Eyewear with exchangeable temples housing a transceiver forming ad hoc networks with other devices

• US 6,769,767 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Original Assignee: QR Spex
• Inventors: Milesi, Rolf, Ligtenberg, Christiaan, Meier, Thomas, Swab, Gregory, Malackowski, James E., Greaves, Mikal
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US09/845,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20020159023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/158, 351/123, 704/271, 704/270, 455/343, 455/344, 455/347, 455/350, 455/351
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2015/3895 using light
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 12/02 Spectacle frames constructional form G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/02 Column chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/146 having special front end
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/22 Hinges pivotal connection in general F16C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless ad hoc pico network is formed by eyewear and other devices such as a computer, a bracelet and a telephone having similar transceivers mounted on them. Master slave relationships are configurable. Other devices, such as a radio, a CD player, a hand held global positioning satellite system and a heart rate monitor, having similar transceivers, can also be connected with the transceiver of the eyewear. The transceivers operate on globally available, unlicensed radio band, 2.45 gigahertz (GHz) and conforms to the Bluetooth standard. The power consumption of Bluetooth enabled devices is less than three percent of the power consumption of a mobile phone. The eyewear includes a frame and connected to the frame are two temples. Temples are connected to frame via hinges. Temples have a male portion of a connector incorporated in them. Female portion of the connector is made integral with the hinges. When the male portion is inserted in the female portion the temple is attached to the frame. The temples can be removed by pulling the connector apart, and a temple with different apparatus within it can be inserted in place of the removed temples. The temple may have co-molded within its body, an apparatus such as an audio device, a camera, a speaker, and a microphone, and a display device such as liquid crystal or an alarm. In another embodiment, eyewear constitutes a distance alarm to monitor the movement of, for example, a child. A device in form of, for example, a bracelet is worn by the child. The transceivers in the eyewear and the bracelet form a small-range wireless network, i.e., piconet, wherein the eyewear and the bracelet communicate using signals conforming to the Bluetooth technology. The transceiver in the eyewear is configured to generate an alarm when the bracelet exceeds a predetermined distance from eyewear.

Claims

1. An eyewear comprising:

a frame; and

a Bluetooth transceiver for short distance wireless communication,

wherein said Bluetooth transceiver is embedded in said frame, and wherein said Bluetooth transceiver is configured to form an ad hoc wireless network with a plurality of devices.

2. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein the communication between said transceiver and said devices is via signals conforming to the Bluetooth standard.

3. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein any one of said transceiver and said devices can be configured to be a master or a slave in a master-slave configuration.

4. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein said devices are mobile devices.

5. The eyewear of claim 4 wherein said mobile devices are chosen from a group consisting of a phone, a computer, a radio, a compact disc player, a camera, a distance alarm, a heart rate monitor and a hand held global positioning satellite system.

6. The eyewear of claim 4 wherein said devices are located in the range of one hundred meters or less.

7. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein said transceiver automatically changes the output power to adjust the range of transmission to exactly the required range.

8. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein said transceiver and said devices each have a clock, and said clocks are automatically synchronized with one of said clocks that is a designated master clock.

9. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein said transceiver can communicate with only those devices that are preset to communicate with said transceiver.

10. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein said transceiver can work in a noisy radio environment, and is audible under severe conditions.

11. The eyewear of claim 1 wherein said frame further comprises

at least one temple, said temple being detachably attached to the remainder of said frame.

12. The eyewear of claim 11 further comprising:

an apparatus, said apparatus being attached to said temple.

13. The eyewear of claim 12 wherein said apparatus is selected from a group consisting of an audio device having a speaker and a microphone, a camera, a display device, a distance alarm and an ear bud.

14. The eyewear of claim 11 further comprising:

an apparatus, said apparatus being attached to said frame.

15. The eyewear of claim 14 wherein said apparatus is selected from a group consisting of an audio device having a speaker and a microphone, a camera, a display device, a distance alarm and an ear bud.

16. The eyewear of claim 11 further comprising;

a hinge, said hinge connecting said frame and said temple;

a first pad located on said frame; and

a second pad located on said temple;

wherein said first pad and said second pad contact each other when said temple is in open position, thereby establishing an electrical connection.

17. The eyewear of claim 11 further comprising:

a hinge;

a connector having a male portion and a female portion, wherein said hinge is connected to said frame and said female portion, and said temple is connected to said male portion such that when said male portion is engaged with said female portion said temple is attached to said frame substantially hiding from view said connector and said hinge.

18. The eyewear of claim 11 further comprising:

a hinge;

a connector having a male portion and a female portion, wherein said hinge is connected to said frame and said male portion, and said temple is connected to said female portion such that when said male portion is engaged with said female portion said temple is attached to said frame substantially hiding from view said connector and said hinge.

19. The eyewear of claim 17 further comprising:

an on off switch, said switch being located on the temple.

20. The eyewear of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of said apparatus is embedded in said temple.

21. The eyewear of claim 20 further comprising:

conductors, said conductors being embedded in said temples and said frame and said conductors establishing electrical connection between different components of said apparatus.

22. A distance alarm system comprising:

an eyewear, further comprising a frame; and

a Bluetooth transceiver for short-distance wireless communication embedded in said frame of said eyewear; and

a device, said device and said Bluetooth transceiver being configured to form an ad hoc wireless network,

wherein said device triggers generation of an alarm signal when said device exceeds a predetermined distance from said eyewear.

23. The distance alarm of claim 22 wherein said distance at which the alarm signal is generated is set by the user.

24. The distance alarm of claim 22 wherein the communication between said transceiver and said device is via signals conforming to the Bluetooth standard.

25. The distance alarm of claim 22 wherein said generated alarm signal is one of a visual, a vibratory and an audible alarm.

26. A method of generating an alarm comprising:

providing an eyewear having a frame and a Bluetooth transceiver for short-distance wireless communication, said Bluetooth transceiver being embedded in said frame;

providing a device having a second transceiver for short-distance wireless communication;

forming an ad hoc wireless network between said device and said eyewear; and

generating an alarm when said device exceeds a predetermined distance from said eyewear.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

communicating between said eyewear and said device via signals conforming to Bluetooth standard.