Eyewear having selectively exposable feature

• US 9,482,882 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snapchat Inc (Snap, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanover, Matthew, Huang, Qiaokun, Meisenholder, David, Morris, Lauryn
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Huy K
• Application Number:
  US14/687,308
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 351/158
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/02 Magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/146 having special front end
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/22 Hinges pivotal connection in general F16C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems and methods for wearable devices such as eyewear are described. According to one embodiment, the wearable device includes a body, electronics, and a connector. The body is configured to hold one or more optical elements, the body being disposable between a collapsed condition and a wearable condition in which the device is wearable by a user to hold the one or more optical elements within user view. The electronics are carried by the body. The connector is configured to enable establishment of an electrical and/or electronic connection with the electronics via the connector, the connector being housed by the body such that the connector is substantially obscured from view when the body is in the wearable condition, and such that the connector is exposed for connective access when the body is in the collapsed condition.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a body having a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements, the body having a temple being disposable between a collapsed condition and a wearable condition in which the device is wearable by a user to hold the one or more optical elements within user view;

electronics carried by the body including a battery carried by the temple and one or more additional electronics carried by the frame; and

a connector disposed between the temple and the frame so as to be substantially obscured from the view when the temple is in the wearable condition, the connector is configured to enable establishment of an electrical and/or electronic connection between the battery and the additional electronics of the frame via the connector when the temple is in the wearable condition, and the connector is exposed and configured to couple with a second connector to establish a second electrical and/or electronic connection between an external source and the battery when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the frame has two opposing connection portions, at least one of the connection portions housing the connector and the electronics mounted to the frame.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the temple includes the connector and is configured to house electronics and a frame includes a correspondingly configured connector configured to couple to the connector of the temple when in the wearable position.

4. The wearable device of claim 3, wherein the correspondingly configured connector is configured for coupling to the external source.

5. The wearable device of claim 3, wherein the electronics of the temple comprise at least one of:

a circuit coupled to the battery and configured to deliver a charge to and from the battery;

a computer; and

one or more of a camera, a microphone, a sensor, a display device, an indicator, a memory, an actuator, and a wireless module in communication with the computer.

6. The wearable device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the connector and the correspondingly configured connector include a magnet or an attractable material, the magnet or attractable material facilitating coupling of the external source to the connector or the correspondingly configured connector.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the electronics comprise at least one of:

a circuit coupled to the battery and configured to deliver a charge to and from the battery;

a computer; and

one or more of a camera, a microphone, a sensor, a display device, an indicator, a memory, an actuator, and a wireless module in communication with the computer.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising a hinge assembly coupling the frame to the temple, wherein the connection portions include one or more hinge projections configured to receive a pin of the hinge assembly, and wherein the connector is part of or disposed adjacent to the hinge assembly.

9. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising a case configured to receive the body therein in the collapsed condition, the case configured to house a battery that is the external source of power for the electronics mounted to the body.

10. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to transfer at least one of a power, a data, and both power and data for the electronics.

11. A system including a wearable device, the system comprising:

eyewear comprising a frame and a temple, tile eyewear configured to receive electronics including a first connector and a first battery, the first connector is disposed at a portion of the eyewear that selectively interfaces with and is covered by one of the temple or the frame when the temple is coupled to the frame and disposed in a first wearable position, the first connector is exposed when the temple is coupled to the frame and disposed in a second folded position; and

a case configured to receive the frame and the temple therein with the temple disposed in the second position relative to the frame, the case including a second connector configured to couple to the first connector of the eyewear with the first connector exposed, the case configured to house a second battery that supplies a charge to the electronics mounted to the eyewear including the first battery.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a cable configured to couple to the first connector of the eyewear when the temple is disposed in the second position and configured to couple to at least one of the second connector or a third connector of the case, wherein the cable is configured to couple with an external source of power, data, or power and data for the electronics mounted to the eyewear.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the frame and the temple are configured to house the electronics and the electronics comprise at least one of:

a circuit coupled to the first battery and configured to deliver a charge to and from the first battery;

a computer; and

one or more of a camera, microphone, a sensor, a display device, an indicator, a memory, an actuator, and a wireless module in communication with the computer.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a hinge assembly configured to couple the frame to the temple, wherein the first connector is part of or is disposed adjacent the hinge assembly.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first connector and the second connector and the case include a magnet, the magnet facilitating coupling of one of the first connector and the second connector.

16. A method comprising:

coupling a battery with a charging circuit;

coupling the charging circuit to a connector that is configured to be selectively coupled to and decoupled from an external power source; and

mounting the battery, the charging circuit, and at least a portion of the connector to eyewear, the connector interfacing an area between a frame of the eyewear and a temple of the eyewear when the temple is a wearable position; and

coupling the frame to the temple with a hinge, the connector disposed adjacent to or as part of the hinge such that the connector is covered by one of the frame or hinge when the frame is in a first extended position and the connector is exposed for coupling to or decoupling from the external power source when the frame is in a second folded position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of mounting includes enclosing the battery, the charging circuit, and the at least a portion of the connector in one or both of the frame or temple.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising coupling the battery, the charging circuit, and at least a portion of the connector to one or more of:

a computer; and

one or more of a camera, microphone, a sensor, a display device, an indicator, a memory, an actuator, and a wireless module in communication with the computer.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a case configured to receive the eyewear therein with the temple in the second folded position, the case configured as the external power source and having a second connector configured to mate with the connector of the eyewear.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a cable configured to mount to the area of the eyewear comprising at least one of a hinge portion of the frame or a hinge portion of the temple, wherein the cable includes a connector configured to mate with the connector of the eyewear and includes a second connector configured to couple to the external power source.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the connector further comprises a communication port configured to be selectively coupled to and decoupled from an external data source.