Near-field antennas for eyeglasses

Abstract

Apparatus and systems for wearable devices such as eyeglasses are described. According to one embodiment, the wearable device includes a frame, onboard electronic components, and an antenna disposed about an eyepiece region of the frame, the frame being configured to hold an optical element. The antenna is configured for inductive coupling. In some embodiments, a switch coupled to the antenna allows selection between circuitry for inductive charging of a battery and near field communication (NFC) circuitry for transmitting data via the antenna.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application “Near-field antenna for glasses” with application number 201880048502.8 (filing date July 31, 2018).

[0002] Priority claim

[0003] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 664,485, filed on July 31, 2017, the benefit of each and every priority claim of which is hereby claimed, and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to eyewear, and more particularly to electronics-enabled eyewear having near field communication or inductive battery charging components. Background Art

[0005] Glasses, especially those with onboard electronics, can be bulky and difficult to wear and charge, with significant size and weight tradeoffs in communications, battery, and charging systems. These and other factors often make electronic glasses cumbersome and less than ideal to wear or transport. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0007] Figure 1A Glasses with electronic devices are shown according to some embodiments described herein.

[0008] Figure 1B Aspects of glasses with electronic devices and near-field antennas are shown according to some embodiments described herein.

[0009] Figure 1C Aspects of glasses with electronic devices and near-field antennas are shown according to some embodiments described herein.

[0010] Figure 1D Aspects of glasses with electronic devices and near-field antennas are shown according to some embodiments described herein.

[0011] Figure 2 Aspects of glasses with electronic devices and a wireless module with a near-field antenna are shown according to some embodiments described herein.

[0012] Figure 3Ais a front perspective view of a system including glasses and a case, which is the portion of the system for near field communication or wireless inductive charging, according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 3B Aspects of a system including glasses and a glasses case, the glasses case being the portion of the system for near field communication, are shown according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 3C Aspects of a system including glasses and a glasses case, which is the portion of the system used for inductive charging, are shown according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 4A is a top view of a right temple and half of an eyeglass frame and a hinge joint for electrically coupling the frame and the temple according to some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 4B is a top view of a right temple and half of an eyeglass frame and a hinge joint for electrically coupling the frame and the temple according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a software architecture that may be installed on a machine according to some example embodiments.

[0018] Figure 6 A diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions may be executed, causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, is shown according to some example embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to eyeglasses, and more particularly to electronic eyeglasses having near field communication or inductive battery charging components.

[0020] One aspect of the present disclosure is an eyewear product with an onboard electronic device, which is configured with an antenna for near field communication (NFC) and / or wireless inductive charging. In addition to the NFC and / or wireless charging circuit using the near field antenna, such glasses may also include one or more cameras, indicator lights, memory, control circuits, battery elements, and wireless communication circuits. In order to effectively utilize the available space inside or on the surface of the glasses, the near field antenna is located around the lens area of ​​the frame. Due to the ring structure of the near field antenna, placing the antenna coil of the near field antenna around the eyepiece structure of the lens or eyeglass frame effectively utilizes the available space. In addition, placing the antenna on or near the surface of the glasses around the lens area allows the antenna to be placed in a position where there is no circuit or other material to block the radiation of the antenna. In addition, although various embodiments include antennas for near NFC and wireless charging, the same antenna structure can be used for RF communication, such as wireless network communication (WiFi or WLAN) or global positioning system (GPS) communication.

[0021] The switching circuitry present in some embodiments enables different circuits for NFC and wireless inductive charging to couple to the near-field antenna around the lens area. In some such embodiments, the switching circuitry is part of a hinge structure connecting the temple of the eyeglasses to the eyeglass frame, which includes the lens area and the surrounding near-field antenna.

[0022] In some embodiments, the glasses may include near-field antenna structures around one or both lens areas in the frame, and circuitry for various functions of the glasses may be embedded in the frame or in either temple of the glasses. Such additional functions may include any combination of the following: image acquisition, display presentation via a screen or display integrated with the glasses, wireless communication via wireless LAN or Bluetooth™ communication, NFC communication, wireless inductive battery charging, or any other such functions described herein.

[0023] In some embodiments, NFC communication and wireless charging are specifically designed as part of a system that includes a glasses case with a matching near-field antenna. In various embodiments, by matching the position of the near-field antenna in the glasses with the position of the corresponding near-field antenna in the glasses case, the glasses case is configured to position the glasses to enable NFC data transfer or wireless charging when the glasses are in the glasses case.

[0024] Figure 1A 2 shows glasses with electronic devices according to some embodiments described herein. The figure includes a front perspective view of glasses 31, which includes various electronic circuit elements according to this example embodiment. In addition, at least one area around one of the eyepiece areas in glasses 31 is used for a near-field antenna. Figure 1AIn the embodiment of the present invention, the first area 29 around the lens area 43 is used for a near-field antenna. In various embodiments, the near-field antenna in the first area 29 can be an antenna on the surface of the glasses 31, or can be embedded in the frame 32 of the glasses 31. In other embodiments, the antenna can be set around another lens area 44 (for example, around the left eye opening instead of the right eye opening), or in some embodiments, the glasses 31 can include antenna elements around two lens areas 43 and 44 (for example, both the left eye opening and the right eye opening). In some embodiments, instead of separate lens areas for the left and right eyes, there is a single lens area or a visor area. In such an embodiment, the near-field antenna can surround a single lens or visor area. In various embodiments, the antenna in the first area 29 can be used for NFC communication or for transmitting image data from a camera 69 included in the glasses 31. In other embodiments, the near-field antenna in the first area 29 can be used to receive charge from a charge source by inductive wireless charging. In some embodiments, both NFC communication and wireless inductive charging are supported. Other aspects of the wireless antenna and various communication and wireless charging elements are described below.

[0025] The glasses 31 may include a frame 32 made of any suitable material such as plastic or metal (including memory alloys of any suitable shape). The frame 32 may have a front piece 33, which may include a first or left lens, a display, or an optical element holder 36 connected by a bridge 38, and a second or right lens, a display, or an optical element holder 37. The front piece 33 also includes a left end 41 and a right end 42. The first or left optical element in the lens area 43 and the second or right optical element in the lens area 44 may be disposed in the corresponding left and right optical element holders 36, 37. Each optical element in the lens area 43, 44 may be a lens, a display, a display assembly, or a combination of the foregoing. As described above, a component molded to include an antenna inside, or any other such structure for arranging a near-field antenna around the lens area, may be used, and the near-field antenna may be placed on the surface of any such element or in the frame 32. In some embodiments, for example, the glasses 31 are provided with an integrated near-eye display mechanism that enables, for example, a preview image of visual media captured by the camera 69 of the glasses 31 to be displayed to the user.

