US 2,013,127,980 · Filed 2012-09-26

The Wrist Controller That Powers See-Through Smart Glasses

Imagine glasses that show digital information overlaid on the real world—like AR glasses. This patent describes a wristband that wirelessly communicates with those smart glasses and a phone or other device, acting as the control hub that lets all three devices talk to each other and share data seamlessly.

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The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a wrist-worn device equipped with NFC (near-field communication) that connects to smart eyeglasses via medium-range wireless protocols. What's protected here is the specific system architecture: a wristband that bridges communication between a see-through display (the glasses) and a second NFC-enabled device (like a phone), allowing data to flow between them while the wearer can view information on the transparent eyepiece. The patent locks down this three-way wireless relay function.

Why it matters

This patent addresses a core challenge in AR glasses: how do you control what appears on your lenses without constantly touching the glasses themselves? By moving the control hub to the wrist—a natural, always-accessible spot—the design solves usability and social acceptance problems. Smart glasses that require hand gestures on the frame or voice commands feel intrusive; a wristband feels natural, like a watch. For companies building AR ecosystems, this patent protects a foundational interaction model.

Real-world use

When you're wearing AR glasses and tap your wrist to navigate a menu, dismiss a notification, or transfer a photo from your phone to your glasses display, you're using the wireless architecture this patent describes.

Original USPTO abstract

This disclosure concerns a near field communication (NFC) device which includes a wrist-worn NFC-enabled electronics device, wherein the wrist-worn NFC enabled electronics device includes a first communications link for communicating with a second NFC-enabled electronics device via NFC protocols, and a second communications link for communicating with an eyepiece via a medium-range communications protocol and receiving control commands. The wrist-worn NFC-enabled electronics device facilitates the transfer of data between the eyepiece and the second NFC-enabled electronics device. The eyepiece comprises optics enabling a see-through display on which is displayed the data.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,013,127,980
Filing date: 2012-09-26
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
Inventor(s): HADDICK JOHN D., OSTERHOUT RALPH F.
CPC class: G06F3/013

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