Ring-Mounted Flexible Circuit for Low-Power Eyewear Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices, such as eyewear and handheld devices, lack intuitive and efficient methods for user interaction, particularly in scenarios requiring selective control and three-dimensional imaging.
Innovation Solution
A flexible electronic device attached to a graspable object like a ring, which includes sensors and a low-power circuit, wakes up the eyewear device upon interaction, enabling a graphical user interface and three-dimensional imaging through overlapping camera fields of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible electronic device with sensors is attached to a graspable object, then user interaction control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate devices: a flexible electronic device with sensors attached to a graspable object (ring) and an eyewear device. The flexible device handles sensing and control initiation, while the eyewear device executes commands and provides feedback, distributing complexity across multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible electronic device attached to the graspable object serves as an intermediary between the user's hand movements and the eyewear device. It detects interactions through sensors and transmits control signals to the eyewear, mediating the interaction and simplifying the overall control architecture.
2Speed
If the flexible electronic device operates continuously to detect interactions, then responsiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible electronic device operates in periodic cycles, alternating between active sensing modes and low-power states. The device activates sensors only when needed to detect interactions, then enters sleep mode to conserve energy, maintaining responsiveness while reducing overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible electronic device includes onboard processing capability to autonomously detect and evaluate sensor inputs, determining whether interactions warrant waking the eyewear device. This self-service approach filters out noise and minimizes unnecessary communication, reducing energy consumption while maintaining fast response to genuine interactions.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are integrated into the flexible device, then interaction detection precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible electronic device is designed with multi-functionality, integrating multiple sensor types (touch, proximity, force) that can detect various interaction modes. These sensors serve multiple purposes: detecting user presence, identifying gesture types, and measuring interaction intensity, reducing the need for separate specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes a flexible substrate that can be conformally attached to the graspable object. This flexible film structure simplifies manufacturing by allowing sensors to be deposited or mounted on a single flexible layer rather than rigid circuit boards, enabling easier integration of multiple sensor types through flexible PCB techniques or direct printing methods.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, media, and methods are presented for using a flexible electronic device to selectively interact with an eyewear device. A portable eyewear device includes a processor, a memory, and a display projected onto at least one lens assembly. A flexible electronic device includes an integrated circuit, a plurality of input sensors, and a power system, all mounted on a flexible substrate that is sized and shaped to conform to a graspable object such as a ring. The flexible electronic device operates according to a power budget, operating on a sensor power budget until it detects a first interaction with at least one of the input sensors. If the first interaction exceeds a sensitivity threshold, the flexible electronic device sends a wake signal to a nearby eyewear device. In response to the wake signal, the eyewear device presents a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display. The eyewear device further presents a cursor along a path on the display that is substantially correlated to the course traveled by the flexible electronic device in motion along a course.