Eyeglass interface system

• US 6,091,546 A
• Filed: 10/29/1998
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.), The Mircooptical Corporation
• Original Assignee: MicroOptical Corporation
• Inventors: Spitzer, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US09/182,609
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 359/618, 359/630, 359/409, 351/158, 351/123, 351/50, 345/6, 345/8
• US Class Current: 359/618
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0196 having transparent supporting structure for display mounting, e.g. to a window or a windshield
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F

Abstract

An eyeglass interface system is provided which integrates interface systems within eyewear. The system includes a display assembly and one or more audio and/or video assemblies mounted to an eyeglass frame. The display assembly is mounted to one temple and provides an image which can be viewed by the user. The audio or video assembly is mounted to the other temple and is in communication with the display assembly. The audio or video assembly may comprise a camera assembly and/or an audio input or output assembly, such as a microphone and/or speakers. The camera assembly is placed on the temple to record the visual field observed by the user. A head-tracking assembly may be provided to track the position of the user'"'"'s head. A number of applications can be provided with the present system, such as a telephone system, pager system, or surveillance system. The present eyeglass interface system is compact, offers the user hands-free operation, and provides an attractive appearance due to concealment of the assemblies within the eyeglass frame and lenses.

Claims

1. An eyeglass interface system comprising:

an eyeglass frame having first and second lens holders and first and second temples configured to be supported on a user'"'"'s head;

a first lens disposed within the first lens holder and a second lens disposed within the second lens holder; and

a display assembly comprising;

an image source supported by the first temple,

an optical pathway disposed internally within the first lens to receive light from the image source, and

an insert in the first lens to redirect light on the optical pathway to the user'"'"'s eye;

an audio or video assembly mounted to the second temple and in communication with the display assembly, the audio or video assembly operative to receive or transmit audio or video signals; and

interface circuitry in communication with the display assembly and the audio or video assembly.

2. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a camera assembly.

3. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a microphone.

4. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a speaker.

5. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a telephone assembly.

6. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a pager assembly.

7. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes an audio recorder.

8. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a clock assembly.

9. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a head tracking assembly.

10. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the interface circuitry is in communication with a general function computer.

11. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes a video conferencing assembly.

12. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second temples is hollow and the interface circuitry is disposed within the at least one of the first or second temples.

13. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second temples is hollow and the interface circuitry comprises a multi-chip module disposed within the at least one of the first and second temples.

14. The eyeglass interface of claim 1, further comprising an interface module and the interface circuitry is disposed within the interface module.

15. The eyeglass interface of claim 14, wherein the interface module is mounted on a strap attached to the first and second temples.

16. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the interface circuitry comprises multiplexer/demultiplexer circuitry.

17. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the interface circuitry further comprises a connection to remote electronics.

18. The eyeglass interface system of claim 17, wherein the connection to remote electronics comprises an electrical wire, an infrared link, a radio frequency link, or a fiber optical cable.

19. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, further comprising a battery mounted on the at least one of the first or second temples in communication with the interface circuitry.

20. The eyeglass interface system of claim 1, wherein the audio or video assembly includes an infrared detector.

21. An eyeglass interface system comprising:

an eyeglass frame having first and second lens holders and first and second temples configured to be supported on a user'"'"'s head;

a first lens disposed within the first lens holder and a second lens disposed within the second lens holder; and

a camera assembly mounted to the first temple, the camera assembly having a lens directed to view the field of view through the first lens.

22. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising an image source assembly comprising:

an image source supported by the second temple;

an optical pathway disposed internally within the second lens to receive light from the image source; and

an insert in the second lens to redirect light on the optical pathway to the user'"'"'s eye.

23. The eyeglass interface system of claim 22, wherein the camera assembly is in communication with the image source assembly to feed images viewed by the camera assembly to the image source assembly.

24. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a processor in communication with the camera assembly, the processor operative to receive video images from the camera assembly and recognize the video images as commands.

25. The eyeglass interface system of claim 24, wherein the processor is operative to recognize written characters, optical codes, bar codes, faces, or hand signals.

26. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a character recognition system in communication with the camera assembly.

27. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a video image processor in communication with the camera assembly.

28. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a bar code recognition system in communication with the camera assembly.

29. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a face recognition system in communication with the camera assembly.

30. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a hand signal recognition system in communication with the camera assembly.

31. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising an audio transducer mounted to one of the first and second temples.

32. The eyeglass interface system of claim 31, wherein the audio transducer comprises a speaker or a microphone.

33. The eyeglass interface system of claim 32, wherein the audio transducer comprises a bone conductivity transducer mounted to be in contact with the user'"'"'s head.

34. The eyeglass interface system of claim 32, wherein the audio transducer is slidingly mounted to one of the first and second temples.

35. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly is angularly adjustably mounted to the first temple to adjust the angle of view.

36. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes a movable optical element mounted to the first temple to adjust the angle of view of the camera assembly.

37. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly is linearly movably mounted to the first temple to adjust the focus of the camera assembly.

38. The eyeglass interface system of claim 37, wherein the camera assembly further includes a base slidably mounted to the temple and a handle extending through a slot in the temple.

39. The eyeglass interface system of claim 38, wherein the base is slidably mounted to the temple within one or more tracks.

40. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes a focusing lens slidably mounted to the first temple.

41. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes a lens mounted to the first lens to change a focal length of the camera assembly.

42. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes a lens mounted to the first lens to change the optical power of the camera assembly.

43. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a shroud disposed to conceal the camera assembly.

44. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a cable connected to the camera assembly for communication with camera circuitry.

45. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising camera circuitry disposed within the first temple and in communication with the camera assembly.

46. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly is mounted on a side of the temple adjacent to the user'"'"'s head.

47. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a second camera assembly mounted to the second temple, the second camera assembly having a lens directed to view the field of view through the second lens.

48. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising an optical element disposed internally within the first lens to direct light to the camera assembly.

49. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, further comprising a beam splitter coating and reflective surface embedded within the first lens, the beam splitter coating disposed to direct ambient light on a first optical path through the lens to the user'"'"'s eye and on a second optical path internally within the first lens to the reflective surface, the reflective surface disposed to direct light on the second optical path to the camera assembly.

50. The eyeglass interface system of claim 49, wherein the beam splitter coating comprises a polarized beam splitter coating, and further comprising a quarter wave plate and a further reflective surface disposed on a further portion of the second optical path to receive and rotate light from the polarized beam splitter coating and reflect the light to the reflective surface.

51. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes a video camera.

52. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes a charge coupled device or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor.

53. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes an auto focus mechanism.

54. The eyeglass interface system of claim 21, wherein the camera assembly further includes image stabilization.

55. An eyeglass interface system comprising:

an eyeglass frame having a lens holder assembly configured to hold a pair of lenses and first and second temples configured to be supported on a user'"'"'s head;

a cavity formed within the first temple;

an audio or video assembly mounted to one of the first and second temples, the audio or video assembly operative to receive or transmit audio or video signals;

interface circuitry in communication with the audio or video assembly, the interface circuitry comprising a multi-chip module disposed within the cavity.

56. The eyeglass interface system of claim 55, wherein the multi-chip module includes a substrate comprising conductive patterned layers.

57. The eyeglass interface system of claim 56, wherein the substrate is formed on a cover member configured to close the cavity in the first temple.