Monitoring activity with intelligent fabrics

• US 10,197,417 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC (Bradley David Liddle)
• Original Assignee: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC (Bradley David Liddle)
• Inventors: Logan, James D, Carr, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Caleb
• Application Number:
  US15/144,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20160245665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 702160, 340687
• 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: D06F 39/00 Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 control of washing machines D06F33/00, D06F34/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 93/005 Marking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/027 the material being suitable for use as a textile, e.g. woven-based RFID-like labels designed for attachment to laundry items markings attached to laundry items in general D06F93/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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

Abstract

Textiles coupled with electrical components that are responsive to actions of the wearer and the surrounding environment. The textiles comprise a variety of sensors that interface with the cloud, networks, and devices. The textiles monitor physiological characteristics of the wearer. Objects in the environment may interact with the electrical components of the textiles. Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems that include electrical components, such as, accelerometers, gyroscopes, Bluetooth chips, NFC chips, and RF tags integrate with the textiles to wirelessly communicate with networks.

Claims

1. A method of determining a distance a user has traveled based on foot movement, said method comprising:

incorporating one or more fabric sensors into an article of clothing;

collecting fabric data, comprising movement and relative location, from said one or more fabric sensors, said one or more fabric sensors positioned on a fabric;

sending said fabric data from one or more fabric sensors to a processor that is connected to a memory;

comparing, using said processor, said fabric data from one or more fabric sensors to reference movement patterns stored in said memory;

determining a movement when said fabric data from one or more fabric sensors closely resembles said reference movement patterns;

comparing a movement pattern to a prior movement patterns over a time interval to determine if the fabric sensor has transitioned from being stationary;

collecting movement data until the fabric sensor determines, by comparing movement patterns to prior movement patterns, that the fabric has transitioned to being stationary;

adding the movement data to a sum of movement data; and

sending the sum of movement data to a user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more fabric sensors consist of two or more fabric sensors, each positioned on a fabric at a different location on the fabric.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the transmitting of the running total through a communication system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the communications system uses a Bluetooth protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the fabric sensors is an accelerometer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the counting of a number of times that the fabric transitions from being stationary.

7. A foot movement monitoring apparatus comprising:

a fabric;

a special purpose processor embedded in the fabric, the special purpose processor including a means for storing data;

a means for communicating data to a user;

a fabric sensor embedded in the fabric and electrically connected to the special purpose processor using wires embedded into the fabric;

reference data stored in the memory representing movement data patterns; and

instructions located in the memory for the special purpose processor, the instructions telling the special purpose processor to compare data from the fabric sensor with the reference data to determine if the fabric sensor is moving, to calculate a distance that the fabric sensor moves before the fabric sensor stops moving, and to sum the distances;

and sending the sum of movement data to the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a second fabric sensor embedded in the fabric and electrically connected to the special purpose processor using wires embedded into the fabric wherein the fabric sensor is located a different location on the fabric.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising second instructions located in the memory for the special purpose processor, the second instructions telling the special purpose processor to compare data from the second fabric sensor with the reference data to determine if the second fabric sensor is moving, to calculate a second distance that the second fabric sensor moves before the second fabric sensor stops moving, and to sum the second distances.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising the averaging of the second distances with the first distances.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein a number of times that the fabric sensor starts and stops moving is counted.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a communication system connected to the special purpose processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means for communicating data to a user further comprises use of a Bluetooth protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein one or more of the fabric sensors is an accelerometer.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a communication system integrated into the special purpose processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a communication system integrated into the special purpose processor.