Abstract:
The present apparatus includes an optical device with an interlocking mechanism that provides the capability of the user to alternate the arms of the device. This ability allows the user to modify the color or design pattern in order to vary the look based on the environment or the liking of the user. In addition, the device may include a means to alternate colors or designs in conjunction with the interlocking mechanism. Lastly, the apparatus may include a capability that allows the user to obtain another user&#39;s electronic skin, design of their device, or nearby object by wireless communication.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/684,802, filed Aug. 19, 2012, and titled “Adjustable Optical Device,” which application in its entirety is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to the field of optical devices that are worn over the eyes of a user. More specifically this invention relates to a method for a user to rotate an interlocking mechanism of an optical device to allow the user the ability to alter the color, design, and look of the optical device. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0003]    This apparatus provides the user of an optical device the ability to modify the design or look of said device, without having to purchase another device. The intention of the device is to provide the user with the capability of altering the representation of the device based on the liking and the environment of the user. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,218 (Black), hereinafter referred to as Black, teaches an adjustable switch which adjusts the color with a liquid crystal energy voltage with a controlled cell which propagates the appropriately selected wavelength of white light. However, this invention does not teach a temperature sensored material, or a device powered by solar energy. It also does not teach the capability of sensoring between artificial and natural light. In addition, this invention does not teach an adjustment capability by means of a rotatable arm, but rather a switch. 
         [0005]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/787,242 (Jannard), hereinafter referred to as Jannard, teaches detachable parts of an optical device. This invention does not teach an interlocking mechanism used to rotate or change different styles. Therefore, this invention does not address the capability of adjusting the color, design, and look of the optical device with ease. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,254 (Kahaney), hereinafter referred to as Kahaney, teaches the adjustment capability of the temples on the optical device, by means of moving the temples into various notch lengths. However, this invention does not teach an ability of the arms being made of a flexible materials or an interlocking joint mechanisms capable of three hundred and sixty degree rotation. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,208 (Pawlowski), hereinafter referred to as Pawlowski, teaches an optical device that is made of a specific material that changes depending on specifically if the environment is a natural or artificial light, and will which change color based on that environment. However, this invention does not teach a sensor mechanism for facilitating this change, nor does it teach rotation of optical device arms. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide optical devices which will change design through various means. It is another object of the present invention to provide optical devices which are stylish in shape and in color. It is another object of the present invention to provide optical devices designers another avenue for creativity when designing optical devices frames and arms which are easy to use, easy to manufacture, and comparatively cost effective. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0009]    The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
         [0010]    To resolve the problems mentioned above, an object of the present invention provides the user with the ability to adjust the color, design and look of the optical device by various means. The present embodiment includes an optical device with an interlocking mechanism that provides the capability of the user to alter the look of the optical device by rotating the side arms of the device, to accommodate various colors and designs of the device. This ability allows the user to modify the style, in order to vary the style based on their liking or the environment of the user. 
         [0011]    In a separate embodiment, the user has the capability to easily switch the orientation of the ear portion of the arms as a result of a flexible material with which the side arms may be made from. Alternatively, the arms may extend straight over the ear so that any rotation of the arm does not change the orientation of the ear portion of the arm. 
         [0012]    In addition, the device may include a means for electronically changing the design of the optical device where the changing means may include LEDs, a thermo chromic material, an electronic ink, or an electronic material. 
         [0013]    A further embodiment may include a capability that allows the user to obtain a third-party device&#39;s electronic skin or design, by merely placing the user&#39;s optical device in the presence of the third-party device. This capability may also be accomplished by placing the user&#39;s optical device in proximity to any apparatus that contains a means for transmitting an electronic skin or design by some signal via means such as Bluetooth, zigby, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, etc. 