[0026] The frame 32 also includes a left arm or temple piece 46, and a second arm or temple piece 47, which are coupled to the respective left and right ends 41, 42 of the front piece 33 by any suitable component such as a hinge (not shown) so as to be coupled to the front piece 33, or are rigidly or fixably fixed to the front piece 33 so as to be integral with the front piece 33. Each of the temple pieces 46 and 47 may include a first portion 51 coupled to the respective end 41 or 42 of the front piece 33 and any suitable second portion 52 for coupling to the ear of the user, such as an inverted arc or bow-shaped piece. In one embodiment, the front piece 33 may be formed from a single piece of material so as to have a unitary or integral structure. In one embodiment, such as in Figure 1A As shown in , the entire frame 32 can be formed from a single piece of material, thereby having a unitary or unitary structure.

[0027] Eyeglasses 31 may include a computing device such as electronic assembly 61, which may be of any suitable type to be carried by frame 32 and, in one embodiment, is of a suitable size and shape to be at least partially disposed in one of temple pieces 46 and 47. In one embodiment, as Figure 1A As shown, the size and shape of the electronic assembly 61 is similar to the size and shape of one of the temple pieces 46, 47, and therefore is almost entirely (if not entirely) disposed within the structure and confines of such temple pieces 46 and 47. In one embodiment, the electronic assembly 61 may be disposed in both temple pieces 46, 47. The electronic assembly 61 may include one or more processors, as well as memory, wireless communication circuitry, and a power supply. The electronic assembly 61 includes low-power circuits, high-speed circuits, and a display processor. Various other embodiments may include these elements having different configurations or integrated together in different ways. Additional details of various aspects of the electronic assembly 61 may be implemented as described with reference to the following description.

[0028] The electronic assembly 61 also includes a battery 62 or other suitable portable power source. In one embodiment, the battery 62 is disposed in one of the temple pieces 46 or 47. Figure 1A In the illustrated eyeglasses 31, the battery 62 is shown disposed in the left temple piece 46 and electrically coupled to the remainder of the electronic assembly 61 disposed in the right temple piece 47 using a connector 74. The one or more input and output devices may include a connector or port (not shown) adapted to charge the battery 62 accessible from the exterior of the frame 32, a wireless receiver, transmitter or transceiver (not shown), or a combination of these devices.

[0029] The glasses 31 include a digital camera 69. Although two cameras 69 are shown, other embodiments contemplate the use of a single or additional (i.e., more than two) cameras. For ease of description, various features related to the camera 69 will be further described with reference to only a single camera 69, but it should be understood that these features can be applied to both cameras 69 in appropriate embodiments.

[0030] In various embodiments, the glasses 31 may include any number of input sensors or peripherals in addition to the camera 69. The front piece 33 has an outward-facing, forward-facing surface, or front or outer surface 66, which faces forward or away from the user when the glasses 31 are mounted on the user's face, and an opposing inward-facing, rearward-facing surface, or rear or inner surface 67, which faces the user's face when the glasses 31 are mounted on the user's face. Such sensors may include an inward-facing video sensor or digital imaging module, such as a camera, which may be mounted on or disposed within the inner surface 67 of the front piece 33 or elsewhere on the frame 32 so as to face the user; and an outward-facing video sensor or digital imaging module, such as a camera 69, which may be mounted on or disposed within the outer surface 66 of the front piece 33 or elsewhere on the frame 32 so as to face away from the user. Such sensors, peripherals, or peripherals may additionally include biometric sensors, position sensors, accelerometers, or any other such sensors.

[0031] The glasses 31 further include an example embodiment of a camera control mechanism or user input mechanism that includes a camera control button mounted on the frame 32 for tactile or manual engagement by the user. The control button provides a dual mode or single action mechanism because the user can use it between only two states, an engaged state and a disengaged state. In this example embodiment, the control button is a button that is in the disengaged state by default and can be pressed by the user to set it to the engaged state. Upon releasing the pressed control button, it automatically returns to the disengaged state.

[0032] In other embodiments, the single action input mechanism may alternatively be provided by, for example, a touch button including a capacitive sensor mounted on the frame 32 adjacent to its surface for detecting the presence of a user's finger so that the touch sensitive button is set to an engaged state when the user touches the finger to a corresponding point on the outer surface of the frame 32. It should be understood that the above-described buttons and capacitive touch buttons are merely two examples of tactile input mechanisms for single action control of the camera 69, and other embodiments may employ different single action tactile control arrangements.

[0033] Figure 1B Aspects of glasses with electronic devices and near-field antennas are shown according to some embodiments described herein. Figure 1BOne embodiment of eyeglasses 31 is shown with antenna 5 implemented in first region 29, where antenna 5 surrounds lens region 43. Antenna 5 is shown as a circular antenna, but may be an acceptable shape for near field communication or wireless charging in various embodiments, and the figure is shown as generally presenting antenna 5 around lens region 43, but does not represent a particular electronic component layout. Antenna 5 is electrically connected to electronic components 61 via frame electrical connector 4, hinge electrical connector 3, and temple electrical connector 2. In various embodiments, these connections may include simple wires or wires attached to or embedded in various parts of eyeglasses 31. In other embodiments, these may include more complex structures, such as matching networks, control and / or frequency conversion circuits, or any other such components to enable use of antenna 5.

[0034] Figure 1C Additional aspects of glasses with electronic devices and near field antennas according to some embodiments described herein are shown. As described above, the glasses 31 include an antenna 6 within the first region 29, and various antenna designs may be used in different implementations. Figure 1B Antenna 5 shows a circular single-loop antenna. Figure 1C Antenna 6 of is shown as an antenna having a linear element connected in the form of multiple turns of a spiral. As with antenna 5, antenna 6 surrounds lens area 43 and is connected to electronic component 61 through frame electrical connector 4, hinge electrical connector 3, and temple electrical connector 2. Antenna 6 includes multiple spiral turns, including a first turn 7A and a second turn 7B. In various other embodiments, an antenna having any number of turns may be used based on the line width and shape of the conductive antenna and the available space in or on a particular surface of the frame 32 of the eyeglasses 31. By positioning different segments of antenna 6 on different layers or sides of the eyeglasses 31, antenna 6 may operate with multiple turns so that a portion of antenna 6 may be passed under another portion to connect both ends of the turn to the frame electrical connector 4.

