Heating system for heated clothing

• US 10,201,195 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2018
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberx Engineering Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cyberx Engineering Inc.
• Inventors: Khaliuta, Kirill, Belov, Sergei, Komissarov, Stanislav, Kotsiubinskii, Timofei, Danilov, Dmitrii, Temirbekova, Oksana
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US16/003,211
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/12 using temperature-controlled means
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 3/00 Overgarments fur garments A41D5/00; for children A41D11/00; professional or sporting protective garments A41D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/14 by making use of gyroscopes gyroscopes per se G01C19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/08 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0272 For heating of fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/036 Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs

Abstract

Methods and systems for heating of heated clothing are provided. An example system may include system comprising one or more heating components placed within one or more zones of the heated clothing and configured to receive electrical current from one or more voltage converters independently. The system may also include a battery configured to provide power to the voltage converters. The system may also include a controller configured to control an output voltage of the one or more voltage converters, wherein the output voltage is provided to the one or more heating components. The controller may be configured to receive temperatures from the temperature sensors located in heating components, an ambient temperature from the ambient temperature sensor, and user-defined temperatures. The controller may adjust the output voltage based on the temperatures received from the temperature sensors and adjust ambient temperature and user-defined temperatures.

Claims

1. A system for heating a heated clothing, the system comprising:

one or more heating components placed within one or more zones of the heated clothing, the one or more heating components being configured to be individually connected to one or more voltage converters to receive an electrical current;

a battery configured to provide power to the one or more voltage converters; and

a controller configured to;

connect or disconnect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters; and

adjusting an output voltage of the one or more voltage converters, the output voltage being provided to the one or more heating components, and by so regulating a temperature of the one or more heating components.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the temperature of the one or more heating components is regulated independently of a further temperature of a further heating components from the one or more heating components; and

the one or more heating components is connected or disconnected from the one or more voltage converters independently of the further heating components from the one or more heating components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery is a flexible battery placed within the heated clothing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more heating components comprise:

a heating element to convert the electrical current into a heat;

a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of the one or more heating components; and

a power switch communicatively coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to;

receive, from the temperature sensor, an indication of the temperature exceeding a pre-determined temperature threshold; and

in response to the indication, disconnect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more heating components is carried out as a flexible printed circuit board (PCB), the flexible PCB including a flexible basement made of a polyamide.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the power switch and the temperature sensor are connected using an inter-integrated circuit bus and the power switch includes a multichannel metal oxide semiconductor transistor.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

an ambient temperature sensor communicatively coupled to the controller and placed within the heated clothing and configured to sense an ambient temperature; and

an input device communicatively coupled to the controller; and

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive, from the ambient temperature sensor, the ambient temperature; and

to receive, via the input device, a user-defined temperature for the one or more heating components.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the input device includes one of:

a touchscreen input device placed within the heated clothing; and

a mobile device connected to the controller using a wireless communication protocol.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive, from the temperature sensor of the one or more heating components, the temperature of the one or more heating components; and

adjust the output voltage of the one or more voltage converters based on the ambient temperature, the user-defined temperature, and the temperature of the one or more heating components.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller includes one or more proportional-integral-derivative controllers to adjust the output voltage of the one or more voltage converters.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the power switch is configured to:

receive a further indication that a current flowing through the one or more heating components exceeds a pre-determined current threshold; and

in response to the determination, disconnect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

estimate a resistance of the one or more heating components;

calculate, based on the resistance, an integral temperature of the one or more heating components;

determine that the integral temperature does not exceed the pre-determined threshold; and

in response to the determination, configure the power switch to connect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that one of the following conditions is fulfilled;

the resistance of the one or more heating components is outside a pre-determined tolerance range; and

the electrical current flowing through the one or more heating components exceeds a pre-determined maximum value; and

based on the determination, disconnect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor placed within the heated clothing, the controller being further configured to:

receive proximity data from the proximity sensor;

determine, based on the proximity data, that the heated clothing is not worn by a user; and

in response to the determination, set the output voltage of the one or more voltage converters to a pre-determined minimum value to conserve power of the battery.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more heating components further includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope, the accelerometer and gyroscope being communicatively connected to the controller; and

the controller being further configured to;

receive accelerometer data from the accelerometer and gyroscope data from the gyroscope;

determine based on the accelerometer data and gyroscope data, a level of activity of a user; and

adjust, based on the level of activity of the user, the output voltage of the one or more voltage converters.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more voltage converters include a synchronous step-down converter to regulate the output voltage provided to the one or more heating components.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more heating components are positioned to cover muscles of a user, when the heated clothing is worn by the user.

18. A method for heating a heated clothing, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller and via temperature sensors of one or more heating components, temperatures of the one or more heating components, wherein the one or more heating components are placed within one or more zones of the heated clothing and powered independently by one or more of voltage converters, the one or more voltage converters being powered by a battery;

receiving, by the controller and via an ambient temperature sensor, an ambient temperature;

receiving, by the controller and via an input device, user-defined temperatures for the one or more heating components; and

adjusting, by the controller, an output voltage of the one or more voltage converters based on the temperatures of the one or more heating components, the ambient temperature, and the user-defined temperatures, the output voltage being provided to the one or more heating components.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by power switches of the one or more heating components and from the temperature sensor of the one or more heating components, indications that the temperature of the one or more heating components exceeds a predetermined maximum threshold;

in response to the indications, disconnecting, by the power switches, the one or more heating components from the one or more voltage converters;

estimating, by the controller, resistances of the one or more heating components;

calculating, by the controller and based on the resistances, integral temperatures of the one or more heating components;

determining, by the controller, that the integral temperatures do not exceed the pre-determined threshold;

in response to the determination, configuring, by the controller, the power switches to connect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters;

determining, by the controller, that the resistances of the one or more heating components are outside a pre-defined tolerance range; and

in response to the determination, disconnect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters.

20. A system for heating a heated clothing, the system comprising:

one or more heating components placed within one or more zones of the heated clothing, wherein the one or more heating components include a temperature sensor and a power switch, the temperature sensor being configured to sense a temperature of the one or more heating components;

one or more voltage converters configured to provide power to the one or more heating components, the one or more voltage converters including a step-down converter to regulate an output voltage provided to the one or more heating components;

a battery configured to provide power for the one or more voltage converters;

an ambient temperature sensor placed within the heated clothing and configured to sense an ambient temperature;

an input device configured to receive, from a user, a user-defined temperature for the one or more heating components; and

a controller configured to adjust a voltage of the one or more voltage converters based on the temperature of the one or heating components, the ambient temperature, and the user-defined temperature; and

wherein

the power switch is configured to;

receive, from the temperature sensor, an indication that the temperature of the one or more heating components exceeds a pre-determined maximum threshold; and

in response to the indication, disconnect the one or more heating components from the one or more voltage source;

the controller being further configured to;

estimate a resistance of the one or more heating components;

calculate, based on the resistance, an integral temperature of the one or more heating components;

determine that the integral temperature does not exceed the pre-determined threshold;

in response to the determination, configure the power switch to connect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters;

determine that the resistance of the one or more heating components is outside a tolerance range; and

based on the determination, disconnect the one or more heating components and the one or more voltage converters.