WO2016069606A1

WO2016069606A1 - Lens mount for a wearable mobile device

Info

Publication number: WO2016069606A1
Application number: PCT/US2015/057590
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jibo He; Barbara CHAPARRO
Original assignee: Wichita State University
Current assignee: Wichita State University
Priority date: 2014-10-27
Filing date: 2015-10-27
Publication date: 2016-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-27

Abstract

A lens mount for a wearable mobile device includes a main body, a lens holding structure, an optical opening, and a fastener. The lens holding structure may be positioned near a distal end of the main body and includes one more recesses for receiving and holding a lens. The optical opening may extend through the lens holding structure for allowing light to pass through the lens to a camera of the wearable mobile device. The fastener may be positioned near a side of the main body for connecting the lens to the wearable mobile device near the camera.

Description

LENS MOUNT FOR A WEARABLE MOBILE DEVICE

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This non-provisional patent application claims priority benefit with regard to all common subject matter of earlier-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/069,027 filed on October 27, 2014 and entitled "LENS MOUNT FOR A WEARABLE MOBILE DEVICE". The identified earlier-filed provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present application.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Wearable mobile devices such as Google Glass™ often include a camera for capturing first-person video or images from the wearer's point of view. However, the camera often has a limited field of view, such as less than 60 degrees, which may result in the camera failing to capture the intended video footage or imagery. For example, humans have a naturally wide field of view and may wish to capture video footage corresponding to events seen in their peripheral vision. The limited field of view of the camera thus may require a user to move his head to ensure that the camera captures the intended video footage. As another example, the user may be facing forward while looking downward at an object of interest. The camera may remain facing forward, with the object of interest being outside the camera's field of view.

SUMMARY

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a distinct advance in the art of camera optics.

[0004] One embodiment of the present invention is a lens mount for positioning a lens near a camera of a wearable mobile device. The lens mount may include a main body for spacing the lens a predetermined distance from the camera and a fastener for connecting the lens mount to the wearable mobile device such that the lens is optically aligned with the camera. The main body may include a proximal end, a distal end spaced from the proximal end, and a lens holding structure positioned near the distal end. The lens holding structure may hold the lens in a fixed position relative to the camera. The lens may refract or alter the light entering the camera so that the field of view of the camera is increased or the optics of the camera is changed.

[0005] Another embodiment of the present invention is a lens mount similar to the lens mount described above except that the lens mount is a unitary piece printed via additive manufacturing. That is, the main body, lens holding structure, and fastener may be integrally formed.

[0006] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method of modifying optics of a camera of a wearable mobile device. The method includes mounting a lens mount (such as one of the lens mounts described above) to a wearable mobile device and connecting a lens to the lens mount such that the lens is spaced in front of the camera and optically aligned with the camera. The lens may refract light towards the camera, thereby increasing the field of view of the camera. The camera may then capture increased field-of-view video and the wearable mobile device may then display the increased field-of-view video on a display so that a wearer may see normally (such as through normal-view lenses of the wearable mobile device) and view the increased field-of-view video while wearing the wearable mobile device.

[0007] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lens mount constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a lens, and a wearable mobile device;

[0010] FIG. 2 is an enlarged top perspective view of the lens mount of FIG. 1 ; [0011] FIG. 3 is another enlarged top perspective view of the lens mount of FIG. 1 ;

[0012] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front elevation view of the lens mount of FIG. 1 ; and

[0013] FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the lens mount of FIG. 1.

[0014] The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0015] The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention is intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by claims presented in subsequent regular utility applications, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0016] In this description, references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "embodiments" mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "embodiments in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, step, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

[0017] Turning to FIG. 1 , embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a lens mount 10, which may be used with a wearable mobile device 100 for mounting a lens 200 thereto. The wearable mobile device 100 may be a Google Glass™, Meta™ Pro, Vuzix® Smart Glasses, Optinvent™ Ora-S AR™ glasses, Recon Jet™ glasses, GlassUp™, Epiphany Eyewear™, Telepathy On™, Sony® Glass, Samsung® Glass, Looxcie™ LX2 Wearable Video Cam, Microsoft™ HoloLens, a webcam, computer goggles, or any other device that is worn by a user. In some embodiments, the device 100 may be worn on or near the wearer's face such as over the wearer's eye or in the wearer's ear. The wearable mobile device 100 may include a frame 102, a stem 104, a camera 106, and other computing components such as a display 108.

[0018] The frame 102 allows the wearable mobile device 100 to be donned on the wearer's head and may be formed of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material. The frame 102 may include left and right members 1 10, 1 12 for supporting the wearable mobile device 12 on the wearer's ears and a bridge 1 14 for supporting the frame 102 on the wearer's nose. The frame 102 may also include transparent eyeglass lenses 1 16. The lenses 1 16 may be prescription lenses, generic corrective lenses, bifocals, trifocals, sunglass lenses, or non-altered lenses.

