Network of electronic devices assembled on a flexible support and communication method

• US 10,250,301 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Pagani, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Talukder, Md K
• Application Number:
  US15/375,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5387 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/5388 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 : the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 : involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 : Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 : using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 : Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 : incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 : Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an article including a garment, with a network formed on the garment. The network includes a main node with a main wired antenna, and at least one intermediate node with an intermediate wired antenna to be magnetically coupled to a respective device for that intermediate node. An electrical line electrically couples the main node to the at least one intermediate node. At least one electronic device is magnetically coupled to the intermediate wired antenna. A power supply unit is magnetically coupled to the main node via the main wired antenna thereof.

Claims

1. An article, comprising:

a garment; and

a network formed on the garment which comprises;

a main node comprising a main wired antenna;

at least one intermediate node comprising an intermediate wired antenna configured to be magnetically coupled to a respective electronic device for that intermediate node;

an electrical line electrically coupling the main node to the at least one intermediate node;

at least one electronic device magnetically coupled to the intermediate wired antenna; and

a power supply unit magnetically coupled to the main node via the main wired antenna;

wherein the main wired antenna comprises;

a main conductive loop coupled to the electrical line and having a forward stretch and a return stretch formed on the garment;

a secondary conductive loop arranged between the forward stretch and the return stretch so as to form first and second fringing capacitors in series;

wherein the first and second fringing capacitors define, within the main conductive loop, a parallel LC circuit forming a resonant antenna facilitating transfer of energy from the power supply unit to the main node.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the electrical line comprises a single conductive line;

wherein the main wired antenna of the main node comprises a first bent end of the single conductive line; and

wherein the intermediate wired antenna of the at least one intermediate node comprises a second bent end of the single conductive line.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the power supply unit comprises a battery, a power inverter coupled to the battery and configured to generate AC voltage therefrom, and an antenna magnetically coupled to the main node and configured to transmit output from the power inverter to the main node.

4. The article of claim 3, wherein the power supply unit further comprises a memory unit coupled to the antenna of the power supply unit, the memory unit configured to receive data transmissions made from the intermediate wired antenna of the at least one intermediate node to the at least one electronic device, via the antenna of the power supply unit, and to store those data transmissions.

5. The article of claim 1, further comprising a far field antenna coupled to the electrical line, the far field antenna configured to enable coupling of the at least one electronic device to an external environment.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the electrical line is embedded within fabric from which the garment is constructed.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the garment, at least one electronic device, and power supply unit are galvanically insulated from one another.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the garment has a pocket overlaying the main wired antenna;

and wherein the power supply unit is carried within the pocket.

9. An article, comprising:

a garment; and

a network formed on the garment which comprises;

a main node comprising a main wired antenna;

at least one intermediate node comprising an intermediate wired antenna configured to be magnetically coupled to a respective electronic device for that intermediate node;

an electrical line electrically coupling the main node to the at least one intermediate node;

at least one electronic device magnetically coupled to the intermediate wired antenna; and

a power supply unit magnetically coupled to the main node via the main wired antenna;

wherein the main wired antenna comprises;

a main conductive loop coupled to the electrical line and having a forward stretch and a return stretch; and

first and second parallel electrode stretches arranged adjacent to sides of the main conductive loop in a spaced apart manner therefrom to form a fringing capacitor;

wherein the fringing capacitor defines, within the main conductive loop, a LC circuit forming a resonant antenna facilitating transfer of energy from the power supply unit to the main node.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the electrical line comprises a single conductive line;

wherein the main wired antenna of the main node comprises a first bent end of the single conductive line; and

wherein the intermediate wired antenna of the at least one intermediate node comprises a second bent end of the single conductive line.

11. The article of claim 9, wherein the power supply unit comprises a battery, a power inverter coupled to the battery and configured to generate AC voltage therefrom, and an antenna magnetically coupled to the main node and configured to transmit output from the power inverter to the main node.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the power supply unit further comprises a memory unit coupled to the antenna of the power supply unit, the memory unit configured to receive data transmissions made from the intermediate wired antenna of the at least one intermediate node to the at least one electronic device, via the antenna of the power supply unit, and to store those data transmissions.

13. The article of claim 9, further comprising a far field antenna coupled to the electrical line, the far field antenna configured to enable coupling of the at least one electronic device to an external environment.

14. The article of claim 9, wherein the electrical line is embedded within fabric from which the garment is constructed.

15. The article of claim 9, wherein the garment, at least one electronic device, and power supply unit are galvanically insulated from one another.

16. The article of claim 9, wherein the garment has a pocket overlaying the main wired antenna;

and wherein the power supply unit is carried within the pocket.

17. An article, comprising:

a garment;

a network formed on the garment which comprises;

a main node comprising a main wired antenna;

at least one intermediate node comprising an intermediate wired antenna configured to be magnetically coupled to a respective electronic device for that intermediate node;

an electrical line electrically coupling the main node to the at least one intermediate node;

at least one electronic device magnetically coupled to the intermediate wired antenna; and

a power supply unit magnetically coupled to the main node via the main wired antenna; and

a magnetic cage over and partially surrounding the main wired antenna so the magnetic cage serves to shield a wearer of the garment from a magnetic field about the main wired antenna;

wherein a first surface of the magnetic cage is carried within the power supply unit; and

wherein the magnetic cage is electrically insulated from the main wired antenna and the power supply unit.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the magnetic cage is polyhedral in shape.

19. The article of claim 17, further comprising a shield carried within the garment adjacent to, aligned with, and under the main wired antenna so the shield serves to shield a wearer of the garment from a magnetic field about the main wired antenna.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein the power supply unit includes a portable housing carrying components of the power supply unit;

and wherein at least a portion of the magnetic cage is carried within the portable housing of the power supply unit.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein the electrical line comprises a single conductive line;

wherein the main wired antenna of the main node comprises a first bent end of the single conductive line; and

wherein the intermediate wired antenna of the at least one intermediate node comprises a second bent end of the single conductive line.

22. The article of claim 17, wherein the power supply unit comprises a battery, a power inverter coupled to the battery and configured to generate AC voltage therefrom, and an antenna magnetically coupled to the main node and configured to transmit output from the power inverter to the main node.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the power supply unit further comprises a memory unit coupled to the antenna of the power supply unit, the memory unit configured to receive data transmissions made from the intermediate wired antenna of the at least one intermediate node to the at least one electronic device, via the antenna of the power supply unit, and to store those data transmissions.

24. The article of claim 17, further comprising a far field antenna coupled to the electrical line, the far field antenna configured to enable coupling of the at least one electronic device to an external environment.

25. The article of claim 17, wherein the electrical line is embedded within fabric from which the garment is constructed.

26. The article of claim 17, wherein the garment, at least one electronic device, and power supply unit are galvanically insulated from one another.

27. The article of claim 17, wherein the garment has a pocket overlaying the main wired antenna;

and wherein the power supply unit is carried within the pocket.