Eyeglasses with user monitoring

• US 7,481,531 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IngenioSpec LLC
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Howell, Thomas A., Thomas, C. Douglass, Chao, David, Tong, Peter P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/214,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/83, 351/111, 351/158
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/001 specially adapted for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for or not fully classifiable according to technical characteristics, e.g. therapeutic glasses

Abstract

In one embodiment, eyewear having user monitoring capabilities is disclosed. In one example, the user monitoring can pertain to activity monitoring. In another example, the user monitoring can pertain to physical or emotional characteristics monitoring of a user. The measured activity/characteristics can then be used in providing related information to a user of the eyewear. Advantageously, the user of the eyewear is able to easily monitor their activity/characteristics.

Claims

1. A pair of eyeglasses comprising:

an eyeglass frame having at least a pair of temples; and

a user monitoring system at least partially embedded in the frame and operable to monitor at least a physical or emotional characteristic of a user of the pair of eyeglasses.

2. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 1, wherein the user monitoring system includes at least one sensor, and wherein the at least one sensor is positioned within the frame.

3. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 1, wherein the user monitoring system comprising a user activity monitoring system includes at least an input device and an output device, both the input device and the output device are accessible to the user of the eyeglasses.

4. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 3,

wherein the user monitoring system is at least partially embedded in one of the temples, the temple having an inside surface that faces the user when the eyeglasses are worn by the user, and having an outside surface opposite to the inside surface.

5. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 4, wherein the input and output devices are at least partially exposed at the inside surface of the temple.

6. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 1, wherein the user monitoring system comprises a stress monitor.

7. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 1, wherein the user monitoring system includes at least a display for displaying at least information pertaining to the at least one physical or emotional characteristic being monitored.

8. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 7, wherein the information displayed pertains to a stress level.

9. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 7, wherein the information displayed pertains to an activity level.

10. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 1, wherein the pair of eyeglasses further comprises a being-worn indicator for indicating that the eyeglasses are being worn by the user.

11. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 1,

wherein the pair of eyeglasses further comprises a switch to activate the user monitoring system, and

wherein the user monitoring system is automatically deactivated if the user monitoring system does not sense activity by the user for a predetermined duration of time.

12. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 1,

wherein the user monitoring system is at least partially embedded in one of the temples, and

wherein the user monitoring system comprises a substrate having first and second sides, with at least one electrical component on each of the first and second sides of the substrate.

13. A pair of glasses comprising:

an eyeglass frame having at least a pair of temples; and

a functional module including a substrate and a plurality of electrical components that are electrically interconnected via the substrate and that can monitor a physical or emotional characteristic of a user wearing the pair of glasses,

wherein the eyeglass frame includes a cavity within the at least one of the temples for receiving the functional module.

14. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 13, wherein the cavity within the at least one of the temples has an opening into which the functional module is placed.

15. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 14, wherein the functional module includes a display screen, and wherein the display screen remains viewable after the functional module is placed into the opening.

16. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 14, wherein the functional module includes a display screen, wherein a cover is placed over the opening after the functional module is placed into the opening, and wherein the display screen remains viewable after the functional module is placed into the opening with the cover placed over the opening.

17. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the temples has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is closer to the face of the user when the glasses are worn by the user than the outer surface, and wherein the opening is provided at the inner surface of the at least one of the temples.

18. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 13, wherein the functional module includes at least a sensor, a power source, a controller and an output device.

19. A pair of eyeglasses as recited in claim 13, wherein the substrate has first and second sides, with at least one electrical component on each of the first and second sides of the substrate.

20. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 19, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.