Samsung patents Google Glass rival

SAMSUNG Galaxy Glass, the company’s upcoming Google Glass rival, has been teased by a patent filing which shows off the headset’s mono-display design.

Resembling a glorified Bluetooth headset, the teased Samsung Galaxy Glass patent – or Gear Glass if the company’s new naming convention is anything to go by – has been filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

Confusingly described as an ‘Earphone’, the Samsung Glass patent has showcased the device from a variety of angles, highlighting the company’s liberal use of design pointers taken from Google’s headline grabbing rival.

Shown with a single, compact heads-up display in front of the user’s right eye – much like Google Glass – the Samsung headset offers a different proposition thanks to its lack of resemblance to a pair of glasses.

Instead of standard eyewear arms, the teased Samsung offering features a large, single earpiece with the display held in place thanks to a stalk around the side of a user’s face. The display is also mounted on a hinge meaning it can be folded out of the way when not in use.

According to the patent filing, the display will be constructed from “a transparent synthetic resin material,” with the device to offer “wearable augmented reality and real life experience of being able to listen to a variety of sources.”

Far from the first techy eyewear design to be patented by the Korean giant, Samsung last year filed design templates for a more traditional looking pair of interactive sports glasses.

“This design is of a type [of glasses] with earphones integrated, allowing [users] to take phone calls and listen to music during workouts", the former patent listing stated of its familiar looking designs.

Earlier this year Samsung confirmed its plans to bring its own Google Glass rival to market.

“The new smart glass to be introduced by Samsung is a new concept of wearable device that can lead to an exciting culture of communication,” a Samsung Display official stated.

“The smart glass will present our aim to lead the new market with proven capability. Wearable devices can’t generate profits immediately. Steady releases of devices are showing our firm commitment as a leader in new markets.”

Question on why it would look to enter the wearable display market, the manufacturer added: “The reason is simple. The market potential for smart glass is huge. It will be used in trucks, cars and has a greater impact on related industries such as glass- and coatings-makers.”