Samsung Files Patent for Smart Glasses With AI Hardware and Speaker Protected from Magnetic Interference

Samsung might be developing new wearable smart glasses which can play multimedia through a speaker, according to a patent recently filed by the company. The purported device is said to be equipped with a display for image output and a speaker which is protected from magnetic interference via a combination of a conductive plate and a coil surrounding it. The patent suggests it would have dedicated modules for the management of audio, battery, display and other elements of the smart glasses.

Samsung Patent for Smart Glasses

A patent filed at the US Patent and Trademark Office (first spotted by 91Mobiles) to Samsung Electronics describes a head-mounted wearable device which is used to implement augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences for the user. It may use a portion of the user's field of view (FoV) to display information on a real-world object in the form of an image or text.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the internal configuration of the device
Photo Credit: US Patent and Trademark Office/Samsung

As per FIG 3, the internal components of the smart glasses will include a light output module placed in a housing and configured in a way to output an image, a speaker module with a conductive plate, a coil surrounding the plate disposed in a housing, and a power transmission structure which can transmit power from the battery to the light output module.

However, when a power component and a speaker are disposed near each other in a small mounting space, the issue of noise arises. To mitigate this, a part of the power transmission structure will be placed above the conductive plate which partially overlaps the central area of the speaker's coil. As per the patent, this will reduce the imbalance in the magnetic field applied to the coil, reducing the interference-related noise generated from the speaker.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the electronic device
Photo Credit: US Patent and Trademark Office/Samsung

FIG 1 details the electronic device in a network environment. Its components will include various models controlling aspects such as input, sound, display, audio, sensors, haptics, camera, and power management. This suggests that the purported Samsung smart glasses might be equipped with a camera and haptics. Further, it also explains that the device's speaker may be used for general purposes, such as playing multimedia. It would also have a receiver which would allow the user to receive calls.

The patent also reveals the inclusion of two processors — a CPU or an application processor (AP) and an auxiliary processor. The latter is speculated to either be a GPU, an NPU, an ISP, or a communication processor (CP), operating independently from the primary processor. However, it remains unclear if it would be implemented as a separate component which consumes less power or integrated into the main processor to perform a specified function.

Meanwhile, the patent also hints towards artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, if the auxiliary processor is implemented as an NPU. The device may include hardware for AI processing with machine learning capable of generating AI models, either on-device or via a server. It may also have a software structure which compliments the AI hardware.