# US 10,768,451 B1 · Diffusers in wearable devices

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- Number: US 10,768,451 B1
- Document ID: US10768451B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/446,704
- Filed: 2019-06-20
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-26
- Assignees: Snap Inc.
- Applicants: Cècile Claire Madeleine Carlson
- Inventors: Cècile Claire Madeleine Carlson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768451B1

## CPC

- F21V 33/0004: {Personal or domestic articles}
- G02C 11/10: {Electronic devices other than hearing aids}
- F21V 3/049: {Patterns or structured surfaces for diffusing light, e.g. frosted surfaces}
- F21V 23/003: {the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array}
- F21V 23/0442: {activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors}
- G02B 5/0257: {creating an anisotropic diffusion characteristic, i.e. distributing output differently in two perpendicular axes}
- G02C 11/04: Illuminating means
- F21W 2111/00: Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
- F21Y 2103/33: annular
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

An embodiment includes eyewear comprising an optical element, a controller, a support structure configured to support the optical element and the controller, light sources coupled to the controller and supported by the support structure, and a diffuser positioned adjacent to the light sources and supported by the support structure, the diffuser including microstructures that diffuse light emitted by the light sources in a radial anisotropic diffusion pattern or a prism-like diffusion pattern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Eyewear comprising:
an optical element;
a controller;
a support structure configured to support the optical element and the controller, wherein the support structure comprises a frame holding lenses of the eyewear;
light sources coupled to the controller and supported by the support structure; and
a diffuser positioned adjacent to the light sources and supported by the support structure, the diffuser including microstructures that diffuse light emitted by the light sources in a radial anisotropic diffusion pattern;
wherein the diffuser has a circular shape and the radial anisotropic diffusion pattern diffuses the light in a radial direction around the circular shape; and
wherein the light sources are positioned in a circular pattern on the frame and the diffuser is positioned in front of the light sources on the frame such that the diffuser diffuses the light of each of the light sources differently according to their respective position in the circular pattern.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The eyewear of claim 1, further comprising:
another light source and another diffuser having another diffusion pattern, wherein the other diffusion pattern tilts light from the other light source in an axial direction across the support structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The eyewear of claim 2, the support structure further comprising:
temples,
wherein the other light source is positioned on the frame or the temples and the diffuser is positioned in front of the light sources such that the diffuser tilts the light of the light source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The eyewear of claim 1, further comprising:
a circuit board coupled to the light sources; and
a light source window positioned in between the light sources and the diffuser.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The eyewear of claim 1,
wherein the microstructures include material deposited features on a surface of the diffuser to configure the diffuser according to the anisotropic diffusion pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The eyewear of claim 1,
wherein the microstructures include material etched features on a surface of the diffuser to configure the diffuser according to the anisotropic diffusion pattern.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The eyewear of claim 1,
wherein the microstructures include material embossed features on a surface of the diffuser to configure the diffuser according to the anisotropic diffusion pattern.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The eyewear of claim 1,
wherein the anisotropic diffusion pattern is configured to diffuse the light emitted by the light sources around a circular shape where the intensity of light increases in one radial direction and decreases in another radial direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The eyewear of claim 2,
wherein the other diffusion pattern is a prism-like diffusion pattern configured to diffuse the light emitted by the other light source into a cone where the cone is tilted in a predetermined direction with respect to the eyewear.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The eyewear of claim 1,
wherein the light sources are electrically coupled to the controller and the controller is configured to control the light sources separately.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The eyewear of claim 10,
wherein the controller is further configured to illuminate the light sources in a sequential pattern.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The eyewear of claim 2,
wherein the other diffusion pattern is a prism-like diffusion pattern that restricts an angle of emission of the light source.

### Claim 13

An eyewear control method for illuminating eyewear, the method comprising:
detecting, by a controller in a support structure of the eyewear, a trigger signal instructing the controller to illuminate light sources in the support structure, wherein the support structure comprises a frame holding lenses of the eyewear; and
in response to receiving the trigger signal, illuminating, by the controller, the light sources in the support structure such that the light sources emit light through microstructures of a diffuser in the eyewear in a radial anisotropic diffusion pattern
wherein the diffuser has a circular shape and the radial anisotropic diffusion pattern diffuses the light in a radial direction around the circular shape; and
wherein the light sources are positioned in a circular pattern on the frame and the diffuser is positioned in front of the light sources on the frame such that the diffuser diffuses the light of each of the light sources differently according to their respective position in the circular pattern.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
diffusing, by another diffuser, light emitted by another light source in a tilted direction with respect to the eyewear.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
increasing, by the diffuser, the intensity of light emitted from the light sources in one radial direction; and
decreasing, by the diffuser, the intensity of light emitted from the light sources in another radial direction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
tilting, by another diffuser, the intensity of light emitted from the other light source to produce a cone of light at a predetermined angle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
illuminating, by the controller, the other light source to emit the diffused light from an inner surface of the support structure of the eyewear towards the user wearing the eyewear, or
illuminating, by the controller, the light sources to emit the diffused light from an outer surface of the support structure of the eyewear towards an observer proximate to the user wearing the eyewear.