[0035] Figure 1D Aspects of glasses with electronic components and near-field antennas are shown according to some embodiments described herein. Figure 1D 31 shows an additional embodiment with antennas for both NFC and wireless charging. Although in some embodiments (e.g. Figure 1D In the embodiment shown), NFC and wireless charging can use the same antenna, but some matching and controller circuits may be different. Figure 1D, switch 11 is used to connect different components for different operations to antenna 5, which is an antenna constructed around lens area 43 as described above. In some embodiments, electronic component 61 may include one or more processors with control circuits that electrically manage the scheduling and operation of switch 11 and separate NFC and wireless charging components. In other embodiments, inputs such as buttons or physical switches may control electrical switch 11 to determine which components are directly connected to antenna 5. In some such embodiments, different contacts are used in the hinge as part of the hinge electrical connector 3, which can be used to select between NFC matching and controller circuit 8 and wireless charging matching and controller circuit 9, such as the following reference Figure 4A and 4B Description of the connector.

[0036] For NFC operation, the NFC matching and controller circuit 8 is connected to the antenna 5 via the switch 11, while the wireless charging matching and controller circuit 9 is disconnected from the antenna 5. For wireless charging operation, the wireless charging matching and controller circuit 9 is connected to the antenna 5 via the switch 11, while the NFC matching and controller circuit 8 is disconnected from the antenna 5. Because the frequency and power requirements of different NFC and wireless charging functions are different, separate matching circuits are used. In some embodiments, these operational details are defined by standards and regulations. For example, NFC technology can be based on operations defined by ISO standard 14443 to promote interoperability. In addition, data functions implemented using NFC may also use processing operations that are significantly different from wireless charging functions. For example, payments using NFC technology can use dedicated controller circuits to implement secure payment details, such as Apple Pay. TM and Android Pay TM These and other technologies supported within the controller circuitry attached to the antenna enable the use of a corresponding payment terminal in conjunction with an implementation of the glasses 31 that includes support for NFC payments.

[0037] Although Figure 1D While some embodiments use switch 11 to isolate antenna 5 from different circuits that use antenna 5 to perform different operations, in other embodiments, separate antennas and circuits may be provided for each function. For example, in an alternative embodiment, one lens area may be surrounded by a first antenna connected to NFC matching and controller circuit 8, while a second lens area may be surrounded by a second antenna that is separately connected to wireless charging matching and controller circuit 9.

[0038] Additionally, while specific antenna structures are described above and throughout the specification, additional structures configured to implement the functionality described herein may also be used. In addition to operating for NFC and wireless charging, some such antenna structures compatible with the glasses described herein may be used for higher frequency or radio frequency (RF) communications, such as WiFi or GPS communications. Some such devices may include a diplexer or other such multiplexer to electrically separate the various communication systems and enable the antenna to be used for multiple different communication operations including NFC and RF communications.

[0039] Figure 2 Aspects of glasses with electronic devices and a wireless module with a near-field antenna are shown according to some embodiments described herein.

[0040] Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of eyeglasses 110 that incorporates aspects of the eyeglasses previously discussed, but may be different therefrom. In some embodiments, eyeglasses 110 may be an embodiment of eyeglasses 31. Eyeglasses 110 may be configured to electrically couple in a first position and a second position upon adjustment of a hinge connecting the temples to the frame. Eyeglasses 110 may be constructed in a manner similar to the eyeglasses previously discussed, and may therefore include two temples (in Figure 2 Only one temple 114) and the frame 112 are shown. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the glasses 110 include smart glasses carrying an electronic device 150. The electronic device 150 includes a plurality of elements, including at least a battery 128 and a wireless module 164, the wireless module 164 including a near field antenna (such as antenna 5 or antenna 6 described above), and any matching and controller circuits (e.g., NFC matching and controller circuit 8) for supported wireless operations. The computer 152 includes one or more processors that manage the wireless operation of the glasses 110 as well as other functions, such as image acquisition using the camera / microphone 160, or other functions. In various other embodiments, different combinations of operations involving different output elements, sensor elements, and any other such elements may be presented and controlled by one or more processors of the computer 152.

[0041] The frame 112 and the temple 114 may be provided with complementary connectors 120A, 120B, 122A, 122B that are configured to be electrically and physically coupled to each other as generally shown. The connectors 120A, 120B, 122A, 122B may be provided adjacent to the hinge joint assembly or may be incorporated into the hinge joint assembly. In some cases, the connectors 120A, 120B, 122A, 122B may be provided in the frame 112 and the temple 114 as previously described. Figures 1A to 1D The other parts of the discussion are located differently.

[0042] Figure 2 The smart glasses 110 may include various electronic devices 150. For example, in addition to connectors 120B and 122B, temple 114 may be configured to carry and / or house a battery 128 and circuitry 130, such as a protection circuit. Battery 128 is configured to operably store a charge. Circuitry 130 is coupled to battery 128 (and to connectors 120B and 122B) and is configured to transfer charge to and from battery 128.

[0043] The frame 112 may be configured to carry and / or house other electronic devices 150, such as a computer 152, a memory 154 (e.g., flash memory), a display 156 (e.g., LCD, LED, etc.), a sensor 158, a camera / microphone 160, an acquisition device 162 (e.g., a button), and a wireless module 164. Although not shown, the temple 114 and / or the frame 112 may carry other electronic devices 150, such as other sensors, auxiliary batteries, peripherals, or other peripheral devices in some cases.

[0044] Many, if not all, of the electronic devices 150 run software and perform other tasks that require charge from the battery 128. Thus, the ability to provide charge from the battery 128 to the electronic devices 150 carried by the frame 112 when the glasses 110 are in the folded position (in addition to the wearable position) allows software and / or tasks to be executed even when the glasses 110 are stowed. Thus, the performance and user experience of the glasses 110 can be improved because software can run and tasks can be performed even when the glasses 110 are stowed. According to some examples, moving the temples 114 to the folded position can place the electronic devices 150 in a low-power operating mode in which sufficient power is provided to the electronic devices 150 so that software and other tasks can be performed by one or more electronic devices, but without using excessive power. Thus, battery life can be maintained even when software and tasks are executed when the glasses 110 are in the folded position.

