Sensor garment

• US 10,154,694 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2014
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Scheffler, Kim, Maslany, Melanie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardinal, Erin M
• Application Number:
  US14/444,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• 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: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0007 Garments with built-in harnesses safety harnesses A62B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/221 Arrangements of sensors with cables or leads, e.g. cable harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance

Abstract

The present invention provides a sensor garment including a harness. In one exemplary embodiment, the sensor garment includes a textile portion, a device-retention element coupled to the textile portion, and a stretchable harness coupled to the textile portion. The harness includes a conductive element disposed between layers of film. The conductive element includes a first termination point at the device retention element, configured to connect to a monitor device. The conductive element includes a second termination point configured to connect to a sensor or transceiver.

Claims

1. A garment comprising:

a textile layer;

a sensor coupled to the textile layer; and

an electrically conductive element coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data from the sensor,

wherein the electrically conductive element is arranged in a pattern and comprises a first section having a first repeating pattern and a second section having a second repeating pattern, the second repeating pattern being different than the first repeating pattern in at least one of frequency or magnitude, and

wherein the second section is configured to be more flexible than the first section.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive element is wire.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive element is non-stretchable wire.

4. The garment of claim 1, wherein the pattern is at least one of a sinusoidal pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a looping pattern.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a resistance sensor.

6. The garment of claim 5,

wherein the resistance sensor senses deformation of the electrically conductive element by sensing variation in resistance of the electrically conductive element.

7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive element is coupled to the textile layer.

8. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a harness comprising the electrically conductive element.

9. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a harness comprising the electrically conductive element,

wherein the harness comprises a layer coupled to the textile layer, and

wherein the electrically conductive element is disposed between the layer and the textile layer.

10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive element adopts a greater frequency closer to an endpoint of the electrically conductive element.

11. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive element adopts a lesser magnitude closer to an endpoint of the electrically conductive element.

12. The garment of claim 1, wherein the second repeating pattern is different from the first repeating pattern in frequency.

13. The garment of claim 1, wherein the second repeating pattern is different from the first repeating pattern in magnitude.

14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the second repeating pattern is different from the first repeating pattern in both frequency and magnitude.

15. A garment comprising:

a textile layer having a flexible textile portion and a less flexible textile portion;

a sensor coupled to the textile layer; and

an electrically conductive element coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data from the sensor, the electrically conductive element being flexible and having a first length and a second length,

wherein the first length extends over the flexible textile portion and is fixed relative to the flexible textile portion, and

wherein the second length extends over the less flexible textile portion and is not fixed relative to the less flexible textile portion.

16. The garment of claim 15, further comprising a harness comprising the electrically conductive element, wherein the harness has a first length and a second length,

wherein the first length of the electrically conductive element is disposed along the first length of the harness,

wherein the second length of the electrically conductive element is disposed along the second length of the harness,

wherein the first length of the harness extends over the flexible textile portion and is fixed relative to the flexible textile portion, and

wherein the second length of the harness extends over the less flexible textile portion and is not fixed relative to the less flexible textile portion.

17. The garment of claim 15, wherein the flexible textile portion extends from a back to a front of the garment, and

wherein the less flexible textile portion extends across the front of the garment.

18. A garment comprising:

a textile layer forming a shape of the garment and having a flexible textile portion and a less flexible textile portion; and

a harness coupled to the textile layer, the harness comprising an electrically conductive element and extending from a back of the garment, over a shoulder of the garment to a front of the garment, and splitting at the front of the garment to extend to a right side of the front of the garment and a left side of the front of the garment,

wherein a first portion of the harness extends over and is fixed relative to the flexible textile portion and wherein a second portion of the harness extends over and is not fixed relative to the less flexible textile portion.

19. The garment of claim 18, further comprising a device-retention element, wherein the harness terminates at the back of the garment at the device-retention element.

20. The garment of claim 18, further comprising:

a first sensor; and

a second sensor,

wherein the harness terminates at the front of the garment at the first sensor and at the second sensor.

21. The garment of claim 18, further comprising:

a back electronic element disposed at the back of the garment; and

two front electronic elements disposed at the front of the garment and spaced apart from each other,

wherein the harness electrically connects the back electronic element to the two front electronic elements.

22. The garment of claim 21, wherein the front electronic elements are physiological sensors, and

wherein the back electronic element is a monitor device that receives signals from the physiological sensors via the harness and transmits the signals to a remote device.

23. The garment of claim 21, wherein the harness extends over only one shoulder of the garment.

24. The garment of claim 18, wherein the electrically conductive element comprises at least a first electrically conductive element and a second electrically conductive element, the first and second electrically conductive elements extending together up to where the harness splits at the front of the garment, and extending separately thereafter,

wherein the first and second electrically conductive elements are parallel to each other or twisted around each other where they extend together.