Wearable Electronic Device

• US 20080271220A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wearable Technologies Ltd. (Blackline Safety Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Wearable Technologies Ltd. (Blackline Safety Corp.)
• Inventors: Chilton, Nissim, Miller, Bill
• Application Number:
  US11/914,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20080271220A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/69
• 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: G10H 2220/321 Garment sensors, i.e. musical control means with trigger surfaces or joint angle sensors, worn as a garment by the player, e.g. bracelet, intelligent clothing vital parameter sensing G10H2220/371; wearable interfaces in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analog or digital, e.g. DECT GSM, UMTS smartphone, PDA or palmtop used for musical purposes G10H2230/015; mobile ringtone G10H2230/021
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/0085 Layered switches integrated into garment, clothes or textile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A wearable electronic device (18) is sealed within a waterproof casing (20) and located within a sealable pocket (16) of a garment (10). The electronic device (18) comprises a power supply (24), a programmable device (26), an output device (28) adapted to be controlled by the programmable device (26), and an input device (32) adapted to be activated to operate the output device (28) via the programmable device (26). In one disclosed embodiment the input device (32) comprises a switch and the output device (28) comprises a speaker adapted to play sound stored on the electronic device (18).

Claims

1. A garment comprising a sealable pocket and an electronic device sealed within a waterproof casing and located within said sealable pocket, said electronic device comprising a power supply, a programmable device, an output device adapted to be controlled by the programmable device, and an input device adapted to be activated to operate the output device via the programmable device.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a printed circuit board upon which at least one of the programmable device, power supply, output device and input device is mounted.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein some or all of the components of the electronic device are mounted on a flexible substrate.

4. The garment of claim 1, wherein features of the electronic device are directly mounted on the garment.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein features of the electronic device are incorporated into the garment.

6. The garment of claim 1 wherein the programmable device comprises a microprocessor.

7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises at least one switch.

8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises at least one receiver adapted to receive an input signal.

9. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a memory device.

10. The garment of claim 9, wherein the memory device incorporates a flash ROM memory device.

11. The garment of claim 9, wherein the memory device is formed separately from the programmable device.

12. The garment of claim 9, wherein the memory device is adapted to receive data via a memory input.

13. The garment of claim 11, wherein the memory input comprise a hard wire connection.

14. The garment of claim 9, wherein the memory device comprises a wireless receiver device adapted to wirelessly receive data to be stored.

15. The garment of claim 14, wherein the wireless receiver is adapted to receive sound such that real time audio data can be captured and stored by the memory device.

16. The garment of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a speaker.

17. The garment of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a light.

18. The garment of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a transmitter.

19. The garment of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a motor.

20. The garment of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises at least one rechargeable battery cell.

21. The garment of claim 20, wherein the battery is adapted to be recharged by an inductance type charger.

22. The garment of claim 1, wherein the power source is adapted to be initially insulated from the electronic device, becoming electrically coupled to the electronic device prior to or on initial activation thereof.

23. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is permanently sealed within the waterproof casing.

24. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is temporarily sealed within the waterproof casing such that said electronic device may be retrieved without destruction of the casing.

25. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is sealed within an anti-static membrane.

26. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is adapted to be programmed by an external device.

27. The garment of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes software loaded thereon and the programmable device is adapted to run said software to permit control of the functionality of the electronic device.

28. The garment of claim 27, wherein the software permits the programmable device to control the output device in the required manner in accordance with a suitable input signal detected by the input device.

29. The garment of claim 27, wherein the software permits control of the power consumption characteristics of the electronic device in order to maximise the life of the power supply.

30. The garment of claim 1, wherein the sealable pocket comprises a fabric, wherein the electronic device is encased within said fabric.

31. The garment of claim 30, wherein the fabric acts as an acoustic filter.

32. The garment of claim 30, wherein the fabric is adapted to filter random frequencies and quantisation noise.

33. A wearable device adapted to be secured to a garment, said device comprising:

a sealable pocket;

a waterproof casing located within said sealable pocket; and

an electronic device sealed within said waterproof casing, said electronic device comprising a power supply, a programmable device, an output device adapted to be controlled by the programmable device, and an input device adapted to be activated externally of the sealable pocket to operate the output device via the programmable device.

34. The wearable device of claim 33, wherein the outer sealable pocket comprises a fabric, wherein the electronic device is encased within said fabric.

35. A method of manufacturing a garment comprising securing a wearable device according to claim 33 to a garment.

36. A method of manufacturing a garment, said method comprising:

providing an electronic device having a power supply, a programmable device, an output device adapted to be controlled by the programmable device, and an input device adapted to operate the output device via the programmable device;

sealing said electronic device within a waterproof casing;

locating said electronic device and waterproof casing within a sealable pocket; and

securing said pocket to an article of clothing.

37. An audio player comprising:

an outer sealable pocket;

a waterproof casing located within said sealable pocket; and

an electronic circuit sealed within said waterproof casing, said electronic circuit comprising a power supply, a programmable device, a memory device for storing an audio file, a speaker adapted to be controlled by the programmable device, and a switch adapted to be activated externally of the outer sealable pocket.

38. The audio player of claim 37, adapted to be secured to an article of clothing.

39. A method of incorporating an electronic device in a garment, the method comprising:

programming an electronic device such that the device is capable of producing at least one selected output on activation by a user; and

incorporating the device in a garment,

whereby a user may activate the device in the garment to provide said at least one selected output.

40. A method of doing business, said method comprising:

obtaining permission to utilise electronically storable data;

providing an electronic device adapted to store and use said data, and programming said electronic device with said data;

securing said electronic device to a garment.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the storable data is subject to intellectual property rights, and the method involves obtaining permission from the rights holder.

42. The method of claim 40, comprising supplying at least one electronic device incorporating the storable data to a garment manufacturer for incorporation with at least one garment.