Google Glass patent application gets really technical
The
Web giant details everything from the bridge to the display of its
high-tech spectacles, saying advancements in wearable displays have
really been needed.
(Credit:
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; screenshot by Shara Tibken/CNET)
Google sure is trying to head off any possible Glass copycats with its detailed patent application, published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The application, originally filed by Google in August 2011, goes
into deep detail on how the glasses could be constructed, with long
sections describing factors seemingly as mundane as the arms and bridge
of the glasses frames.
As for the display, in a section of
the application labeled "Background," Google explains that some
head-mounted displays can "almost entirely obstruct the wearer's vision
outside of the screen." Others can be "heads-up displays" where an image
is displayed on, in, or through a transparent display that superimposes
the displayed image over the surrounding environment. Google cautions,
though, that the heads-up display can have many limitations, including
fit and comfort to the wearers, as well as limited functionality.
(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)
The company notes that both head-mounted and heads-up display
gadgets can be "passive" and deliver things like video and audio tracks
from outside sources, like cell phones or
tablets.
However, it noted that those would have limited functionality.
Accordingly, Google argued that "further advances in wearable devices
including displays have been needed," hence its push in the area.
There's too much detail for CNET to include all of it here, and it's
unlikely that Google will implement all of the items described in its
application. But in the competitive (and litigious) world of patents,
Google likely wants to be safe to create anything it desires related to
the area.
CNET's Josh Lowensohn contributed to this report.
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