EYEGLASS-TYPE WEARABLE DEVICE AND FRONT PART OF EYEGLASS-TYPE WEARABLE DEVICE

• US 20150212329A1
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: SUGIHARA, Ryohei, TATSUTA, Seiji, TOMITA, Teruo
• Granted Patent: US 10,025,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/08 Modular frames, easily exchangeable frame parts and lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/2209 Pivot bearings and hinge bolts other than screws
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/086 Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles

Abstract

An eyeglass-type wearable device includes a first temple part positioned along one temporal region of a user, a second temple part positioned along the other temporal region of the user, and a front part positioned in front of the face of the user, when the eyeglass-type wearable device is worn by the user. The front part includes an electrical unit including an imaging device, and a first and second connection sections to which the first and the second temple parts can be connected, and at least one of the first and the second temple parts includes a temple-side electrical unit. The first and second temple parts can be attached to and removed from the first and second connection sections of the front part. Information about an image captured by the imaging device included in the front part is transmitted from the front part to the temple-side electrical unit.

Claims

1. An eyeglass-type wearable device comprising:

a first temple part that is positioned along one temporal region of a user when the eyeglass-type wearable device is worn by the user;

a second temple part that is positioned along the other temporal region of the user when the eyeglass-type wearable device is worn by the user; and

a front part that is positioned in front of a face of the user when the eyeglass-type wearable device is worn by the user,

the front part including;

an electrical unit that includes at least an imaging device;

a first connection section to which the first temple part can be connected; and

a second connection section to which the second temple part can be connected,

at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part including a temple-side electrical unit,

the first temple part and the second temple part being a temple part that can be attached to and removed from the first connection section and the second connection section of the front part,

image information about an image captured by the imaging device included in the front part being transmitted from the front part to the temple-side electrical unit included in the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part,

the first connection section of the front part being a connection section to which the second temple part can be connected instead of the first temple part, and

the second connection section of the front part being a connection section to which the first temple part can be connected instead of the second temple part.

2. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 1,

the first temple part including a first temple-side electrical unit,

the second temple part including a second temple-side electrical unit, and

the image information from the imaging device being transmitted from the front part to at least one of the first temple-side electrical unit and the second temple-side electrical unit.

3. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 2,

the electrical unit included in the front part and at least one of the first temple-side electrical unit and the second temple-side electrical unit being electrically connected when the first temple part and the second temple part are connected to the first connection section and the second connection section of the front part.

4. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 2,

the image information from the imaging device being transmitted from the front part to the second temple-side electrical unit, the second temple-side electrical unit performing processing on the image information, and information obtained by the processing being transmitted from the second temple-side electrical unit to the first temple-side electrical unit.

5. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 4,

the first temple-side electrical unit including a display device, and

the image information from the imaging device being transmitted from the front part to the second temple-side electrical unit, the second temple-side electrical unit performing image processing on the image information, and the image information subjected to the image processing being transmitted from the second temple-side electrical unit to the first temple-side electrical unit, and displayed on the display device included in the first temple-side electrical unit.

6. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 2,

the image information from the imaging device being transmitted from the front part to the first temple-side electrical unit and the second temple-side electrical unit.

7. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 6,

the first temple-side electrical unit including a display device,

the image information from the imaging device being transmitted from the front part to the first temple-side electrical unit, and displayed on the display device included in the first temple-side electrical unit, and

the image information from the imaging device being transmitted from the front part to the second temple-side electrical unit, and the second temple-side electrical unit performing at least one of image processing, storage processing, and external communication processing on the image information.

8. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 1,

the temple-side electrical unit included in the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part including a display device, and

the image information from the imaging device being transmitted from the front part to the temple-side electrical unit included in the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part, and displayed on the display device included in the temple-side electrical unit included in the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part.

9. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 5,

the display device including:

a display section;

an eyepiece optical system that allows the user to observe an image displayed on the display section as a virtual image; and

a support section that supports an eye piece of the eyepiece optical system in front of the front part.

10. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 1,

the temple-side electrical unit included in the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part including a battery, and

power supplied from the battery being supplied from the temple-side electrical unit included in the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part to the imaging device included in the front part.

11. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 10,

the battery being provided to a temple tip part of the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part.

12. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 11,

the at least one of the first temple part and the second temple part including:

the temple tip part that is provided with the battery; and

a connection section to which the temple tip part is removably connected.

13. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 1,

the first temple part being connected to the first connection section in a state in which a first side faces in a first direction, and a second side opposite to the first side faces in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and connected to the second connection section in a state in which the first side faces in the second direction, and the second side faces in the first direction, and

the second temple part being connected to the second connection section in a state in which a first side faces in the second direction, and a second side opposite to the first side faces in the first direction, and connected to the first connection section in a state in which the first side faces in the first direction, and the second side faces in the second direction.

14. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 1,

the first connection section including a first terminal and a second terminal,

the second connection section including a third terminal and a fourth terminal,

the first temple part including:

a first temple-side terminal that is connected to the first terminal of the first connection section when the first temple part is connected to the first connection section, and is connected to the fourth terminal of the second connection section when the first temple part is connected to the second connection section; and

a second temple-side terminal that is connected to the second terminal of the first connection section when the first temple part is connected to the first connection section, and is connected to the third terminal of the second connection section when the first temple part is connected to the second connection section, and

the second temple part including;

a third temple-side terminal that is connected to the third terminal of the second connection section when the second temple part is connected to the second connection section, and is connected to the second terminal of the first connection section when the second temple part is connected to the first connection section; and

a fourth temple-side terminal that is connected to the fourth terminal of the second connection section when the second temple part is connected to the second connection section, and is connected to the first terminal of the first connection section when the second temple part is connected to the first connection section.

15. The eyeglass-type wearable device as defined in claim 1,

when temple parts that are identical in type have been respectively connected to the first connection section and the second connection section, the front part electrically disconnecting electrical units respectively included in the temple parts that are identical in type.

16. A front part of an eyeglass-type wearable device that is positioned in front of a face of a user when the eyeglass-type wearable device is worn by the user, the front part comprising:

a first connection section to which a first temple part is connected, the first temple part being positioned along one temporal region of the user when the eyeglass-type wearable device is worn by the user;

a second connection section to which a second temple part is connected, the second temple part being positioned along the other temporal region of the user when the eyeglass-type wearable device is worn by the user; and

an electrical unit that includes an imaging device,

image information about an image captured by the imaging device being output from at least one of the first connection section and the second connection section,

the first connection section being a connection section to which the second temple part can be connected instead of the first temple part, and

the second connection section being a connection section to which the first temple part can be connected instead of the second temple part.

17. The front part as defined in claim 16, further comprising:

a connection line that electrically connects a first temple-side electrical unit provided to the first temple part and a second temple-side electrical unit provided to the second temple part when the first temple part and the second temple part are connected to the first connection section and the second connection section of the front part.