Eyewear including a remote control camera

• US 9,124,796 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald, Kokonaski, William, Duston, Dwight P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US13/779,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/44, 351/45, 351/46, 351/47, 351/48, 351155-158, 351/159.39, 349/11, 349/13, 349/15, 2 1/0, 2 1/2, 2 1/3, 2 1/5, 348/794, 348/838
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1613 having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1627 for changing index of refraction, e.g. by external means or by tilting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/061 with movable shutters, e.g. filter discs; Actuating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/06 bifocal; multifocal ; progressive G02C7/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/16 Shades; shields; Obturators, e.g. with pinhole, with slot G02C5/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

Eyewear is provided including a frame, and a camera connected with the frame, in which the camera is configured to be controlled by a remote controller. The camera may be configured to capture video and/or a photo. The eyewear may include data storage, and the camera may be connected to the data storage. A wrist watch may be configured to act both as a time piece and a controller of the camera. The eyewear may also include a heads up display and/or a video file player. The eyewear may also include an electro-active lens.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an eyewear frame;

a camera, connected with the eyewear frame and configured to be controlled remotely by a wrist watch, to acquire video data and/or image data; and

an electronic docking station, operably coupled to the camera, to provide the video data and/or the image data to an electrical component docked in the electronic docking station.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

data storage, operably coupled to the camera via a data bus or video cable, to store a representation of the video data and/or image data acquired by the camera.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wrist watch is further configured to act as a time piece.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is located in front of the eyewear frame.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens, disposed within the eyewear frame, to focus and/or attenuate incident light.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is removably attached to the eyewear frame.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a clip configured to be affixed to the eyewear frame.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic display, supported by the eyewear frame and operably coupled to the camera, to display information to a wearer of the eyewear frame.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic display comprises at least one of a partial video graphics array (VGA) display, a full VGA display, a monocular display, a binocular display, or a heads up display.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a light, supported by the eyewear frame, to provide illumination.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the light comprises at least one light-emitting diode.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the wrist watch comprises a display to show the video data and/or the image data acquired by the camera.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the eyewear frame is configured to separate at a bridge of the eyewear frame.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens, connected with the eyewear frame, to focus and/or attenuate light propagating through the lens towards an eye of a wearer of the eyewear frame.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an earbud, mechanically coupled to the eyewear frame, to provide an audio signal to a wearer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the earbud is affixed to an audio cable wound at least partially on a spring loaded spool.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tether, attached to the eyewear frame, to hold the eyewear frame around the neck of a wearer; and

a power source, disposed within the tether, to provide electrical power to at least one electronic component supported by the eyewear frame.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the tether comprises:

an electrical connector, in electrical communication with the power source, to provide an electrical connection from the power source to the at least one electronic component supported by the eyewear frame.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the electrical connector has an asymmetric cross section to maintain proper polarity of the electrical connection from the power source to the at least one electronic component supported by the eyewear frame.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the tether further comprises:

a magnet, disposed at one end of the electrical connector, to attach the electrical connector to a corresponding electrical connection of the eyewear frame.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens, disposed on the eyewear frame, to collect light from a scene; and

a fiber optic bundle, in optical communication with the lens and the camera, to couple light from the lens to the camera.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source, attached to the eyewear frame, to provide electrical power to at least one electronic component.

23. The eyewear of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one conductor is affixed to an outer surface of the eyewear frame with an adhesive film.

24. The eyewear of claim 23, wherein the at least one conductor is disposed within the adhesive film.

25. A method of acquiring video data and/or image data, the method comprising:

supporting a camera on an eyewear frame;

controlling the camera remotely with a wristwatch so as to acquire to the video data and/or the image data; and

providing the video data and/or the image data to an electrical component docked in an electronic docking station operably coupled to the camera.

26. A system comprising:

an eyewear frame;

a visor attached to the eyewear frame;

a camera, attached to the visor and configured to be controlled remotely by a wrist watch, to acquire video data and/or image data; and

at least one electronic display, attached to the visor and operably coupled to the camera, to display information to the wearer of the eyewear.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the visor is configured to be adjustably transitioned between a first position with the at least one electronic display within a line of sight of the wearer and a second position with the at least one electronic display out of the line of sight of the wearer.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a power source, attached to the eyewear frame, to provide electrical power to the at least one electronic display.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

data storage, operably coupled to the camera via a data bus or video cable, to store a representation of the video data and/or the image data acquired by the camera.