Eyeglass lens and eyeglasses

Abstract

This eyeglass lens of eyeglasses for use in controlling a control object includes an electrode pair which is a pair of electrodes, the electrostatic capacitance of which changes as a result of change of an electromagnetic field between the electrodes. The control object is controlled as a result of the change of the electrostatic capacitance.

Description

Eyeglass lenses and glasses

[0001] The present invention relates to spectacle lenses and spectacles. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-116861, filed on July 18, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] In recent years, there has been growing interest in technology for operating glasses or specific devices using glasses.

[0003] Yang Zhang, et al. "Wall++ room-scale interactive and context-aware sensing." Proceedings of the 2018 chi conference on human factors in computing systems. 2018.

[0004] One aspect of the present invention is a spectacle lens for eyeglasses used to control a controlled object, the spectacle lens comprising an electrode pair, which is a pair of electrodes whose capacitance changes with a change in the electromagnetic field between the electrodes, and the controlled object is controlled by the change in capacitance.One aspect of the present invention is a spectacle lens for eyeglasses used to control a controlled object, the spectacle lens comprising a frame, a spectacle lens comprising an electrode pair, which is a pair of electrodes whose capacitance changes with a change in the electromagnetic field between the electrodes, and a control unit that controls the controlled object by the change in capacitance.

[0005] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating glasses according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a spectacle lens according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a control device according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first example of experimental results of a first experiment according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a second example of experimental results of the first experiment according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the experimental status of a second experiment according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of experimental results of a second experiment according to an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of experimental results of a second experiment according to an embodiment; FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of control of a control target by a control device according to an embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a spectacle lens according to a modified example; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an electrically variable optical filter according to a modified example.

[0006] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating eyeglasses 100 according to an embodiment. The eyeglasses 100 are used to control a control target 9. If the eyeglasses 100 are equipped with an electrochromic device (EC device), the control target 9 may be the EC device included in the eyeglasses 100. The control target 9 may also be another device, such as a speaker, a lighting device, a personal computer, or a television monitor.

[0007] The eyeglasses 100 include an eyeglass lens 1 and a frame 2. The eyeglass lens 1 is a spectacle lens. The eyeglass lens 1 includes an electrode pair 11, which is a pair of electrodes. More specifically, the capacitance of the electrode pair 11 changes due to changes in the electromagnetic field between the electrodes of the electrode pair 11. The electromagnetic field between the electrodes does not exist in a specific space, but rather exists in a broad area, unless both electrodes are in a space surrounded by a theoretical perfect conductor. Therefore, the capacitance of the electrode pair 11 changes when an object 90 having a permittivity or magnetic permeability, such as a finger, approaches the electrode pair 11 without contacting the electrode pair 11. Therefore, a device that measures the capacitance of the electrode pair 11 functions as a sensor that detects an object without contact.

[0008] The frame 2 holds the eyeglass lens 1. The frame 2 is equipped with a control device 3 that controls a control target 9. The control device 3 measures the capacitance of the electrode pair 11. Therefore, the control device 3 can detect the detection target in a non-contact manner by detecting changes in the capacitance of the electrode pair 11. The control device 3 controls the control target 9 based on the detection result.

[0009] FIG. 1 shows XYZ coordinate axes. The Z axis is an axis parallel to the optical axis of the eyeglass lens 1. The X axis is an axis extending from the temple 21 on the right eye side of the eyeglasses 100 to the bridge 22. The Y axis is an axis perpendicular to the Z axis and the X axis. When operating the control object 9, a wearer of the eyeglasses 100 moves a finger along the X axis or along the Y axis in front of the right eyeglass lens 1, for example. In the example of FIG. 1, the wearer moves a finger in the positive direction of the X axis.

[0010] In the example of FIG. 1 , the electrode pair 11 is provided only on the spectacle lens 1 on the right eye side, but the electrode pair 11 may also be provided on the spectacle lens 1 on the left eye side. If the electrode pair 11 is provided on the spectacle lens 1 on the left eye side, the wearer may move their finger in front of the spectacle lens 1 on the left eye side. When moving their finger in front of the spectacle lens 1 on the left eye side, for example, they may move their finger in the opposite direction to when moving their finger in front of the spectacle lens 1 on the right eye side, thereby performing the same operation as the operation of the control object 9 when moving their finger in front of the spectacle lens 1 on the right eye side. For ease of explanation, the spectacle lens 1 on the right eye side will be described below.

[0011] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the eyeglass lens 1 in an embodiment. More specifically, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the eyeglass lens 1 as seen from a cross section. Fig. 2 shows that the eyeglass lens 1 includes an electrode pair 11 and a lens 112. The lens 112 is a lens that supports the electrode pair 11 and assists the user in visualizing the outside world, such as by correcting vision or astigmatism, even in the absence of the electrode pair 11.

