X

Google nabs Glass patents from Foxconn

The search giant snaps up patents, thought to relate to Google Glass, previously owned by Foxconn, ahead of a US manufacturing rollout.

Zack Whittaker Writer-editor
Zack Whittaker is a former security editor for CNET's sister site ZDNet.
Zack Whittaker
Sarah Tew/CNET

Google has bought patents from technology manufacturer Foxconn, as the search giant continues to move forward with Google Glass.

Taiwan-based electronics manufacturing and assembly giant Hon Hei (Foxconn) confirmed on Friday it had sold technologies to Google that generate "a virtual image and is superimposed on a real-world view," according to The Wall Street Journal.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Bloomberg and the Financial Times reported earlier this year that the wearable glasses will be manufactured by Foxconn in California, giving the company rights to say the devices were "made in the US."

The manufacturing giant has two US plants -- California and Texas -- with the former understood to be set for expansion to accommodate an expected rise in Google Glass assembly in the next year.

Foxconn is used not only by Google, but rivals to the search giant, including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nokia.

Google is expected to release Glass in 2014.

This story originally appeared as "Google buys Glass patents from Foxconn" on ZDNet.