FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to new and improved eyewear in the form of or smartglasses.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Smartglasses are wearable computer glasses that superimpose information onto a wearer’s field of view by changing their optical properties at runtime through various means such as optical head-mounted display (OHMD), embedded wireless glasses with transparent heads-up display (HUD), or augmented reality (AR) overlay that has the capability of reflecting projected digital images as well as allowing the user to see through it. Smartglasses can serve as front end displays for remote systems, but can also include their own processing capability and serve as wearable computers.

Electronic simulation of face-to-face communication, where the participants in the conversations are far apart, has become reasonably commonplace, initially using video- conferencing and progressing to two-way video and audio communication via handheld devices such as mobile phones. Currently, the most convenient means for simulated face-to-face communication, is the use of mobile phones, which each participant in the conversation holds up in front of his or her face, typically at arm’s length. Each such mobile phone has a camera directed to the user, which records a video of the user’s face in real time and transmits it to be displayed on the screen of the other user. This form of communication can typically only be achieved safely, if each participant stands still, because the wearer’s vision is focussed on the screen. Further, this form of communication requires that each participant keeps an arm stretched out to hold the camera - which can be tiring and can cause a nuisance, e.g. in a crown of moving people.

The present invention seeks to provide smartglasses that allow for convenient simulation of face-to-face communication, without the disadvantages mentioned above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided an item of eyewear comprising: a frame that is configured to engage the head of a person wearing the item of eyewear, at least a part of said frame being disposed in the proximity of at least one eye of the wearer, when the item of eyewear is worn;

at least one screen that is supported by the frame, said screen being configured to extend in a field of vision of at least one eye of the wearer, when the item of eyewear is worn;

at least one camera; and

a camera support element that is supported by the frame and that supports the camera, said camera support element being configured to protrude from the frame, at least selectively, and when the item of eyewear is worn and the camera support element protrudes from the frame, said camera support element supports the camera at a recording position that is spaced from the face of the wearer, with said camera being directed to the wearer’s face and being spaced a sufficient distance from the wearer’s face for the camera to capture a visual recording of the wearer’s face.

The camera support element may be displaceable between a retracted position, and a deployed position in which it extends from the frame and supports the camera at the recording position.

The item of eyewear may include a transmitter and the camera may be connectable to the transmitter to emit visual recordings captured by the camera, as a signal. The item of eyewear may include electronic circuitry which may include a processor and may be configured such that the visual recordings captured by the camera are communicated to the electronic circuitry, before being transmitted. Instead, or in addition, the transmitter may be configured to transmit visual recordings captured by the camera, directly to another device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a three-dimensional diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of an item of eyewear according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawing, an item of eyewear according to the present invention, is generally identified by reference number 1 0 and for the sake of brevity, the item of eyewear is referred to as“smartglasses”.

The smartglasses 10 include a frame 12 that can have various shapes and configurations to allow it to engage the head of a wearer, e.g. by extending completely or partly around the wearer’s head, by curving around the wearer’s ears (at least in part), by resting on a bridge of the wearer’s nose, or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 12 is curved to extend partly around a wearer’s head and it includes temple tips 14 that can curve downward behind the wearer’s ears, and nose pads 16 that can rest on the bridge of the wearer’s nose, when the smartglasses are worn. When the smartglasses 10 are worn, the frame 12 extends across the wearer’s face in the regions of the eyebrows - and thus in the proximity of each of the wearer’s eyes.

The frame 12 can be of a unitary construction, but it can be flexible and it also be hinged, to allow it to fit comfortably on the wearer’s head and/or to be folded conveniently. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 12 can pivot at two hinges 17, each disposed in a temple region.

The invention is not limited to frames of this configuration or even to other configurations that are common for spectacles. The frame could be a headband, helmet or any other type of headwear, as long as it engages the head of the wearer and can stay in position while being worn on the wearer’s head. Referring to the drawing, features shown on the left and right sides of the smartglasses 10, respectively, can be swapped around separately or together and/or can be duplicated on both sides of the smartglasses. The distinction between features on the left and right sides of the smartglasses 10, is largely for the sake of convenient explanation.

On the right side of the smartglasses 10, a screen 18 is supported from the frame 12 at a position that extends partly into the field of view of the wearer’s right eye. The screen 18 can have various configurations that are currently used in smartglasses, e.g. it can use a prism overlay. In some embodiments, the screen may be opaque, but it is preferable transparent and an image is projected onto the screen. In other embodiments of the invention, instead of a prism overlay or other screen the smartglasses can make use of retinal projection laser, which can emit an image onto a lens, which directs the image directly into the wearer’s eye.

Further to the screen 18, the smartglasses 10 includes various features on the right side, that form part of currently commercially available smartglasses, such as a battery 20 (that forms part of the right temple tip 14 in the illustrated embodiment), a housing 22 for electronics such as a processor and wireless receiver and transmitter, a socket 24 for earphones, a microphone a forward-facing camera 28, and the like. If a smaller battery would suffice to power the smartglasses 10 (e.g. if the smartglasses’ electronics are highly efficient and/or new battery technology is developed), it would be ergonomically preferable if the battery can be housed in the housing 22. The camera 28 is preferably selectively closable with a shutter - partly to protect the lens of the camera, but also to provide comfort and privacy to persons in proximity of the wearer.

The microphone could be built into the frame 12 or housing 22, but in a preferred embodiment, a microphone 26 is disposed at the remote tip of an arm 27, which allows it to be positioned conveniently to record the wearer’s speech. The arm 27 is preferably pliable to allow it to be adjusted and is attached to the housing by an electrical connector, so that it can be removed, if desired - allowing the wearer to rely on a conventional built-in microphone.

