EYEWEAR CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND AN EYEWEAR DEVICE

• US 20180107025A1
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Published: 04/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solutia Canada, Inc. (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Original Assignee: Switch Materials, Inc.
• Inventors: Smit, Matthew, Gauthier, Simon, Lam, Duhane
• Granted Patent: US 10,539,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/172 based on a suspension of orientable dipolar particles, e.g. suspended particles displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/58 Arrangements comprising a monitoring photodetector

Abstract

An eyewear control system for a variable transmittance optical filter assembly configurable to cover at least a portion of a lens of an eyewear device. The eyewear control system includes a controller communicatively coupled to a pair of load terminals. The eyewear control system also includes a light sensor communicatively coupled to the controller to provide a detector output signal, the light sensor being positioned to receive sunlight transmitted through the optical filter assembly and towards an eye of a person wearing the eyewear device, the detector output signal being set in dependence on an amount of sunlight received by the light sensor. The eyewear control system also includes a memory communicatively coupled to the controller and having encoded thereon computer program code executable by the controller to transition the optical filter assembly between operating states when coupled to the pair of load terminals. The controller is operable to vary a voltage across the load terminals in dependence on the detector output signal to vary an amount of sunlight transmitted to the eye by the optical filter assembly.

Claims

1. An eyewear control system for a variable transmittance optical filter assembly configurable to cover at least a portion of a lens of an eyewear device, the optical filter assembly comprising a pair of terminals and an optical filter electrically coupled to the pair of terminals, the eyewear control system comprising:

(a) a controller communicatively coupled to a pair of load terminals for electrically coupling to the terminals of the optical filter assembly;

(b) a light sensor communicatively coupled to the controller to provide a detector output signal, the light sensor being positioned to receive sunlight transmitted through the optical filter assembly and towards an eye of a person wearing the eyewear device, the detector output signal being set in dependence on an amount of sunlight received by the light sensor; and

(c) a memory communicatively coupled to the controller and having encoded thereon computer program code executable by the controller to transition the optical filter assembly between operating states,

wherein the controller varies a voltage across the load terminals in dependence on the detector output signal to vary an amount of sunlight transmitted through the optical filter assembly.

2. The eyewear control system of claim 1 wherein the optical filter is electrically coupled between the pair of terminals.

3. The eyewear control system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to apply a pulse width modulated voltage signal across the load terminals, wherein the pulse width modulated signal comprises a plurality of voltage pulses.

4. The eyewear control system of claim 3 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to vary a duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses in dependence on the detector output signal.

5. The eyewear control system of claim 4 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to vary the duty cycle when the detector output signal is at or above a first threshold and at or below a second threshold.

6. The eyewear control system of claim 5 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to vary the duty cycle linearly with respect to the detector output signal.

7. The eyewear control system of claim 5 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to vary the duty cycle non-linearly with respect to the detector output signal.

8. The eyewear control system of claim 6 or 7 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to calculate the duty cycle by applying a gain to a difference between the second threshold and the detector output signal.

9. The eyewear control system of claim 8 wherein, if the calculated duty cycle is below a lower duty cycle limit, the duty cycle is set to the lower duty cycle limit and, if the calculated duty cycle is above an upper duty cycle limit, the duty cycle is set to the upper duty cycle limit.

10. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to apply the pulse width modulated voltage signal across the load terminals by:

comparing the detector output signal to the first threshold;

setting the duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses to a first preset duty cycle when the detector output signal is below the first threshold;

comparing the detector output signal to the second threshold; and

setting the duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses to a second preset duty cycle when the detector output signal exceeds the second threshold.

11. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 5 to 10 wherein the detector output signal comprises a luminance value, the first threshold is a lower luminance threshold, and the second threshold is an upper luminance threshold.

12. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 3 to 11 wherein each of the plurality of voltage pulses has a pulse width between 0.05 seconds and 0.10 seconds.

13. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 3 to 12 wherein at least one of the voltage pulses is set to a voltage of one polarity and at least another of the voltage pulses is set to a voltage of an opposite polarity, in dependence on the detector output signal.

14. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 1 to 13 further comprising an input device communicatively coupled to the controller to provide an input signal, and wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to vary the voltage across the load terminals in dependence on the input signal.

15. The eyewear control system of claim 14, when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 2, wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to vary a duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses in dependence on the input signal.

16. The eyewear control system of claim 15 wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to set a duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses to a constant value in dependence on the input signal.

17. The eyewear control system of claim 15 or 16, when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 4, wherein the computer program code encoded on the memory is executable by the controller to set at least one of the first and second thresholds in dependence on the input signal.

18. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 14 to 17 wherein the input device comprises at least one of a switch, a clock, a timer, and a receiver.

19. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 14 to 17 wherein the input device comprises a single button, the single button being operable to provide different input signals depending on a length of time the single button is depressed.

20. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 1 to 19 further comprising a housing coupleable to a portion of the eyewear device, the housing being configured to enclose at least the controller and the memory.

21. The eyewear control system of any one of claims 1 to 20 further comprising an optical filter assembly comprising a pair of terminals and an optical filter electrically coupled between the pair of terminals, wherein the optical filter is a hybrid photochromic-electrochromic optical filter.

39. An eyewear device comprising an eyewear control system of any one of claims 1 to 21.

22. A method for controlling a variable transmittance optical filter assembly configurable to cover at least a portion of a lens of an eyewear device, the optical filter assembly comprising a pair of terminals and an optical filter electrically coupled to the terminals, the method comprising:

(a) detecting an amount of sunlight transmitted through the optical filter assembly and towards an eye of a person wearing the eyewear device; and

(b) varying an electrical voltage applied across the terminals in dependence on the detected amount of sunlight to vary an amount of sunlight transmitted through the optical filter assembly.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the optical filter is electrically coupled between the terminals.

24. The method of claim 22 or 23 further comprising applying a pulse width modulated voltage signal across the terminals, wherein the pulse width modulated signal comprises a plurality of voltage pulses.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising varying a duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses in dependence on the detected amount of sunlight.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising varying the duty cycle when the detected amount of sunlight is at or above a first threshold and at or below a second threshold.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising varying the duty cycle linearly with respect to the detector output signal.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising varying the duty cycle non-linearly with respect to the detector output signal.

29. The method of claim 27 or 28 further comprising calculating the duty cycle by applying a gain to a difference between the second threshold and the detector output signal.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising, if the calculated duty cycle is below a lower duty cycle limit, setting the duty cycle to the lower duty cycle limit and, if the calculated duty cycle is above an upper duty cycle limit, setting the duty cycle to the upper duty cycle limit.

31. The method of any one of claims 26 to 30 further comprising:

comparing the detected amount of sunlight to the first threshold;

setting the duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses to a first preset duty cycle when the detected amount of sunlight is below the first threshold;

comparing the detected amount of sunlight to the second threshold; and

setting the duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses to a second preset duty cycle when the detected amount of sunlight exceeds the second threshold.

32. The method of any one of claims 26 to 31 wherein the detected amount of sunlight comprises a luminance value, the first threshold is a lower luminance threshold, and the second threshold is an upper luminance threshold.

33. The method of any one of claims 25 to 32 wherein each of the plurality of voltage pulses has a pulse width between 0.05 seconds and 0.10 seconds.

34. The method of any one of claims 25 to 33 further comprising setting at least one of the voltage pulses to a voltage of one polarity and setting at least another of the voltage pulses to a voltage of an opposite polarity, in dependence on the detected amount of sunlight.

35. The method of any one of claims 23 to 34 further comprising:

receiving an input signal from an input device; and

varying the voltage across the load terminals in dependence on the input signal.

36. The method of claim 35, when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 23, further comprising varying a duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses in dependence on the input signal.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising setting a duty cycle of at least one of the plurality of voltage pulses to a constant value in dependence on the input signal.

38. The method of claim 36 or 37, when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 24, further comprising setting at least one of the first and second thresholds in dependence on the input signal.