[0012] Fig. 2 shows the optical center C1 and optical axis H of the eyeglass lens 1. Fig. 2 shows that the electrode pair 11 is composed of two electrodes 111. Fig. 2 shows that one of the two electrodes 111 included in the electrode pair 11 is located on one surface of the lens 112, and the other is located on the other surface of the lens 112.

[0013] That is, one electrode 111 of the electrode pair 11 is located in one of two spaces that border each other with the optical central plane S1 as the boundary, and the other electrode 111 of the electrode pair 11 is located in the other of the two spaces that border each other with the optical central plane S1 as the boundary. The optical central plane S1 is a plane that passes through the optical center C1 of the eyeglass lens 1 and is perpendicular to the optical axis H of the eyeglass lens 1. Hereinafter, the condition that one electrode 111 of the electrode pair 11 is located in one of the two spaces that border each other with the optical central plane S1 as the boundary, and the other electrode 111 of the electrode pair 11 is located in the other of the two spaces that border each other with the optical central plane S1 as the boundary, will be referred to as the electrode position condition.

[0014] The electrode 111 may be made of any material, and may be, for example, a transparent electrode. When the electrode 111 is a transparent electrode, the visibility of the wearer of the eyeglasses 100 is less likely to be impaired by the presence of the electrode 111 than when the electrode 111 is not a transparent electrode. The transparent electrode is formed, for example, from a conductive material on a polymer film such as ITO on PET. The electrode 111 may be a pre-formed transparent electrode attached to the lens 112, or may be formed by depositing atoms constituting the electrode 111 on the lens 112.

[0015] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 3 in the embodiment. The control device 3 includes a control unit 31 including a processor 91 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 92 connected by a bus, and executes a program. By executing the program, the control device 3 functions as a device including a connection circuit 30, a control unit 31, an interface unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0016] More specifically, the processor 91 reads out a program stored in the storage unit 33 and stores the read out program in the memory 92. The processor 91 executes the program stored in the memory 92, whereby the control device 3 functions as a device including the connection circuit 30, the control unit 31, the interface unit 32, and the storage unit 33.

[0017] The connection circuit 30 is a circuit that connects the control device 3 and the electrode pair 11. The circuit may be an electric circuit, an electronic circuit, or an optical circuit. The circuit may be, for example, a conductor that connects the control device 3 and the electrode pair 11.

[0018] The control unit 31 measures the capacitance of the electrode pair 11 by measuring at least one of the current or power flowing between the electrodes of the electrode pair 11 and the voltage between the electrodes of the electrode pair 11 via the connection circuit 30. Therefore, the control unit 31 can detect a detection target in a non-contact manner based on changes in the capacitance of the electrode pair 11. The object 90 is an example of a detection target. The control unit 31 also controls the operation of each functional unit of the control device 3. The control unit 31 acquires information stored in the memory unit 33. Specifically, the process of acquiring information stored in the memory unit 33 is reading.

[0019] The interface unit 32 includes a communication interface for connecting the control device 3 to an external device. The interface unit 32 communicates with the external device via wired or wireless communication. The external device is, for example, the control target 9.

[0020] The storage unit 33 is configured using a computer-readable storage medium device (non-transitory computer-readable recording medium) such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 33 stores various information related to the control device 3. The storage unit 33 stores, for example, various information generated by the operation of the control unit 31. The storage unit 33 stores, for example, information acquired by the interface unit 32.

[0021] <Experimental Results> The experimental results of an experiment using the eyeglass lens 1 are shown. In the experiment, a finger was used as the object 90. The experiment consisted of a first experiment and a second experiment. The first experiment was conducted when the finger approached the electrode pair 11, and in the first experiment, the signal strength of the signal obtained from the electrode pair 11 was measured for each combination of the size of the electrode pair 11 and the distance to the finger. A conducting wire was connected to the electrode pair 11. Specifically, the signal obtained from the electrode pair 11 was a current flowing through the electrodes of the electrode pair 11.

[0022] The second experiment was conducted in a situation where the eyeglass lens 1 had two electrode pairs 11, and in the second experiment, the signal strength of the signal obtained from each of the two electrode pairs 11 was measured for each combination of the size of the electrode pair 11 and the position of the finger.

