Electronic spectacles

• US 10,281,745 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inoptec Limited Zweigniederlassung Deutschland
• Original Assignee: Inoptec Limited Zweigniederlassung Deutschland
• Inventors: Knoll, Ralf G. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, James
• Application Number:
  US15/313,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20170199396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 359630
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/023 with variable transmission, e.g. photochromic for welding A61F9/067
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 33/002 Swimming goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 33/004 comprising two separate lenses joined by a flexible bridge
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/18 Cellular lens surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector

Abstract

The invention relates to spectacles. Said spectacles comprise a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC) the transmission (TR) of which can be switched between transmitting and blocking. Furthermore, the spectacles comprise an eye tracker (ET) which can detect the viewing direction of the eye. They further comprise at least one sensor (IL, IR) for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on it, said sensor being arranged on the eye side of the spectacle lens and measuring the brightness entering through the at least one spectacle lens in a spatially resolved manner. The sensor can determine the brightness of the visible light incident on it from the viewing direction of the eye detected by the eye tracker. The spectacles also have a closed loop control system for controlling the transmission of the liquid crystal cell, a desired value for the brightness at the level of the eye being predetermined, and the closed loop system using the brightness measured by the sensor in the viewing direction of the eye as the actual value.

Claims

1. Spectacles for a wearer with at least one eye, comprising:

1.1 at least one spectacle lens;

1.1.1 wherein the at least one spectacle lens comprises a liquid crystal cell (LC), the transmission (TR) of which may be varied by a suitable control;

1.2 an eye tracker (ET) capable of determining the viewing direction of the eye;

1.3 at least one sensor (IL, IR) for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident thereon;

1.3.1 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) is arranged on the eye-side of the spectacle lens;

1.3.2 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) can measure the brightness through the at least one spectacle lens;

1.3.3 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) comprises

1.3.3.1 an imaging system with a camera or

1.3.3.2 at least three sensors that span a coordinate system or

1.3.3.3 a compound eye;

1.3.4 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) is able to determine the brightness of the visible light which is incident upon it from the viewing direction of the eye determined by the eye tracker (ET); and

1.4 a closed-loop control circuit (MC) to control the transmission of the liquid crystal cell (LC);

1.4.1 wherein a setpoint value for the brightness at the eye is preset;

1.4.2 wherein the control circuit takes the brightness measured by the at least one sensor (IL, IR) in the viewing direction of the eye as the actual value.

2. Spectacles according to claim 1,

wherein

the liquid crystal cell (LC) is so designed that it can change its transmission from 90% to 10% and from 10% to 90% in a maximum of 10 ms.

3. Spectacles according to claim 2,

wherein

3.1 the liquid crystal cell (LC) is so designed that the transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cell (LC) may be switched between states of high and low transmission;

3.2 means are provided for controlling or regulating the times of the state of high (T_on) and low (T_off) transmission of the liquid crystal cell (LC) as well as the change between these two states;

3.2.1 wherein the control or regulation and the closed-loop control circuit (MC) are so designed that the times of the state of high transmission (T_on) become shorter with increasing brightness of the visible light incident on the at least one sensor (IL, IR);

3.2.2 wherein the change between the states of high (T_on) and low (T_off) transmission takes place with a temporal frequency which the human eye cannot resolve.

4. Spectacles according to claim 1,

wherein

the control circuit is so designed that, when determining the brightness from the viewing direction of the eye, it can take into account a user-specific eye/retina sensitivity curve for weighting the brightness.

5. Spectacles according to claim 1,

further comprising:

a spectacle frame (F), wherein

the spectacle frame seals the eye assigned to the at least one spectacle lens against the ambient light in a light-tight manner.

6. Spectacles according to claim 1,

wherein

the setpoint value of the control circuit prescribes a brightness at the eye of 20 to 400 lx.

7. Spectacles according to claim 1,

wherein

the brightness of the ambient light is derived from the setpoint value and a control signal of the control circuit.

8. Spectacles according to claim 1,

wherein

at least one further brightness sensor (OL, OR) is arranged on the side of the spectacles facing away from the eye (external sensor) and determines the brightness of the ambient light.

