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Everyone’s heard of Google Glass, am I right? In case you’ve heard of it, but not sure what it is, its a wearable computer that has been incorporated into a pair of spectacles with the purpose of displaying information via the spectacle lens in a hands-free format, and when I say information, I mean anything from SatNav to checking your mail or even using the Glass device as a Bluetooth headset for your smart phone. Google’s Glass program may be the most widely known, but other companies are busy developing competitors to get a piece of the pie. One such company is Lenovo, who patented their own version of Google Glass on June 12th.
The basic patent was can be found on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website, with Lenovo’s device being described as an “Electronic Device and Sound Capturing Method” in an attempt to avoid lawsuits with competitors. The device appears to incorporate two bone conduction microphones in the earpieces, providing a method of wireless communicating. As per the description, the device can record audio and video, with the VOD displays offering something akin to head-up-display in the lenses. As you can imagine, with this being a basic patent specific details are scarce, there is no mention of which operating system is used, or how much RAM is included,etc.
Usually, when you hear the name ‘Lenovo’, you might associate the brand with laptops or even the recent acquisition of Motorola from Google, but smart phones and wearables? Not so much, not in the US at any rate. Elsewhere is a different story, especially in Asia, where Lenovo is known for well-made, reasonably priced devices ranging from laptops and desktops to smart phones and tablets amongst others.
Just because a patent has been filed doesn’t necessarily mean that the device will find its way into the consumers hands though, patents are sometimes used merely as placeholders to avoid hassle further down the line.Whatever the motive behind Lenovo’s filing of the patent for a wearable recording device, more competition is not a bad thing, and will only spur the innovators (in this case Google) on to greater heights.
I’m sure we will hear more of Google Glass once Google I/O gets underway. Remember, our very own Justin Diaz is present at I/O, so stay locked on AndroidHeadlines for the all the latest news. You can get involved either by voicing your thoughts in the comments below or at our Google Plus page.