The present invention relates to a novel configuration of eyeglasses and shoes that provide customization advantages in combination with integrated electronic functionality.
Eyeglasses play a significant role in the fashion industry. Although they are often necessary for the visually impaired, they also provide a fashion statement. As such, the design of eyeglasses plays an important role in fashion. A known and accepted aspect of the fashion industry is that particular styles are in a constant state of flux. What is in vogue at present may be out of style in only a matter of months. For products to adequately weather the ever changing winds of fashion, they must either adopt conservative styling or be adaptable to change with the whims of the fashion industry.
In addition to their role as fashion accessories, it is known that technology may be incorporated into eyeglasses such that microphones, speakers, and cameras can be integrated into the design. Existing integration, however, faces challenges similar to those of the fashion industry. Technology moves and adapts at a quick pace and is increasingly outdated after shorter lifespans. It is therefore increasingly important for products to be technologically adaptable.
An additional problem with the existing integration of technology into eyeglasses is that it commonly runs directly counter to the direction dictated by fashion. A significant impediment for existing tech eyeglasses is that the obvious integration of technology into wearable items is often viewed as tacky. Integration of technology into eyeglasses needs a creative approach such that the integration does not itself diminish fashion appeal.
Additionally, footwear also balances the paradigm of functionality and design. The nature of footwear, however, commonly provides considerably more space than eyewear to house electronics. Therefore, a design concept that also utilized footwear in the integration of technology would be additionally beneficial.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an eyeglass design that is adaptable to conform with fashion industry appeal as well as integrating technology by way of a method that does not diminish the desired styling but may enhance it. It is an additional object of the present design to provide footwear design that integrates technology without diminishing important styling considerations.
The present invention provides a unique customizable eyeglasses assembly. The eyeglasses assembly combines a highly customizable fashion frame with a highly customizable integrated electronic functionality. The eyeglasses assembly includes interchangeable temple members including wireless technology integrated within. Additionally, the temple members include at least one rotatable section for altering fashion appearance or for selectively operating the integrated wireless technology. The temple members would preferably have a rotatable stop such that they could be rotatable in place and provide two to four separate appearances.
Also in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an interchangeable and rotatable nose piece member may be included into the eyeglasses assembly. The nose piece member may also include integrated technology that interacts with the wireless technology integrated into the temple portions. It is contemplated that the nose piece member may be rotatable or interchanged with additional members to provide multiple fashion appearances or to selectively activate the integrated technology. The temple portions can also be rotated, exchanged, removed or altered for design and/or integrated technological components. As the prescriptions of the lens itself may need to be revised (prescription strength commonly alters over time) the components of the frame and nosepiece can be retained saving costs to the consumer.
Other benefits and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in accordance with the following description and drawings, as well as the appended claims.
a is a detailed illustration of the temple piece shown in
b is a detailed illustration of the temple piece shown in
Although the present invention is described herein with specific reference to particular designs of eyeglasses, it is to be understood that the present invention has applicability to a wide variety of eyeglass designs, including any that would be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the present description and drawings. The attached schematics are not intended as the sole design application and are directed towards the function and addition of wireless communications teamed up with the fashion/design industries marketability of the same, regardless of the ultimate design. At least one purpose of the present invention was the creation of eyeglasses, worn daily, that incorporate wireless technology and compatible areas with no limitation as to where the glasses might be worn; i.e. entertainment venues, court houses, schools, sports arenas, etc.
Referring now to
The present invention provides a novel approach to eyeglass design in that the temple pieces 26, and also the nose piece 28, are easily removable, alterable, rotatable, interchangeable, and/or swappable from the frame portion 22 or pair of lenses 24. This allows a consumer to alter the appearance or functionality of the eyeglasses 20 while maintaining the pair of lenses 24 that are commonly expensive and/or tailored to an individuals specific needs or prescription. Although it is contemplated that the temple pieces 26 may be made to be removable and swappable in a variety of fashion, in at least one embodiment the present invention contemplates that the attachment methodology includes one of snap fit, standard screw fit, and geometric shape fit. It is contemplated that for geometric shape fit, the temple pieces 26 engage the frame portion 22 with complementary geometric shapes that once rotated into engagement function as a traditional hinge (see
A unique element of the present invention is that the temple pieces 26 are not only swappable but are contemplated to incorporate integrated electronics 30 (
A secondary issue plaguing existing technology is the need of electronics for consistent power sources during both operation and standby modes. While routine docking for charging purposes is acceptable for items such as cell phones, individuals commonly desire to continuously wear their eyeglasses 20 for an entire day. Power sourcing over this period can result in bulky unfashionable eyewear as well as undesirable weight for the user. The present invention provides solution to this dilemma in a novel and unique fashion. In addition, the ability to change, rotate, or alternate design and function can be utilized to allow the storage of needed charges in other components that may be swapped out.