         [0014]    Still other objects of the present apparatus will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described the embodiments, simply by way of illustration of the best modes suited to carry out them out. As it will be realized, other different embodiments and several details are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects all without departing from the scope. Accordingly, the drawing and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components, with reference to the following figures, wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective side view that depicts an optical device with a different design on the inner arm. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective side view that depicts one of the optical device arms after a 180 degree rotation by use of the interlocking mechanism. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective side view that depicts the flexible material of the optical device arm being adjusted to account for the 180 degree orientation change of the arm. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 4   a ,  4   b , &amp;  4   c  illustrate the interlocking mechanism in its engaged, disengaged, and front view, respectively. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cut-away side view of interlocking mechanism in its engaged position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  depicts a top view of the optical device with the interlocking mechanism in its engaged position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  depicts a top view of the optical device with the interlocking mechanism in its disengaged position allowing the arm to rotate. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is illustrative of a functional block diagram of the system. 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is illustrative of a functional block diagram of the system that includes a sensing device. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is illustrative of a functional block diagram of the system comprising a wireless communication means. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0026]    The claimed subject matter is now described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced with or without any combination of these specific details, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and the claims. 
         [0027]    As used in this application, the terms “component”, “module”, “system”, “interface”, or the like are generally intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a controller and the controller can be a component. 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of optical device  100  with a different design on inner arms  120 . With particular reference to the above and below-mentioned figures, optical device  100 , according to the invention, is designated as a whole by the reference number  100 . The design pattern featured on optical device  100  may include, but is not limited to, a wide-array of shapes, colors, words, etc. Furthermore, the design pattern may be manipulated based upon personas. The personas may vary based upon a variety of situations or scenarios including, but not limited to: employment areas, casual areas, or business areas. For example, a work persona may include a more conservative design pattern whereas a more casual persona may include a bolder design pattern not suitable for the workplace. Interlocking mechanism  110  connects arms  120  to frame  130  of optical device  100 . Interlocking mechanism  110  also allows for a three hundred and sixty degree rotation of arms  120 . However, arms  120  may lock into place at a one hundred and eighty degree rotation also. Rotation of arm  120  will allow for various sides of arm  120  to be shown to onlookers as worn by the user. As represented by  FIG. 1 , one side of arm  120  is plain and the other side contains a star pattern. Various other designs, shapes, colors, words, etc. may be used to decorate arms  120 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  is a perspective side view that depicts one of the optical device  100  arms  120  after one hundred eighty degree rotation by use of the interlocking mechanism  110 . As evidenced by the illustration, arms  120  may rotate in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction relative to frame  130 .  FIG. 3  further depicts use of the interlocking mechanism  110 , where the ear section of arm  120  is being adjusted to accommodate the 180 degree rotation of the arm  120 . The arms  120  may be made of any malleable material including, but not limited to FLEXON or polycarbonate plastic that will allow for a range of motion suitable to adjust the ear portion of the arm  120  to fit the user&#39;s ear in a desired position. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  depicts the interlocking mechanism  110  in its engaged position in  FIG. 4   a  and its disengaged position in  FIG. 4   b .  FIG. 4   c  is a front view of the interlocking mechanism  110  in its engaged position. Interlocking mechanism  110  is comprised of housing  110   a , which houses rod  110   b , and spring  110   c . Interlocking mechanism  110  may connect to frame  130  via any removable or non-removable means such as hinges, screws, slots or any other means which will prevent interlocking mechanism  110  from rotating during the rotation of arms  120 . In the engaged position, as represented by  FIG. 4   a , spring  110   c  is in a decompressed state surrounding rod  110   b . During the decompressed state, spring  110   c  is at rest and spans the length of rod  110   b  to create friction between arms  120  and their respective interlocking mechanisms  110 . Spring  110   c  also creates friction between rod  110   b  and housing  110   a  which is locking rod  110   b  in place, thus giving rise to the engaged position. 
         [0031]    In the disengaged position, as represented by  FIG. 4   b , spring  110   c  is in a compressed state as a user pulls arm  120 . Pulling of arm  120  compresses spring  110   c  by creating force between one side of housing  110   a  and rod  110   b.  When spring  110   c  is compressed, rod  110   b  is unlocked from the opposite side of housing  110   a,  which allows the user to rotate rod  110   b  by rotating arm  120 . When the user has rotated arm  120  to its desired position, the user may stop pulling arm  120  which will cause spring  110   c  to decompress and rod  110   b  will lock back into housing  110   a.    
