After the Google Glass debacle, it seemed like the Mountain View company was done with smart glasses, but it's becoming clear that Google is ready to give the AR wearables category another shot. [Already Google has announced a new Android XR platform that will support headsets and glasses like those coming from Samsung in 2025. And the news comes as Android announced a string of AI updates, including Gemini 2.0 and an upgraded Project Astra that previews how the universal AI agent will work on smart glasses.

Google appears to be partnering with manufacturers to bring Android XR to as many devices as possible, including upcoming products from Sony, Xreal, and Lynx. However, several patents recently discovered by Patently Apple covering a number of smart glasses applications suggest a resurgence of Google-made glasses.

The most significant of the discovered patents is an application describing how Google can make smart glasses that support prescription lenses and how those lenses can be put into frames via opticians or manufacturers.

In most cases, smart glasses and AR glasses do not and cannot replace prescription glasses. Typically, the lenses are polished at an optician and an optometrist can fill the correct prescription for someone who is nearsighted.

As Patently Apple points out, “In many cases, design considerations for eyewear displays include maintaining ingress protection (IP) sealing, maintaining optical alignment, protecting fragile components, and ensuring that Rx lenses stay in place during drops and high-acceleration events This includes ensuring that the Rx lens stays in place during a drop or high acceleration event.”

One of the technical drawings of the patent appears to show a lens rim with two layers - one is a placeholder lens on which information is displayed and the other is the Rx prescription. This design allows the eyeglass owner to swap prescriptions to suit his or her eyes.

Patently Apple states that there are multiple versions, ranging from an “embodiment” of a protective liner to one in which the prescription lenses are stacked with removable lenses.

The report does not mention the patent numbers of these patents, making it difficult to ascertain where these patents were filed or awarded.

On the other hand, a minor patent (#WO2024248853) filed in Europe was related to attaching some sort of port to one of the arms of the glasses.