[0045] In other embodiments, different circuits may be connected depending on the position of the hinge. For example, connector 122B may be connected to NFC matching and controller circuitry, while connector 120B is connected to wireless charging matching and control circuitry and the associated battery 128 to be charged. In other embodiments, a combination of mechanical connectors and electrical switches may be used to connect different circuits to the near field antenna within the wireless module 164. In such embodiments, different placements of the processor / computer 152 and wireless module 164 may be used, with switches and connectors between different battery 128, processor / computer 152, and wireless module 164 elements.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, connectors 120A, 120B and 122A, 122B are respectively adapted to interface and couple together to form a conductive coupling mechanism 118 capable of transferring charge. Computer 152 may be of any suitable type to be carried by frame 112 (e.g., utilizing low power circuits, high speed circuits, and / or display processors) and may communicate with other electronic devices 150. Computer 152 may include one or more processors, as well as memory, wireless communication modules and circuits, power supplies, etc. Additional details of various aspects of computer 152 may be implemented using display 156, sensor 158, camera / microphone 160, acquisition device 162 (e.g., buttons), and / or other components or peripherals. Other aspects of computer 152 may be implemented remotely via wireless, Bluetooth, etc.

[0047] Although described as a signal unit, the camera / microphone 160 may include separate components, or may be only a camera or only a microphone. In some cases, the camera / microphone 160 may include multiple cameras and / or multiple microphones. The computer 110 may be configured to communicate with and / or control various electronic devices 150 such as a display 156, a sensor 158, an acquisition device 162, a wireless module 164, and / or other peripherals. The electronic device 150 may additionally include a video processor (not shown), such as a microprocessor integrated circuit (IC) customized for processing sensor data from the camera / microphone 160, and volatile memory used by the microprocessor for operation. The memory 154 may include any suitable storage device capable of storing data generated by the electronic device 150 including the camera / microphone 160. The memory 154 may be integrated with high-speed circuits, may be a separate stand-alone component, or may be remote or integrated into the glasses 110.

[0048] Figure 3A is a front perspective view of a system including glasses and a glasses case, which is the part of the system for near field communication or wireless inductive charging, according to some embodiments. Figure 3B Aspects of a system including glasses and a glasses case, the glasses case being the portion of the system for near field communication, are shown according to some embodiments. Figure 3C Aspects of a system including glasses and a glasses case are shown, the glasses case being the portion of the system for near-field charging, according to some embodiments. As described above, NFC and wireless charging operations use different circuits to implement the respective functions. According to embodiments described herein, as part of the operation using the near-field antenna on the glasses, another antenna is used with the antenna on the glasses.

[0049] Both NFC and wireless charging as described in this article use magnetic induction to work. For NFC, the process is as follows Figure 3BFor wireless charging, the process is as follows Figure 3C Works as shown. Figure 3B In an NFC embodiment, glasses 331 containing processing circuitry 350 or another device containing processing circuitry 360 acts as a reader / interrogator that sends a small electric current on a corresponding loop antenna 355 or 365. This, in turn, generates a magnetic field. The field is received by the other antenna in a pair of antennas, where it is converted back into electrical pulses. This process is used to transfer data, such as an identification number, status information, or any other information. The NFC controller circuits 362, 352 may implement a specific communication protocol and drive the corresponding antennas 355, 365 appropriately. So-called "passive" NFC tags use energy from the reader to encode their responses, while "active" or "peer" tags have their own power source and respond to the reader using their own electromagnetic field. Like RFID, NFC operates in the 13.56MHz radio spectrum using less than 15mA of current to transmit data over distances typically much less than 20cm. In other embodiments, other frequencies and current levels may be used. Similarly, Figure 3C Wireless charging is described in which a charge source 390 provides current to antenna 365, which generates a corresponding current in antenna 355. Wireless charging controller 382 manages this current to provide charge to battery 380.

[0050] In various embodiments, such as Figure 3A The glasses case shown in can be used with glasses to provide NFC communication when the glasses are in the glasses case, to provide wireless charging of the battery in the glasses when the glasses are in the glasses case, or both. Therefore, according to the embodiments described herein, when the glasses are in the glasses case, NFC communication is enabled by the antenna around the lens space of the glasses and the corresponding antenna for the glasses in the glasses case, and NFC communication can be used, for example, to download images or other data from the memory of the glasses to the memory connected to the glasses case. In various embodiments, the glasses case is formed to match the shape of the glasses so that the near-field antenna of the glasses around the lens space is positioned close to the antenna in the glasses case or on the surface of the glasses case to provide magnetic coupling as described above. Although better magnetic coupling does provide improved efficiency, the advantage of such coupling is that precise contact such as physical contact is not required for electrical coupling. In contrast, when the glasses are in the glasses case, magnetic coupling provides a simpler coupling, as well as an option for communicating or charging using any terminal for magnetic coupling that is sufficiently well matched to the antenna of the glasses, which may be less complicated than a physical structure with different electrical connectors.

[0051] Figure 3AA smart glasses kit 300 is shown, which includes, for example, a pair of smart glasses 310 and a container or holder such as a glasses case 311. As described above, the glasses 310 and the glasses case 311 include near-field antennas that are matched to achieve magnetic coupling for NFC, wireless charging, or both. As discussed with respect to the previous embodiments, the glasses 310 may generally include a frame 312, temples 314A and 314B, and an electronic device (as shown and discussed in the previous embodiments); since various aspects of these items have been described above, the details of each item will not be discussed in detail. The glasses case 311 and the glasses 310 may include an electrical connector 320 in the example form of a base or internal connector or port on the glasses case 311, which enables power to be then transferred to the glasses 310 via magnetic coupling, or data to be transferred from a phone to the glasses 310 via the glasses case 311.

[0052] As shown, the glasses 310, the glasses case 311, and the near-field antennas of the glasses 310 and the glasses case 311 aligned for magnetic coupling can interact together in various ways and for various purposes. For example, the antennas are configured for power and / or data communication, and the glasses case 311 can be used to transport and protect the glasses 310, to charge or provide power to electronic devices incorporated into the glasses 310 (including batteries housed in the temples 314A), and / or to communicate with electronic devices in the glasses 310 to the backup memory of the glasses case 311. Therefore, in some embodiments, the glasses case 311 can accommodate the glasses 310 and / or a supplemental battery to supplement the storage memory.

[0053] In some embodiments, electrical connections within the hinge connect the frame 312 and the temples 314A and 314B so that they are connected only in the folded position.

