AUTOMATIC FOCUS PRESCRIPTION LENS EYEGLASSES

• US 20150185503A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tate, Larry R., Peffers, Simon N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,465,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments are generally directed to automatic focus prescription lens eyeglasses. An embodiment of an apparatus includes one or more variable focus lenses coupled; one or more actuators to change the focus of the variable focus lenses; and one or more focus distance components coupled to detect a focus distance of one or more eyes of a user of the apparatus. The one or more actuators set a focal distance of each of the one or more variable focus lenses, a focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses being determined in response to the focus distance of the one or both eyes of the user; and the focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses includes adjustment for a vision prescription of the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more variable focus lenses;

one or more actuators to change the focus of the variable focus lenses; and

one or more focus distance components coupled to detect a focus distance of one or both eyes of a user of the apparatus;

wherein the one or more actuators set a focal distance of each of the one or more variable focus lenses, a focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses being determined in response to the focus distance of the one or both eyes of the user; and

wherein the focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses includes adjustment for a vision prescription of the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller to control at least some processes of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustment for a vision prescription of the user includes an adjustment for the user for a plurality of different distances.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more of a transceiver to transmit and receive wireless communication data with an external apparatus or one or more ports to transmit and receive wired communication data with the external apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data received by the transceiver includes vision prescription data for the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more variable focus lenses is either:

an opto-mechanical variable focus lens, wherein the actuator for the opto-mechanical lens includes a motor to adjust focus of the opto-mechanical lens;

or

an electro-optical variable focus lens, wherein the actuator of the electro-optical lens includes a component to control a current to adjust a focus of the electro-optical lens.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more focus distance components includes one or more eye trackers to determine a position of both eyes of the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more focus distance components includes an eye sensor to determine a width, a thickness, or both of a lens of an eye of the user, wherein the apparatus includes a training mode to determine eye characteristics of the user for operation of the eye sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes one or more of a macro function and a telephoto function, wherein the macro function or telephoto function includes a zoom function.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises an outward facing camera, wherein the apparatus provides a macro function or telephoto function utilizing an image captured by the outward facing camera.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more of:

one or more projectors to provide an image for the user and one or more prisms to direct the image of each of the one or more projectors to one or more eyes of the user;

or

one or more transparent computer displays to provide an image for the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a training mode to determine the vision prescription of the user.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining vision prescription data for a user of automatic focus prescription lens eyeglasses;

entering an automatic adjusting mode for the eyeglasses, the eyeglasses including one or more variable focus lenses;

detecting a focus distance of one or both eyes of the user;

determining a lens focal distance setting, wherein the lens focal distance setting is offset by a correction based on the vision prescription data for the user; and

if the determined focal distance setting is different than a current focal distance setting for the eyeglasses, automatically changing the eyeglasses to the determined focal distance setting.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein obtaining vision prescription data includes loading received vision prescription data.

15. The medium of claim 13, obtaining vision prescription data includes a focus training process to determine a vision prescription for the user, wherein the focus training process includes requesting the user to choose between varying focal distance settings.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein detecting a focus distance includes detecting a direction of gaze of both eyes of the user to determine a relative angle between the gazes of each eye.

17. The medium of claim 13, wherein detecting a focus distance includes detecting a width or thickness of a lens of one or both eyes of the user, and further comprising performing an eye characteristic training process to determine lens width or thickness measurements for the user.

18. The medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

enabling a telephoto function or macro function of the eyeglasses.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein enabling the telephoto function or macro function includes automatically enabling the telephoto function or macro function in response to detecting a distance at which the user is viewing.

20. A system comprising:

automatic focus prescription lens eyeglasses including;

a one or more variable focus lenses;

one or more actuators to change the focus of the variable focus lenses,

one or more focus distance components coupled with the frame to detect a focus distance of one or both eyes of a user of the apparatus, and

at least one of a wireless transceiver for wireless communication or a communication port for wired communications; and

an external apparatus to operate cooperatively with the eyeglasses, the external apparatus including;

at least one of a wireless transceiver for wireless communication or a communication port for wired communications,

a controller to control at least some operations relating to the eyeglasses, and

a memory to store data;

wherein the one or more actuators set a focal distance of each of the one or more variable focus lenses, a focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses being determined in response to the focus distance of the one or both eyes of the user; and

wherein the focal distance setting for each of the one or more variable focus lenses includes adjustment for a vision prescription of the user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the adjustment for a vision prescription of the user includes an adjustment for the user for a plurality of different distances.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more variable focus lenses include at least one of an opto-mechanical variable focus lens and an electro-optical variable focus lens.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more focus distance components include at least one of an eye tracker to determine a position of an eye of the user or an eye sensor to determine a width or a thickness of a lens of an eye of the user, wherein the system includes a training mode to determine eye characteristics of the user for operation of the eye sensor.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising at least one of:

one or more projectors to provide an image for the user one or more prisms to direct the image of each of the one or more projectors to one or both eyes of the user;

or

one or more transparent computer displays to provide an image for the user.