[0023] In the first and second experiments, a plano-convex lens with a refractive index of 1.6, a center thickness of 2.00 mm, and a diameter of 75 mm was used as the lens 112, and the two electrodes 111 of the electrode pair 11 were positioned to satisfy the electrode position conditions. The surface resistivity of the electrode 111 was 100 Ω / square. In addition, in the first and second experiments, baseline measurements were also performed. The baseline was measured when there was no object 90 near the eyeglass lens 1. More specifically, because no fluctuations occurred due to changes in the position of the object 90 when the object 90 was positioned 6 cm or more away from the eyeglass lens 1, the baseline was measured when the object 90 was positioned 6 cm or more away from the eyeglass lens 1.

[0024] The distance from the eyeglass lens 1 to the object 90 is the distance between the object 90 in a direction parallel to the optical axis and one of the electrodes 111 and the other electrode 111 of the electrode pair 11 that satisfies the electrode position condition, which has a shorter distance to the object 90 in a direction parallel to the optical axis. Hereinafter, the distance between the object 90 in a direction parallel to the optical axis and one of the electrodes 111 and the other electrode 111 of the electrode pair 11 that satisfies the electrode position condition, which has a shorter distance to the object 90 in a direction parallel to the optical axis, will be referred to as the target distance.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first example of experimental results of a first experiment in the embodiment. The horizontal axis of FIG. 4 represents the target distance. The unit of the horizontal axis of FIG. 4 is seconds. The vertical axis of FIG. 4 represents the signal strength of a signal indicating the capacitance of the electrode pair 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "capacitance signal"), and the unit of the signal strength is millivolts (mV). FIG. 4 shows that the maximum value of the signal fluctuation ΔE is approximately 10.0 mV. Hereinafter, the maximum value of the signal fluctuation will be referred to as the maximum fluctuation value.

[0026] 5 is a diagram showing a second example of the experimental results of the first experiment in the embodiment. FIG. 5 shows the signal strength and maximum variation of the capacitance signal for each combination of the size of the electrode 111 and the target distance. The size of the electrode 111 is shown as the vertical length in centimeters and the horizontal length in centimeters. Note that when the size of the electrode 111 is 3 × 5 cm, ２ In this case, since the lens 112 in the experiment is a plano-convex lens with a diameter of 75 mm, one electrode pair 11 is arranged on one eyeglass lens 1.

[0027] "Signal strength" in FIG. 5 represents the signal strength of the capacitance signal. The unit of signal strength is millivolts (mV). "Maximum fluctuation" in FIG. 5 represents the maximum fluctuation value of the capacitance signal. The unit of the maximum fluctuation value is millivolts (mV). "Distance between lens and object (cm)" in FIG. 5 represents the object distance in centimeters.

[0028] The "Baseline Values" in FIG. 5 show the pre-measured baseline values ​​and maximum fluctuation values ​​for each size of electrode 111.

[0029] 5 shows that, for example, when the size of the electrode 111 is 3 cm x 0.6 cm, the baseline value and the maximum variation value are 14 mV and 10 mV, respectively. For example, when the size of the electrode 111 is 3 cm x 0.6 cm and the target distance is 4 cm, the signal strength of the capacitance signal is 20 mV and the maximum variation value is 10 mV.

[0030] The result of data D101 shown in Fig. 5 is a result in which the signal strength of the capacitance signal is more than twice the maximum variation value of the baseline. The result of Fig. 5 shows that when the target distance is 4 cm or less, the signal strength of the capacitance signal is sometimes more than twice the maximum variation value of the baseline. Therefore, if the detection threshold for object 90 is set to twice the maximum variation value of the baseline, object 90 will be detected when the target distance is 4 cm or less.

[0031] 5 shows that when the size of the electrode 111 is 3×0.3 cm, the signal strength becomes greater than twice the maximum fluctuation value of the baseline only when the object distance is 0 cm. An object distance of 0 cm means that the object 90 is in contact with the eyeglass lens 1, not in a non-contact state. Therefore, according to experiments, when the size of the electrode 111 is 3×0.6 cm or more, it is easier to detect the object 90 in a non-contact state than when the size of the electrode 111 is 3×0.3 cm or less.

[0032] Up to this point, the explanation has been given taking the case where there is one electrode pair 11 as an example. When there is one electrode pair 11, it is possible to detect the object 90. The eyeglass lens 1 may be provided with multiple electrode pairs 11. In such a case, it is possible to detect the movement of the object 90 in the YZ plane with one eyeglass lens 1. Figures 6 to 8 are diagrams explaining such a situation.

