Input system

• US 9,298,020 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Etzkorn, James, Pletcher, Nathan, Amirparviz, Babak
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US13/559,288
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 351/158, 351/159.01, 351/159.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/168 Evaluating attention deficit, hyperactivity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00

Abstract

Apparatus, systems and methods facilitating contact lenses that detect fatigue or emotional state of a wearer of the contact lenses are provided. In some aspects, a contact lens includes: a substrate; one or more sensors disposed on or within the substrate, wherein the one or more sensors senses fatigue and/or an emotional state of a wearer of the contact lens; and an antenna disposed on or within the substrate, that communicates information sensed by the one or more sensors. In various aspects, systems can include the contact lens, a reader that can process the information sensed and an alarm generation component that can generate an alarm based on the determined fatigue and/or emotional state of the wearer of the contact lens.

Claims

1. A contact lens, comprising:

a substrate; and

a circuit comprising;

one or more sensors, disposed on or within the substrate, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one light sensor configured to sense at least one of a duration of closure of an eyelid or a frequency of blinking; and

an antenna disposed on or within the substrate, configured to communicate information sensed by the one or more sensors to a reader, wherein the information sensed by the one or more sensors is indicative of fatigue of a wearer of the contact lens based on calibration data, wherein the reader is configured to send a signal to at least one component based on the information indicative of fatigue of the wearer of the contact lens.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the information sensed by the one or more sensors is further indicative of an emotional state of the wearer of the contact lens.

3. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one sensor configured to sense at least one of neural activity or electromyogram activity of the wearer of the contact lens.

4. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one sensor configured to sense a level of fluid retention around an eye over which the contact lens is disposed.

5. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one sensor configured to sense a level of at least one of lactate, hydrogen ions, adrenaline, serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine or norepinephrine.

6. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the calibration data comprises a baseline corresponding to a non-fatigued state of the wearer of the contact lens, such that a variance from the baseline is indicative of a fatigued state of the wearer of the contact lens.

7. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises a component configured to generate an alarm based on the signal from the reader.

8. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises a component configure to control a device operated by the wearer of the contact lens based on the signal from the reader.

9. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises a data logging component.

10. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the reader is configured to compare the information sensed by the one or more sensors to one more thresholds.

11. A method, comprising:

sensing, using a contact lens, fatigue of a wearer of the contact lens, wherein the sensing is performed via one or more sensors disposed on or within the contact lens, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one light sensor configured to sense at least one of a duration of closure of an eyelid or a frequency of blinking; and

communicating information sensed by the one or more sensors to a reader, wherein the information sensed by the one or more sensors is indicative of fatigue of the wearer of the contact lens based on calibration data, wherein the reader is configured to send a signal to at least one component based on the information indicative of fatigue of the wearer of the contact lens.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sensing an emotional state of the wearer of the contact lens.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensing the emotional state comprises sensing a level of at least one of dopamine or serotonin.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensing the fatigue comprises sensing at least one of neural activity or electromyogram activity of the wearer of the contact lens.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one sensor configured to sense a level of fluid near an eye over which the contact lens is disposed.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the calibration data comprises a baseline corresponding to a non-fatigued state of the wearer of the contact lens, such that a variance from the baseline is indicative of a fatigued state of the wearer of the contact lens.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one component comprises a component configured to generate an alarm based on the signal from the reader.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one component comprises a component configure to control a device operated by the wearer of the contact lens based on the signal from the reader.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one component comprises a data logging component.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the reader is configured to compare the information sensed by the one or more sensors to one more thresholds.