Smartglasses with Bendable Temples for Comfortable Fit

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Solution Overview

Problem

Smartglasses with electronic components and wiring are difficult to bend around the ear for a comfortable fit, as bending can damage the components, and existing designs do not allow for adjustable frames to accommodate the weight and additional components.

Innovation Solution

A novel design for smartglasses with temples that include three portions, where one portion is designed to be bent around the ear, using different materials and structures to allow for flexibility and protection of electronic components, enabling wireless connectivity and lighter batteries through offloading processing to remote devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If electronic components and wiring are mounted in the temples of smartglasses, then the smartglasses gain functional capabilities, but the temples cannot be bent around the ear for fitting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefit adjustabilityVSAvoidelectronic component protection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The temple is divided into multiple segments: a rigid first portion containing electronic components, a flexible second portion for bending around the ear, and a third portion that may contain additional components. This segmentation allows the bending portion to be flexible while protecting electronic components in rigid sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the temple have different mechanical properties tailored to their specific functions. The first portion is made rigid to protect electronics, the second portion is made flexible to enable bending around the ear, and the third portion has appropriate stiffness for its function. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between bendability and component protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the temple is made flexible to bend around the ear, then the fit is improved, but electronic components may be damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefitting processVSAvoidelectronic component integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Electronic components are extracted from the flexible portion and placed exclusively in the rigid first portion of the temple. This separation ensures that components are not exposed to the stresses of bending, allowing the temple to be flexible where needed while maintaining component integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Speed

If processing is performed locally on the smartglasses, then real-time functionality is achieved, but the device becomes heavier and requires more power

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidsmartglasses weight

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically distributes processing tasks between the smartglasses and remote devices based on requirements. Critical real-time functions are processed locally, while non-critical functions are offloaded to remote devices, optimizing the balance between processing speed and device weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A wireless communication system serves as an intermediary between the smartglasses and remote devices. This allows processing to be distributed across multiple devices while maintaining real-time functionality through fast wireless data transmission, reducing the need for heavy local processing hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11604367B2Smartglasses with bendable temples

Publication Date: 2023.03.14 FACENSE LTD

AI summary

A novel design for untethered smartglasses with wireless connectivity in which electronic components and electric wiring are mounted in a manner than enables at least a portion of temples of the smartglasses to be bent around the ear to improve the smartglasses' fit. In one embodiment, the smartglasses include a front element that supports lenses and two temples, coupled to the front element through hinges that enable folding and unfolding. At least one of the temples includes: a first portion coupled to the front element with first electronic components, a second portion coupled to the first portion with electric wires, and a third portion coupled to the second portion with second electronic components. The second portion is designed to be bent around a human ear to improve the smartglasses' fit, and the first and third portions are not designed to be bent to improve the smartglasses' fit.