[0019] The stem 104 supports the camera 106 and the display 108 and extends from a front corner or side of the frame 102. The stem 104 may be formed of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material and may have ergonomic contours and smooth edges.

[0020] The camera 106 captures video and images and is positioned in or on the stem 104. The camera 106 includes a lens 1 18 facing forward from the stem 104 and may be approximately flush with the front of the stem 104. The lens 1 18 may generally be a stock lens or common lens with a limited viewing range (e.g., 60 degrees) and limited zooming range.

[0021] The display 108 displays video, images, and/or text in the wearer's viewing area and extends from a side of the stem 104.

[0022] The lens 200, which may be mounted to and/or within the lens mount 10, may be a zooming lens, a compound or complex lens, fisheye lens, wide-angle lens, telescoping lens, polarized lens, bioptic lens, or any other type of lens, a polarizing filter, a color filter, or any other type of filter, or any other optical accessory that modifies the optical properties of the camera 106 as desired.

[0023] Turning to FIGS. 2-5, the lens mount 10 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The lens mount 10 broadly includes a main body 12, which may include a lens holding structure 14 and an optical opening 16, and a fastener 18. The lens mount 10 may be formed of plastic, metal, or any other suitable material and may be molded, constructed via additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing), or assembled. In one embodiment, the lens mount 10 is a unitary piece of material. The lens mount 10 may have filleted or chamfered edges and corners.

[0024] The main body 12 provides the primary structure for the lens mount 10 and may be formed of plastic, metal, or any other suitable material. The main body 12 may be less than 1 inch tall, less than 1 inch wide, and less than 1 inch thick for mounting a lens 200 on the wearable mobile device 100. The main body 12 may space the lens 200 a predetermined distance such as less than 0.5 inches, less than 0.25 inches, less than 0.125 inches, or any other suitable distance from the camera 106 of the wearable mobile device 100 when the lens mount 10 is connected to the wearable mobile device 100. The main body 12 may include convex and/or concave contours 20 for ergonomically fitting to a contour of the stem 104 or other part of the wearable mobile device 100.

[0025] The lens holding structure 14 may be positioned near a distal end of the main body 12 (e.g., an end opposite the camera 106 of the wearable mobile device 100) and may include one or more recesses 22, notches, mounting bosses, or other mounting geometries for receiving and holding the lens 200 or one of a number of differently sized and shaped lenses. For instance, the lens holding structure 14 illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 forms a recess 22 that presents a flanged surface on which the lens 200 may be received. The recesses 22 may be shaped for holding a specific shape of lens such as round, straight, oval, or complex shape. The recesses 22 may also be shaped for holding a specific type of lens and each recess may be configured to receive one of a number of differently sized and shaped lenses.

[0026] The optical opening 16 allows light to travel through the lens 200 and to the camera 106 of the wearable mobile device 100 and may be circular or any other shape. The optical opening 16 may extend through the main body 12 or may be open to a side, top, or bottom of the main body 12. [0027] The fastener 18 allows the lens mount 10 to be releasably connected or attached to the wearable mobile device 100 and may be a clip, hook, ring, protrusion, slot, or other similar fastener or geometry. In one embodiment, as shown in the drawing figures, the fastener 18 may be a clip having two prongs 24, 26 spaced apart from each other and each including a leg 28 extending away from the side or proximal end (e.g., an end near the wearable mobile device 100) of the main body 12 and a tab 30 extending towards another tab 30 from a distal end of the leg 28. The tabs 30 may have a slanted surface for conforming to a contour of the stem 104 or other part of the wearable mobile device 100. The prongs 24, 26 define a stem receiving area 32 for receiving a portion of the stem 104 or other part of the wearable mobile 100 device therein. The receiving area 32 may be closed or may be partially open between the two prongs 24, 26 so that slightly separating the prongs 24, 26 increases the size of the receiving area 32 for more easily removing and/or attaching the lens mount 10 to the wearable mobile device 100. The fastener 18 may be shaped to conform to a contour of the stem 104 or other part of the wearable mobile device 100 near the camera 106 of the wearable mobile device 100 so that the lens 200 is positioned over the camera 106. The fastener 18 may be snapped onto or slid onto the stem 104 or other part of the wearable mobile device 100. In other embodiments the fastener 18 may be screwed or snapped onto the wearable mobile device 100.

[0028] When the lens mount 10 is connected to the wearable mobile device 100 and the lens 200 is received by or mounted on the lens holding structure 14 such that the lens 200 is spaced in front of and optically aligned with the camera 106, the lens 200 may refract light towards the camera such that the viewing angle of the camera increases. For example, the lens mount 10 and lens 200 may increase the viewing angle of the camera from approximately 60 degrees (or any other nominal viewing angle) to approximately 120 degrees, 180 degrees, 190 degrees, 200 degrees, 210 degrees, or more for some lenses. Said differently, the viewing angle of the camera may be doubled, tripled, or more.