[0033] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the experimental conditions of the second experiment in the embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a bird's-eye view and a cross-sectional view of the eyeglass lens 1 used in the second experiment. More specifically, FIG. 6(A) shows a bird's-eye view of the eyeglass lens 1 used in the second experiment, and FIG. 6(B) shows a cross-sectional view of the eyeglass lens 1 used in the second experiment. FIG. 6 shows that the eyeglass lens 1 used in the second experiment includes two electrode pairs 11. Both electrode pairs 11 satisfy the electrode position condition. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the electrode pair 11 located relatively to the negative side of the X-axis will be referred to as the right electrode pair, and the electrode pair 11 located relatively to the positive side of the X-axis will be referred to as the left electrode pair. In the second experiment, the object 90 was also a finger. FIG. 6 shows that the object 90 is located at a target distance D2. FIG. 6 shows that the right electrode pair and the left electrode pair are separated by a distance D1. In the second experiment, the distance D1 was 1 mm, 5 mm, or 15 mm.

[0034] FIG. 6 shows an example of the movement of the object 90, with an arrow A1 indicating the direction of movement of the object 90. The arrow A1 indicates the movement of the object 90 in the positive direction of the X-axis. As a result of the movement of the object 90 as indicated by the arrow A1, the object 90 moves from the right electrode pair to the left electrode pair. As shown in the results of FIG. 5, the signal strength of the capacitance signal increases as the object 90 approaches. Therefore, when the object 90 moves as indicated by the arrow A1, the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the right electrode pair is high before the movement, and the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the left electrode pair is high after the movement. Therefore, the control unit 31 can estimate the movement direction and movement speed of the object 90 based on the change in signal strength of the two electrode pairs 11. FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C show experimental results that prove this.

[0035] 7A, 7B, and 7C are diagrams showing an example of experimental results of a second experiment in the embodiment. Fig. 7A shows the signal strength and maximum fluctuation of the capacitance signal for each combination of the size of the electrode 111 and the position of the object 90 when the target distance is 1 mm, Fig. 7B shows the signal strength and maximum fluctuation of the capacitance signal for each combination of the size of the electrode 111 and the position of the object 90 when the target distance is 5 mm, and Fig. 7C shows the signal strength and maximum fluctuation of the capacitance signal for each combination of the size of the electrode 111 and the position of the object 90 when the target distance is 15 mm. In the second experiment, the object 90 was a finger, so the combination of the size of the electrode 111 and the position of the object 90 is specifically the combination of the size of the electrode 111 and the position of the finger.

[0036] In the second experiment, the finger was positioned on the left, center, or right. "Left" means positioned above the left electrode pair, "center" means positioned between the right and left, and "right" means positioned above the right electrode pair. "Above" refers to a position on a line passing through electrode 111 and parallel to optical axis H, in the direction opposite to the direction in which lens 112 is viewed from the intersection with electrode 111, and refers to a position where part or all of electrode 111 is not present.

[0037] 7A, 7B, and 7C show whether the position of the electrode pair 11 is right or left for each combination of the target distance and the size of the electrode 111. An electrode pair 11 located on the left refers to a left electrode pair, and an electrode pair 11 located on the right refers to a right electrode pair. The definitions of "baseline value," "signal strength," and "maximum fluctuation" are the same as those in FIG. 5.

[0038] 7A, 7B, and 7C highlight some of the results. The highlighted results indicate the results for which the strongest signal strength was obtained when the finger position was changed, for each combination of electrode pair 11, target distance, and electrode 111 size. For example, data D102 indicates that when the target distance is 1 mm and the electrode 111 size is 3 cm long and 1.3 cm wide, the finger position at which the greatest signal strength was obtained from the left electrode pair was located above the left electrode pair. Furthermore, data D103 indicates that when the target distance is 1 mm and the electrode 111 size is 3 cm long and 1.3 cm wide, the finger position at which the greatest signal strength was obtained from the right electrode pair was located above the right electrode pair.

[0039] 7A, 7B, and 7C show that when the eyeglass lens 1 includes two electrode pairs 11, even if the electrode pairs 11 are separated by a distance of 1 mm to 15 mm, it is possible to estimate the position of the finger based on the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from each electrode pair 11. Furthermore, although the smaller the size of the electrodes 111, the more difficult it is to distinguish them from noise, the results of Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C show that it is possible to estimate the position of the object 90 even if the size of the electrodes 111 is 3 cm x 0.6 cm.

[0040] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of control of the control target 9 by the control device 3 of the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 8, the eyeglass lens 1 includes a plurality of electrode pairs 11. The control unit 31 executes polling (step S101). The polling may be performed at a frequency lower than the frequency at which the movement of the object 90 is detected.

[0041] Next, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the object 90 has been detected (step S102). If the object 90 has not been detected (step S102: NO), the process returns to step S101. On the other hand, if the object 90 has been detected (step S102: YES), the control unit 31 selects an unselected electrode pair 11 from among the electrode pairs 11 provided on the eyeglass lens 1 according to a predetermined rule (step S103). The predetermined rule is, for example, a rule that, if an identification number is assigned to each electrode pair 11 in advance, the electrode pairs 11 are selected in the order of the assigned identification numbers.

