ELECTRONIC EYEWEAR AND DISPLAY

• US 20140268017A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IngenioSpec LLC
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Sweis, Jason, Rice, Vivian Liane, Chao, David, Guo, Zhiyang
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids

Abstract

Novel eyewear apparatuses including a display are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus also includes a frame. The frame includes a side region that includes an extendable arm. The first end of the extendable arm is attached to the frame and a second end of the extendable arm is attached to the display. The side region includes a cavity, where the extendable arm is adapted to retract back. The extendable arm is further adapted to extend out of the cavity and orient the display to be visually observable by a user of the eyewear apparatus. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a concave reflective and an image source. The image source and the concave reflective surface are oriented to enable a user of the eyewear apparatus to view at least an image from the image source as reflected by the concave reflective surface.

Claims

1. An eyewear apparatus, comprising:

a frame; and

a display;

wherein the frame includes a side region that includes an extendable arm,

wherein a first end of the extendable arm is attached to the frame and a second end of the extendable arm is attached to the display,

wherein the side region includes a cavity,

wherein the extendable arm is adapted to retract back to the cavity, and

wherein the extendable arm is further adapted to extend out of the cavity and orient the display to be visually observable by a user of the eyewear apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the extendable arm includes at least one rotatable joint, allowing adjustment of an orientation of the display relative to a front region of the frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a user-activated action causes the extendable arm to extend out of the cavity, allowing the extendable arm to be user-adjusted.

4. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the extendable arm include two or more pieces, wherein at least two of the pieces are connected at endpoints, wherein the pieces rotatably adjust at the endpoints, and

wherein a first piece is rotatably connected to the side region and a second piece is rotatably connected to the display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one conductor extends through the extendable arm, electronically connecting the display to a controller located within the frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the display includes a projection screen, and

wherein the apparatus further includes a projector for displaying images on the projection screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes light-guide optical element operative to display images on the display.

8. An eyewear apparatus, comprising:

a concave reflective surface; and

an image source,

wherein the image source and the concave reflective surface are oriented to enable a user of the eyewear apparatus to view at least an image from the image source as reflected by the concave reflective surface.

9. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8 further comprising at least one lens, wherein at least a portion of the concave reflective surface is integral with the at least one lens.

10. The eyewear apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one lens includes a substantially non-reflective portion and the at least a portion of the concave reflective surface.

11. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8, further comprising at least one lens, wherein at least a portion of the concave reflective surface and at least a portion of the image source are located on opposite sides of the at least one lens.

12. The eyewear apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least a portion of the concave reflective surface is at an upper portion of the at least one lens, and the at least a portion of the image source is at a lower portion of the at least one lens.

13. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8 further comprising at least one lens, wherein at least a portion of the concave reflective surface and at least a portion of the image source are located on a same side of the at least one lens.

14. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a frame, wherein at least a portion of the concave reflective surface is in the frame.

15. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a frame with a side region, wherein at least a portion of the image source is in the side region of the frame.

16. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a frame,

wherein the frame includes an extendable arm with a first end and a second end,

wherein the first end of the extendable arm is configured to be attached to the frame and

wherein the concave reflective surface is configured to be in the vicinity of the second end.

17. The eyewear apparatus of claim 16, wherein the frame includes a lens, and wherein the lens is configured to be located between the concave reflective surface and the user when the extendable arm is extended.

18. The eyewear apparatus of claim 16, wherein the frame includes a lens, and wherein the concave reflective surface is configured to be located between the lens and the user when the arm is extended.

19. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an additional image source.

20. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

an additional image source;

an additional concave reflective surface;

at least one lens,

wherein each image source is configured to operate with a corresponding concave reflective surface, and

wherein for each image source and the corresponding concave reflective surface, at least a portion of the image source and at least a portion of the corresponding concave reflective surface are located at opposite sides of the at least one lens.

21. The eyewear apparatus of claim 8, wherein the eyewear apparatus is configured to be in a module.