         [0032]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cut-away side view of interlocking mechanism  110  in its engaged position. Therefore, the optical device  100  arms  120  may be rotated through a full range of three hundred and sixty degree motion by pulling (disengaging) arms  120  away from interlocking mechanism  110 , rotating arms  120 , and allowing the arms  120  to reengage interlocking mechanism  110  as represented in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
         [0033]    In some embodiments, the methods may be implemented in one or more processing devices (e.g., a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for electronically processing information) to allow for digital/electronic designs or patterns to be presented on arms  120 . This may be accomplished via downloads, sensors, or sharing of patterns as discussed later. The one or more processing devices may include one or more devices executing some or all of the operations of the methods in response to instructions stored electronically on an electronic storage medium, such as memory  330  shown in  FIG. 8 . The one or more processing devices may include one or more devices configured through hardware, firmware, and/or software to be specifically designed for execution of one or more of the operations of the methods. 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is an illustrative functional block diagram of the general system operation of the optical device  100 . The components presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, the design changes may be accomplished with one or more additional components not described, and/or without one or more of the operations discussed. The optical device  100  may include several components such as a user interface  310 , processor  320 , controller  340 , such as a microcontroller, microprocessor, and/or the like, for controlling the optical device, memory  330 , a sensor  370  (for sensing light, colors, temperature, patterns, etc.), a changing material  350 , and a power source  360 . All of the aforementioned components may be housed in or one optical device  100 . As shown, the controller  340  is operably coupled to the user interface  310  for facilitating user interaction with the optical device  100 . The controller  340  is also operably coupled to the sensor  370 , changing material  350 , and power source  360  for operation in accordance with the present system. 
         [0035]    In the present example, optical device  100  may include a user interface  310  which may be housed on a suitable location of optical device  100 , for the purpose of allowing the optical device  100  to change design patterns. The user interface  310  may include, but is not limited, to a button, touch screen, the interlocking mechanism  110  mentioned earlier, etc. For example, user interface  310  may be operated by engaging and disengaging interlocking mechanism  110 . A one hundred and eighty degree rotation of arm  120  may evoke a different function from processor  320  than a three hundred sixty degree rotation of arm  120  or any other rotation pattern. 
         [0036]      FIG. 8  shows the system connection and interaction of the controller  340  and various components according to at least some embodiments of this invention, and showing the signal flows in connection with optical device  100 . Controller  340  includes processor  320  that executes instructions to carry out operations of controller  340  described herein. Those instructions can be stored as executable instructions and data in a memory  330  and/or may be hardwired logic within processor  320 . Memory  330  also stores data as further described below. Although shown as separate blocks in  FIG. 8 , processor  320  and memory  330  could be implemented as part of a single integrated circuit device. 
         [0037]    Memory  330  is operably coupled to processor  320  and is operable to store instructions and data, such as operating instructions, to be executed by the controller  340  for operation as described. The memory  330  may also be operable to store pattern and color relationship information, such as contrasting and complementary color or pattern arrangements. A manner of operating the user interface  310  may allow a user to select one or more alternate patterns that are related (e.g., analogous, complementary, etc.) to other patterns. For example, the user may interact with the user interface  310  by rotating the arms  120  via the interlocking mechanism  110 , one or more times within a period of time, to select a desired pattern. Based on this information, the changing material  350  may change design to reflect a desired pattern. 
         [0038]    Changing material  350  may include electro-chromic material, thermo-chromic material, electronic ink or LED type sources. In one embodiment, the changing material may be one or more RGB triplets of LED lights to facilitate a multiplicity of color options. The RGB triplets may be embedded in one or more portions of the frame  130  or arms  120  of optical device  100  to facilitate color/pattern change of optical device  100 . 
         [0039]    In an embodiment wherein a thermo-chromic material is used in the optical device, appropriate resistors may be incorporated therein. A resistive material may be included in frames  130  of the optical device so that current sources may be placed at several distal positions such as at the end of the arms  120  and/or at the lower corners of the front frame  130 . In this way, the current flows to a sink at the top front and in the process cause the thermo chromic material to change color/pattern. 
         [0040]    In another embodiment, the changing material may be the electro-chromic material. A thin layer of this non-conducting material may be incorporated between two conducting electrodes. By an appropriate voltage placed thereon by the controller  340 , the electro-chromic material may change color as desired to produce a specific pattern. During the intermediate-mode or the off-mode, the charge may readily be maintained on the electrodes by an open circuit condition. 
