Motorola patent application reveals cellphone / HMD combo craziness

It looks like Motorola isn't about to let Apple have the goofy, non-existent product spotlight to itself, with a recent patent application of its revealing some plans of its own for a head-mounted display. As you can see above, however, this one is no ordinary HMD, with it also able to be folded up into an apparently over-sized cellphone for times when you want to look slightly less conspicuous. Of course, the chances of such a product actually making it off the drawing board are pretty slim (thankfully), and no doubt even less likely given the recent cuts to Motorola's research division.

[Danakin @ Jun 20th 2008 2:42PM]

Yeah, not a very good idea...people have enough trouble driving as it is.

[ak.anthony @ Jun 20th 2008 2:43PM]

Great design concept. And what exactly is holding the this in place?

[ingus @ Jun 20th 2008 2:49PM]

hair gel. lots of hair gel.

i mean, look at the dude's hair...

[iamsoinsane @ Jun 20th 2008 3:08PM]

It's Geordi La Forge v1.0!

[ishism @ Jun 20th 2008 7:34PM]

I captain.

Seriously. These patents are coming out so that one day (in the future, ooh) when another company actually develops something similar. they can get sued by original patent holder. Such creeps.

[Wwhat @ Jun 21st 2008 8:31AM]

You meant to say 'aye captain' I assume?
Aye being a from origin nautical term used on ships, and used in the show by the character a lot.

Incidentally, patents only hold their validity if it's actually used in a product within a certain timespan I was given to understand, and that's probably a timespan shorter than before this will ever see the light of day.

[Jim @ Jun 20th 2008 2:45PM]

Cue end of dating life.... now.

[Low Ranked @ Jun 20th 2008 2:55PM]

Cue beginning of dating in Second Life... now.

[nak @ Jun 20th 2008 2:46PM]

Looks like they were right to cut half those R&D people if this is the kind of stuff they were coming up with.

[RIFRAF @ Jun 20th 2008 7:43PM]

Not soon enough....

[crushinator @ Jun 20th 2008 2:47PM]

Oh sure, laugh now Engadget. One day when we're all rocking out in our visor/phone/earphone thingies that evidently stick to our heads with NanoMagic (tm) you'll rue the day you decided to mock Motorola.

[az_runner @ Jun 20th 2008 4:06PM]

I think you meant to say:

ROKN OUT

[nDee @ Jun 20th 2008 10:52PM]

I wonder do the still make money from phone?

[Digital1 @ Jun 20th 2008 2:48PM]

Does he dial with his eyes?

[Peter F @ Jun 20th 2008 3:31PM]

Nope, maybe you're supposed to dial it on the side of your head.

[Digital1 @ Jun 20th 2008 3:52PM]

FUN!

[LouiseV @ Jun 20th 2008 7:00PM]

It has head gestures.

[Bryan Thornsberry @ Jun 20th 2008 2:49PM]

Moto cuts a huge amount of their R&D division.
Brings in "B" team.
Soon after, patents filed...

yep, this product seems pretty on par with the recent chain of events. It's a sad day in moto land.

[spellprince @ Jun 20th 2008 2:50PM]

*and in other news* Motorola stock plummets another 10 dollars.

[JP23 @ Jun 20th 2008 6:32PM]

hell it's already at $8 if you take away another $10 does that mean I have to give them another $2 and get no stock in return?

Up next from Moto. Shoe phones and square wheels.

[Grant @ Jun 20th 2008 2:52PM]

lol @ the fact that they even spent the time and money to patent this.

[Market Data @ Jun 20th 2008 3:44PM]

It's not patented. They only filed an application.

Further, although this may be a horrible idea and Moto can't seem to get their act together. We should give them some slack regarding the hideousness of the design and lack of certain necessary components, i.e. some kind of support. Patent applications should be filed as close to conception of the invention as possible. The guys who draft the application (me) are usually given a description of the concept of the invention and then they write it up. Desing details are worked out later by people who know about ergonomics, color, etc. You would be hard-pressed to find patent applications for new products that look anything like the actual commercial embodiment (of course applications for improvements typically do look like the product, as do design patent applications).

[ishism @ Jun 20th 2008 7:38PM]

Seriously. These patents are coming out so that one day (in the future, ooh) when another company actually develops something similar. they can get sued by original patent holder. Such creeps.

[Ben @ Jun 20th 2008 2:55PM]

Oh look! It's Jordi LaForge!! Sponsored by Motorola.
(LMAO!! on the drawing)

[Jerome @ Jun 20th 2008 2:56PM]

the goal is to patent stuff

this show to your shareholder that you are still inovating...

that the money they invest is in good hand :P loll

[Wwhat @ Jun 21st 2008 8:39AM]

It is actually true that they sometimes use the sheer number of patents as an indicator, but you can't cheat this way and get away with it surely?

