers to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the user of the second input;

wherein the electronics module, the speaker, and the selector are carried by the headworn support.

2. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 1, wherein the selector is voice activated.

3. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 1, further comprising a sensor for determining the orientation of the wearer'"'"'s head.

4. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 1, wherein the speaker comprises a bone conduction speaker.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first input is an audio or video input, and the second input is an audio or video input.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the selector is configured to enable the wearer to select both the first input and the second input.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the headworn support comprises an eyeglass frame.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the eyeglass frame has one or more detachable lenses.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the headworn support comprises a helmet.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a microphone configured to receive voice commands from the wearer, wherein the microphone is carried by the headworn support.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a sensor configured to measure acceleration, wherein the sensor is carried by the headworn support.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a screen configured to display video images to the wearer, wherein the screen is carried by the headworn support.

13. The wearable electronically enabled interface system of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving audio input from the wearer;

wherein the selector is configured to automatically activate operation of the microphone in response to a selection by the wearer of at least one of the first and second inputs.

14. The wearable electronically enabled interface system of claim 13, wherein the first input comprises a telephone, and the first signal comprises a signal associated with a telephone call, and wherein the selector is configured to activate operation of the microphone in response to a selection by the wearer of the first input.

15. The wearable electronically enabled interface system of claim 1, wherein the second input comprises a telephone, and wherein the wearable electronically enabled interface system is configured to provide the wearer with an audible signal via the speaker indicative of caller identification information received from telephone in response to receipt of an incoming call by the telephone.

16. The wearable electronically enabled interface system of claim 1, wherein the selector is further configured to determine whether to automatically override the first input with the second input or to enable the wearer to select the at least one of the first input and the second input based at least in part on a predetermined priority associated with the first input and the second input.

17. A wearable electronically enabled interface system, comprising:

an eyeglass frame;

an electronics module carried by the frame, the electronics module configured to simultaneously provide, to a wearer, communications received over a local area network and a personal area network via at least one data port, wherein the at least one data port comprises multiple wireless transceivers configured to allow wireless communication via a first wireless protocol and a second wireless protocol different from the first wireless protocol;

a speaker;

a sensor configured to measure acceleration; and

a selector configured to provide a signal to the wearer in response to a reception of data from two or more sources, wherein the selector is configured to enable the wearer to select at least one of the two or more sources, the selector configured to provide a first signal associated with a first source of the two or more sources to the wearer by selectively coupling a first wireless transceiver of the multiple wireless transceivers to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the user of the first source, and to provide a second signal associated with a second source of the two or more sources to the wearer by selectively coupling a second wireless transceiver of the multiple wireless transceivers to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the user of the second source.

18. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, wherein the speaker comprises a bone conduction speaker.

19. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, further comprising a noise cancellation capability.

20. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, further comprising a touch pad control on an earstem of the eyeglass frame.

21. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, programmable via a cell phone keypad.

22. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, further comprising a still image recording device.

23. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, further comprising a display system including a device that produces a visible signal or image.

24. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 23, wherein the display system further comprises a head-mounted display.

25. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, further comprising a biometric sensor.

26. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, further comprising variable light attenuation.

27. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, configured to join a local area network with a cell phone.

28. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, further comprising a GPS device.

29. A wearable electronically enabled interface system as in claim 17, wherein the at least one data port further comprises a USB port.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the first wireless protocol comprises Bluetooth.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the selector is configured to enable the wearer to select at least two or more sources.

32. A wearable electronically enabled interface system, comprising:

a frame;

an electronics module carried by the frame, the electronics module configured to be connected to at least two separate input sources at the same time via at least one data port, the at least one data port comprising two or more wireless transceivers configured to allow wireless communication via a first wireless protocol and a second wireless protocol different from the first wireless protocol, wherein the at least two input sources can be configured to be a cell phone and a biometric sensor;

a speaker;

a microphone configured to be used with a voice activated control; and

a selector configured to provide a signal to the wearer in response to an incoming signal from two or more of the input sources wherein the selector is configured to enable the wearer to select at least one of the two or more input sources, wherein the selector is configured to provide a first signal associated with a first input source of the at least two input sources to the wearer by selectively coupling a first wireless transceiver of the two or more wireless transceivers to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the user of the first input source, and to provide a second signal associated with a second input source of the at least two input sources to the wearer by selectively coupling a second wireless transceiver of the two or more wireless transceivers to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the user of the second input source.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the first input source of the at least two input sources provides a first type of content and the second input source provides a second type of content.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the first wireless protocol comprises Bluetooth.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the system is configured to indicate to the user when certain threshold levels of a sensed biometric are measured.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the threshold level is based on a user'"'"'s input.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the indication provided to the user is configured to interrupt another input source being provided to the wearer.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the selector is configured to enable the wearer to select at least two of the two or more input sources.

39. The wearable electronically enabled interface system of claim 32:

wherein the selector is configured to enable the wearer to select at least one of the cell phone input source and the biometric sensor input source;

wherein the first signal is a signal associated with the cell phone, and wherein the selector is configured to provide the first signal to the wearer by selectively coupling the first wireless transceiver to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the wearer of the cell phone input source;

wherein the second signal is a signal associated with the biometric sensor, and wherein the selector is configured to provide the second signal to the wearer by selectively coupling the second wireless transceiver to the speaker based at least in part on a selection by the wearer of the biometric sensor input source; and

wherein the second signal comprises a signal associated with a measurement by the biometric sensor, and wherein the speaker is configured to output an audible signal indicative of the measurement by the biometric sensor in response to a selection by the wearer of the biometric sensor input source.

40. The wearable electronically enabled interface system of claim 32, further comprising a sensor configured to measure acceleration.