Contact lenses

• US 9,047,512 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Otis, Brian, Parviz, Babak
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/304,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20140355842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/049 Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/197 Matching; Classification

Abstract

Apparatus, systems and methods for facilitating iris-scanning contact lenses and/or biometric identification employing iris scanning contact lenses are provided. In one implementation, the contact lens can include: a transparent substrate formed to cover at least a portion of an iris of an eye; and a circuit. The circuit can include: one or more light sensors disposed on or within the transparent substrate and that detects light filtered through the iris and incident on the one or more light sensors; readout circuitry, operably coupled to the one or more light sensors, that outputs information indicative of the light filtered through the iris and incident on the one or more light sensors; and a power component that supplies power to the readout circuitry. In various implementations, the contact lens can be employed in systems and/or methods associated with authentication and identification.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a contact lens comprising a transparent substrate formed to cover a structure of an eye; and

a circuit comprising;

one or more light sensors disposed on or within the transparent substrate and configured to detect light reflected from the structure of the eye and incident on the one or more light sensors; and

readout circuitry, operably coupled to the one or more light sensors, configured to output information indicative of the light reflected from the structure of the eye and incident on the one or more light sensors.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power component, operably coupled to the readout circuitry, configured to supply power to the readout circuitry.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the power component is configured to receive power wirelessly.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sensors comprise at least one of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor light sensor or a PN junction light sensor.

5. The device lens of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more light sensors is less than approximately 500 microns wide.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of the light reflected from the structure of the eye comprises a pattern associated with the structure of the eye.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the readout circuitry is configured to output a fingerprint generated from the pattern, wherein the fingerprint facilitates biometric identification.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the structure of the eye is an iris.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the readout circuitry is configured to output the information in response to a wireless signal from another device.

10. A method, comprising:

detecting, at one or more light sensors disposed on or within a transparent substrate of a contact lens covering a structure of an eye, light reflected from the structure of the eye, wherein the light reflected from the structure of the eye comprises image data indicative of a pattern associated with the structure of the eye; and

outputting a fingerprint based in part on the image data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a wireless signal, wherein outputting the image data is performed in response to receiving the wireless signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the outputting is performed wirelessly.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the structure of the eye is an iris of an eye.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more light sensors comprise at least one of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor light sensor or a PN junction light sensor.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a first fingerprint from a device, wherein the device comprises a contact lens comprising a transparent substrate covering a structure of an eye, wherein the first fingerprint is generated by readout circuitry in the transparent substrate based on a pattern based on light reflected from the structure of the eye and incident on one or more light sensors in the transparent substrate;

receiving a second fingerprint;

comparing the first fingerprint with the second fingerprint; and

determining whether a biometric match exists between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint based, at least, on the comparing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more light sensors are at least one of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor light sensor or a PN-junction light sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first fingerprint is received wirelessly.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting a wireless signal to the device, wherein the first fingerprint is received in response to the wireless signal being transmitted to the device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the biometric match exists; and

based, at least, on determining that the biometric match exists, unlocking another device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the biometric match exists; and

based, at least, on determining that the biometric match exists, providing access to another system.