         [0041]    As explained more fully below, controller  340  is configured to control operations of optical device  100 . Controller  340  communicates instructions to changing material  350  and is configured to receive signals from user interface  310 . In a similar manner, controller  340  communicates with and/or supplies power, from the power source  360 , to changing material  350 . Power source  360  may be any internal/external battery or electrical power source as mentioned below. 
         [0042]    Power may be in the form of electrical, solar, or other types of power sources, which are apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Alternate embodiments may include a power source of a different technology, known now or in the future. In response to control signals and/or power from controller  340 , the changing material  350  changes color or design pattern. So as to avoid unnecessary drawing detail, certain conventional components have been omitted from  FIG. 8 . For example, connections to an external power supply (e.g., to a source of 120V AC power) and components for distributing electrical power to controller  340  and other components of optical device  100  (e.g., AC/DC converter and power supply, distribution wiring, etc.) are not shown. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , an illustrative functional block diagram of the present system is shown including a sensor. The sensor(s)  370  may include the ability to sense light, colors, temperature, patterns or a combination of the previous. Various other sensors  370 , now known or later developed, may be used to provide a signal to controller  340  to effectual a change in the changing material  350  of optical device  100  in conjunction with the user interface  310 . Numerous commercially developed types of sensors  370  and associated electronics are known in the art and thus not further described here. Sensor  370  may be a temperature sensor located on one of the optical device  100  arms  120  so that it is in close proximity to the user&#39;s head while the optical device  100  is being worn. A temperature sensor  370  may be used to help determine the design pattern associated with optical device  100 . For instance, a user&#39;s elevated body temperature may be sent from sensor  370  to controller  340 . If the user has associated a threshold temperature with a particular design stored in memory  330 , then changing material  350  will take on the stored design as sent from the processor  320 . 
         [0044]    In an alternate embodiment using sensor  370 , where sensor  370  detects patterns, changing material  350  may change based on the type of pattern it senses. For example, sensor  370  may detect a polka dot pattern on a separate article. This detection may be sent from sensor  370  to controller  340 . The polka dot pattern would then be stored in memory  330 , then changing material  350  will take on the stored polka dot pattern sent from the processor  320  when the user has indicated such via the user interface  310 . In the same or a further embodiment, a user may desire other patterns be exhibited by the pattern changing material  350  that complement a color or pattern of an object of personal use. For example, a plaid optical device may complement a single color pattern; or a red patterned optical device may complement a black dress and so on. 
         [0045]    In yet another embodiment a sensor  370  which detects various types of light (ie: infrared, direct sun-light, ambient, etc.) or illumination levels within an environment may communicate with the controller  340  to manage further pattern change, power consumption, or memory operations. 
         [0046]      FIG. 10  is an illustrative diagram showing bi-direction communication between the optical device  100  and a third-party device  200 . The third-party device  200  may be another optical device  100 , personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile device, or the like. Optical device  100  may take on the electronic skin or design of third-party device  200  via a communication means such as: Bluetooth, RFID, zigby, Wi-Fi, near-field communication (NFC), etc. For example, NFC technology may allow an optical device  100 , placed in close proximity to the third-party device  200 , to communicate wirelessly with the third-party device  200  when the third-party device  200  also has a wireless means of communication. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 10 , wireless radio  380  is in communication with third-party device  200 , according to the invention. The wireless radio  380  transfers and receives instruction, commands and data from third-party device  200  for use by processor  320 . For example, a user of optical device  100  may want to acquire the skin or design of a third-party device  200 . The processor  320  may initiate operations input by the user at user interface  310  to connect to the third-party device  200  and retrieve and the skin or design to be stored in memory  330 . From there, the user may invoke processor  320  to call the design from memory  330  and display the design via changing material  350 . 
         [0048]    In one embodiment, NFC technology may be used to facilitate contact free communication between multiple optical devices or other objects equipped with NFC technology via a transceivers and receivers. The information/data transferred via NFC may contain details relating to pattern selection, pattern storage, operating status, etc. Information/data communicated via NFC, may then be stored in memory  330  or to be communicated to the controller  340  to effectuate a change in the material  350 . Furthermore, optical device  100  may be sent an electronic skin or design wirelessly via bi-directional communication, by a third-party device  200  regardless of proximity to said third-party device  200 . This may be accomplished via the internet or any server client architecture. 
         [0049]    What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many further combinations and permutations of such matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.