The field of wearable technology became somewhat “sexy” with the much-anticipated release of Google Glass, a lightweight pair of glasses that incorporates computer elements, sensors and other components, all for $1,500. One goal of this system is to allow media capture of images, video and sound that replicate the Glass wearer’s point of view.
In February 2012, Google filed a patent application to protect a system of capturing pictures through a wearable device by analyzing a user’s gaze. A user looks through the viewfinder, which can detect the field of vision of a user based on the direction of that user’s gaze. This gaze information can be processed to determine the exact field of view for a user, and this data can be used to adjust the image being captured by the device. This patent application, U.S. Patent Application No. 20130222638, just recently received a non-final Office Action on August 12, 2014.
As Claim 1 of the ‘638 patent application explains, at the time of filing, Google sought rights to:
“An apparatus comprising: a viewfinder providing a field of view; an image capturing device; a gaze acquisition system configured to acquire a gaze direction; and a controller configured to: (1) determine whether the acquired gaze direction indicates a gaze through the viewfinder; (2) generate an image capture instruction based, at least in part, on a determination that the acquired gaze direction indicates a gaze through the viewfinder, and (3) cause the image capturing device to capture an image in accordance with the image capture instruction, wherein the captured image includes at least a portion of the field of view provided by the view finder.”
Over on IPWatchdog.com, where we frequently profile innovative companies by taking a look at their recently published patent applications and recently issued patents, we found another interesting wearable technology for quite a different purpose. On Tuesday, August 12, 2014, we published an article about Seiko Epson’s recent patents, which were, as you might expect, heavy on printers and printing technologies, but also heavy with robotics.
One of the patents profiled was a certain wearable tech in U.S. Patent Application No. 20140211289, which is titled Head-Mounted Image Display Apparatus. Figure 2 from this patent application is shown to the left. If a patent is issued, it would protect an apparatus with a laser light source and a splitter for cutting the laser into two beams of differing optical intensity. This improved configuration allows for a more efficient use of lighting sources utilized within head-mounted image display apparati.
The image display apparatus described in the ‘289 application is mounted on the head of a viewer. The image display apparatus includes a base portion as a support having a shape similar to the frame of glasses. The base portion includes sidepieces and a frame. A cable is connected to one of the sidepieces, and a display control unit is connected to the cable. The cable has an electric wiring line and an optical fiber built therein. The display control unit is connected to a video recording/reproducing apparatus via a cable.
Epson is seeking rights to the following claim in the ‘289 patent application:
“A head-mounted image display apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a light source that emits laser light; a splitter that splits the laser light into first laser light and second laser light, the second laser light having a different optical intensity than the first laser light; an image drawing section that performs image drawing with the first laser light; and a notification section that receives the second laser light and thereupon emits a notification that the image drawing section is performing the image drawing.”
Unlike Google Glass, where the goal of THE device is to capture images seen by the wearer, this Epson technology seems to be delivering images and video to the wearer. The patent application explains:
“The scanning optical output sections 9 and the image drawing notification sections 12 are connected to the optical fiber 15 and receives laser light 16 from the display control unit 6. The scanning optical output sections 9 continuously deflect the laser light 16 in upward, downward, rightward, and leftward directions and output the resultant light toward the half-silvered mirrors 10. The outputted laser light is reflected off the half-silvered mirrors 10 and travels toward the eyes 2c of the viewer 2. The viewer 2 observes a virtual image formed by the image display apparatus 1.”
A speaker is also incorporated between the head and each of the sidepieces.
Tags: Google, Google Glasses, patent, patents, Seiko Epson, Seiko Epson patents, wearable technology
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