Eyewear including a remote control camera and a docking station

• US 10,379,575 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Kokonaski, William, Duston, Dwight P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoder, III, Chriss S
• Application Number:
  US15/440,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20170176777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 348 73, 348114, 348115, 34821199-2119, 34833306, 348375, 348376
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1613 having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1627 for changing index of refraction, e.g. by external means or by tilting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/061 with movable shutters, e.g. filter discs; Actuating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/06 bifocal; multifocal ; progressive G02C7/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/16 Shades; shields; Obturators, e.g. with pinhole, with slot G02C5/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

Eyewear is provided including a frame, and a camera connected with the frame, in which the camera is configured to be controlled by a remote controller. The camera may be configured to capture video and/or a photo. The eyewear may include data storage, and the camera may be connected to the data storage. A wrist watch may be configured to act both as a time piece and a controller of the camera. The eyewear may also include a heads up display and/or a video file player. The eyewear may also include an electro-active lens.

Claims

1. Eyewear comprising:

an eyewear frame comprising temples and a frame front, wherein the temples are connected to the frame front;

a camera, detachably connected with the eyewear frame, to acquire video data and/or image data while the eyewear is worn by a wearer with the camera detachably connected to the eyewear frame;

a controller, operably coupled to the camera, to control acquisition of the video data and/or image data by the camera;

a power supply; and

an electronic docking station, operably coupled to the camera and/or the controller, to provide the electrical power from the power supply to the camera and/or the controller.

2. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the camera is configured to be controlled remotely via a remote controller.

3. The eyewear in claim 2, wherein the remote controller comprises a watch.

4. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the controller is disposed within a temple of the eyewear frame.

5. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the electronic docking station is disposed along a rim of the eyewear frame.

6. The eyewear of claim 1, further comprising:

a transceiver, operably coupled to the camera, to transmit the video data and/or image data to a remote controller and to receive signals from a remote controller.

7. The eyewear of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit information to a remote controller via a wireless link; and

a receiver to receive information from the remote controller via the wireless link.

8. The eyewear of claim 1, further comprising:

a display, operably coupled to the camera, to display the video data and/or image data to a wearer of the eyewear.

9. The eyewear of claim 8, wherein the display is a partial Video Graphics Array (VGA) display.

10. The eyewear in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one manual interface on the electronic docking station to control the electrical component docked in the electronic docking station.

11. A method of acquiring video data and/or image data of a scene, the method comprising:

pointing a camera on an eyewear frame towards the scene, the eyewear frame comprising temples and a frame front, wherein the temples are connected to the frame front;

acquiring the video data and/or image data of the scene with the camera while wearing the eyewear with the camera detachably connected to the eyewear frame;

storing the video data and/or image data of the scene; and

attaching the camera to the eyewear frame and/or detaching the camera from the eyewear frame.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling the camera via a remote controller.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote controller comprises a watch.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein storing the video data and/or the image data comprises storing the video data and/or the image data with a controller disposed within a temple of the eyewear frame.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the video data and/or image data to a remote controller; and

receiving signals from the remote controller.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the video data and/or image data of the scene to a wearer of the eyewear with a display operably coupled to the camera.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling the electrical component docked in the electronic docking station via a manual interface.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein attaching the camera to the eyewear frame comprises attaching the camera to a magnetic receiving member on the eyewear frame and detaching the camera from the eyewear frame comprises detaching the camera from the magnetic receiving member on the eyewear frame.

19. Eyewear comprising:

an eyewear frame;

an electronic clip-on device detachably connected with the eyewear frame, the electronic clip-on device comprising;

a camera to acquire video data and/or image data; and

a controller, operably coupled to the camera, to store the video data and/or image data.

20. The eyewear of claim 19, wherein the electronic clip-on device further comprises a power supply.

21. The eyewear of claim 19, wherein the electronic clip-on device further comprises a display.

22. The eyewear of claim 19, further comprising:

a power supply, connected with the eyewear frame and operably coupled to the electronic clip-on device, to provide electrical power to the electronic clip-on device.

23. The eyewear of claim 19, further comprising:

a magnetic receiving member disposed on the eyewear frame,

wherein the electronic clip-on device is detachably connected to the magnetic receiving member.

24. The eyewear of claim 23, wherein the magnetic receiving member is configured to serves as an electrical conductor.

25. Eyewear comprising:

an eyewear frame comprising temples and a frame front, wherein the temples are connected to the frame front;

a camera, detachably connected with the eyewear frame, to acquire video data and/or image data while the eyewear is worn by a wearer with the camera detachably connected to the eyewear frame;

a controller, operably coupled to the camera via an electrical connection disposed within the eyewear frame, to control acquisition of the video data and/or image data by the camera; and

a transceiver, operably coupled to the camera and/or the controller, to transmit the video data and/or image data to a remote controller and to receive signals from a remote controller.

26. The eyewear of claim 25, further comprising:

a magnetic receiving member disposed on the eyewear frame,

wherein the camera is detachably connected to the eyewear frame via the magnetic receiving member.

27. A method of acquiring video data and/or image data of a scene with a camera connected to an eyewear frame of eyewear, the method comprising:

acquiring video data and/or image date with the camera while the eyewear is worn by a wearer and the camera is coupled to the eyewear frame;

transmitting the video data and/or image data to a remote controller with a transceiver operably coupled to the camera; and

receiving signals from a remote controller with the transceiver.