Patent Description:
The aim of producing smart glasses has been going on for some years but there has always been a lot of problems arising, such as how to provide a connection between frame and temples and how to fit different parts in to something that would work as a pair of smart glasses.

So far there has not been a solution how to provide a possibility to make a pair of glasses into smart glasses with a method making it possible for general producers of glasses to produce smart glasses.

Smart glasses comprising a single unit are known from <CIT>.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a possibility to do so.

A first problem was to understand the requirements and limitations of general producers of glasses.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a single unit in one piece is provided. The single unit comprises components for making up smart glasses and is to be positioned in a pair of glasses. The single unit comprises at least one central processing unit (cpu), at least one sensor and at least one battery provided on a printed circuit board (pcb). The single unit reaches, when positioned in a pair of glasses, at least from a first temple via a frame at least past a first lens positioned closest to the first temple in the frame up to a second lens positioned closest to a second temple, and preferably past also said second lens, and preferably further into said second temple.

The single unit comprises at least one hinge, which, when positioned in a pair of glasses, will provide at least a hinge between the first temple and the frame, and the single unit is in one piece.

The advantage is that all the components needed for making up a pair of smart glasses are provided in a single unit, in one piece. This simplifies the production of smart glasses significantly. By means of this hinge the pair of glasses will be possible to have in a use position when the temples are directed transversally to the frame and in a store position where the temples will be directed more or less parallel to the frame. In case the single unit reaches between the first temple via the frame to the second temple two hinges are provided between respective temple and the frame. Preferably, the hinges are of the type previously shown in <CIT> by the same proprietor, which minimises any mechanical wear of any connecting portions, for example electrical or optical cables.

The printed circuit board, pcb, is in one piece.

According to an embodiment at least one encapsulated electronic part is to be positioned in at least one of the temples, wherein said at least one encapsulated electronic part is water and dust proof. In general production of glasses, the production site is not very clean and further when the smart glasses are to be used it is also an advantage to have the electronical components encapsulated.

According to an embodiment the single unit is positionable in a frame and at least one of the temples, making up smart glasses.

According to an embodiment the single unit is provided in a pair of glasses by moulding, injection moulding, or provided in at least one recess in the frame and in at least one of the temples.

According to an embodiment the single unit is provided with at least an elastic lip or cover which will fit in a form fitting provided in said recesses of the pair of glasses. Other ways of attaching the single unit in the recesses are, for example, heating the material around the recesses, using adhesive, form fitting, riveting or screwing, or a mix of technics.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a method of making a pair of smart acetate glasses comprising a single unit in one piece is provided. Recesses are made in the frame and in at least one temple corresponding to the size of the single unit. Thereafter the single unit is placed in the corresponding recesses and being attached. By means of this method it is possible to produce glasses of any design and making them into smart glasses in a simple and effective way, which would not interfere with the overall design of the glasses. It will provide the designer of the glasses with designer freedom. For example, the attachment can be provided by means of melting the acetate in order to attach the single unit comprising electronics. Other ways of attaching the single unit in the recesses are, for example, using adhesive, riveting or screwing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention a pair of smart glasses comprising a single unit in one piece according to any one of the preceding embodiments.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention a method of exchanging electronics in a single unit comprising electronics provided in a pair of glasses is provided. A hard shell having form fitting keeps an inner portion comprising the electronics embedded in elastic material in place in the hard shell, and the hard shell is provided in a pair of glasses at the same time as the electronics in the single unit may be taken out and be replaced.

The present invention will now be described in detail under referral to the enclosed drawings, in which:.

In <FIG> an embodiment of a single unit in one piece comprising electronics <NUM> according to the present invention is shown. The single unit <NUM> is in one piece. The single unit <NUM> comprises components for making up smart glasses and is to be positioned in a pair of glasses <NUM>, see <FIG>. The single unit <NUM> comprises at least one central processing unit (cpu), at least one sensor and at least one battery provided on a printed circuit board (pcb). Preferably, more sensors, a possible charging socket, such as a micro usb contact, possibly a switch and so on, may be provided in the single unit <NUM>.

The single unit <NUM> in <FIG> has a first end <NUM> and a portion <NUM>, which preferably is an encapsulated portion <NUM> comprising electronical components. Said encapsulated electronic portion is water and dust proof. Further the single unit <NUM> has a bridge portion <NUM>, preferably more or less directed transversally from the first portion <NUM>. The single unit <NUM> comprises a hinge <NUM>, which is provided between the first portion <NUM>, in the shown case the encapsulated electronics portion <NUM>, and the bridge portion <NUM> of the single unit <NUM>.

When positioned in a pair of glasses <NUM>, the single unit <NUM> reaches with its first end <NUM> and first portion <NUM>, at least from a first temple <NUM> up to a frame <NUM>, where the bridge portion <NUM> reaches past a first lens <NUM> positioned closest to the first temple <NUM> in the frame <NUM> at least up to a second lens <NUM>, positioned closest to a second temple <NUM>, with a second end <NUM> of the unit <NUM>, cf <FIG>.

In the shown embodiment of <FIG> the pcb <NUM> is made in one piece reaching through also the hinge <NUM>. Preferably the hinge <NUM> is of the type shown in <CIT> by the same proprietor, which minimises any mechanical wear of any connecting portion, for example the pcb, electrical or optical cables. The hinge <NUM> may have two axis connections, a first axis connection 20a positioned closest to the frame <NUM> and a second axis connection 20b positioned closest to the temple <NUM>, and therebetween at least one central part <NUM> is arranged to let the at least one cable, pcb <NUM> or wire follow a thought neutral bending plane through the hinge <NUM>, see <FIG>.

In <FIG> a further embodiment of the single unit <NUM> according to the present invention is shown. Also, this single unit <NUM> is in one piece and comprises components for making up smart glasses and is to be positioned in a pair of glasses <NUM>, see <FIG>.

The single unit <NUM> in <FIG> has a first end <NUM> and a portion <NUM>, which preferably is an encapsulated portion <NUM> comprising electronical components. Said encapsulated electronic portion <NUM> is water and dust proof. Further the single unit <NUM> has a bridge portion <NUM>, preferably more or less directed transversally from the first portion <NUM>. A second portion <NUM>, also this portion is preferably encapsulated, is directed more or less transversally out from the bridge portion <NUM>, parallel with the first portion <NUM>.

It is preferred that the single unit <NUM> comprises a first hinge <NUM>, which is provided between the first portion <NUM> and the bridge portion <NUM> of the single unit <NUM>, and a second hinge <NUM>, which is provided between the bridge portion <NUM> and the second portion <NUM> of the single unit <NUM>.

When positioned in a pair of glasses <NUM>, the single unit <NUM> reaches with its first end <NUM> and first portion <NUM>, from the first temple <NUM> up to the frame <NUM>, where the bridge portion <NUM> reaches past the second lens <NUM>, positioned closest to the second temple <NUM>, and the second portion <NUM> reaches out into the second temple <NUM> with a second end <NUM> of the unit <NUM>, cf <FIG>.

The single unit <NUM> comprises at least one central processing unit (cpu), at least one sensor and at least one battery provided on a printed circuit board (pcb). Preferably, more sensors, a charging socket, such as a micro usb or usb C contact, possibly a switch and so on, may be provided in the single unit <NUM>. The different electronical components may be spread out in the two, first and second portions <NUM>, <NUM>, respectively.

According to one embodiment on of the portion may comprise a battery and the other may comprise most of the electronics, including the cpu. In the embodiment shown in <FIG> a micro usb contact <NUM> for the charging of the single unit <NUM> is provided in the second portion <NUM>, near the second end <NUM>. Further, a switch <NUM> is shown in the second portion <NUM>. At least one opening <NUM> may be present in the vicinity of at least one sensor arranged within the first <NUM> or second portion <NUM>.

In <FIG> the embodiment of <FIG> is shown in the opposite direction. In this view the pcb <NUM> is shown along the whole bridge portion <NUM> and also through the first hinge <NUM> between the bridge portion <NUM> and the first portion <NUM>. Obviously, it is possible to arrange the pcb in other ways, such as on the other side of the bridge portion <NUM> or therein.

