Eyewear with conductive temple joint

• US 10,591,745 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung X
• Application Number:
  US15/949,852
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 351158, 351 41, 351116, 351121, 351153, 16228, 455347, 455 90, 455344
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/14 Side-members
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter

Abstract

Apparatuses and systems for wearable devices such as eyewear are described. According to one embodiment, the wearable device includes a frame, a temple, onboard electronics components, and a coupling mechanism. The frame is configured to hold one or more optical elements. The temple is connected to the frame at an articulated joint such that the temple is disposable between a collapsed condition and a wearable condition in which the device is wearable by a user to hold the one or more optical elements within user view. The onboard electronics components comprise at least a pair of electronics components carried by the frame and the temple respectively. The coupling mechanism is incorporated in the articulated joint and that is configured to electrically connect the pair of electronics components across the articulated joint both when the temple is in the wearable condition and when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements;

a temple connected to the frame at an articulated joint such that the temple is disposable between a collapsed condition and a wearable condition in which the device is wearable by a user to hold the one or more optical elements within user view;

one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame and the temple, the onboard electronics components including a computer and a battery; and

a first electrical connector between the temple and the frame, the first electrical connector configured to create a first electrical connection only when the temple is positioned in a collapsed condition;

wherein via the first electrical connection the computer is operable and supplied with power when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising a second electrical connector between the temple and the frame, wherein the second electrical connector is configured to create a second electrical connection when the temple is positioned in the wearable condition.

3. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein via the second electrical connection the computer is operable and supplied with power when the temple is in the wearable condition.

4. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein one or more components of the second electrical connector are configured as a charging port that is exposed when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

5. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein the wearable device is configured such that the computer is operable and supplied with power from the battery even when an electrical supply is coupled to the charging port, to charge the battery when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

6. The wearable device of claim 4, further comprising a case configured to receive the frame and the temple therein with the temple positioned in the collapsed condition, the case including an electrical connector configured to couple to the charging port for power transfer between the case and the one or more electronic components.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the battery and the first electrical connection facilitates power transfer between the battery carried by the temple and others of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first electrical connector has complimentary electrical elements on the temple and the frame that are pivoted into contact by the articulated joint when the temple is positioned in the collapsed condition.

9. A wearable device comprising:

a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements;

a temple connected to the frame at an articulated joint such that the temple is disposable between a collapsed condition and a wearable condition in which the device is wearable by a user to hold the one or more optical elements within user view;

one or more onboard electronics components carried by at the frame and the temple, the onboard electronics components carried by the frame including at least a computer and the onboard electronics components carried by the temple including at least a battery;

a first electrical connector assembly between the temple and the frame; and

a second electrical connector assembly between the temple and the frame;

wherein the computer is operable and supplied with power from the battery by the first electrical connector assembly only when the temple is positioned in the collapsed condition, and wherein the computer is operable and supplied with power from the battery by the second electrical connector assembly only when the temple is positioned in the wearable condition.

10. The wearable device of claim 9, wherein no electrical connection between the temple and the frame is facilitated by either the first electrical connector assembly or the second electrical connector assembly when the temple is positioned in an intermediate condition between the collapsed condition and the wearable condition.

11. The wearable device of claim 9, wherein the first electrical connector assembly includes at least a first connector on a first face of the temple and a complimentary second connector on the frame, wherein the second electrical connector assembly includes at least a third connector a second face of the temple and a complimentary fourth connector on the frame.

12. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the complimentary second connector is positioned on a first side of the articulated joint and the complimentary fourth connector is positioned on a second side of the articulated joint.

13. The wearable device of claim 9, wherein one or more components of the second electrical connector assembly are configured as a charging port that is exposed when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

14. The wearable device of claim 13, wherein the wearable device has the first electrical connector assembly between the temple and the frame such that the computer is operable and supplied with power from the battery when a charging device is coupled to the charging port to charge the battery when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

15. The wearable device of claim 13, further comprising a case configured to receive the frame and the temple therein with the temple positioned in the collapsed condition, wherein the case includes an electrical connector configured to couple to the charging port for power transfer between the case and the battery.

16. A wearable device comprising:

a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements;

a temple connected to the frame at an articulated joint such that the temple is disposable between a collapsed condition and a wearable condition in which the device is wearable by a user to hold the one or more optical elements within user view;

one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame and the temple, the onboard electronics components including a computer carried by the frame and a battery carried by the temple;

a first electrical connector between the temple and the frame, wherein the first electrical connector is configured to create a first electrical connection when the temple is positioned in a collapsed condition, wherein via the first electrical connection the computer is operable and supplied with power when the temple is in the collapsed condition; and

a second electrical connector between the temple and the frame, wherein the second electrical connector is configured to create a second electrical connection such that the computer is operable and supplied with power when the temple is in the wearable condition.

17. The wearable device of claim 16, wherein one or more components that facilitate the second electrical connection are configured as a charging port that is exposed when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

18. The wearable device of claim 17, wherein the wearable device is configured such that the computer is operable and supplied with power from the battery even when an electrical supply is coupled to the charging port to charge the battery when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

19. The wearable device of claim 17, further comprising a case configured to receive the frame and the temple therein with the temple positioned in the collapsed condition, the case including an electrical connector configured to couple to the charging port for power transfer between the case and the one or more electronic components.

20. The wearable device of claim 16, wherein the battery and the first electrical connection facilitates power transfer between the battery carried by the temple and others of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame.