System and method for smart clothing and wearable electronic devices

• US 20020084901A1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kaario, Juha, Hoisko, Jyrki, Kimmel, Jyrki, Mantyjarvi, Jani
• Granted Patent: US 6,801,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 19/30 with means for locking in position
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/12 characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2001/125 whereby the contacts of the switch are formed by teeth of a zipper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/25 Zipper or required component thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2543 with element structural feature unrelated to interlocking or securing portion

Abstract

System and method for wearable electronic devices and smart clothing that includes integrating an electronic circuit into one or more fastening devices on an article of clothing. One or more electronic devices integrated with or attached to the clothing are controlled or monitored based on a position of the fastening device where the position relates to how much the fastening device is fastened.

Claims

1. A method for controlling wearable electronic devices and smart clothing comprising:

integrating an electronic circuit into at least one fastening device on a piece of clothing; and

controlling at least one electronic device based on a position of the at least one fastening device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises an impedance circuit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises at least one conductive cable, each at least one conductive cable including two parts, the two parts being brought into conducting positions completing the at least one conductive cable based on the position of the fastening device.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising weaving the at least one conductive cable into the fabric of the clothing, at least one conductive cable being connectable to the at least one electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive metal.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive optical fiber.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening device comprises at least one of a zipper, a button, a snap, a hook, and Velcro™

.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of a headset, a microphone, a light, a sensor, a processor, a wireless device, a display, a switch, a receiving device, a storage device, a transmitting device, an audio device, a thermal device, an input/output device, and a power source.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sensing the position of the at least one fastening device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising controlling the at least one electronic device based on the sensing.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing the controlling using a mobile device, the mobile device being electrically connectable to the at least one fastening device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile device comprises one of a wireless phone, a mobile computing device, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

14. The article according to claim 13, wherein the electronic circuit comprises an impedance circuit.

15. The article according to claim 13, wherein the electronic circuit comprises at least one conductive cable, each at least one conductive cable including two parts, the two parts being brought into conducting positions completing the at least one conductive cable based on the position of the fastening device.

16. The article according to claim 13, wherein the at least one conductive cable is woven into the fabric of the clothing, at least one conductive cable being connectable to the at least one electronic device.

17. The article according to claim 16, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive metal.

18. The article according to claim 16, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive optical fiber.

19. The article according to claim 13, wherein the at least one fastening device comprises at least one of a zipper, a button, a snap, a hook, and Velcro™

.

20. The article according to claim 13, wherein the at least one electronic device is one of attached to and contained in the article of clothing.

21. The article according to claim 13, wherein the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of a headset, a microphone, a light, a sensor, a processor, a wireless device, a display, a switch, a receiving device, a storage device, a transmitting device, an audio device, a thermal device, an input/output device, and a power source.

22. The article according to claim 13, further comprising at least one sensor, the at least one sensor sensing at least one of the position of the at least one fastening device, a bodily function of a person wearing the article of clothing, and a condition external to the article of clothing.

23. The article according to claim 22, further comprising a controller, the mobile device being electrically connectable to the at least one fastening device, the controller controlling the at least one electronic device based on the sensing.

24. The article according to claim 23, wherein the controller comprises a mobile device.

25. The article according to claim 24, wherein the mobile device comprises one of a wireless phone, a mobile computing device, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the at least one sensor senses whether the two parts are in conducting positions.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the zipper, the at least one conductive cable, the at least one controller and the at least one sensor are attachable to an article of clothing, the at least one sensor sensing at least one of a closed position of the zipper, a bodily function of a person wearing the article of clothing, and a condition external to the article of clothing.

29. The system according to claim 26, wherein the controller comprises a mobile device.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the mobile device comprises one of a wireless phone, a mobile computing device, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

31. The system according to claim 26, further comprising insulating interlocking teeth, the insulating interlocking teeth being part of the plurality of interlocking teeth, the insulating interlocking teeth residing at locations on the zipper between two pairs of conducting interlocking teeth.

32. The system according to claim 26, wherein the zipper includes some interlocking teeth that are not insulating teeth and are not conducting interlocking teeth.

33. The system according to claim 26, further comprising at least one electronic device, the at least one electronic device operably connected to the zipper through at least one conducting cable.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of a headset, a microphone, a light, a sensor, a processor, a wireless device, a display, a switch, a receiving device, a storage device, a transmitting device, an audio device, a thermal device, an input/output device, and a power source.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the at least one electronic device is operably connected to the controller, the controller controlling the at least one electronic device based on the sensing.

36. The system according to claim 26, wherein the zipper, the at least one conductive cable, the at least one controller and the at least one sensor are attachable to an article of clothing, the at least one conductive cable being woven into the fabric of the article of clothing.

37. The system according to claim 26, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive optical fiber.

38. The system according to claim 26, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive metal.

40. The zipper according to claim 39, further comprising insulating interlocking teeth, the insulating interlocking teeth being part of the plurality of interlocking teeth, the insulating interlocking teeth residing at locations on the zipper between two pairs of conducting interlocking teeth.

41. The zipper according to claim 40, wherein the zipper includes some interlocking teeth that are not insulating teeth and are not conducting interlocking teeth.

42. The zipper according to claim 39, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive metal.

43. The zipper according to claim 39, wherein the at least one conductive cable comprises conductive optical fiber.

13. An article of clothing comprising:

at least one fastening device, some at least one fastening device containing an electronic circuit integral therewith; and

at least one electronic device, the at least one electronic device being controlled based on a position of the at least one fastening device.

26. A data zipper system comprising:

a zipper, the zipper including a plurality of interlocking teeth;

at least one conductive cable, each at least one conductive cable including two parts, each of the two parts being integral with one tooth of a pair of conducting interlocking teeth that are part of the plurality of interlocking teeth, the two parts being brought into conducting positions completing the at least one conductive cable when the pair of conducting interlocking teeth are interlocked, the conducting position allowing information transfer through the at least one conductive cable;

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor operably connected to at least one conductive cable; and

at least one controller, the at least one controller operably connected to at least one conductive cable and the at least one sensor, the at least one controller controlling the at least one sensor.

39. A zipper assembly comprising:

a zipper, the zipper including a plurality of interlocking teeth; and

at least one conductive cable, each at least one conductive cable comprising two parts, each of the two parts being integral with one tooth of a pair of conducting interlocking teeth that are part of the plurality of interlocking teeth, the two parts being brought into conducting positions forming the at least one conductive cable when the pair of conducting interlocking teeth are interlocked, the conducting position allowing information transfer through the at least one conductive cable.