[0042] After step S103, the control unit 31 determines whether the signal strength of the capacitance signal for the selected electrode pair 11 is within a predetermined range (step S104). If it is not within the predetermined range (step S104: NO), the process returns to step S101. If the signal strength is smaller than the lower limit of the predetermined range and therefore not within the predetermined range, the obtained signal is likely to be noise, and the object 90 is likely to be stationary or far away and in an undetectable position. Therefore, the control unit 31 does not perform further analysis and returns to step S101. Therefore, the lower limit of the predetermined range is, for example, twice the maximum fluctuation value of the baseline. If the signal strength is larger than the upper limit of the predetermined range and therefore not within the predetermined range, the obtained signal is likely to be due to contact with something other than the object 90 or an unexpected event such as an abnormality in the eyeglass lens 1. Therefore, the control unit 31 does not perform further analysis and returns to step S101. Therefore, the upper limit of the predetermined range is, for example, 10 times, 100 times, or 1000 times the signal strength when the object 90 approaches the electrode pair 11, as determined in advance through experiments, etc.

[0043] If the capacitance signal duration is within the predetermined range in step S104 (step S104: YES), the control unit 31 determines whether the capacitance signal duration for the selected electrode pair 11 is within the predetermined range (step S105). If the capacitance signal duration is not within the predetermined range (step S105: NO), the process returns to step S101. The reason for setting a predetermined range for the capacitance signal duration will be explained below. The control device 3 controls the control target 9 based on the detection results. Therefore, the control target 9 controls the control target 9 according to the movement of the object 90. Therefore, for example, if the object 90 moves slowly, it takes time to control the control target 9. Furthermore, the object 90 may not actually be moving, which may result in a situation where control cannot be performed indefinitely. On the other hand, if the object 90 moves quickly, the detection accuracy decreases. Furthermore, the object 90 may not actually be moving, and the pulse-like movement of another object may be detected. In such cases, control may also not be performed indefinitely. Since the capacitance signal duration is the time during which the object 90 is detected, a predetermined range is set for the capacitance signal duration to control the control target 9.

[0044] The lower limit of the predetermined range may be, for example, 0.1 seconds, 0.2 seconds, or 0.4 seconds. The upper limit of the predetermined range may be, for example, less than 3 seconds and greater than 1.5 seconds. The upper limit of the predetermined range may be, for example, less than 3 seconds and greater than 2 seconds. Thus, for example, the predetermined range may be a range of 0.4 seconds or more and 1.5 seconds or less.

[0045] If the difference is within the predetermined range in step S105 (step S105: YES), the control unit 31 selects an electrode pair 11 different from the electrode pair 11 selected in step S103 in accordance with a predetermined rule (step S106). The predetermined rule is, for example, a rule that selects an electrode pair 11 that is pre-associated with the electrode pair 11 selected in step S103. In the example of FIG. 6, for example, the electrode pair 11 pre-associated with the right electrode pair is the left electrode pair. Hereinafter, the electrode pair 11 selected in step S103 is referred to as the original electrode pair, and the electrode pair 11 selected in step S106 is referred to as the comparison electrode pair.

[0046] Next, the control unit 31 determines whether the absolute value of the difference between the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the original electrode pair and the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the comparison electrode pair is within a predetermined range (step S107). The signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the original electrode pair is, specifically, the time-averaged value of the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the original electrode pair, and the time-averaged value of the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the comparison electrode pair. The control unit 31 may calibrate the signal at a predetermined period. For example, the calibration is performed so that the time-averaged value becomes zero. If the absolute value is not within the predetermined range (step S107: NO), the control unit 31 returns to step S101.

[0047] If the absolute value of the difference is smaller than the lower limit of the predetermined range and therefore is not within the predetermined range, it is highly likely that the movement of the object 90 is movement approximately parallel to the optical axis H. Therefore, the processing of step S107 is processing that does not cause control of the control target 9 in accordance with movement of the object 90 approximately parallel to the optical axis H. Furthermore, if the absolute value of the difference is larger than the upper limit of the predetermined range and therefore is not within the predetermined range, it is highly likely that an unexpected event such as an abnormality in the eyeglass lens 1 has occurred, so the control unit 31 does not perform further analysis and returns to the processing of step S101.

