Eyewear with conductive temple joint

• US 9,971,169 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung
• Application Number:
  US15/642,878
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 351158, 351 41, 206 5, 206320, 206701
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/14 Side-members
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter

Abstract

Apparatuses and systems for wearable devices such as eyewear are described. According to one embodiment, the wearable device includes a frame, a temple, onboard electronics components, and a coupling mechanism. The frame is configured to hold one or more optical elements. The temple is connected to the frame at an articulated joint such that the temple is 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 onboard electronics components comprise at least a pair of electronics components carried by the frame and the temple respectively. The coupling mechanism is incorporated in the articulated joint and that is configured to electrically connect the pair of electronics components across the articulated joint both when the temple is in the wearable condition and when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

eyewear including;

a frame, a temple, one or more onboard electronics components including a battery carried by the temple or frame, and a first charging port exposed and configured to facilitate charging of the battery when the temple is positioned in a collapsed position and a second charging port exposed and configured to facilitate charging of the battery when the temple is positioned in a wearable position, wherein with the temple in the wearable position the first charging port is at least partially covered at an interface between the temple and frame so as to be inaccessible to facilitate charging;

a case configured to receive the frame and the temple therein with the temple positioned in the collapsed position, the case including a connector configured to couple to at least one of the first and second charging ports, the case configured to charge the battery; and

a cable with a connector configured to couple to at least one of the first and second charging ports of the eyewear when the temple is positioned in the collapsed position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second charging port facilitates a first electrical connection of a one of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the temple with another of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame across an articulated joint between the temple and the frame when the temple is in the collapsed position, and wherein the first charging port facilitates a second electrical connection of the one of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the temple with the another of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame across the articulated joint between the temple and the frame when the temple is in the wearable position.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first charging port is disposed adjacent the articulated joint between the temple and the frame.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable is configured to couple with an external source of power, data, or power and data for the one or more onboard electronics components.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first charging port includes a first set of pads on a first face of one of the temple or frame.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second charging port includes a second set of pads on a second face of the temple or frame.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a first set of pins on a third face of the temple or frame, wherein the first set of pins are complementary to the first set of pads and are configured to make contact with the first set of pads when the temple is in the collapsed position.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a second set of pins on a fourth face of the temple or frame, wherein the fourth set of pins are complementary to the second set of pads and are configured to make contact with the second set of pads when the temple is in a wearable position.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronics components includes a computer that communicates with one or more of a communication component, a camera, a sensor, a display device, an indicator, a memory and an actuator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second charging ports facilitate an electrical connection of a one of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the temple with another of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame across an articulated joint between the temple and the frame only when the temple is in the wearable position and when the temple is in the collapsed position but not when the temple is in an intermediate position relative to the frame.

11. A system comprising:

eyewear including;

a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements;

a temple connected to the frame at an articulated joint such that the temple is disposable between a collapsed position and a wearable position in which the device is wearable by a user to hold the one or more optical elements within user view;

one or more onboard electronics components carried by at least one of the frame and the temple, the onboard electronics components includes a battery and a computer that communicates with one or more of a communication component, a camera, a sensor, a display device, an indicator, a memory and an actuator;

a first charging port that is disposed adjacent an articulated joint between the temple and the frame, the first charging port exposed only when the temple is in the collapsed position;

a second charging port exposed only when the temple is positioned in a wearable position; and

one or both of a case and cable, wherein the case is configured to receive the frame and the temple therein with the temple disposed in the collapsed position, the cable and case having a connector configured to couple to at least one of the first charging port and the second charging port of the eyewear;

wherein the eyewear is configured such that the computer is operable and supplied with power when the temple is in the collapsed position as well as the wearable position via the second charging port and the first charging port, respectively, and wherein each of the first and second charging ports facilitates an electrical connection of a one of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the temple with another of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame across an articulated joint between the temple and the frame.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first charging port is disposed adjacent the articulated joint between the temple and the frame.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the cable is configured to couple with an external source of power, data, or power and data for the one or more onboard electronics components.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first charging port includes a first set of pads on a first face of one of the temple or frame.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a second set of pads on a second face of the temple or frame that comprise a part of the second charging port; and

a first set of pins on a third face of the temple or frame, wherein the first set of pins are complementary to the first set of pads and are configured to make contact with the first set of pads when the temple is in the collapsed position.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a second set of pins on a fourth face of the temple or frame, wherein the fourth set of pins are complementary to the second set of pads and are configured to make contact with the second set of pads when the temple is in a wearable position.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second charging ports facilitate an electrical connection of a one of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the temple with another of the one or more onboard electronics components carried by the frame across an articulated joint between the temple and the frame only when the temple is in the wearable position and when the temple is in the collapsed position but not when the temple is in an intermediate position relative to the frame.