Wearable camera systems and apparatus and method for attaching camera systems or other electronic devices to wearable articles

• US 9,823,494 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pogotec, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pogotec, Inc.
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Kokonaski, William, Clompus, Richard, Dannhardt, Walter, Gupta, Amitava, Arnold, Bobi, Pinazza, Massimo, Longa, Claudio Dalla
• Primary Examiner(s): AGGARWAL, YOGESH K
• Application Number:
  US14/816,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20160033792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 3482221, 345 8
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/02 Magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/16 Frame or frame portions made from rubber
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/14 Side-members
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details

Abstract

Wearable electronic devices, for example wearable camera systems, and methods for attaching electronic devices such as camera systems to eyewear or other wearable articles are described.

Claims

1. An electronic device system comprising:

an eyewear frame including a temple and a first guide integral with the temple, the temple having a finished surface, and the first guide extending between a first location on the temple and a second location on the temple, wherein the first guide is formed on a side of the temple and extends partially through a thickness of the temple, the first guide comprising a base and at least one sidewall adjacent to the base, the finished surface of the temple including surfaces of the base and the at least one sidewall;

an electronic device movably coupled to the temple, the electronic device comprising a second guide coupled to the first guide; and

an attachment system for securing the electronic device to the temple, whereby the electronic device is movable along the guide while remaining secured to the temple, wherein the eyewear frame further comprises a metallic strip in the temple configured to engage with a magnet coupled to or embedded in the electronic device thereby providing, at least in part, the attachment system for securing the electronic device to the temple.

2. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the first guide comprises a groove.

3. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the first guide is formed on an outside side of the temple, and wherein the first location is at a forward end of the temple and the second location is at a distance of about ⅓

of a length of the temple from an aft end of the temple.

4. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the first guide is a groove and a depth of the groove is 2 mm or less.

5. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the first guide is a groove and a width of the groove is 4 mm or less.

6. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the first guide is a groove and a length of the groove is between 10 mm and 145 mm.

7. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises surface features configured to engage with the attachment system, and wherein the attachment system comprises an elastic band having a rounded cross-section and wherein a diameter of the cross-section is 2 mm or less.

8. The electronic device system of claim 7, wherein the temple comprises a first portion and a second portion offset from the first portion by an offset distance, the offset distance greater than or equal to a thickness of the elastic band.

9. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera removably coupled to the temple.

10. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the camera is pivotably coupled to the temple.

11. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera comprising an image capture device configured to be angled relative to an axis of the camera.

12. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera and wherein the camera is waterproof.

13. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera and wherein the camera comprises a compliant material provided on an external surface of the housing.

14. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera and wherein the camera is configured to capture an image responsive to a tap of the temple or responsive to a voice command.

15. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera, the camera comprising a camera front end and wherein the camera is configured to position the camera front end in line with or in front of the eyewear frame when the camera is moved to the first location on the temple.

16. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera having a width and a height of about 8 mm each and a length of about 25 mm to about 30 mm.

17. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera having a volume of less than 6,000 cubic millimeters.

18. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera having a volume of less than 3,000 cubic millimeters.

19. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera having a volume of less than 2,000 cubic millimeters.

20. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera having a height between 6 mm and 12 mm.

21. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera having a width between 6 mm and 12 mm.

22. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera having a length between 12 mm and 45 mm.

23. The electronic device system of claim 10, wherein the camera comprises a processor and memory comprising processor-executable instructions for centering an image captured by the camera, the processor-executable instructions configured to program the camera to detect a center of an image and relocate the center of the image by cropping the image.

24. The electronic device system of claim 23, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to program the camera to center the image in a vertical direction by determine a position of the horizon by detecting a color difference between a first object in the captured image which corresponds to the sky and a second object in the captured image which corresponds to the ground, and further configured to program the camera to center the image in a horizontal direction by detecting a horizontal center of the image and cropping the image in the horizontal direction such that the horizontal center is equally spaced between left and right sides of the image.

25. The electronic device system of claim 1, further comprising one or more lenses coupled to the eyewear frame.

26. An electronic device system comprising:

an eyewear frame including a temple and a first securing guide integral with the temple, the temple having a finished surface, and the first securing guide extending between a first location on the temple and a second location on the temple, wherein the first securing guide is formed on a side of the temple and extends partially through a thickness of the temple, the first securing guide comprising a base and at least one sidewall adjacent to the base, the finished surface of the temple including surfaces of the base and the at least one sidewall;

an electronic device movable coupled to the temple, the electronic device comprising a second securing guide coupled to the first securing guide; and

wherein the first and second securing guides are configured to maintain the electronic device on the temple as the electronic device is moved along the first guide.

27. The electronic device system of claim 26, wherein the first securing guide comprises a groove.

28. The electronic device system of claim 26, wherein at least one of the first or second securing guides has a cross-sectional shape configured to maintain the electronic device on the temple as the electronic device is moved along the first guide.

29. An electronic device system comprising:

an eyewear frame including a temple and a first guide integral with the temple, the first guide extending between a first location on the temple and a second location on the temple, wherein the first guide is formed on an outside side of the temple and extends partially through a thickness of the temple, the first guide comprising a base and at least one sidewall adjacent to the base;

an electronic device movably coupled to the temple, the electronic device comprising a second guide configured to be coupled to the first guide; and

an attachment system for securing the electronic device to the temple, whereby the electronic device is movable along the guide while remaining secured to the temple; and

wherein the electronic device is a camera comprising a processor and memory comprising processor-executable instructions for centering an image captured by the camera, the processor-executable instructions configured to program the camera to detect a center of an image and relocate the center of the image including programming the camera to center the image in a vertical direction by determining a position of a horizon by detecting a color difference between a first object in the captured image and a second object in the captured image, and programming the camera to center the image in a horizontal direction by detecting a horizontal center of the image and cropping the image in the horizontal direction such that the horizontal center is equally spaced between left and right sides of the image.

30. An electronic device system comprising:

an eyewear frame including a temple and a first guide integral with the temple, the first guide extending between a first location on the temple and a second location on the temple, wherein the first guide is formed on an outside side of the temple and extends partially through a thickness of the temple, the first guide comprising a base and at least one sidewall adjacent to the base, and wherein the first location is at a forward end of the temple and the second location is at a distance of about ⅓

of a length of the temple from an aft end of the temple;

an electronic device movably coupled to the temple, the electronic device comprising a second guide configured to be coupled to the first guide; and

an attachment system for securing the electronic device to the temple, whereby the electronic device is movable along the guide while remaining secured to the temple.

31. An electronic device system comprising:

an eyewear frame including a temple and a first guide integral with the temple, the first guide extending between a first location on the temple and a second location on the temple, wherein the first guide is formed on an outside side of the temple and extends partially through a thickness of the temple, the first guide comprising a base and at least one sidewall adjacent to the base;

an electronic device movably coupled to the temple, the electronic device comprising a second guide configured to be coupled to the first guide; and

an attachment system for securing the electronic device to the temple, whereby the electronic device is movable along the guide while remaining secured to the temple, wherein the electronic device comprises surface features configured to engage with the attachment system, and wherein the attachment system comprises a band having a rounded cross-section and wherein a diameter of the cross-section is 2 mm or less.

32. The electronic device system of claim 31, wherein the temple comprises a first portion and a second portion offset from the first portion by an offset distance, the offset distance greater than or equal to a thickness of the band.