Fabric and yarn structures for improving signal integrity in fabric-based electrical circuits
First Claim
1. A coaxial conductive yarn structure comprising:
- (a) a first conductive yarn extending in a first direction and having a plurality of first conductive strands being twisted together;
(b) a second conductive yarn having a plurality of second conductive strands being twisted together, the second conductive yarn being wrapped around the first conductive yarn in a second direction transverse to the first direction and substantially covering the first conductive yarn; and
(c) at least one insulating layer for electrically isolating the first and second conductive yarns from each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Coaxial and twisted pair conductive yarn structures reduce signal crosstalk between adjacent lines in woven electrical networks. A coaxial conductive yarn structure includes an inner conductive yarn having a plurality of conductive strands twisted together. An outer conductive yarn is wrapped around the inner conductive yarn. An insulating layer separates the inner and outer yarns. A twisted pair conductive yarn structure includes first and second conductive yarns, each including a plurality of conductive strands being twisted together. The first and second conductive yarns are twisted together to form a helical structure. In a woven electrical network, at least one conductor of adjacent conductive yarn structures is connected to ground to reduce signal crosstalk. Coaxial and twisted pair yarn structures may also be formed simultaneously with weaving or knitting the threads that make up the structures into a fabric.
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Citations
96 Claims
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1. A coaxial conductive yarn structure comprising:
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(a) a first conductive yarn extending in a first direction and having a plurality of first conductive strands being twisted together;
(b) a second conductive yarn having a plurality of second conductive strands being twisted together, the second conductive yarn being wrapped around the first conductive yarn in a second direction transverse to the first direction and substantially covering the first conductive yarn; and
(c) at least one insulating layer for electrically isolating the first and second conductive yarns from each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A braided coaxial conductive yarn structure comprising:
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(a) a first conductive yarn extending in a first direction and having a plurality of first conductive strands being twisted together to form a single conductor;
(b) a conductive braid surrounding the first conductive yarn; and
(c) at least one insulating layer for electrically isolating the first conductive yarn and the conductive braid from each other.
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6. A twisted pair conductive yarn structure comprising:
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(a) a first conductive yarn having a plurality of conductive strands being twisted together;
(b) a second conductive yarn having a plurality of conductive strands being twisted together, the second conductive yarn being twisted together with the first conductive yarn to form a helical structure; and
(c) at least one insulating layer surrounding at least one of the conductive yarns for electrically isolating the first and second conductive yarns from each other. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A woven electrical network comprising:
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(a) a first coaxial conductive yarn structure being woven into a fabric in a first direction, the first coaxial conductive yarn structure including an inner conductive yarn, an outer conductive yarn being wound around the inner conductive yarn in a second direction transverse to the first direction and substantially covering the inner conductive yarn, and at least one insulating layer for electrically isolating the inner and outer conductive yarns from each other, wherein the outer conductive yarn is connected to ground;
(b) a second coaxial conductive yarn structure being woven into the fabric in the first direction and being spaced from the first coaxial conductive yarn structure, the second coaxial conductive yarn structure including an inner conductive yarn, an outer conductive yarn being wound around the inner conductive yarn in a second direction transverse to the first direction and substantially covering the inner conductive yarn, and an insulating layer for electrically isolating the inner and outer conductive yarns from each other, wherein the outer conductive yarn is connected to ground; and
(c) an AC signal source being connected to the inner conductive yarn of the first coaxial conductive yarn structure for sending an AC signal over the first coaxial conductive yarn structure, wherein the grounded outer conductive yarns of the first and second coaxial conductive yarn structures block electromagnetic fields emanating from the inner conductive yarn of the first coaxial conductive yarn structure and thereby reduce crosstalk between the first and second coaxial conductive yarn structures. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A woven electrical network comprising:
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(a) a first twisted pair conductive yarn structure being woven into a fabric in a first direction, the first twisted pair conductive yarn structure including first and second conductive yarns and at least one insulating layer for electrically isolating the first and second conductive yarns from each other, the first and second conductive yarns being twisted together to form a helical structure, the second conductive yarn being connected to ground;
(b) a second twisted pair conductive yarn structure being woven into the fabric in the first direction and being spaced from the first twisted pair yarn structure, the second twisted pair conductive yarn structure including first and second conductive yarns and at least one insulating layer for electrically isolating the first and second conductive yarns from each other, the first and second conductive yarns being twisted together to form a helical structure, the second conductive yarn being connected to ground; and
(c) an AC signal source being connected to the first conductive yarn of the first twisted pair conductive yarn structure for sending an AC signal over the first twisted pair conductive yarn structure, wherein the grounded second conductive yarns of the first and second twisted pair conductive yarn structures block electromagnetic fields emanating from the first conductive yarn of the first twisted pair conductive yarn structure and thereby reduce crosstalk between the first and second twisted pair conductive yarn structures. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A woven electrical network comprising:
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(a) a twisted pair conductive yarn structure being woven into a fabric in a first direction, the twisted pair conductive yarn structure including first and second conductive yarns and at least one insulating layer for electrically isolating the first and second conductive yarns from each other, the first and second conductive yarns being twisted together to form a helical structure; and
(b) an AC signal source connected to the first and second conductive yarns for oppositely driving the first and second conductive yarns with equal but opposite AC signals and achieving common mode noise rejection.
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34. A fabric-based signal transmission system for communicating electrical signals between circuit elements in a fabric-based electric circuit, the fabric-based signal transmission system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of nonconductive threads extending in a first direction in a fabric; and
(b) first and second conductive threads, each conductive thread including an inner conductor and an outer insulating layer surrounding the inner conductor, the first and second conductive threads extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and including a first region wherein the first and second conductive threads are twisted together and around adjacent nonconductive threads extending in the first direction to form a leno weave. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A fabric-based signal transmission system for communicating electrical signals between circuit elements in a fabric-based electric circuit, the fabric-based signal transmission system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of nonconductive threads being knitted together to form a fabric;
(b) a first conductive thread being knitted in the fabric and interlocking with the nonconductive threads, the first conductive thread having an inner conductor and an outer insulating layer surrounding the inner conductor; and
(c) a second conductive thread being knitted in the fabric and interlocking with the first conductive thread, the second conductive thread including an inner conductor and an outer conductive layer surrounding the inner conductor. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A fabric-based signal transmission system for communicating electrical signals between circuit elements in a fabric-based electric circuit, the fabric-based signal transmission system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of nonconductive threads being knitted together to form a fabric; and
(b) a coaxial conductive yarn structure being knitted in the fabric and interlocking with the nonconductive threads, the coaxial conductive yarn structure having an a plurality of inner conductive strands being twisted together, an insulating layer surrounding the inner conductive strands, and an outer conductor surrounding the insulating layer. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A fabric-based signal transmission system for communicating electrical signals between circuit elements in a fabric-based electric circuit, the fabric-based signal transmission system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of nonconductive threads being knitted together to form a fabric; and
(b) a twisted pair conductive yarn structure being knitted in the fabric and interlocking with the nonconductive threads, the twisted pair conductive yarn structure including first and second conductive yarns, each conductive yarn including a plurality of conductive strands being twisted together and an outer insulating layer surrounding the conductive strands, the first and second conductive yarns being twisted together. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A fabric-based signal transmission system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of conductive yarn structures being braided to form a fabric having braided conductive yarn structure, each conductive yarn structure including a plurality of strands being twisted together to form a single conductor and an insulating layer surrounding the conductor; and
(b) an electronic device being connected to the conductor of one of the conductive yarn structures. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A method for making a fabric-based signal transmission system, the method comprising:
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(a) weaving a plurality of nonconductive threads together to form a fabric;
(b) twisting first and second insulated conductive threads together; and
(c) while twisting the first and second insulated conductive threads together, leno-weaving the first and second conductive threads into a first region of the fabric. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A method for making a conductive thread structure with improved signal integrity characteristics, the method comprising:
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(a) interlocking a plurality of conductive threads with nonconductive threads to form a fabric;
(b) while interlocking the conductive threads with the nonconductive threads, interlocking the conductive threads with each other to form a conductive structure;
(c) connecting a first conductive thread of the conductive structure to a signal source; and
(d) connecting at least one thread of the conductive structure to ground. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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Specification