[0048] If the rate of change of the difference between the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the original electrode pair and the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the comparison electrode pair is within the predetermined range in step S107 (step S107: YES), the control unit 31 determines whether the rate of change of the difference between the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the original electrode pair and the signal strength of the capacitance signal obtained from the comparison electrode pair is within the predetermined range (step S108). If the rate of change of the difference between the signal strengths is not within the predetermined range (step S108: NO), the control unit 31 returns to the processing of step S101. Note that the rate of change of the difference between the signal strengths is specifically the difference in the change per unit time of each signal strength.

[0049] Note that when the absolute value of the rate of change of the difference is smaller than the lower limit of the range and therefore not within the specified range, it means that, for example, the object 90 moved, but the movement was too fast. Such a movement would be, for example, placing a finger in front of the lens when reaching for hair. Note that when the absolute value of the rate of change of the difference is larger than the upper limit of the range and therefore not within the specified range, it would be, for example, when the object 90 is large and not moving. In such a case, the object 90 would be, for example, two or more fingers.

[0050] If the capacitances are within the predetermined range in step S108 (step S108: YES), the control unit 31 determines whether or not there are any unselected electrode pairs 11 that have not yet been selected in step S103 (step S109). If there are any unselected electrode pairs 11 (step S109: YES), the process returns to step S103. On the other hand, if there are no unselected electrode pairs 11 (step S109: NO), the control unit 31 estimates, in accordance with a predetermined rule, an instruction indicated by the movement of the object 90 and indicating the content of control of the control target 9, based on the acquired capacitance signals of each electrode pair 11 (step S110).

[0051] The processing of step S110 will be described in more detail. In step S110, the instruction is estimated based on the acquired capacitance signals of each electrode pair 11 by, for example, determining at each time the electrode pair 11 with the highest signal strength indicated by the capacitance signal, and estimating the time changes in the movement direction and movement speed from the time series of the determination results. In this case, the memory unit 33 may pre-store information indicating the positions of each electrode pair 11 and the distance between the electrode pairs 11, or may pre-store information indicating the time changes in the movement direction and movement speed for each time series pattern. If information indicating the positions of each electrode pair 11 and the distance between the electrode pairs 11 is available, the movement direction and movement speed of the object 90 can be calculated from the time series of the determination results.

[0052] In the processing of step S110, the control unit 31 next estimates an instruction indicating the content of control of the control target 9 based on the obtained information indicating the change over time in the moving direction and moving speed, using correspondence information previously stored in the storage unit 33. The correspondence information is information indicating the correspondence between the change over time in the moving direction and moving speed of the object 90 and the instruction indicating the content of control of the control target 9. An example of the predetermined rule is, for example, a rule that estimates an instruction indicating the content of control of the control target 9 based on the correspondence information, based on the obtained information indicating the change over time in the moving direction and moving speed.

[0053] After step S110, the control unit 31 executes control of the control target 9 according to the content indicated by the estimated instruction (step S111). The execution of control by the control unit 31 is performed via the interface unit 32, for example.

[0054] As illustrated in Figures 6 to 8, the eyeglass lens 1 may be provided with a plurality of electrode pairs 11. In the case of a plurality of electrode pairs 11, as shown in steps S107 and S108 of Figure 8, more information can be obtained compared to the case where there is a single electrode pair 11. This makes it possible to control the control target 9 with higher accuracy. Note that, although the example of Figure 6 shows that the eyeglass lens 1 is provided with two electrode pairs 11, the eyeglass lens 1 may also be provided with 16 electrode pairs 11, each 0.9 cm x 0.9 cm, arranged in a 4 x 4 matrix, for example.

[0055] The greater the number of electrode pairs 11, the more reliable the detection and the more movements can be detected. When multiple electrode pairs 11 are provided, the maximum size of one electrode pair 11 is half the size of the lens. An example of the minimum size of the electrode pairs 11 will be described. In the example of Figure 5, the minimum area of ​​the electrode pairs 11 required to obtain a signal capable of detecting movements is 3 cm x 0.3 cm = 0.9 cm. ２ The size of most lenses sold is 3cm x 5cm = 15cm. ２ Therefore, the maximum number of electrodes such a lens can have is 15 / 0.9=16.7, which means that 4×4 is the maximum.

[0056] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, when there are a plurality of electrode pairs 11, the control unit 31 detects the signal strength of the capacitance signal for each electrode pair 11.

[0057] The eyeglass lens 1 configured in this manner includes an electrode pair 11 whose capacitance changes with a change in the electromagnetic field between the electrodes, and the controlled object 9 is controlled by the change in capacitance of the electrode pair 11. Therefore, the eyeglass lens 1 can be provided as an eyeglass lens for eyeglasses used to control the controlled object. Furthermore, the eyeglass lens 1 allows a wearer of the eyeglasses 100 to control the controlled object 9 using the eyeglasses 100 without touching the eyeglasses 100 that include the eyeglass lens 1. Furthermore, because the eyeglasses 100 include the eyeglass lens 1, it is possible to provide an eyeglass lens for eyeglasses that can be used to control the controlled object ... 9 using the eyeglasses 100 without touching the eyeglasses 100.

