SMART GARMENT

• US 20080218310A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Borchers, Robert Edward, Alten, Brett G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• 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: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00

Abstract

A sensor authenticated to a garment transfers information, either wirelessly or wired, to an external data processing device. Such information includes location information, physiometric data of the individual wearing the garment, garment performance and wear data (when the garment is an athletic shoe, for example). The external data processing device can be portable digital media players that are, in turn, in wireless communication with a server computer or other wireless devices.

Claims

1. A method of electronically pairing a sensor and a garment, comprising:

(a) establishing a communication link between the sensor and the garment;

(b) determining if the garment is an authorized garment; and

(c) electronically pairing the garment and the sensor.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(d) determining if the sensor is an authenticated sensor.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining (b) comprises:

receiving garment identification information; and

comparing the garment identification information to authorized garment identification information.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving garment data by the sensor; and

passing most of the garment data to an external circuit for further processing.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the garment data includes a garment manufacture date, garment wear data, a garment wear threshold value.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 comprising:

comparing a current garment wear data value to the garment wear threshold value; and

issuing a wear notification based upon the comparison of the current garment wear data value and the garment wear threshold value.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user performance data by the sensor; and

passing most of the user performance to an external circuit for further processing.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein when the garment is a shoe, then the user performance data includes stride data, force of impact data and corresponding location of impact data.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

calculating a user running style profile based upon the stride data, the force of impact data and the corresponding point of impact data;

comparing the user running style profile to a running style profile template; and

issuing virtual coaching instructions based upon the comparison of the user running style profile and the running style profile template.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the external circuit is a computing device arranged to process the received data.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the computing device is part of a network of computing devices.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein most of the data is processed by at least one of the network of computing devices.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of the computing devices is a personal portable computing device.

14. Computer program product executable by a processor for electronically pairing a sensor and a garment, comprising:

computer code for establishing a communication link between the sensor and the garment;

computer code for determining if the garment is an authorized garment;

computer code for electronically pairing the garment and the sensor; and

computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

15. Computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

computer code for determining if the sensor is an authenticated sensor.

16. Computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer code for determining if the garment is an authorized garment further comprises:

computer code for receiving garment identification information; and

computer code for comparing the garment identification information to authorized garment identification information.

17. Computer program product as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

computer code for receiving garment data by the sensor; and

computer code for passing most of the garment data to an external circuit for further processing.

18. Computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the garment data includes a garment date of manufacture, garment wear data, a garment wear threshold value.

19. Computer program product as recited in claim 18 comprising:

computer code for comparing a current garment wear data value to the garment wear threshold value; and

computer code for issuing a wear notification based upon the comparison of the current garment wear data value and the garment wear threshold value.

20. Computer program product as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

computer code for receiving user performance data by the sensor; and

computer code for passing most of the user performance to an external circuit for further processing.

21. Computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein when the garment is a shoe, then the user performance data includes stride data, force of impact data and corresponding location of impact data.

22. Computer program product as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

computer code for calculating a user running style profile based upon the stride data, the force of impact data and the corresponding point of impact data;

computer code for comparing the user running style profile to a running style profile template;

computer code for issuing virtual coaching instructions based upon the comparison of the user running style profile and the running style profile template.

23. Computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the external circuit is a computing device arranged to process the received data.

24. Computer program product as recited in claim 23, wherein the computing device is part of a network of computing devices.

25. Computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein most of the data is processed by at least one of the network of computing devices.

26. Computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein at least one of the computing devices is a personal portable computing device.

27. A system, comprising:

a sensor; and

a garment electronically paired with the sensor, wherein the sensor receives data from the garment and passes most of data to an external circuit for further processing.

28. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the external circuit is a portable computing device in communication with the sensor.

29. A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the data received from the garment is user performance data.

30. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein when the garment is a shoe, then the user performance data includes stride data, force of impact data and corresponding location of impact data.

31. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the further processing comprises:

calculating a user running style profile based upon the stride data, the force of impact data and the corresponding point of impact data;

comparing the user running style profile to a running style profile template;

issuing virtual coaching instructions based upon the comparison of the user running style profile and the running style profile template.

32. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the portable computing device is part of a network of computing devices.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, wherein most of the user performance data is processed by at least one of the network of computing devices.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein at least one of the computing devices is a portable multimedia player.