[0054] Then, Figure 4A and Figure 4B Aspects of a conductive hinge are shown that, in some embodiments, can be used to connect a near-field antenna around a lens area of ​​a frame to electronic components in a temple portion of eyeglasses. Figure 4A is a top view of the right temple and half of the eyeglass frame and a hinge joint for electrically coupling the frame and temple according to some embodiments. As described above, this enables certain functions, such as wireless charging, only when the temples of the eyeglasses are in a folded position. In other embodiments, other connections may be used, or such a hinge joint may be used with an electrical switch to enable and disable certain circuit elements and controllers that enable NFC and / or wireless charging functions. Figure 4B is a corresponding top view of a right temple and half of an eyeglass frame and a hinge joint for electrically coupling the frame and the temple according to some embodiments. Figure 4Aand Figure 4B In the invention, the eyewear article includes a conductive coupling mechanism (e.g., an interface or port) that allows the temple to be connected to the wearable configuration (e.g., Figure 4A ) and when the eyewear is in a folded or collapsed configuration (e.g. Figure 4B ), power from the battery in the temple is provided to the onboard electronics in the frame. This configuration allows the onboard electronics to be powered in either a wearable configuration or a folded configuration. This allows the eyewear product to be operational even in a folded configuration, such as running software and performing other tasks, which can improve efficiency and performance, thereby improving the user experience. This enables, for example, a connection for wireless charging of the battery in the temple to be achieved using a near-field antenna around the lens area in the frame when the temple is folded. This can also be used to isolate the NFC circuit that is enabled when the temple is in the open position, by using a separately connected circuit. In other embodiments, an electrical switch is used to enable both NFC and wireless charging in both the open and closed positions of the temple hinge. In other embodiments, a different mechanism is used to connect the temple electronics to the frame electronics (e.g., a near-field antenna around the lens space).

[0055] According to another aspect, the conductive coupling mechanism of the temple can be configured to connect to the external power interface via the near-field antenna and receive charge from the external power source when the eyewear is in the folded or stowed configuration. For example, such a coupling mechanism can be used to charge the battery of the eyewear.

[0056] The smart glasses may have a body that includes a lens-carrying frame with an antenna surrounding at least one lens area, and a pair of temples hingedly mounted on opposite ends of the frame. In such a case, the smart glasses are in a wearable configuration or mode when at least one of the two temples is substantially fully extended for reception along one side of the user's head. Conversely, the smart glasses are in a folded state when at least one of the temples is hingedly folded toward the frame to form a conductive coupling mechanism between a battery in the temple and onboard electronics in the frame. Thus, the folded state may include a fully folded state and a partially folded state, in which one or both of the temples are fully hinged inward toward the frame (e.g., Figure 4B ). However, in some cases, the partially folded state can damage the conductive coupling mechanism between the one or more batteries in the temple and the onboard electronics in the frame, thereby powering off or restarting the electronics.

[0057] In some embodiments, the conductive coupling mechanism extends through (e.g., is located at) an articulated hinge joint in which one of the temples is hingedly connected to the frame. The conductive coupling mechanism may be located at a plurality of engagement surfaces provided by the frame and the temple, respectively, and when in a wearable state, the engagement surfaces are in face-to-face abutment (e.g., see Figure 4A 24A and 24B), which are in face-to-face abutment when in the folded state (see, for example, Figure 4B In other embodiments, dual conductive coupling mechanisms may be implemented as one on each temple, with the conductive coupling mechanism located on each temple. To facilitate the conductive coupling mechanism, the temple and frame may have cooperating features, such as pins and pads configured for automatic contact and coupling when the smart glasses are in a worn state or a folded state, to provide a conductive coupling mechanism (and in some cases, a data connection) between the electronic device in the temple and the electronic device in the frame.

[0058] In some embodiments, the electrical / electronic components may be carried by both the frame and at least one of the temples. In other embodiments, the battery will be carried by one or both of the temples, while substantially all other electrical / electronic components (see, e.g., Figure 2 The computer, sensors, cameras, microphones, wireless modules, etc.) are carried only by the frame. This allows for a thinner frame, which is more ideal for the user to wear and easier for the user to transport. In some such embodiments, the antenna around the lens area can be electrically connected to the batteries in both temple elements and can be used to charge both batteries. In such embodiments, a single controller can be used to manage charging, or separate controllers for each battery or each temple can be used.

[0059] Figure 4A and Figure 4B An example embodiment of glasses 31 including smart glasses is shown from a position above the glasses 31. Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the glasses 31 include a frame 32, temples 47, a hinge joint assembly 16, and a conductive coupling mechanism 18. When the temples 47 are in a wearable configuration (e.g., Figure 4A ) and when the glasses 31 are in a folded or stowed configuration (e.g., Figure 4B), the conductive coupling mechanism 18 allows power from the battery in the temple 47 to be provided to the onboard electronics in the frame 32. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, this arrangement can be reversed so that the battery can be carried by the frame 32 and the onboard electronics can be carried by the temple 47. This configuration allows power to be supplied to the onboard electronics in either the wearable configuration or the folded configuration. This enables the glasses 31 to operate not only in the wearable configuration, but also in the folded configuration to run software and perform other tasks.

[0060] Figure 4A and Figure 4B It is also shown that the hinge joint assembly 16 can be shared between the temple 47 and the frame 32 to couple the temple 47 to the frame 32. The hinge joint assembly 16 may include a pin connection 19, which may include a single pin or multiple pins with different connection points between the temple 47 and the frame 32. The hinge joint assembly 16 facilitates mechanical movement of the temple 47 relative to the frame 32 about the pin connection 19. Such movement can be Figure 4A Wearable configuration / location and Figure 4B between stowage folding configurations / positions.

[0061] according to Figure 4A and Figure 4B In an embodiment, the conductive coupling mechanism 18 may be incorporated into the hinge joint assembly 16 of the hinge, and may be configured to electrically connect the battery to other onboard electronic devices through the hinge joint assembly 16. Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the conductive coupling mechanism 18 may include a first connector 20A located on the first face 24A of the frame 32 and a second connector 22A located on the second face 26A of the frame 32. At least one of the first or second faces 24A and / or 26A may include a portion of the hinge joint assembly 16 and / or may be disposed in close proximity to the hinge joint assembly 16. The conductive coupling mechanism 18 may also include a first connector 20B located on a portion of the first face 24B or the temple 47 and a second connector 22B located on a portion of the second face 26B or the temple 47. At least one of the first or second faces 24B and / or 26B may include a portion of the hinge joint assembly 16 and / or may be disposed in close proximity to the hinge joint assembly 16. The first face 24A is configured to dock with the first face 24B when the temple 47 is in the wearable position. Similarly, the second face 26A is configured to dock with the second face 26B when the temple 47 is in the folded position.

[0062] The conductive coupling mechanism 18 can be configured to be in a wearable position ( Figure 4A ) and folded position ( Figure 4B) automatically contact and electrically couple the two. More specifically, connectors 20A and 20B are designed to interface with each other and electrically couple with each other so that they are complementary in design (e.g., one includes pads and one includes pins, etc.). Similarly, connectors 22A and 22B are designed to interface with each other and electrically couple with each other so that they are complementary in design. Figure 4A and 4B As shown, connectors 20A and 22A include contact pads, while connectors 20B and 22B include contact pins. However, the arrangement may be reversed, or another known connector such as a port, link, socket, plug, cable, micro USB, etc. may be utilized.