[0058] (Variation) The electrode pair 11 does not necessarily have to satisfy the electrode position condition as illustrated in FIG. 2 . The electrode pair 11 may have both electrodes 111 present in one of two spaces that border each other with the optical central plane S1 as the boundary. However, when the electrode position condition is satisfied, the lens 112 is what supports the two electrodes 111 at a distance so that they do not contact each other. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate device that supports the two electrodes 111 at a distance so that they do not contact each other. However, when both electrodes 111 are present in one of two spaces that border each other with the optical central plane S1 as the boundary, it is necessary to provide a separate device that supports the two electrodes 111 at a distance so that they do not contact each other.

[0059] As described above, the eyeglasses 100 may include an electrically variable optical filter as the controlled object 9. An example of the configuration of the eyeglass lens 1 in the case where the eyeglass lens 1 includes an electrically variable optical filter as the controlled object 9 is shown in FIG. 9 as an eyeglass lens 1a.

[0060] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a spectacle lens 1a in a modified example. Hereinafter, components having the same functions as those in FIG. 2 are assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The spectacle lens 1a includes two electrodes 111 constituting an electrode pair 11, a lens 112, an electrically tunable optical filter 113, and a protective film 114. The electrically tunable optical filter 113 is an electrically tunable optical filter and is an example of a controlled object 9. The protective film 114 is a protective film that protects the electrically tunable optical filter 113. In the spectacle lens 1a, the electrically tunable optical filter 113 is located between the lens 112 and the electrode 111. The electrode 111, the lens 112, the electrically tunable optical filter 113, and the protective film 114 are provided along an axis parallel to the optical axis H in the following order: protective film 114, electrode 111, lens 112, electrically tunable optical filter 113, electrode 111, protective film 114.

[0061] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electrically tunable optical filter 113 according to a modified example. The electrically tunable optical filter 113 includes two transparent electrodes 131 and an electrolyte 132. The transparent electrode 131 is a transparent electrode. The electrolyte 132 is an electrolyte. The electrolyte is, for example, an electrolyte containing a dye such as viologen, leuco, or metal salt. In the electrically tunable optical filter 113, the electrolyte 132 is located between two transparent electrodes 131. The transparent electrodes 131 and the electrolyte 132 are provided in this order along an axis parallel to the optical axis H: transparent electrode 131, electrolyte 132, transparent electrode 131. Note that the electrode 111 and the transparent electrode 131 may be partially or entirely the same. That is, after detection, the electrode 111 may partially or entirely function as the transparent electrode 131 of the electrically tunable optical filter.

[0062] The electrode 111 may be located at a position that does not cover the optical center of the eyeglass lens 1 as viewed from the focal point of the eyeglass lens 1. The eyeglasses 100 are made so that the optical center is aligned with the distance between the centers of the wearer's pupils. Therefore, the presence of the electrode 111 at a position that does not cover the optical center of the eyeglass lens as viewed from the focal point of the eyeglass lens 1 prevents deterioration of the field of vision of the wearer of the eyeglasses 100 compared to when the electrode 111 is located at a position that covers the optical center of the eyeglass lens as viewed from the focal point of the eyeglass lens 1.

[0063] The electrode 111 may have multiple holes, and the size and arrangement of the holes may be random. The electrode 111 blocks visibility. Therefore, if the electrode 111 has holes, light passes through the electrode 111 through the holes, resulting in a better visibility than if the electrode 111 had no holes. However, if the structure of the material, such as the electrode 111, is periodic, a resonance phenomenon occurs at a frequency that resonates with the period of the structure. When a resonance phenomenon occurs, the spectrum of the electrode 111 has a peak at the frequency that causes the resonance phenomenon. The peak may be a loss or a high transmittance, but in either case, the spectrum becomes unnatural, leading to a deterioration in visibility. Since the size and arrangement of the holes are random, a periodic structure does not appear, thereby suppressing a deterioration in visibility. The holes may be filled with a material other than the material of the electrode 111, such as a lens 112 or a protective film.

[0064] Even if the electrode 111 is a transparent electrode, the transmission spectrum is not high compared to the transmission spectrum of the lens 112. Therefore, even if the electrode 111 is a transparent electrode, if the electrode 111 has a plurality of holes with random sizes and arrangements, the deterioration of visibility is suppressed compared to when the electrode 111 has no holes. The holes may be filled with a material other than the material of the electrode 111, such as the lens 112 or a protective film.

