Google’s AR Glasses Patents from 2024 Hint at Market Reentry
Google has long been a key player in the development of augmented reality (AR) technology. While the company had previously halted its AR smart glasses project, “Project Iris,” in 2023 to focus on creating similar hardware for OEM partners, it seems Google is gearing up for a significant return. In December 2024, Google showcased three new patents that hint at the potential comeback of its brand of smart glasses.
Automated Assistant Patent
The first patent, an automated assistant patent (WIPO US20230367392), is designed to provide recommendations to users wearing smart glasses and adjust these suggestions based on the user’s visual focus or verbal commands. This patent indicates that the automated assistant will display recommendations on the smart glasses screen, allowing users to select options through eye-tracking technology.
When users shift their gaze, the assistant will dynamically “adjust” its suggestions using the smart glasses’ cameras and microphones, based on the user’s visual perspective and verbal commands. This feature requires significant computing power, which could be efficiently managed through GPU server hosting to handle complex visual and AI tasks.
Insertable Prescription Lenses Patents
The second and third patents relate to smart glasses with insertable prescription lenses (WIPO US20240402512 and US20240402513). Typically, smart glasses and AR eyewear are not robust enough to replace prescription glasses. In most cases, lenses are ground at optical shops, with optometrists providing the correct prescription for near-sighted wearers. These patents describe how Google plans to manufacture smart glasses that support prescription lenses and how these lenses can be inserted into the frames at optical shops or through manufacturers.
Google’s patents show a dual-layer lens edge design, with one layer containing placeholder lenses for displaying information and the second layer housing prescription lenses. This design allows glasses owners to replace the placeholder lenses with their prescription lenses.
In some cases, designing eyewear displays so that other parties (such as optometrists) can insert prescription lenses might be beneficial. This way, eyewear display manufacturers can avoid the burden of catering to various prescription lens types, allowing users who need prescription lenses to enjoy an AR experience with minimal prescription lens manufacturing delays. Utilizing GPU dedicated servers can enhance the processing capabilities needed for such complex tasks in smart eyewear applications.
Google’s Strategy and Future Outlook
Smart glasses, or AR eyewear, are becoming focal points for companies like Meta, Google, Samsung, and even Apple. AI assistants are becoming a key development area for many companies, helping smart glasses gain consumer favor. Google’s latest patents suggest that there is still a chance for the company to launch its brand of smart glasses, fully integrating Google Assistant to become a winner in the AI era.
Google has already announced its new Android XR platform, which will support headsets like the one coming from Samsung in 2025, as well as glasses. This announcement followed a wave of AI updates from Android, including Gemini 2.0 and an upgraded Project Astra, hinting at how the universal AI agent would work on smart glasses.
Hints show that Google could partner with manufacturers to get Android XR on as many devices as possible, including future offerings from Sony, Xreal, and Lynx. However, several patents recently discovered by Patently Apple cover an array of smart glasses applications, hinting at the return of Google-made glasses. Leveraging GPU server hosting will be crucial in supporting these advanced features and ensuring seamless performance.
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