These features can vary and they are not all essential, apart from the screen 18. By way of example: the smartglasses 10 may include a processor (CPU) in the housing 22, or it could simply receive signals, e.g. by wireless communication, and display an image on the screen 18 according to the signals. The smartglasses 10 may be configured to communicate wirelessly with earphones or by way of a bone conduction speaker.

The features on the left side of the smartglasses 10 include a second camera 30, which faces rearward (more about this below) and is also preferably equipped with a selectively closable shutter. The rearward camera 30 is supported at a remote end of a camera support element in the form of a beam 32, which protrudes from the frame 12 in a forward direction, in relation to the wearer’s face.

The beam 32 is preferably displaceable between a retracted position, in which it does not protrude significantly or excessively (or at all) from the frame 12, and a deployed or recording position in which the beam protrudes substantially from the frame, in the forward direction. When the beam 32 is in its deployed position, the camera 30 is in a recording position in which it is spaced from the wearer’s face, but it is directed to the wearer’s face and can capture visual recordings of the wearer’s face - i.e. it can optically capture an image of the wearer’s face, or preferably, a rapid sequence of images, i.e. video.

The distance by which the camera 30 protrudes forward when in its recording position, may vary between different embodiments of the invention. For purposes of keeping the smartglasses 10 compact, it is preferable that the beam 32 should be short and the camera 30 should be close to the wearer’s face, but for purposes of capturing the best visual recordings of the wearer’s face, it is preferable that the camera should be far from the face. Some advantage may be achieved by editing the visual recordings of the face, to compensate for distortion that may occur from the camera being positioned relatively close to the face. The actuation of the beam 32 to move between its retracted and deployed positions, could take various forms, e.g. the beam could pivot relative to the frame 12, could extend telescopically, could be driven electromechanically, electromagnetically, pneumatically, or the like. The possibilities are almost endless, but whatever mechanism is used, it should preferably be compact and light and operate with minimal (or no significant) noise.

The embodiment of the beam 32 shown in the drawing, is configured to slide relative to the frame 12 in a left temple region of the frame and the beam is configured to slide in a direction that is generally parallel to the frame in this region. The movement of the beam 32 can be driven by an internal rack-and-pinion or worm gear, or similar mechanical mechanism with an internal electric motor that is configured to perform a soft start and stop movement. The motor and the mechanical mechanism can be housed inside a casing 34, and the motor can be actuated by an open/close switch 36 and can receive electrical power from the battery 20, via electrical conductors that extend internally along the frame 12. In the drawing, only a single open/close switch 36 is shown, but there could instead be separate switches for deploying and retracting the beam. Instead, the beam 32 can be biased by an internal spring, or the like, to protrude forward from the frame 12 in its deployed position and can be configured to be pressed into the frame, by hand, against the bias, to lock it in its retracted position. The beam can then be deployed, on demand, by pressing the open/close switch 36, which releases the lock and allows the bias (spring) to urge the beam forward to its deployed position.

The smartglasses 10 preferably include a receiver for signals and in the illustrated embodiment, an external infrared receiver 38 is shown, although it is preferable that the smartglasses also include a convenient form of RF receiver, e.g. a Bluetooth or Wi/Fi receiver.

A light source such as an LED light 40 is supported on the beam 32 and is directed to illuminate the wearer’s face. The light 40 is actuated by an on/off switch 42. In use, the smartglasses 10 can be used to simulate face-to-face communication between the wearer and a second person (who may also wear similar smartglasses). This is achieved by deploying the beam 32 to support the camera 30 in its recording position, as described above and then capturing visual recordings (preferably video) of the wearer’s face, with the camera. The camera 30 emits the visual recordings as a camera signal, which could be transmitted to an external device such as a mobile phone, which could then transmit the camera signal to a communications network. Instead, or in addition, the signal emitted by the camera 30 could be transmitted to a processor or transmitter within the smartglasses 10 - which in turn transmits the camera signal to an external device or directly to a communications network. In any event, the camera signal is transmitted via the communications network to the second person where it is displayed to the second person on a screen, in real time

At the same time, the wearer’s voice is recorded in the microphone 26 and is transmitted to the second person, where it is played back to the second person.

Visual recordings (preferably video) of the second person’s face are also captured and voice recordings of the second person’s voice are also recorded and transmitted to the smartglasses 10, where the visual recordings are played back on the screen 18 in real time, while the audio is played back in real time on speakers or earphones that are in communication with the smartglasses.

The wearer of the smartglasses 10 and the second person thus each experiences audio of each other’s voice and visual recordings (preferably video) of each other’s face in real time, without the need to carry any device, other than wearing the smartglasses. The invention thus frees up their hands and allows them complete freedom of movement, without the inconveniences of the prior art means for simulated face-to-face communication.

In some embodiments of the invention, receiver 38 can be configured to receive signals from a remote device, e.g. an infrared remote control device, a mobile device such as a mobile phone that communicates by Bluetooth or NFC or other communication protocol, or the like. Such external devices can be operated to control operation of the smartglasses 10, e.g. by emitting operating signals that are received in the receiver 38 and actuate the smartglasses 10 to move the beam 32 between its retracted and deployed positions. The function of the open/close switch 36 can thus be performed by a remote device that transmits a signal to the receiver 38. Similarly, or additionally, a remote device can be used to switch the LED 40 on and off.

The operation of controls of the smartglasses 10 is not limited to manual operation (e.g. operation of switches 36,42) or to operation by remote devices, but could include any other types of input, including, but not limited to voice commands, tactile controls, gestures, or the like.