[0065] The electrode 111 may be a mesh electrode having a regular pattern that does not cause interference in the visible light range, and in this case, the electrode 111 has higher transparency and flexibility than a non-mesh electrode.

[0066] 1, the frame 2 is equipped with all of the control device 3, but the frame 2 does not necessarily have to be equipped with all of the control device 3. The eyeglass lens 1 may be equipped with some or all of the control device 3. Furthermore, the control device 3 may be present in any location as long as it is capable of measuring the capacitance of the electrode pair 11 and controlling the control target 9, and the eyeglasses 100 do not necessarily have to be equipped with all of the control device 3. Furthermore, the control device 3 may exist as something separate from the eyeglasses 100. In other words, the eyeglasses 100 do not necessarily have to be equipped with some or all of the control device 3.

[0067] The control unit 31 may be implemented using a plurality of information processing devices connected to each other via a network so that they can communicate with each other. In this case, the processes executed by the control unit 31 may be distributed and executed by the plurality of information processing devices.

[0068] Note that all or part of the functions of the control unit 31 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0069] 6, the eyeglass lens 1 has two electrode pairs 11, but the eyeglass lens 1 may have four electrode pairs 11. When the eyeglass lens 1 has four electrode pairs 11, the electrode pairs 11 may be arranged in a square shape. When the eyeglass lens 1 has four electrode pairs 11 arranged in a square shape, it is possible to detect left-right movement and up-down movement of the object 90.

[0070] The eyeglass lens 1 may also include three electrode pairs 11. In such a case, each electrode pair 11 may be arranged so as to be located at the vertices of a triangle. When three electrode pairs 11 are provided so as to be located at the vertices of a triangle, it is possible to detect the movement of the object 90 along the base of the triangle and the movement of the object 90 in the height direction of the triangle. Therefore, even with three electrode pairs 11, it is possible to detect the left-right movement and the up-down movement of the object 90, and it is possible to detect the left-right movement and the up-down movement of the object 90 with fewer electrode pairs 11 than when four electrode pairs 11 are provided.

[0071] The control unit 31 may perform control according to the shape of the frame 2, for example. Information indicating the shape of the frame 2 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 33 or may be input from the outside via the interface unit 32. For example, the shape of the frame 2 determines the shape of the eyeglass lens 1. For example, even if the electrode pair 11 is positioned the same when the eyeglass lens 1 has a low height in the Y-axis direction and a high height in the Y-axis direction, the wearer may move their finger more when the eyeglass lens 1 has a high height than when the eyeglass lens 1 has a low height. When attempting to move their finger more, the speed of their finger movement is likely to be faster. Therefore, even when performing the same operation on the control target 9, the wearer's finger movement may differ depending on the shape of the frame 2. Therefore, by performing control according to the shape of the frame 2, the risk of control that differs from the wearer's expectation due to differences in the shape of the frame 2 is reduced.

[0072] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0073] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100... eyeglasses, 1, 1a... eyeglass lenses, 2... frame, 3... control device, 11... electrode pair, 111... electrode, 112... lens, 113... electrically variable optical filter, 114... protective film, 131... transparent electrode, 132... electrolyte, 30... connection circuit, 31... control unit, 32... interface unit, 33... storage unit, 90... object, 91... processor, 92... memory

Claims

1. A spectacle lens for spectacles used to control a controlled object, comprising an electrode pair, which is a pair of electrodes whose capacitance changes due to a change in the electromagnetic field between the electrodes, and the controlled object is controlled by the change in capacitance.

2. The eyeglass lens according to claim 1, wherein one electrode of the electrode pair is located in one of two spaces bordered by a plane that passes through the optical center of the eyeglass lens and is perpendicular to the optical axis, and the other electrode of the electrode pair is located in the other of the two spaces bordered by the plane.

3. The eyeglass lens according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is a transparent electrode.

4. The eyeglass lens according to claim 1, wherein the number of electrode pairs is multiple.

5. The eyeglass lens according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the electrode pair are located at positions that do not cover the optical center of the eyeglass lens when viewed from the focal point of the eyeglass lens.

6. The eyeglass lens according to claim 1, wherein the electrode of the electrode pair has a plurality of holes, and the sizes and arrangement of the holes are random.

7. Glasses used for controlling a controlled object, comprising: a frame; a spectacle lens having an electrode pair, which is a pair of electrodes whose capacitance changes due to a change in the electromagnetic field between the electrodes; and a control unit that controls the controlled object based on the change in capacitance.

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