[0029] The wearable mobile device 100 may then display live or recorded video with the increased viewing angle (as captured by the camera 106) on the display 108 so that the wearer may see normally (such as through the lens 1 16 of the wearable mobile device 100) and view a wide field-of-view via the display 108. The live or recorded video may also be transmitted or streamed to other electronic devices or stored in a memory of the wearable mobile device 100 or another electronic device for later viewing.

[0030] The present invention provides many advantages and benefits. For example, the lens mount 10 may be connectable to the wearable mobile device 100 such that the lens mount 10 and lens 200 may increase the viewing angle (i.e., expand the field of view) of the camera 106 of the wearable mobile device 100 from approximately 60 degrees to approximately 120 degrees, 180 degrees, 190 degrees, 200 degrees, 210 degrees, or more for some lenses. In one embodiment, the lens mount 10 may allow a wearer to use the wearable mobile device 100 while aiming a firearm so as to simultaneously provide the wearer with a normal view (i.e., through the lens 1 16) and a wide-angle view (i.e., through the lens 200 and display 108). The lens mount 10 may also be used for improving driving, working, educational and training tasks, medical procedures, and other similar tasks. The lens mount 10 may improve the performance and safety of drivers, pilots, doctors, soldiers, and others by expanding their vision field and improving their vision. The lens mount 10 and lens 200 expand the field of view for the wearer in observation, training, teaching, and communication fields. The lens mount 10 also allows the wearer to zoom in on a target in some embodiments. The lens mount 10 and lens 200 also helps a wearer with vision field loss and/or vision impairment by increasing the wearer's vision field area and improving the wearer's vision.

[0031] Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

[0032] Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

Claims

Claims:

1. A lens mount for positioning a lens near a camera of a wearable mobile device, the lens mount comprising:

a main body configured to space the lens a predetermined distance from the camera, the main body including a proximal end, a distal end spaced in front of the proximal end, and a lens holding structure positioned near the distal end, the lens holding structure being configured to hold the lens in a fixed position relative to the camera; and

a fastener configured to connect the lens mount to the wearable mobile device such that the lens is optically aligned with the camera.

2. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the lens holding structure includes one or more recesses for receiving the lens therein.

3. The lens mount of claim 2, wherein the recesses are circular.

4. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the lens holding structure includes a plurality of recesses, each of the recesses being configured to receive one of a number of differently sized and shaped lenses.

5. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the lens holding structure includes one or more mounting bosses for receiving the lens thereon.

6. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the lens holding structure includes one or more notches for receiving the lens.

7. The lens mount of claim 1 , further comprising an optical opening extending from the lens holding structure and being at least partially enclosed by the main body.

8. The lens mount of claim 7, wherein the optical opening extends through the main body such that light passing through the lens reaches the camera through the main body.

9. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the main body includes contours for economically fitting to a contour of a stem of the wearable mobile device.

10. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the main body is configured to space the lens less than 0.5 inches from the camera.

1 1. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is a clip having two prongs spaced apart from each other, the prongs having parallel legs extending away from the main body and tabs extending towards each other from ends of the legs for removably connecting the lens mount to the wearable electronic device.

12. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the lens mount is formed via additive manufacturing.

13. The lens mount of claim 1 , wherein the lens mount is configured to increase a field of view of the camera via the lens.

14. The lens mount of claim 13, wherein the lens mount is configured to at least double the field of view of the camera.

15. A lens mount for positioning a lens near a camera of a wearable mobile device, the lens mount comprising:

a fastener configured to connect the lens mount to the wearable mobile device such that the lens is optically aligned with the camera, the lens mount being a unitary piece printed via additive manufacturing.

16. The lens mount of claim 15, wherein the lens holding structure includes one or more recesses for receiving the lens.

17. The lens mount of claim 15, further comprising an optical opening extending from the lens holding structure through the main body such that light passing through the lens reaches the camera through the main body.

18. The lens mount of claim 15, wherein the fastener is a clip having two prongs spaced apart from each other, the prongs having parallel legs extending away from the main body and tabs extending towards each other from ends of the legs for removably connecting the lens mount to the wearable electronic device.

19. The lens mount of claim 18, wherein the tabs have a slanted surface for conforming to a contour of a stem on the wearable electronic device.

20. A method of modifying optics of a camera of a wearable mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a lens mount including:

a fastener configured to connect the lens mount to the wearable mobile device such that the lens is optically aligned with the camera;

connecting a lens to the lens mount via the lens holding structure;

attaching the lens mount to the wearable mobile device via the fastener so that the lens is spaced from the camera of the wearable mobile device such that the lens refracts light towards the camera, thereby increasing the field of view of the camera of the wearable mobile device;

capturing video having an increased field of view via the camera and the lens; and

displaying the video on a display of the wearable mobile device so that a wearer may look normally and view the increased field-of-view video on the display while wearing the wearable mobile device.