[fieldcar @ Jun 20th 2008 2:57PM]

Why are all patent illustrations always butt ugly? It looks like a 10 year old drew the dang thing. The last patent thing I saw here was just as bad.

[gijs @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:11PM]

@ Motorola, I'd never never never ever wear something like this. To be a geak does NOT mean that we are stupid !

[SPLUNGE @ Jun 20th 2008 3:03PM]

And I thought talking on a normal cellphone while driving was dangerous.

Help us, o' lawmakers, before it's too late!

[GRARARA @ Jun 20th 2008 3:04PM]

LOL

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jun 20th 2008 3:04PM]

The Moto GAZR.

A little cooler.

A little less relevant.

[phanbouy @ Jun 20th 2008 4:37PM]

GADAR not included

[fred @ Jun 20th 2008 3:11PM]

And I wear my cellphone sunglasses at night
so I can
so I can
Keep track of the visions in my eyes.
While she's deceiving me...

[Peter F @ Jun 20th 2008 3:29PM]

Looking at the officer with my cellphone on,"I swear officer, I wasn't using my cell while driving"

[SuperDre @ Jun 20th 2008 3:36PM]

We still don't even have good affordable normal HMD's (with decent resolution, 1280x720 and up), so this is pure BS.. And not to think about how ridiculous you would look wearing this ugly concept..

[Vanzetti @ Jun 20th 2008 3:44PM]

If you can see through them like sunglasses they'd be totally cool.

Ok, sorta cool.


Ok, I would wear them fishing with my grandfather in his Blue-blockers.

[Nick @ Jun 20th 2008 3:50PM]

Why the heck would Motorola want to patent this?

[ishism @ Jun 20th 2008 7:40PM]

sorry to repeat myself but (insert paste here> Seriously. These patents are coming out so that one day (in the future, ooh) when another company actually develops something similar. they can get sued by original patent holder. Such creeps.

[alexmueller @ Jun 20th 2008 3:56PM]

My eyes! The goggle phone, they do nothing!

[Blacksheep @ Jun 20th 2008 3:56PM]

Hey look everyone, not only is it an giant, bulky cell phone that won't fit in your pocket, but it's also an unfashionable pair of phone-glasses too!

I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to pre-order now!

(bye-bye moto)

[Zorque @ Jun 20th 2008 4:01PM]

I want them to make these so I know who it's ok to assault.

[94 taurus owner @ Jun 20th 2008 4:14PM]

YO!!!!!!!! LE-FORGE!!!!!!!!! WATCH WHERE YA GOOIIIIIING!!!!!!!

[Reader @ Jun 20th 2008 4:16PM]

These wearable displays just keep getting better and better.

[Kizul Emeraldfire @ Jun 20th 2008 4:28PM]

…is it sad that the first thing I thought when I saw 'HMD' (keep in mind, I was skimming the headline) was, "YEAH! VIEWTIFUL JOE!" _\n/

*cough* To keep this on-topic: while I almost agree with all of those 'Geordi LaForge 1.0' comments, I'd have to say: Motorola should try and make this into a helmet instead of a silly visor. Nah, what they should do is style it after one of those bounty hunter helmets from Star Wars — wasn't it Boba Fett that accessed some of the features of his suit via the inside of his helmet? Eh, whatever — have all the dialing buttons on the inside of it, that way you wouldn't have to deal with the pain of dialing a wrong number due to a sideways (or possibly what you only THOUGHT was sideways) keypad!

Though, tongue cramps might be a little uncomfortable — so let's just hope you're not a telemarketer, or if you are, that your company doesn't decide to invest in those things.

[Phil @ Jun 20th 2008 4:38PM]

Are the drawings on patents getting worse, or are the artists who make them just overworked with the bevy of crap being submitted to the patent office?

He does look a bit like Washington though.

[KG @ Jun 20th 2008 4:42PM]

can you say.... Chindogu?

[Arelis @ Jun 20th 2008 11:11PM]

I knew the Virtual-Boy would someday make a comeback!

[Scott @ Jun 20th 2008 4:50PM]

the guy in the picture looks like hes from nickelodeon's doug

[Lowest Ranked @ Jun 20th 2008 7:07PM]

Its the wild and wacky, crazy gadget hobbiest, Mr. Dink!

[Joshua K @ Jun 20th 2008 5:01PM]

The EyePhone. You heard it here first.