Google took the Google Glass off the market earlier this year in January. The company then said that it was not discontinuing the project, and has released hints that it is simply working on another version for the wearable device. Details of this next iteration of the Google Glass have been very limited though.
Design patents awarded to Google by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, however, could reveal what the next Google Glass could look like.
The first Google Glass was asymmetrical, with the device's computer attached as a block on the eyewear's right side. This made the device look unsightly, and has caused wearers of the device to be ridiculed by the public.
The designs seen in the newly approved patent look to solve the asymmetrical issue, and could give the Google Glass a better chance in being purchased and used by consumers. As opposed to placing the computer component of the device on the right side, the computer component as seen in the approved design patent is placed behind the device's frame. As such, the device will look much more like regular glasses compared to the attention-attracting first version of the Google Glass.
However, a possible problem regarding this design is that the placement of the computer at the user's eye level could lead to a blind spot in the sight of the user.
There is no guarantee that the images shown in the approved patents reflect the final form of the next Google Glass, but it does reveal that Google is still testing and thinking of new designs for the wearable device. It should be noted, however, that the patents were submitted in July 2014, well before Google's decision to pull out the device from the market.
Google has received 45 design patents, with one patent lately received for a wearable device display that will allow users who need to wear eye glasses to use the Google Glass with no need for a prescription.
When news website Quartz reached out to Google to ask for comments regarding the future plans of the company for Google Glass, a representative was not immediately available.
Google is trying to strike the perfect balance between form and functionality, and the images in the newly approved design patent could show that the company is heading in a better direction with the Google Glass.