[0063] Figure 5 is a block diagram 900 illustrating a software architecture 902 that may be installed on any one or more of the glasses or an accompanying host device (e.g., a smartphone), a glasses case, a charge source, or other system coupled to the glasses. Figure 5 is only a non-limiting example of software architecture 902, and it will be appreciated that many other architectures may be implemented to facilitate the functionality described herein. In various embodiments, software architecture 902 is comprised of, for example, Figure 6 1100, which includes a processor 1110, a memory 1130, and an I / O component 1150. In this example architecture, the software architecture 902 can be conceptualized as a stack of layers, each of which can provide specific functionality. For example, the software architecture 902 includes layers such as an operating system 904, a library 909, a framework 908, and an application 910. In operation, according to some embodiments, the application 910 calls an application program interface (API) call 912 through the software stack and receives a message 914 in response to the API call 912.

[0064] In various embodiments, the operating system 904 manages hardware resources and provides public services. The operating system 904 includes, for example, a kernel 920, services 922, and drivers 924. According to some embodiments, the kernel 920 acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and other software layers. For example, the kernel 920 provides memory management, processor management (e.g., scheduling), component management, network connections, and security settings, among other functions. Services 922 can provide other public services to other software layers. According to some embodiments, the driver 924 is responsible for controlling the underlying hardware or interfacing with the underlying hardware. For example, the driver 924 may include a display driver, a camera driver, or Low-power drivers, Flash drives, serial communication drivers (such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) drivers), Drivers, audio drivers, power management drivers, etc.

[0065] In some embodiments, the library 906 provides a low-level common infrastructure utilized by the application 910. The library 909 may include a system library 630 (e.g., a C standard library), which may provide functions such as memory allocation functions, string manipulation functions, mathematical functions, etc. In addition, the library 906 may include an API library 932, such as a media library (e.g., a library that supports the rendering and manipulation of various media formats (such as Moving Picture Experts Group-4 (MPEG4), Advanced Video Coding (H.264 or AVC), Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3 (MP3), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) audio codec, Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG or JPG), or Portable Network Graphics (PNG)), a graphics library (e.g., an OpenGL framework for rendering two-dimensional (2D) and 3D in graphics content on a display), a database library (e.g., SQLite that provides various relational database functions), a web library (e.g., WebKit that provides web browsing functions), etc. The library 906 may also include a variety of other libraries 934 to provide many other APIs to the application 910.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the framework 908 provides a high-level common infrastructure that can be utilized by applications 910. For example, the framework 908 provides various graphical user interface (GUI) functions, high-level resource management, advanced location services, etc. The framework 908 can provide a wide range of other APIs that can be utilized by applications 910, some of which may be specific to a particular operating system 904 or platform.

[0067] In an example embodiment, applications 910 include a home application 950, a contacts application 952, a browser application 954, a book reader application 956, a location application 958, a media application 960, a messaging application 962, a game application 964, and a broad category of other applications such as third-party applications 966. According to some embodiments, application 910 is a program that performs functions defined in the program. Various programming languages ​​can be used to create one or more applications 910 constructed in various ways, such as an object-oriented programming language (e.g., Objective-C, Java, or C++) or a procedural programming language (e.g., C or assembly language). In a specific example, third-party application 966 (e.g., a third-party application created by an entity other than a vendor of a particular platform using ANDROID TM or IOS TM Applications developed with a software development kit (SDK) 910 can be developed on mobile operating systems such as IOS TM ANDROID TM , PHONE or other mobile operating system). In this example, third-party application 966 can call API call 912 provided by operating system 904 to perform the functions described herein.

[0068] Some embodiments may specifically include a camera device application 967. In some embodiments, this may be a stand-alone application for managing communications with a server system such as server system 120. In other embodiments, this functionality may be integrated with another application such as media application 960 or another such application. Curation application 967 may manage the collection of content using the camera device of machine 1100, communicating with the server system via I / O component 1150, and receiving and storing the received media collection in memory 1130. The presentation of content and user input associated with the content may be managed by curation application 967 using different framework 908, library 906 elements, or operating system 904 elements running on machine 1100.

[0069] Figure 6 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine 1100 that is capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and performing any one or more of the methods discussed herein, according to some embodiments. Specifically, Figure 6 A diagrammatic representation of a machine 1100 in the form of an example computer system is shown, within which instructions 1116 (e.g., software, programs, applications 910, applet, application program, or other executable code) for causing the machine 1100 to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine 1100 operates as a standalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 1100 may operate in the capacity of a server or device in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine 1100 may include, but is not limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a network device, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions 1116, either continuously or otherwise, that specifies the actions to be taken by the machine 1100. Further, while a single machine 1100 is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be taken to include any collection of machines 1100 that individually or jointly execute instructions 1116 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

[0070] In various embodiments, the machine 1100 includes a processor 1110, a memory 1130, and an I / O component 1150, which may be configured to communicate with each other via a bus 1102. In an example embodiment, the processor 1110 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a composite instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) includes, for example, a processor 1112 and a processor 1114 that may execute instructions 1116. The term "processor" is intended to include a multi-core processor 1110, which may include two or more independent processors 1112, 1114 (also referred to as "cores") that may execute instructions simultaneously. Although Figure 6 Multiple processors 1110 are shown, but the machine 1100 may include a single processor 1110 having a single core, a single processor 1110 having multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core processor 1110), multiple processors 1112, 1114 having single cores, multiple processors 1112, 1114 having multiple cores, or any combination thereof.

[0071] According to some embodiments, the memory 1130 includes a main memory 1132, a static memory 1134, and a storage unit 1136, which is accessible to the processor 1110 via the bus 1102. The storage unit 1136 may include a machine-readable medium 1138 on which instructions 1116 embodying any one or more of the methods or functions described herein are stored. The instructions 1116 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 1132, within the static memory 1134, within at least one of the processors 1110 (e.g., within a cache memory of the processor), or any suitable combination thereof during execution thereof by the machine 1100. Thus, in various embodiments, the main memory 1132, the static memory 1134, and the processor 1110 are considered to be the machine-readable medium 1138.

