Systems and methods to locate and operate a portable device on smart clothing

• US 10,104,507 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Pinder, Ellis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/588,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20180324551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 340 81, 607 5, 600505
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods locating and operating a portable device mounted to a garment. One method includes receiving, with an electronic processor, a signal from a communication line of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment. The method also includes determining, with the electronic processor, a location, on the garment, of the portable device based on the signal. The method also includes determining, with the electronic processor, an operational mode for the portable device based on the location. The method also includes adjusting, with the electronic processor, operation of the portable device based on the operational mode.

Claims

1. A method for locating and operating a portable device mounted to a garment, the method comprising:

receiving, with an electronic processor, a signal from a communication line of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment;

determining, with the electronic processor, a location, on the garment, of the portable device based on the signal;

determining, with the electronic processor, an operational mode for the portable device based on the location; and

adjusting, with the electronic processor, operation of the portable device based on the operational mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal includes receiving an indication of the communication line over which the signal was transmitted from among the plurality of communication lines of the garment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal includes receiving a first signal from the communication line and a second signal from a second communication line different from the communication line, wherein the plurality of communication lines are arranged to form a coordinate system within the garment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the location includes determining a coordinate point on the coordinate system based on the first signal and the second signal, wherein the coordinate point is associated with the location, on the garment, of the portable device, and wherein the first signal indicates a row of the coordinate system and the second signal indicates a column of the coordinate system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one selected from a group consisting of a user characteristic indicating a characteristic of a user of the garment, orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, and a garment characteristic indicating a characteristic of the garment,

wherein determining the operational mode for the portable device includes determining the operational mode for the portable device based on at least one selected from the group consisting of the user characteristic indicating a characteristic of a user of the garment, the orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, the garment characteristic indicating a characteristic of the garment, and a determination that the portable device has detached from the garment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the operation of the portable device includes at least one selected from a group consisting of adjusting a configuration of a display, adjusting a configuration of a hard key, adjusting a field of view of an image sensor, disabling a microphone, enabling the microphone, adjusting a source of annunciation feedback, adjusting beamforming for a microphone, adjusting filtering for the microphone, and adjusting a gain for the microphone.

7. A portable device mounted to a garment, the portable device comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

an electronic processor that is coupled to the memory and, through execution of the instructions, is configured to

receive a signal from a communication line of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment,

determine a location, on the garment, of the portable device based on the signal,

determine an operational mode for the portable device based on the location, and

adjust operation of the portable device based on the operational mode.

8. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the signal includes an indication of a communication line over which the signal was transmitted from among a plurality of communication lines of the garment.

9. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the signal includes a first signal from the communication line among the plurality of communication lines of the garment and a second signal from a second communication line among the plurality of communication lines of the garment, the second communication line different from the communication line, and wherein the first signal and the second signal indicate a coordinate point on a coordinate system formed by the plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment.

10. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive a user characteristic, the user characteristic indicating a characteristic of a user of the garment, and determine the operational mode for the portable device based on the user characteristic.

11. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device and determine the operational mode for the portable device based on the orientation data.

12. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive a garment characteristic, the garment characteristic indicating a characteristic of the garment, and determine the operational mode for the portable device based on the garment characteristic.

13. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the signal includes a location descriptor from a tag associated with a predetermined location on the garment.

14. A system for locating and operating a portable device, the system comprising:

a garment having a communication line of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment, the garment including an electronic processor configured to generate and transmit a signal; and

a portable device mounted to the garment, the portable device including a second electronic processor configured to

receive the signal from the communication line integrated within the garment,

determine a location, on the garment, of the portable device based on the signal,

determine an operational mode for the portable device based on the location, and

adjust operation of the portable device based on the operational mode.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the signal includes an indication of the communication line over which the signal was transmitted from among the plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to receive a second signal associated with a second portable device mounted to the garment, the second signal indicating a second location, on the garment, of the second portable device, wherein the second electronic processor is configured to determine the operational mode for the portable device based on the second location, on the garment, of the second portable device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment are arranged to form a coordinate system within the garment.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the signal includes a first signal from the communication line among the plurality of communication lines and a second signal from a second communication line among the plurality of communication lines, the second communication line different from the communication line, and wherein the first signal and the second signal indicate a coordinate point on the coordinate system.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to receive at least one selected from a group consisting of a user characteristic indicating a characteristic of a user of the garment, orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, a garment characteristic indicating a characteristic of the garment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to determine the operational mode for the portable device based on at least one selected from the group consisting of the user characteristic indicating a characteristic of a user of the garment, the orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, and the garment characteristic indicating a characteristic of the garment.