Eyewear supporting after-market electrical components

• US 8,500,271 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Tong, Peter P., Howell, Thomas A., Chao, David, Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US13/085,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 351/158, 351/41, 351/122, 351/159, 351/49, 381/380, 381/381, 381/327
• US Class Current: 351/158
• 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 5/001 specially adapted for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for or not fully classifiable according to technical characteristics, e.g. therapeutic glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/14 Side-members

Abstract

Techniques for providing eyewear with electrical components are disclosed. The electrical components can provide electrical technology to eyewear (e.g., eyeglasses) without having to substantially compromise aesthetic design principles of the eyewear. Often, the electrical components can be attached to the eyewear as an after-market enhancement. The electrical components can operate independently or together with other electrical components provided elsewhere.

Claims

1. An eyewear frame, comprising:

a first temple having a first end and a second end, with the second end having a first temple arrangement coupled to at least a portion of the second end of the first temple;

a second temple having a first end and a second end, with the second end having a second temple arrangement coupled to at least a portion of the second end of the second temple;

an electronic device at least partially embedded in one of the temple arrangements; and

another electronic device physically separated from the first and second temple arrangements yet internal to said eyewear frame and operatively interconnected with the electronic device.

2. A pair of glasses, comprising:

a pair of temples, each of the temples having a rearward portion that fits over an ear of a person when said pair of glasses is being worn by the person;

a temple arrangement provided at the rearward portion of one of the temples, wherein the temple arrangement includes at least one electronic device, the at least one electronic device being embedded in the temple arrangement; and

another electronic device physically separated from the temple arrangement yet embedded in said pair of glasses and operatively interconnected with the at least one electronic device.

3. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 2,

wherein the rearward portion of the one of the temples includes a first electrical connector,

wherein the temple arrangement includes a second electrical connector, and

wherein when the temple arrangement is attached to the rearward portion of the one of the temples, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are configured to be electrically interconnected.

4. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 3, wherein the another electronic device is embedded in the one of the temples, and wherein the another electronic device is configured to operatively interconnect with the electronic device embedded in the temple arrangement via interconnection of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

5. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 4, wherein the temple arrangement is configured so that it can be removed and re-attached from the one of the temples by a person wearing said eyewear frame.

6. A pair of glasses as recited in claim 5, wherein at least one of the electronic device or the another electronic device comprises an integrated circuit device.

7. An eyewear frame, comprising:

a first temple having a rearward end, with the rearward end having a first temple arrangement coupled to at least a portion of the rearward end of the first temple;

an electronic device at least partially embedded in the first temple arrangement; and

another electronic device physically separated from the first temple arrangement yet internal to said eyewear frame and operatively interconnected with the electronic device that is at least partially embedded in the first temple arrangement.

8. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein said eyewear frame comprises:

a second temple having a rearward end, with the rearward end having a second temple arrangement coupled to at least a portion of the rearward end of the second temple.

9. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the first temple arrangement is configured so that it can be removed and re-attached from the first temple by a person wearing said eyewear frame.

10. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the another electronic device is selected from the group of:

a display, a controller, and a memory device.

11. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the electronic device is a sensor.

12. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 11, wherein the sensor is selected from the group of:

a motion detector, a pressure detector, a radiation detector and a temperature sensor.

13. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the temple arrangement is a temple tip.

14. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein said eyewear frame comprises a pair of glasses, and

wherein the pair of glasses is selected from the group of:

sunglasses, fit-over glasses, prescription glasses, reading glasses and safety glasses.

15. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of the electronic device or the another electronic device comprises an integrated circuit device.

16. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the rearward end of the first temple includes an angular bend, and

wherein the first temple arrangement is attached to the first temple via the rearward end and extends over the angular bend.

17. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the first temple arrangement has a shape, and wherein the shape of the first temple arrangement conforms to or has a configuration similar to the rearward end of the first temple.

18. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7,

wherein the rearward end of the first temple includes a first electrical connector,

wherein the first temple arrangement includes a second electrical connector, and

wherein when the first temple arrangement is attached to the rearward end of the first temple, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are configured to be electrically interconnected.

19. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 18, wherein the first temple arrangement is configured so that the first temple arrangement can be removed and re-attached from the first temple by a person wearing said eyewear frame.

20. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 18, wherein the electronic device is a sensor.

21. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 18, wherein at least one of the electronic device or the another electronic device comprises an integrated circuit device.

22. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 18, wherein the another electronic device is embedded in the first temple, and wherein the another electronic device is configured to operatively interconnect with the electronic device embedded in the first temple arrangement via interconnection of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

23. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the electronic device is a RFID tag.

24. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the electronic device interacts with an electrical component in a device tethered to said eyewear frame.

25. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 24, wherein the electrical component is selected from the group of:

a battery, a solar cell, a display, a controller, an electrical switch, a memory device and a beeper.

26. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the electronic device comprises a temperature sensor.

27. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the first temple arrangement comprises a speaker.

28. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 27, wherein the speaker is a bone conducting speaker.

29. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein said eyewear frame comprises a speaker physically separate from the first temple arrangement.

30. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein said eyewear frame comprises a plurality of temple arrangements, each having at least one electronic device at least partially embedded therein.

31. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein said eyewear frame comprises a plurality of temple arrangements, and wherein at least one of the temple arrangements includes at least a power source at least partially embedded therein.

32. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein said eyewear frame comprises a plurality of temple arrangements, and wherein at least a plurality of the temple arrangements are configured to perform different functions.

33. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 7, wherein the first temple has the rearward end and a remaining portion, and

wherein the another electronic device is provided within the remaining portion of the first temple and is electrically connected to the electronic device that is at least partially embedded in the first temple arrangement.

34. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 33, wherein at least one of the electronic device or the another electronic device comprises an integrated circuit device.

35. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 33,

wherein the rearward end of the first temple includes a first electrical connector,

wherein the first temple arrangement includes a second electrical connector, and

wherein when the first temple arrangement is attached to the rearward end of the first temple, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are configured to be electrically interconnected.

36. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 35, wherein the another electronic device is embedded in the one of the temples, and wherein the another electronic device is configured to electrically interconnect with the electronic device embedded in the temple arrangement via interconnection of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

37. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 36, wherein the first temple includes a bone conducting speaker.

38. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 33,

wherein the another electronic device is embedded in the one of the temples, and wherein the another electronic device is configured to electrically interconnect with the electronic device embedded in the temple arrangement,

wherein the first temple includes a bone conducting speaker, and

wherein the first temple includes a motion detector.

39. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 38, wherein at least one of the electronic device or the another electronic device comprises an integrated circuit device.

40. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 38, wherein the first temple includes an environmental sensor.

41. An eyewear frame, comprising:

at least one temple, the at least one temple having a rearward portion and a remaining portion, and the at least one temple having a temple arrangement at the rearward end;

a battery embedded in the temple arrangement; and

an electronic device physically separated from the temple arrangement yet part of said eyewear frame and electrically interconnected with the battery that is embedded in the temple arrangement;

a bone conducting speaker, and

a motion detector.

42. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 41, wherein said eyewear frame comprises a location sensor.

43. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 41, wherein the electronic device, the bone conducting speaker and the motion detector are provided at the at least one temple.

44. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 41, wherein the electronic device, the bone conducting speaker and the motion detector are provided internal to the at least one temple.

45. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 41, wherein said eyewear frame comprises a microphone.

46. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 45, wherein the microphone is provided at the at least one temple.

47. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 41, wherein the temple arrangement is a temple tip.

48. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 41, wherein the electronic device is provided in or at the remaining portion of the at least one temple and is electrically connected to the battery that is embedded in the temple arrangement.

49. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 48, wherein the electronic device, the bone conducting speaker and the motion detector are provided in or at the remaining portion of the at least one temple.

50. An eyewear frame as recited in claim 49,

wherein the electronic device comprises an integrated circuit device, and

wherein said eyewear frame comprises a microphone provided at the at least one temple.