Nose Pad Electrode Arrangement for Ocular Potential Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable eye-worn devices that measure ocular potentials for detecting eye fixation require users to contact the forehead with an electrode, causing increased strain due to the additional contact points.
Innovation Solution
An eye-worn device design featuring electrodes only on the nose pads, eliminating the need for forehead contact by using a configuration of laterally symmetrical and asymmetrical electrode arrangements on the nose pads to measure ocular potentials, allowing for reduced user strain and efficient detection of eye fixation changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electrodes are provided on the bridge to measure ocular potentials, then ocular potential measurement is achieved, but user strain increases due to forehead contact requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electrode placement from the bridge/forehead area and relocates it exclusively to the nose pads. This removes the source of user strain (forehead contact) while preserving the measurement function. The nose pads naturally contact the user's face during normal wear, eliminating the need for additional forehead contact.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing electrodes on the bridge as in conventional designs, the patent inverts the approach by placing electrodes only on the nose pads. This reverse placement strategy achieves the same measurement objective while eliminating the discomfort associated with bridge contact.
2Ease of operation
If electrodes are placed only on nose pads, then user strain is reduced, but measurement capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetrical electrode placement on the nose pads, with electrodes positioned at different locations to capture the ocular potential differences. This asymmetrical arrangement enables the measurement system to detect eye movement directions while maintaining comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single measurement point (bridge) to a distributed measurement system across the nose pads. By utilizing the spatial dimension of the nose pad surface and arranging electrodes laterally, the system achieves comprehensive ocular potential measurement without forehead contact.
3Measurement precision
If conventional bridge electrode placement is used, then ocular potentials can be measured, but device complexity increases due to forehead contact mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the forehead contact mechanism entirely from the device design. By relocating electrodes to the nose pads, which naturally contact the user during normal wear, the complex forehead contact mechanism is eliminated, simplifying the overall device structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively detects horizontal and vertical eye movements without requiring forehead contact, reducing user strain and enabling comfortable wear while maintaining accurate ocular potential measurement and fixation detection.
Implementation Method 1
a first electrode (101) on the first nose pad (12A), a second electrode (102) on the second nose pad (12B) and a third electrode (103) on the second nose pad (12B)... used for measuring first ocular potentials in the first direction... used for measuring second ocular potentials in the second direction
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an eye-worn electronic device includes a first nose pad, a first electrode, a second nose pad, a second electrode and a third electrode. The first electrode is on the first nose pad. The second electrode is on the second nose pad. The first electrode and the second electrode are in a first straight line extending in a first direction and are used for measuring first ocular potentials in the first direction. The third electrode is on the second nose pad and is at a position distance away from the first straight line. The first electrode and the third electrode are in a second straight line extending in a second direction different from the first direction and are used for measuring second ocular potentials in the second direction.