Eyes closed interface

• US 10,394,057 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Starner, Thad Eugene, Johnson, Michael Patrick, Otis, Brian, Braun, Max Benjamin, Pletcher, Nathan, Haddock, Joshua N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/425,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20170227792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 351158
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1477 non-invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/049 Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/081 Ophthalmic lenses with variable focal length

Abstract

An eye-mountable device including a lens including a polymeric material, the lens operable to be removably mounted over a corneal surface of an eye and to be compatible with a motion of an eyelid when the concave surface is so mounted; a sensor coupled to the lens and operable to provide output data indicative of whether an eyelid of an eye on which the lens is mounted is closed; and a display operable to display a light signal in response to the output data from the sensor that the eyelid is closed. A method including determining whether an eyelid of a wearer of an eye-mountable device is closed; and when an eyelid of a wearer is closed, sending a light signal from the eye-mountable device.

Claims

1. An eye-mountable device comprising:

a lens comprising a polymeric material, the lens operable to be removably mounted over an eye and to be compatible with a motion of an eyelid when a concave surface of the lens is so mounted;

an eyelid sensor disposed in or on the lens and operable to provide output data indicative of whether the eyelid of the eye on which the lens is mounted is closed;

a display disposed in or on the lens and operable to display a light signal in response to the output data from the eyelid sensor indicating that the eyelid is closed;

a feedback sensor disposed in or on the lens to sense a feedback from a wearer of the eye-mountable device and output a feedback signal; and

a control electronics coupled to the display and the feedback sensor, the control electronics configured to cause the display to repeat displaying the light signal when the eyelid is closed unless the feedback signal indicates an acknowledgement that the light signal was noticed by the wearer.

2. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the eyelid sensor is operable to detect a light change.

3. The eye-mountable device of claim 2, wherein the eyelid sensor comprises a photocell.

4. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the eyelid sensor is operable to detect a movement of the lens.

5. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the feedback sensor comprises an accelerometer and wherein the control electronics are configured to identify an eye motion as the acknowledgement.

6. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, further comprising a power supply coupled to the lens and operable to power a light signal displayed on the display.

7. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the eyelid sensor comprises an impedance sensor configured to measure an impedance across the lens that changes dependent upon whether the eyelid is open or closed.

8. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the control electronics are further coupled to monitor a state of the device and the light signal indicates the monitored state.

9. The eye-mountable device of claim 8, further comprising:

a power source, wherein the monitored state is a charge of the power source.

10. The eye-mountable device of claim 8, further comprising:

a dynamic optic, wherein the monitored state is an accommodation state of the dynamic optic and the light signal indicates the accommodation state of the dynamic optic.

11. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the control electronics are further coupled to monitor a bodily condition and the light signal indicates the bodily condition.

12. The eye-mountable device of claim 11, wherein the light signal comprises a series of light signals.

13. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the feedback sensor is operable to sense a movement of the eye.

14. The eye-mountable device of claim 13, wherein the control electronics are configured to recognize a left and right movement of the eye or an up and down movement of the eye as the acknowledgement.

15. A machine-readable medium that stores instructions that, when executed by an eye-mountable device, will cause the eye-mountable device to perform operations comprising:

monitoring an impedance across the eye-mountable device from one or more sensors peripherally disposed about the eye-mountable device, the impedance changing dependent upon whether an eyelid of a wearer of the eye-mountable device is open or closed;

determining whether the eyelid of the wearer of the eye-mountable device is closed based upon the impedance; and

when the eyelid of the wearer is determined to be closed, emitting a light signal optically with photons from the eye-mountable device.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the light signal is indicative of a bodily condition.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the light signal comprises a first signal indicative of the bodily condition in a first state and a different second signal indicative of the bodily condition in a second state that is different from the first state.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the light signal is indicative of a state of the eye-mountable device.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the state of the eye-mountable device is a power source charge.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the eye-mountable device comprises a dynamic optic and the light signal is indicative of a state of the dynamic optic.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

repeating emission of the light signal when the eyelid is closed unless an acknowledgement indicating that the light signal was noticed by a user is received.