IngenioSpec announced the addition of US patents 10,060,790 and 10,061,144 to its eyewear portfolio. The portfolio covers basic structures for electronic eyewear as well as features such as customizing different sensors, making the patents critical for AR eyewear for industrial use.

Companies are still exploring the best applications for AR eyewear. With an investment of $2.3 billion, Magic Leap finally released its AR goggles in August. In the same month, Apple bought Akonia, a company that creates lenses for AR glasses. Though neither Magic Leap nor Apple have specified exactly how they would target their AR eyewear technologies, AR eyewear has become a significant component for industrial applications, as illustrated by companies such as DAQRI, ODG, and the return of Google Glass. IngenioSpec’s portfolio paves the way for the AR eyewear revolution in industrial development.

A firefighter, for example, might benefit from the patented technologies: the eyewear can detect toxins in the fumes. Its communication module can help firefighters stay connected as they move throughout the area. Location detection can help firefighters keep track of one another. Sensors in the eyewear can capture fluctuations in vital signs, such as a firefighter’s heartbeat that exceeds activity threshold, prompting the eyewear to send out distress signals immediately. In training practice runs, a display can help simulate the precarious conditions in which firefighters operate.

In another example, a chemist can wear goggles during laboratory work. The eyewear turns on automatically when it senses the user is wearing it. If the chemist poses questions, the eyewear, through voice recognition, can respond and access answers from its internal databases or retrieve data through its communication module. A camera embedded in the goggles could capture the experiments for subsequent review and to help generate reports.