The present invention contemplates that each of the temple pieces 26c, 26d may include a rotating temple body portion 32 positioned in between the mounting end 34 and an ear engagement end 36. The rotating temple body portion 32 may be rotated 180 degrees such that either a first body side 38 or a second body side 40 is exposed during the wearing of the eyeglasses 20 (
In addition to the instant fashion adjustment, however, the rotatable body portion 32 can provide additional functionality. It is contemplated that the rotatable body portion 32 may be in communication with the integrated electronics 30 such that electronics are powered when the first body side 38 is exposed (
In at least one embodiment, it is contemplated that the electronics 30 are comprised of 3D lens controlling electronics which can be used in combination with 3D lenses such as shutter lenses. The swappable nature of the temple body portions 32 allow a single set of 3D lenses to be operated under a plurality of differing 3D standards. The user would simply swap the temple body portions 32 for those incorporating the appropriate technology for the appropriate use. In another embodiment, it is contemplated that the electronics 30 comprise electronics capable of receiving and storing wireless data transmissions. In this scenario, the owner may rotate the rotating sections 42 to activate the wifi or other receiving electronics. In this fashion, an owner may receive and store vendor contact information or catalogs when at a trade show. Alternately, the detailed lesson notes may be transferred to a student during classroom instruction. In addition, at educational establishments such as museums, details on artwork, science, or history relevant to a particular exhibit maybe transferred to a viewer. A law firm or other professional could utilize this to transfer data. Medical records could be stored and retracted from an individual's glasses for use during treatment or during a medical emergency. This information may comprise information for the user to access at home such as additional data or interne links. This information may further include data to be accessed immediately such as voice data narrating information on the exhibit. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that the electronics 30 includes speakers or earphones. Finally, one embodiment contemplates the storage of personal medical information in the electronics 30 such that a patients medical records may be carried in their entirety with them for emergencies or doctors visits. The ability of the owner to rotate the body sides 38, 40 in order to completely disconnect the electronics 30 allows for a highly secure storage methodology that provides data security above and beyond encryption.
It is contemplated that the electronics 30 may be comprised of a removable electronics module 44 that is configured to be engaged into an electronics receptacle 46 formed in the body sides 38, 40 such that the electronics 30 may be swapped independent of the temple pieces 26 (
In still another adaptation, it is contemplated that the electronics module 44 may be embedded in a removable mid portion 57 into one of the body sides 38,40 of the temple pieces 26. In such an embodiment, the electronically embedded mid portion 57 may be swapped with an alternate portion having varied electronic functionality or may be replaced with a non-embedded mid portion 59 which is purely esthetic such that the user may operate in areas where electronics are not allowed. The electronics modules 30 may in fact be adapted to fit around the temple pieces 26 and mounted directly to the outside, so as to simultaneously contribute both to functionality and appearance.
In an additional embodiment, it is contemplated that the electronics module 44 comprises an electronic ink controller in communication with an electronic ink display 52 formed in the temple pieces 26 (
Although the antenna 48 has been described an illustrated as contained within the temple pieces 26, an additional embodiment contemplates the antenna 48 being movable between an antenna stored position 54 and an antenna deployed position 56 (see
The present invention further contemplates the incorporation of the electronics 30 comprising a removable electronics module 44 into footwear 100 (
It is contemplated that the electrics module 44 may be held within the footwear 100 by way of snap fit, Velcro, magnets, or similar attachment methodologies. Although the electronics module 44 may be an entirely self contained module, in one embodiment it is contemplated that an antenna 48 and/or battery 50 may be molded or otherwise embedded into the footwear 100 or sole 102 independent of the electronics module 44. This allows the electronics module 44 to be reduced in size along with the ability for multiple modules to share a common battery 50 and/or antenna 48. In addition, this allows individual pairs of shoes to be stored on a charger such that they are ready for action upon installation of the electronics module 44. It is contemplated that the footwear 100 may incorporate at least one robust pressure switch 106 formed into the sole 102 or other region of the footwear 100. The robust pressure switch 106 may be utilized to selectively engage or disengage the electronics module 44 from the battery 50. It is preferable that the robust pressure switch 106 may be activated by the wearer pressing either with the adjoining shoe or by pressing it against a nearby structure. In this fashion, the wearer can activate the electronics module 44 discreetly and without having to remove the footwear 100. Although the electronics module 44 located in the footwear 100 may act independently, in at least one embodiment, it is contemplated that the electronics in the footwear 100 is in wireless communication with the electronics in the eyewear 20 as described above. The significantly larger structure of footwear 100 allows for an increased level and size of electronics while allowing the eyewear 20 to remain small. In addition the eyewear 20 provides a convenient user interface for the electronics in the footwear 100.
Although footwear 100 can accommodate larger modules, in at least one embodiment it is contemplated that the modules may be identical in size to those used in the temple pieces 24 such that they may be swapped there between. It is further contemplated that the electronics module 44 may be pliable to accommodate the lines of a shoe (heel, toe, etc). The module 44 may be incorporated into a shoe strap. Additionally, a flap might be created to house the electronics module 44 that could snap to the footwear 100 or attach by way of a shoe lace running through the fold over. It is contemplated that the electronics module 44 could be transferred into a wide variety of toys and other objects as well. The present invention, therefore, could be marketed for its transferability to allow wireless technology to accommodate toys, games, key chains and other products not currently wireless compatible. This again could be done through a variety of accommodations including, but not limited to, snaps, zippers, tie ins or other methods.
It is contemplated that the electronics module 44 may comprise gps related technology to allow remote tracking of the wearable element it is embedded in. By placing it in a pet collar, the location of the pet could easily be determined to prevent loss. It could additionally allow for parents to track a child wearing the technology implemented by the present invention. The module 44 could be strategically placed in a child's shoes, clothing, accessories toys, etc to track their whereabouts should they get lost or worse. Prescription medical pill boxes might retain the present invention such that the patient could locate the same should it get lost. Placing the present invention on clothing of an adult with a disability such as dementia could provide tracking without an invasive technique.
It should be understood that the frame portion 22 and the pair of temple pieces 24 or even portions of the footwear 100 may be formed of a variety of materials including floatable and antimicrobial materials. In addition, it is contemplated that the frame portion 22 and temple pieces 24 and even the sole 102 may be formed in a variety of fashions including, but not limited to, injection molding, vacuum forming, and stamping.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, numerous variations and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and utilizing advances in technology. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described herein but instead limited to the terms of the appended claims.