Smart clothing for ambulatory human motion capture

• US 10,321,873 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Inventors: Connor, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kolb, Nathaniel J
• Application Number:
  US15/227,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20160338644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 738654
• 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 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 1/02 Devices for taking measurements on the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3975 active
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0266 Optical strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1071 measuring angles, e.g. using goniometers A61B5/1123 takes precedence
• 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 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4585 Evaluating the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 : Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

This invention is smart clothing (such as a shirt or pair of pants) for ambulatory motion capture comprising: an article of clothing; an electromagnetic energy emitter; an electromagnetic energy receiver; a helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway that spans a body joint, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the pathway changes the flow of electromagnetic energy from the emitter to the receiver; and a data processor, wherein the data processor analyzes changes in the flow in order to measure motion of the body joint.

Claims

1. Smart clothing for ambulatory human motion capture comprising:

an article of clothing which is worn by a person;

a first electromagnetic energy emitter;

a first electromagnetic energy receiver;

a first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which is configured to span along a helical path around between 50% and 100% of the circumference of an arm or leg which includes a body joint, wherein electromagnetic energy flows from the first electromagnetic energy emitter to the first electromagnetic energy receiver through the first pathway, wherein the first pathway is configured to span the body joint when the article of clothing is worn by the person, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the first pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the first pathway changes one or more first parameters of the flow of electromagnetic energy from the first electromagnetic energy emitter to the first electromagnetic energy receiver;

a second electromagnetic energy emitter;

a second electromagnetic energy receiver;

a longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy second pathway,

wherein the second pathway is configured to extend in a distal-to-proximal manner along a side of the arm or leg, wherein electromagnetic energy flows from the second electromagnetic energy emitter to the second electromagnetic energy receiver through the second pathway, wherein the second pathway is configured to span the body joint, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the second pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the second pathway changes one or more second parameters of the flow of electromagnetic energy from the second electromagnetic energy emitter to the second electromagnetic energy receiver; and

a data processor, wherein the data processor analyzes changes in the one or more first parameters and changes in the one or more second parameters in order to measure motion of the body joint, and wherein combined multivariate analysis of data from both the first and second pathways provides more accurate measurement of body joint motion than data from either the first pathway or the second pathway alone.

2. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetic energy emitter is configured to be located on a different side of the person'"'"'s arm or leg than the first electromagnetic energy receiver.

3. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetic energy emitter transmits electrical energy into one end of the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway and the first electromagnetic energy receiver receives this electrical energy from the other end of the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway.

4. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the resistance, impedance, capacitance and/or conductivity of the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway changes as the first pathway stretches and/or bends.

5. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway further comprises one or more undulating, wavy, and/or sinusoidal electroconductive threads, yarns, or fibers.

6. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first 1 stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway further comprises two or more layers, wherein at least one layer is electroconductive.

7. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway is woven into the fabric of the article of clothing.

8. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway is slid or otherwise inserted into a channel, pocket, opening, and/or pouch in the article of clothing.