How Sony's Smart Glasses Share Content During Voice Calls
A patent for wearable smart glasses that let you see digital information overlaid on the real world and share that content with someone else during a phone call.
Original patent title: “Mobile terminal comprising a display rotable about a casing”
A patent for wearable smart glasses that let you see digital information overlaid on the real world and share that content with someone else during a phone call. Granted to Sony Corp in 2018 with 23 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This device is a wearable headset with a transparent display that sits in front of your eyes. While you are on a voice call, the headset listens to the conversation or watches your hand gestures to show relevant information on the glass. For example, if you are talking to a friend about a restaurant, the glasses might show a menu or map. If you point at an item on the display, the device sends that specific information to your friend's phone or headset so they see exactly what you are looking at.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover standard smartphone screens that are not transparent or wearable.
- Does not cover audio-only devices that lack a visual display component.
- Does not cover systems that cannot transmit data to a second user's device during a call.
- Does not cover basic augmented reality that lacks the specific gesture-to-share functionality described.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system links the user's physical hand gestures to the remote sharing of digital content, effectively turning the space in front of the user's eyes into a shared control interface for a remote participant.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Concept smart glasses with heads-up displays
Remote technical support headsets
AR-enabled telepresence communication devices
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent represents an early attempt to bridge the gap between voice communication and shared augmented reality. It envisions a future where phone calls are not just about hearing someone, but about 'seeing' the same context through shared digital overlays. It is part of the broader effort by companies like Sony to define the interface for future wearable computing.
Filed
January 13, 2017
Granted
June 19, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Sony continues to explore wearable display technology through its various R&D divisions. Other major players like Meta, Apple, and Google are actively developing similar AR hardware that integrates voice communication with visual data sharing.
Market impact
This patent reflects the industry's shift toward ambient computing, where the focus moves from holding a device to wearing it. It highlights the technical challenges of synchronizing visual experiences between two remote users in real-time, a core hurdle for the future of the metaverse and remote collaboration tools.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This device is a wearable headset with a transparent display that sits in front of your eyes. While you are on a voice call, the headset listens to the conversation or watches your hand gestures to show relevant information on the glass. For example, if you are talking to a friend about a restaurant, the glasses might show a menu or map. If you point at an item on the display, the device sends that specific information to your friend's phone or headset so they see exactly what you are looking at.
The clever bit
The system links the user's physical hand gestures to the remote sharing of digital content, effectively turning the space in front of the user's eyes into a shared control interface for a remote participant.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover standard smartphone screens that are not transparent or wearable.
- Does not cover audio-only devices that lack a visual display component.
- Does not cover systems that cannot transmit data to a second user's device during a call.
- Does not cover basic augmented reality that lacks the specific gesture-to-share functionality described.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$34K – $109K
Midpoint $68K · 10.6 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Hosoda, Y. (2018). How Sony's Smart Glasses Share Content During Voice Calls (U.S. Patent No. 10,003,680). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10003680/apple-pay
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Sony's Smart Glasses Share Content During Voice Calls cover?
A patent for wearable smart glasses that let you see digital information overlaid on the real world and share that content with someone else during a phone call.
Who owns patent US 10003680?
Sony Corp owns this patent, granted in 2018.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 19, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent represents an early attempt to bridge the gap between voice communication and shared augmented reality. It envisions a future where phone calls are not just about hearing someone, but about 'seeing' the same context through shared digital overlays. It is part of the broader effort by companies like Sony to define the interface for future wearable computing.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover standard smartphone screens that are not transparent or wearable.
Same assignee
More from Sony Corp
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