Eyeglasses with RFID tags

• US 20080218684A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C. Douglass Thomas, David Chao, Peter P. Tong, Thomas A. Howell
• Original Assignee: C. Douglass Thomas, David Chao, Peter P. Tong, Thomas A. Howell
• Inventors: Tong, Peter P., Thomas, C. Douglass, Chao, David, Howell, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,337,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/158
• 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

Abstract

A pair of glasses includes a clock that is at least partially embedded in the glasses. The clock can be in one of the temples of the glasses. In one implementation, the clock can be positioned at a region close to a hinge of the corresponding temple, with the clock facing inward towards the user. The clock can also be in a temple arrangement. Instead of or in addition to a clock, other types of electrical components can be at least partially embedded into a pair of glasses or a temple arrangement of a pair of glasses. For example, the other electrical components can pertain to a RFID tag, a temperature sensor or an eyewear finder.

Claims

1. An eyewear comprising:

a lens holder for receiving at least one lens, the lens holder having a first side and a second side;

a first temple pivotally secured to the first side of the lens holder through a first joint;

a second temple pivotally secured to the second side of the lens holder through a second joint; and

a RFID tag embedded in the eyewear,

wherein the RFID tag includes a memory device that is configured to store information regarding the eyewear.

2. An eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is embedded in one of the temples of the eyewear.

3. An eyewear as recited in claim 1,

wherein each temple has a temple tip,

wherein each temple tip can be removed from and re-inserted back onto the corresponding temple, and

wherein the RFID tag is embedded in one of the temple tips.

4. An eyewear as recited in claim 1,

wherein the eyewear includes at least one nose pad, and

wherein the RFID tag is embedded in the nose pad.

5. An eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein the information regarding the eyewear includes an identifier that identifies the eyewear.

6. An eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein the information regarding the eyewear includes information regarding where the eyewear was manufactured.

7. An eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein the eyewear include a power source.

8. An eyewear as recited in claim 7, wherein the RFID tag uses power from the power source to wirelessly transmit at least some of the information regarding the eyewear to a receiver.

9. An eyewear as recited in claim 7, wherein the eyewear includes a speaker.

10. An eyewear as recited in claim 7, wherein the power source is a solar cell.

11. An eyewear as recited in claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag is a passive tag,

wherein the RFID tag includes an antenna that extracts power from a receiver'"'"'s radio wave signal to provide power to the RFID tag to wireless transmit at least some of the information regarding the eyewear to the receiver.

12. An eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein the eyewear includes an electrical connector that is electrically coupled to the RFID tag.

13. A method to read information from a passive RFID tag embedded in an eyewear product that includes a pair of temples, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, at the eyewear product, a signal from a remote receiver;

extracting, at the eyewear product, power from the signal; and

using the power extracted from the signal to transmit information from the passive RFID tag embedded in the glasses to the remote receiver,

wherein the information transmitted includes information regarding the eyewear product.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the passive RFID tag is embedded in one of the temples of the eyewear product.

15. A method as recited in claim 13,

wherein each of the temples has a temple tip,

wherein each temple tip can be removed from and re-inserted back onto the corresponding temple, and

wherein the passive RFID tag is embedded in one of the temple tips.

16. A method as recited in claim 13,

wherein the eyewear product includes at least one nose pad, and

wherein the passive RFID tag is embedded in the nose pad.

17. A method to read information from a RFID tag embedded in an eyewear product that includes a pair of temples and a power source, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, at the eyewear product, a signal from a remote receiver asking for information from the RFID tag; and

using power from the power source to transmit information from the RFID tag to be read by the remote receiver,

wherein the information transmitted includes information regarding the eyewear product.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the RFID tag is embedded in one of the temples of the eyewear product.

19. A method as recited in claim 17,

wherein each of the temples has a temple tip,

wherein each temple tip can be removed from and re-inserted back onto the corresponding temple, and

wherein the RFID tag is embedded in one of the temple tips.

20. A method as recited in claim 17,

wherein the eyewear product includes at least one nose pad, and

wherein the RFID tag is embedded in the nose pad.