DIGITAL MAGNIFIER MONOCLE AND RELATIVE EYEWEAR

Abstract

A digital magnifier monocle may include an eyepiece, a lens, an organic light-emitting diode screen placed between the eyepiece and the lens, and a first electronic module for the generation of a digital image. The first electronic module may be placed between the screen and the lens. The monocle may also have a second electronic module placed between the screen and the first electronic module. The second electronic module may be divided into a first unit configured for the transmission of a digital image from the first electronic module to the screen, and a second unit configured for connection with an augmented reality engine and/or the transmission of said at least one digital image from the monocle to a unit outside of the monocle. The unit external to the monocle being may be designed for the storage of the image.

Claims

1. A digital magnifier monocle comprising: an eyepiece; a lens; an organic light emitting diode screen placed between the eyepiece and the lens; a first electronic module for the generation of a digital image, placed between the screen and the lens, said first module comprising: at least one sensor configured for the transformation of at least one light signal into at least one electrical signal; an electronic system of control configured for the transformation of said at least one electrical signal into at least one digital image and for focusing of an object to be displayed with said monocle; wherein the focusing of the object is performed in a focussing mode defined by at least one of in an automatic mode and a mode controllable by a user; wherein said monocle comprises: a second electronic module placed between the screen and the first electronic module, said second electronic module being divided into: a first unit configured for the transmission of said at least one digital image from the first electronic module to the screen; and a second unit configured for the connection with an augmented reality motor and/or the transmission of said at least one digital image from the monocle to a unit external to the monocle, said unit external to the monocle being apt configured to store said at least one image; wherein the division of said second electronic module into the first unit and the second unit allows for the second module to be capable of handling in an independent manner the transmission of image data from the first electronic module to the screen and the transmission of information from the monocle to the unit external to the monocle and from the unit external to the monocle to the monocle.

2. The monocle according to claim 1, wherein the first unit of the second electronic module is configured to perform the transmission of said at least one digital image in a time shorter than a tenth of a millisecond.

3. The monocle according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic module is configured for the management of a power supply of the monocle, said power supply being powered from a source of energy external to the monocle.

4. The monocle according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic module is configured to manage a power supply of the monocle, said power supply coming from a battery mounted on the monocle.

5. The monocle according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic module is configured to transfer a sequence of images with a frequency of at least 50 Hz.

6. The monocle according to claim 1, wherein the eyepiece comprises at least one optic for the correction of dioptric defects.

7. The monocle according to claim 1, wherein the lens comprises a system of lens mounting of an S-type and at least one optic mounted on said S-type mounting system.

8. The monocle according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic module is configured to cooperate with the electronic control system of the first electronic module for the management of the focusing mode.

9. The monocle according to claim 1, further comprising at least one inertial sensor selected from the group comprising an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer.

10. Magnifier eyewear comprising: a frame; a first monocle and a second monocle mounted on said frame, each of said first monocle and second monocle comprising: an eyepiece; a lens; an organic light emitting diode screen placed between the eyepiece and the lens; a first electronic module for the generation of a digital image, placed between the screen and the lens, said first electronic module comprising: at least one sensor configured for the transformation of at least one light signal into at least one electrical signal, an electronic system of control being configured for the transformation of said at least one electrical signal into at least one digital image and for focusing of an object to be displayed with said monocle wherein the focussing of the object is performed in a focussing mode defined by at least one of an automatic mode and a mode controllable by a user; wherein said monocle comprises: a second electronic module placed between the screen and the first electronic module, said second electronic module being divided into:  a first unit configured for the transmission of said at least one digital image from the first electronic module to the screen; and  a second unit configured for the connection with an augmented reality motor and/or the transmission of said at least one digital image from the monocle to a unit external to the monocle, said unit external to the monocle being configured to store said at least one image; wherein the division of said second electronic module into the first unit and the second unit allows for the second module to be capable of handling in an independent manner the transmission of image data from the first electronic module to the screen and the transmission of information from the monocle to the unit external to the monocle and from the unit external to the monocle to the monocle.

11. Magnifier eyewear comprising: a frame; a first optic and a second optic; and a first monocle and a second monocle, each of the first and second monocles comprising: an eyepiece; a lens; an organic light emitting diode screen placed between the eyepiece and the lens; a first electronic module for the generation of a digital image, placed between the screen and the lens, said first electronic module comprising: at least one sensor configured for the transformation of at least one light signal into at least one electrical signal; an electronic system of control configured for the transformation of said at least one electrical signal into at least one digital image and for focusing of an object to be displayed with said monocle; wherein the focussing of the object is performed in a focussing mode defined by at least one of an automatic mode and a mode controllable by a user; wherein said monocle comprises: a second electronic module placed between the screen and the first electronic module, said second electronic module being divided into:  a first unit configured for the transmission of said at least one digital image from the first electronic module to the screen; and  a second unit configured for the connection with an augmented reality motor and/or the transmission of said at least one digital image from the monocle to a unit external to the monocle, said unit external to the monocle being configured to store said at least one image; wherein the division of said second electronic module into the first unit and the second unit allows for the second module to be capable of handling in an independent manner the transmission of image data from the first electronic module to the screen and the transmission of information from the monocle to the unit external to the monocle and from the unit external to the monocle to the monocle. wherein said first monocle is mountable on the first optic and wherein said second monocle is mountable on the second optic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a longitudinal section of the monocle of the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a magnifier eyewear pair seen from above, said eyewear comprising two monocles according to the present invention; and