9. Spectacles according to claim 7,

wherein

9.1 the setpoint value of the control circuit may be changed as a function of the brightness of the ambient light;

and

9.2 the change in the setpoint value is slower than the control of the transmission of the liquid crystal cell by a factor of at least 10.

10. Spectacles according to claim 9,

wherein

10.1 the setpoint value is changed in preset steps;

10.2 wherein the stepwise change of the setpoint value is slower than the control of the transmission of the liquid crystal cell by at least a factor of 100.

11. Spectacles according to claim 10,

wherein

the control is so designed that it reacts to extreme brightness values within 10 μ

s to one second such that the liquid crystal cell (LC) is set to the state of low transmission.

12. Spectacles according to claim 1,

further comprising:

12.1 two spectacle lenses for two eyes of a spectacle wearer;

12.2 an eye-side sensor for each spectacle lens for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on the respective eye; and

12.3 a control circuit for each spectacle lens.

13. Spectacles according to claim 12,

wherein

the setpoint values for the two eyes differ from one another by 1% to 60%.

14. Spectacles according to claim 12,

wherein

when regulating the brightness of the visible light incident on an eye the regulation of the brightness for the other eye is taken into account.

15. Spectacles according to claim 1,

further comprising:

15.1 at least one light source (S) arranged on the side of the spectacles facing away from the eye;

15.2 wherein the light source may be controlled as a function of the viewing direction of the spectacle wearer.

16. Spectacles according to claim 15,

further comprising:

16.1 means for controlling the lighting times and the luminous intensity of the light source (S) such that it illuminates during the times of the state of high transmission (T_on) of the liquid crystal cell (LC);

16.2 wherein the temporal integral of the product of

16.2.1 the luminous intensity of the light source (S) and

16.2.2 the transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cell (LC) remains constant within a predetermined tolerance upon a change in the times of the state of high transmission (T_on).

17. Spectacles according to claim 1,

further comprising:

a light source for the dazzling of a living being, an optical sensor or a camera, and/or

a display on the side of the spectacle lens facing away from the eye, and/or

a display on the eye-side of the spectacle lens, and/or

a head-up display (HUD).

18. Spectacles according to claim 1,

wherein

19.1 the at least one spectacle lens has a further liquid crystal cell, the transmission of which may be varied by a suitable control,

19.2 wherein the further liquid crystal cell is arranged behind or in front of the liquid crystal cell (LC) in the viewing direction.

20. Spectacles according claim 8,

wherein

101.1 the setpoint value of the control circuit may be changed as a function of the brightness of the ambient light;

and

101.2 the change in the setpoint value is slower than the control of the transmission of the liquid crystal cell by a factor of at least 10.

21. Spectacles according to claim 20,

wherein

102.1 the setpoint value is changed in preset steps;

102.2 wherein the stepwise change of the setpoint value is slower than the control of the transmission of the liquid crystal cell by at least a factor of 100.

22. Spectacles according to claim 21,

wherein

the control is so designed that it reacts to extreme brightness values within 10 μ

s to one second such that the liquid crystal cell (LC) is set to the state of low transmission.

19. Method for regulating the brightness of the visible light incident on at least one eye comprising the following steps:

21.1 a pair of spectacles is provided, wherein the spectacles comprise;

21.1.1 at least one spectacle lens;

21.1.2 wherein the at least one spectacle lens has a liquid crystal cell (LC), the transmission (TR) of which may be varied by a suitable control;

21.2 an eye tracker (ET) which determines the viewing direction of the eye;

21.3 at least one sensor (IL, IR) for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on the sensor is provided;

21.3.1 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) is arranged on the eye-side of the spectacle lens;

21.3.2 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) measures the brightness through the at least one spectacle lens;

21.3.3 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) comprises

21.3.3.1 an imaging system with a camera or

21.3.3.2 at least three sensors which span a coordinate system or

21.3.3.3 a compound eye;

21.3.4 wherein the at least one sensor (IL, IR) determines the brightness of the visible light from the viewing direction of the eye determined by the eye tracker (ET);

21.4 a closed-loop control circuit (MC) for controlling the transmission of the liquid crystal cell (LC) is provided;

21.4.1 wherein a setpoint value for the brightness at the eye is preset;

21.4.2 wherein the control loop takes the brightness measured by the sensor in the viewing direction of the eye as the actual value.