Eyewear with monitoring capability

• US 7,771,046 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IngenioSpec LLC
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Howell, Thomas A., Thomas, C. Douglass, Chao, David, Tong, Peter P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/317,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20090141233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/158
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/001 specially adapted for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for or not fully classifiable according to technical characteristics, e.g. therapeutic glasses

Abstract

In one embodiment, eyewear having a monitoring capability, such as an activity monitoring capability, is disclosed. Activity, such as motion, steps or distance, can be measured by an activity detector. The measured activity can then be used in providing activity-related information to a user of the eyewear. Advantageously, the user of the eyewear is able to easily monitor their degree of activity.

Claims

1. Eyewear that can be worn by a user, said eyewear comprising:

an eyewear body configured to be worn proximate to the eyes of the user;

a monitoring system at least partially embedded in said eyewear body and operable to monitor and store monitored data, said monitoring system being configured to produce an activity count associated with activity of the user based on the monitored data, and determining an activity level for the user based on the activity count; and

a display at least partially embedded in said eyewear body and operable to display the activity level.

2. Eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein said monitoring system includes at least one sensor.

3. Eyewear as recited in claim 2, wherein the sensor is positioned within said eyewear body.

4. Eyewear as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an altimeter, and

wherein the monitored data includes altitude data.

5. Eyewear as recited in claim 4, wherein the attitude data includes a vertical distance traversed by the user the user wearing said eyewear.

6. Eyewear as recited in claim 4, wherein the altimeter is positioned within said eyewear body.

7. Eyewear as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an environmental sensor configured to sense environmental conditions, and

wherein the monitored data includes environmental data associated with the environmental conditions.

8. Eyewear as recited in claim 7, wherein the environmental sensor is positioned within said eyewear body.

9. Eyewear as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a physical sensor configured to sense at least one physical condition of the user, and

wherein the monitored data includes data associated with the at least one physical condition.

10. Eyewear as recited in claim 9, wherein the physical sensor is positioned within said eyewear body.

11. Eyewear as recited in claim 2, wherein the monitored data includes speed information associated with the user of said eyewear.

12. Eyewear as recited in claim 2, wherein said eyewear is a pair of glasses.

13. Eyewear as recited in claim 2, wherein said eyewear is a pair of goggles.

14. Eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein the activity level being displayed on the display is viewable while said eyewear is being worn by the user.

15. Eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein said monitoring system accumulates the activity count over a period of time, and determines the activity level for the user based on the accumulated activity count.

16. Eyewear as recited in claim 1, wherein said eyewear is a pair of glasses.

17. Eyewear that can be worn by a user, said eyewear comprising:

an eyewear body configured to be worn proximate to the eyes of the user;

an altimeter at least partially embedded in said eyewear body;

a monitoring system at least partially embedded in said eyewear body and operable to monitor and store monitored date, the monitored data includes at least altitude data provided by the altimeter, said monitoring system being configured to determine a vertical distance traversed over a period of time based on the altitude data; and

a display at least partially embedded in said eyewear body and operable to display the vertical distance.

18. Eyewear as recited in claim 17, wherein said monitoring system accumulates the vertical distance traversed over the period of time, and determines the vertical distance traversed over the period of time based on the accumulated vertical distance.

19. Eyewear as recited in claim 17, wherein said eyewear is a pair of glasses.

20. Eyewear as recited in claim 17, wherein said eyewear is a pair of goggles.