[0029] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a magnifier eyewear pair according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the monocle (100, 100′) of the present invention comprises: [0031] an eyepiece (1); [0032] a lens (2); [0033] a screen (3) with organic light-emitting diodes placed between the eyepiece (1) and the lens (2); [0034] a first electronic module (4), or camera module (4), for the generation of a digital image, placed between the screen (3) and the lens (2), said first module (4) comprising: [0035] at least one sensor configured for the transformation of at least one light signal into at least one electrical signal; [0036] an electronic system of control of said at least one sensor, said electronic control system being configured for the transformation of said at least one electrical signal into at least one digital image and for the focusing of an object which is to be displayed with said monocle (100, 100′), said focusing being possible in automatic mode or in a user-controllable mode; [0037] a second electronic module (5) placed between the screen (3) and the first electronic module (4), said second electronic module (5) comprising: [0038] a first unit (5′) configured for the transmission of said at least one digital image from the first electronic module (4) to the screen (3); [0039] a second unit (5″) configured for the connection with an augmented reality engine and/or the transmission of said at least one digital image from the monocle (100, 100′) to a unit external to the monocle (100, 100′), said unit external to the monocle (100, 100′) being designed for the storage of said at least one image.

[0040] The eyepiece (1), which may also consist of a single optic, has the dual function of bringing the image of the screen (3), placed immediately behind the eyepiece (1), to the eye of the user, and of correcting any visual defects of the user. It is possible, in fact, to insert in the monocle (100, 100′) of the present invention an eyepiece (1) consisting of one or more optics, capable of making a dioptric correction specific to the recipient of the monocle (100, 100′).

[0041] The lens (2), instead, serves as an aid to the integrated optics of the first electronic module (4) in order to cover the required working distances and magnifications. In order to optimise in economic terms the production of the monocle (100, 100′) of the present invention, it is preferable to vary the integrated optics of the first electronic module (4) as little as possible and to mount the optics of the lens (2) on a standard S-type mounting system (also known in the industry as “S-Mount”). In this way, different optics can be easily disassembled and mounted on the same mounting system. Here it should be noted that the “S-Mount” type mount is a standard mount that uses an M12 male metric thread with a 0.5 mm pitch on the lens and a corresponding female thread on the lens connection.

[0042] The first unit (5′) of the second electronics module (5) is configured to perform the transmission of said at least one digital image from the first electronics module (4) to the screen (3) in a time less than a tenth of a millisecond. This transmission takes place, preferably, by means of a flat connector (6), whose features depend on the type of screen (3) used. The latter, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, can be a Micro-OLED screen. The second electronic unit (5″) of the second electronic module (5) is, instead, equipped with a connector (7) which can be, in turn, connected to an external unit, by means of a connection that can be minimised in number, until arriving at only 3 wires with respect to the 19 of a common HDMI cable typical of those used in Micro-OLED screens, reducing, consequently, the visual impediment generated by the connection itself. The communication with the outside can be carried out, either for the sole purpose of procuring energy for the power supply of the monocle (100, 100′), or for the purpose of sending the acquired images to an external storage and/or processing unit on which to carry out the recording and/or processing of said images, or, further, for the purpose of receiving from an optical augmented reality engine information, graphic and/or text, to be overlaid on the images acquired in real time.

[0043] As regards the power supply of the monocle (100, 100′), it is specified here that it can come from a power source external to the monocle (100, 100′), or from a battery mounted on the monocle itself (100, 100′), or, more generally, on the magnifier eyewear (200) to which at least one monocle (100, 100′) is attached. In all three cases mentioned above, the second electronic module (5) performs the function of power management of the monocle (100, 100′), i.e. it manages the distribution of the electrical energy between the various components of the monocle (100, 100′).

[0044] The first electronic module (4), or camera module, can be configured for the acquisition not only of single images, but also of sequences of images, i.e. videos. In this case the second electronic module (5) will be configured to transfer a sequence of images with a frequency of at least 50 Hz.

[0045] Finally, as mentioned above, the monocle (100, 100′) can work both with an automatic and manual focusing mode. For this purpose, the first electronic module (4), or camera module, is equipped with an electronic system for manual or automatic control of focusing. The mode (automatic or manual) of this focusing is, however, selected by the operator by means of an appropriate operator/monocle interface element connected to the second electronic module (5). The latter is able to receive a signal from the interface element, or selector element (not shown in the drawing), said signal being indicative of the type of mode, automatic or manual, chosen by the user. On the basis of the signal received, the second electronic module (5) then communicates with the system of control of the sensors of the first electronic module (4), so that it effectively varies the focusing mode of the monocle (100, 100′). The magnifier monocle (100, 100′) described above can be mounted on “FlipUp” type magnifier eyewear comprising: [0046] a frame; [0047] a first monocle and a second monocle according to any one of the preceding claims, mounted on said frame.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the magnifier monocle (100, 100′) of the present invention can be mounted on “Through the Lens” type magnifier eyewear, comprising: [0049] a frame (201); [0050] a first optic (202) and a second optic (202′); and [0051] a first monocle (100, 100′) according to any one of the preceding claims, said first monocle (100, 100″) being mounted on the first optic (202) and a second monocle (100, 100″) according to any one of the preceding claims, said second monocle (100, 100″) being mounted on the second optic (202′).