Also in the shown embodiment of <FIG> the pcb <NUM> is preferably made in one piece reaching through the hinges <NUM>. Preferably the hinges <NUM> are of the type shown in <CIT> by the same proprietor, which minimises any mechanical wear of any connecting portion, for example the pcb, electrical or optical cables.

It I also conceivable to have smart glasses which is chargeable, specifically the at least one battery, by means of inductive charging where the single unit comprising electronics <NUM> also comprises at least a coil <NUM> provided around at least around one lens <NUM>. In <FIG> an embodiment is shown having a coil surrounding two lenses. This technology, which has been incorporated into the embodiment in <FIG> has been patented by the proprietor and more details can be found in <CIT>.

The coil could be provided by a wire or be a printed circuit in a structure, such as the pcb <NUM> shown in <FIG>. If the wire is round profile steel or copper wire it will form a substantial structural stability element for the glasses. If the coil <NUM> is a printed circuit the pcb <NUM> may have portions encircling at least one lens <NUM>. Preferably printed circuit is multilayer circuit. Depending on which type of substrate the printed circuit is printed on, it can be flexible or stiff. In <FIG> a single unit comprising electronics <NUM> is positioned in a pair of glasses <NUM>. The single unit <NUM> can be provided in the glasses <NUM> by moulding or injection moulding by placing the single unit <NUM> in a mould before adding the polymer. According to another embodiment the frame <NUM> at least partly and, in this embodiment, both of the temples <NUM>, <NUM> are provided with recesses, which preferably correspond more or less to the size of the single unit <NUM>, so that the single unit <NUM> can be positioned in the recesses.

The single unit <NUM> may be attached in the pair of glasses by means of heating the material around the recesses so that the material fuses around the single unit, using adhesive, form fitting, riveting or screwing, or it is also possible to use one or more of the exemplified technics.

An embodiment of the single unit comprising electronics <NUM> is shown in a cross sectional view of the portion <NUM> to be positioned in a temple, see <FIG>. A hard cover <NUM> comprises a form fitting <NUM>, and an elastic cover or embedding <NUM> comprising the electronics, such as the pcb <NUM> will fit in inside the form fitting <NUM>, for example an undercut shape. Thus, the embedded electronics of the single unit <NUM> will stay put in the recess but will also be possible to take out, for example if updated electronics is available, and a wearer would like to keep the pair of glasses but have the updated single unit <NUM> it will possible to exchange the electronics of the single units <NUM>. Thus, the single unit <NUM> comprising the electronics embedded in elastic material kept inside the hard shell <NUM> of the single unit will be provided and sold in one piece to eye glasses manufacturers but with the advantage of an easy exchange in case an update of the electronics would be desirable.

As been described above many ways of incorporating the single unit <NUM> is possible. It is also conceivable to use different techniques for different parts, if for example the temples are of acetate and the frame of metal. In such a case it could be possible to make recesses in the temples for the first <NUM> and second portion <NUM> and then attach the bridge portion to the frame by means of screwing or gluing.

Claim 1:
A single unit in one piece (<NUM>) comprising components for making up smart glasses (<NUM>), to be positioned in a pair of glasses (<NUM>), the single unit (<NUM>) in one piece comprises at least one central processing unit (cpu), at least one sensor and at least one battery provided on a printed circuit board (pcb) (<NUM>), the single unit and the pcb reach at least from a first temple (<NUM>) via a frame (<NUM>) at least past a first lens (<NUM>) positioned closest to the first temple in the frame up to a second lens (<NUM>) positioned closest to a second temple (<NUM>), and preferably past also said second lens, and preferably further into said second temple, wherein the single unit in one piece comprises at least one hinge (<NUM>), which, when positioned in a pair of glasses, will provide at least a hinge between the first temple and the frame, characterised in that the pcb is in one piece and the single unit (<NUM>) has a hard shell (<NUM>), which is attachable in the glasses (<NUM>), in which electronic components are embedded in elastic material (<NUM>) and exchangeably kept in place in the hard shell (<NUM>) by means of form fittings (<NUM>).