GARMENT FOR CONTROLING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20080056508A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: OSWALD, GARY J., PIERCE, WILLIAM S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/87
• 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 2200/20 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/905 Electric

Abstract

Disclosed is a garment (102) made of a particular type of material, the garment can include a garment appendage (104, 108, 110, 112) and a sensor (114, 116) coupled to the garment appendage with the sensor configured to detect activation of the garment appendage. The garment can further include a controller (126) coupled to the sensor, with the controller configured to control a function of an electronic device based on activation of the garment appendage when sensed by the sensor. Also disclosed is a method of a garment as described above, the method including activating the garment appendage so that the sensor detects the activation, and processing a signal from the sensor by the controller to that the controller controls a function of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A garment made of a particular type of material, the garment comprising:

a garment appendage comprising substantially the same type of material as the garment as a whole;

a sensor coupled to the garment appendage, the sensor being configured to detect movement of the garment appendage; and

a controller coupled to the sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to control a function of an electronic device based on movement of the garment appendage when sensed by the sensor.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment appendage is a hood and wherein the garment further comprises at least one speaker coupled to the hood.

3. The garment of claim 2 wherein the function comprises suppressing audio output of the at least one speaker.

4. The garment of claim 2 wherein the electronic device is an audio storage and playback device and the function is initiating audio playback through the speaker.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment appendage is at least one drawstring.

6. The garment of claim 5 wherein the electronic device includes volume control and the function is controlling volume by operation of at least one drawstring.

7. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment appendage is a flap.

8. The garment of claim 1 wherein the electronic device includes a microphone coupled to the garment appendage and the function is activating the microphone.

9. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is a sweatshirt.

10. The garment of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a Bluetooth accessory and the function is communicating with a different electronic device.

11. A sweatshirt comprising:

a sweatshirt body;

a sweatshirt hood coupled to the sweatshirt body;

at least one speaker coupled to the sweatshirt hood;

at least one sensor coupled to the hood, the sensor configured to detect activation of the hood; and

a controller coupled to the sensor, the controller configured to control an audio function based on the activation of the hood.

12. The sweatshirt according to claim 11, wherein:

the sensor is further configured to detect activation of the hood by detecting an up position and a down position of the hood, and

the controller controls an audio function based on the position of the hood.

13. The sweatshirt according to claim 12, wherein the audio function comprises at least one of a mute function and a cellular communication send function.

14. The sweatshirt according to claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor comprises two sensors, wherein the two sensors detect an activation of the hood based on a detected distance between the sensors.

15. The sweatshirt according to claim 11, wherein the hood includes drawstrings coupled to the hood,

wherein the sensor detects activation of the hood by detecting operation of the drawstrings.

16. The sweatshirt according to claim 15, wherein the audio function comprises a volume control.

17. The sweatshirt according to claim 11, wherein the controller includes a Bluetooth module configured to send and receive short range wireless communication signals.

18. The sweatshirt according to claim 11, further comprises a microphone coupled to the controller.

19. A method of a garment made of a particular type of material, the garment having at least one garment appendage comprising substantially the same type of material as the garment as a whole, the garment appendage comprising a sensor, the garment comprising a controller coupled to the sensor and an electronic device, the method comprising:

activating the garment appendage so that the sensor detects the activation; and

processing a signal from the sensor by the controller to that the controller controls a function of the electronic device.

20. A method of claim 19 wherein the function of the electronic device comprises:

communicating via a Bluetooth protocol with a different electronic device.