[0072] As used herein, the term "memory" refers to a machine-readable medium 1138 capable of storing data temporarily or permanently, and may be considered to include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), cache, flash memory, and cache. Although the machine-readable medium 1138 is shown as a single medium in the example embodiment, the term "machine-readable medium" should be considered to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers) capable of storing instructions 1116. The term "machine-readable medium" may also be considered to include any medium or combination of multiple media capable of storing instructions (e.g., instructions 1116) for execution by a machine (e.g., machine 1100), such that when the instructions are executed by one or more processors (e.g., processor 1110) of machine 1100, machine 1100 performs any one or more of the methods described herein. Therefore, "machine-readable medium" refers to a single storage device or apparatus, as well as a "cloud-based" storage system or storage network including multiple storage devices or apparatuses. Thus, the term "machine-readable medium" may be taken to include, but is not limited to, one or more data storage repositories in the form of solid-state memory (e.g., flash memory), optical media, magnetic media, other non-volatile memory (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM)), or any suitable combination thereof. The term "machine-readable medium" expressly excludes non-statutory signals per se.

[0073] I / O components 1150 include a variety of components for receiving input, providing output, generating output, sending information, exchanging information, collecting measurements, etc. In general, it is understood that I / O components 1150 may include Figure 6 Many other components not shown in the figure. The I / O components 1150 are grouped according to function, which is only used to simplify the following discussion, and the grouping is by no means limiting. In various example embodiments, the I / O components 1150 include output components 1152 and input components 1154. The output components 1152 include visual components (e.g., displays such as plasma display panels (PDPs), light emitting diode (LED) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), projectors, or cathode ray tubes (CRTs)), auditory components (e.g., speakers), tactile components (e.g., vibration motors), other signal generators, etc. The input components 1154 include alphanumeric input components (e.g., keyboards, touch screens configured to receive alphanumeric inputs, optical keyboards, or other alphanumeric input components), point-based input components (e.g., mice, touch pads, trackballs, joysticks, motion sensors, or other pointing instruments), tactile input components (e.g., physical buttons, touch screens that provide the location and force of touch or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., microphones), etc.

[0074] In some further example embodiments, the I / O component 1150 includes, among other various other components, a biometric component 1156, a motion component 1158, a camera 1160 environment component, or a position component 1162. For example, the biometric component 1156 includes a component for detecting expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, voice expressions, body postures, or eye tracking), measuring bio-signals (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, sweat, or brain waves), identifying a person (e.g., voice recognition, retinal recognition, facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, or EEG-based recognition), etc. The motion component 1158 includes an acceleration sensor component (e.g., an accelerometer), a gravity sensor component, a rotation sensor component (e.g., a gyroscope), etc. Environmental components include, for example, lighting sensor components (e.g., photometers), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or more thermometers that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensor components, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometers), acoustic sensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect background noise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detect nearby objects), gas sensor components (e.g., machine olfactory detection sensors, gas detection sensors for detecting dangerous gas concentrations for safety or measuring pollutants in the atmosphere), or other components that may provide indications, measurements, or signals corresponding to the surrounding physical environment. Camera components include any information for image acquisition, such as saturation control, pixel processing, sound acquisition, three-dimensional image processing, etc. Position component 1162 includes a position sensor component (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) receiver component), an altitude sensor component (e.g., an altimeter or barometer that can detect the air pressure from which altitude can be derived), an orientation sensor component (e.g., a magnetometer), etc.

[0075] Communication can be achieved using a variety of technologies. I / O components 1150 may include a communication component 1164 that is operable to couple machine 1100 to network 1180 or device 1170 via coupler 1182 and coupler 1172, respectively. For example, communication component 1164 includes a network interface component or another suitable device that interfaces with network 1180. In other examples, communication component 1164 includes a wired communication component, a wireless communication component, a cellular communication component, a near field communication (NFC) component, Components (e.g. Low energy consumption), Components and other communication components that provide communication via other modalities. Device 1170 may be another machine 1110 or any of a variety of peripheral devices (eg, a peripheral device coupled via a universal serial bus (USB)).

[0076] In addition, in some embodiments, the communication component 1164 detects an identifier or includes a component operable to detect an identifier. For example, the communication component 1164 includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader component, an NFC smart tag detection component, an optical reader component (e.g., an optical sensor for detecting one-dimensional bar codes such as universal product codes (UPC) bar codes, multi-dimensional bar codes such as quick response (QR) codes, Aztec codes, data matrix, digital graphics, Max codes, PDF417, Super codes, Uniform Commercial Code Reduced Space Symbols (UCC RSS)-2D bar codes, and other optical codes), an acoustic detection component (e.g., a microphone for identifying an audio signal of a tag), or any suitable combination thereof. In addition, various information may be obtained via the communication component 1164 that may indicate a particular location, such as a location via an Internet Protocol (IP) geographic location, a location via a wireless communication interface ... Signal triangulation location, via detection Or the location of an NFC beacon signal, etc.

[0077] In various example embodiments, one or more portions of network 1180 may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), the Internet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, 180 may include a wireless or cellular network, another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. For example, network 1180 or a portion of network 1180 may include a wireless or cellular network, and coupling 1180 may be a code division multiple access (CDMA) connection, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) connection, or another type of cellular or wireless coupling. In this example, coupling 1182 may implement any of various types of data transmission technologies, such as single carrier radio transmission technology (1xRTT), evolution data optimized (EVDO) technology, general packet radio service (GPRS) technology, enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) technology, the third generation partnership project (3GPP) including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), high speed packet access (HSPA), world wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), long term evolution (LTE) standards, other standards defined by various standards development organizations, other remote protocols, or other data transmission technologies.

[0078] In an example embodiment, instructions 1116 are sent or received over network 1180 using a transmission medium via a network interface device (e.g., a network interface component included in communication component 1164), and utilize any of a number of well-known transmission protocols (e.g., Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)). Similarly, in other example embodiments, instructions 1116 are sent or received to device 1170 using a transmission medium via coupling 1172 (e.g., a peer-to-peer coupling). The term "transmission medium" may be taken to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions 1116 to be executed by machine 1100, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media to facilitate the communication of such software implementations.

[0079] Furthermore, because machine-readable medium 1138 does not embody a propagating signal, machine-readable medium 1138 is non-transitory (in other words, does not have any transient signals). However, labeling machine-readable medium 1138 as "non-transitory" should not be interpreted to mean that the medium cannot be moved; medium 1138 should be considered to be transportable from one physical location to another. Additionally, because machine-readable medium 1138 is tangible, medium 1138 can be considered a machine-readable device.

[0080] Throughout the specification, multiple instances can be implemented as components, operations or structures described as single instances. Although the individual operations of one or more methods are shown and described as individual operations, one or more of the individual operations can be performed in parallel, and the operations do not need to be performed in the order shown. The structure and function presented as the individual components in the example configuration can be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, the structure and function presented as a single component can be implemented as a plurality of components separated. These and other variations, modifications, additions and improvements fall within the scope of this paper theme.

