One more sign Google has big plans for Google Glass

Google has agreed to buy a 6.3 percent stake in the display unit of Himax Technologies, a Taiwan-based company that makes chips used in the Google Glass headset. The purchase is the latest sign Google has big production plans for its wearable computing eyepiece.

Google's investment in Himax will help fund upgrades, expand capacity and enhance production capabilities at facilities that make liquid crystal on silicon chips and modules used in head-mounted displays, such as Google Glass, Himax Technologies said in an announcement.

Himax began expanding its capacity to meet demand for its liquid on crystal silicon (LCOS) product in the second quarter of this year, according to Himax CEO and President Jordan Wu. The investment from Google will allow the company to accelerate its plan.

Google also has an option to make an additional investment of preferred shares at the same price within one year from closing. If the option is exercised in full, Google will own a up to 14.8 percent in Himax's display unit, Himax says.

Google Glass, perhaps the most anticipated piece of tech since the iPhone, promises a seemingly endless number of ways to interact, allowing users to record anything and post it to the Web in seconds. The eyepiece is available to a group of testers and is slated for a public launch sometime next year.

Photo: Google

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com