[0081] Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For convenience only, such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein individually or collectively by the term "invention", without intending to limit the scope of the present application to any single disclosure or inventive concept if, in fact, more than one disclosure or inventive concept is disclosed.

[0082] The embodiments shown herein are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosed teachings. Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, so that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the specific embodiments should not be considered restrictive, and the scope of the various embodiments is limited only by the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents granted by these claims.

[0083] As used herein, the term "or" may be interpreted in an inclusive or exclusive manner. In addition, multiple instances may be provided as a single instance for the resources, operations, or structures described herein. In addition, the boundaries between various resources, operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and specific operations are shown in the context of a specific illustrative configuration. Other allocations of functions may be conceivable, and these other allocations may fall within the scope of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Typically, structures and functions presented as separate resources in an example configuration may be implemented as a combined structure or resource. Similarly, structures and functions presented as a single resource may be implemented as separate resources. These and other changes, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure as represented by the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings are considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a first antenna supported by a first portion of the frame; a second antenna supported by a second portion of the frame; a wireless charging matching and controller circuit coupled to the first antenna; wireless communication circuitry and controller circuitry coupled to the second antenna; one or more processors coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and controller circuitry, the wireless charging pairing and controller circuitry, and an electrical switch supported by the frame, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the electrical switch; a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform operations comprising: In response to a first input, selecting a first switch position of the electrical switch; and When the electrical switch is in the first switch position, charge is received from the charge source via inductive coupling of the charge source with the first antenna.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first antenna is disposed around the first portion, and the second antenna is disposed around the second portion.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A battery is coupled to the wireless charging matching and controller circuit, wherein the battery is configured to receive the charge from the charge source via inductive coupling of the charge source with the first antenna.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising: A temple, wherein the temple includes the battery.

5. The device according to claim 4, further comprising: A coupling mechanism is incorporated in the hinged joint of the temple and is configured to electrically connect the first antenna through the hinged joint to the battery carried by the temple when the temple is in a folded state, wherein the battery is configured to receive the charge from the charge source via inductive coupling between the charge source and the first antenna when the temple is in the folded position, and wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to isolate the first antenna from the battery when the temple is in an open position.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a duplexer coupled to the second antenna and the wireless communication circuitry and controller circuitry; as well as a radio frequency communication circuit coupled to the second antenna and the duplexer and configured to generate a radio frequency signal for transmission via the second antenna; The duplexer electrically separates the wireless communication circuit and the controller circuit from the radio frequency communication circuit.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to transmit payment data via the second antenna using the wireless communications circuitry and controller circuitry.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The electrical switch is a first electrical switch, and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a second electrical switch supported by the frame and coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the second electrical switch, and wherein the operations further comprise: In response to a second input, selecting a first switch position of the second electrical switch; and The wireless communication circuitry and controller circuitry are used with the second antenna to transmit communication signals via the second antenna when the second electrical switch is in the first switch position.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The operations also include: In response to a second input, selecting a second switch position of the electrical switch; and When the electrical switch is in the second switch position, charge is received from the charge source via inductive coupling of the charge source with the first antenna.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The second antenna is a multi-turn coil arranged around the second portion.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The device is a pair of smart glasses.

12. A mobile device, comprising: Frames; an antenna supported by the frame; a temple connected to the frame at an articulated joint so that the temple is freely displaceable between a folded state and a wearable state; an electrical switch, wherein the electrical switch is coupled to the articulated joint; wireless communication circuitry coupled to the electrical switch; and a wireless charging matching circuit coupled to the electrical switch; Wherein, the electric switch is configured to switch the connection with the antenna to the wireless communication circuit when the temple is in the wearable state, and to switch the connection with the antenna to the wireless charging matching circuit when the temple is in the folded state.

13. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein: The frame includes a first portion, and wherein the antenna is coupled to the frame and disposed around the frame.

14. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein: The wireless charging matching circuit includes a near field communication (NFC) matching and controller circuit.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, further comprising: One or more processors are coupled to the wireless communication circuit, the wireless charging matching circuit, and the electrical switch, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the electrical switch.

16. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to transmit payment data via the antenna using the wireless communications circuitry.

17. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein: The antenna is arranged on the frame in the form of a complete circle around a portion of the frame, and the mobile device further comprises: a battery coupled to the wireless charging matching circuit, wherein the battery is configured to receive charge from the charge source via inductive coupling of the charge source with the antenna; a duplexer coupled to the antenna and the wireless communication circuit; and a radio frequency communications circuit coupled to the antenna and the duplexer and configured to generate a radio frequency signal for transmission via the antenna; The duplexer electrically separates the wireless communication circuit from the radio frequency communication circuit.

18. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein: The electrical switch is a first electrical switch, and the mobile device further comprises: one or more processors coupled to the wireless communication circuit, the wireless charging matching circuit, and the second electrical switch, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the second electrical switch; a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising: selecting a first switch position of the second electrical switch supported by the mirror frame in response to a first input; receiving charge from the charge source via inductive coupling between the charge source and the antenna when the second electrical switch is in the first switch position; In response to a second input, selecting a second switch position of the second electrical switch supported by the mirror frame; and transmitting a radio frequency signal using the wireless communication circuit and the antenna; Furthermore, the mobile device further comprises: A third switch supported by the frame, the third switch coupled to the one or more processes, wherein the third switch is configured to generate the first input and the second input.

19. A wearable device comprising: a frame configured to hold one or more optical elements; a temple connected to the frame at an articulated joint such that the temple is freely displaceable between a folded state and a wearable state in which the wearable device can be worn by a user to keep the one or more optical elements within the user's field of view; an onboard electronic assembly, which includes wireless charging matching and controller circuitry; an inductive battery charging assembly coupled to a first portion of the eyeglass frame, wherein the first portion of the eyeglass frame is configured to retain a first optical element of the one or more optical elements in a lens region, and wherein the inductive battery charging assembly is disposed about the lens region for inductive coupling; wherein the temple further comprises a battery coupled to the electronic assembly carried by the temple; and A coupling mechanism incorporated in the articulated joint and configured to electrically connect the inductive battery charging assembly through the articulated joint to the battery carried by the temple when the temple is in the folded state, wherein the battery is configured to receive a charge from the charge source via inductive coupling between the charge source and the inductive battery charging assembly when the temple is in the folded position, and wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to isolate the inductive battery charging assembly from the battery when the temple is in the open position.

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