STRUCTURE OF FABRIC AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

• US 20090025819A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Douglas, Alexander Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 10,422,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 139/420.R
• 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: D02G 3/441 Yarns or threads with antistatic, conductive or radiation-shielding properties electroconductive, anti-static or radiation-shielding filaments D01F1/09, D01F1/106; anti-static fabrics D03D15/533; conducting, insulating or anti-static layers for floor coverings D06N7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/217 natural from plants, e.g. cotton
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/25 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/258 Noble metal
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/283 synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres cellulose-based artificial fibres D03D15/225
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/02 Cotton
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/04 polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET]
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/00 Wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0281 Conductive fibers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/029 Woven fibrous reinforcement or textile

Abstract

A structure comprises a fabric (28) with electronic components (10, 12) mounted thereon. The fabric (28) comprises a warp and weft of fibres (30, 32), each of the warp and weft comprising a combination of electrically conducting fibres (30) and electrically non-conducting fibres (32). The electronic components (10, 12) are connected to at least one electrically conducting fibre (30). The electronic components, in a preferred embodiment comprise a plurality of end of line elements (10) and a corresponding plurality of groups of line elements (12), each group of line elements (12) connected to an end of line element (10).

Claims

1. A structure comprising a fabric (28) and electronic components (10, 12) mounted thereon, the fabric (28) comprising a warp and weft of fibres (30, 32), each of the warp and weft comprising a combination of electrically conducting fibres (30) and electrically non-conducting fibres (32), each electronic component (10, 12) connected to at least one electrically conducting fibre (30).

2. A structure according to claim 1, and further comprising at least one electrically conductive bridge component (36) connecting a pair of electrically conducting fibres (30).

3. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the electronic components (10, 12) comprise a plurality of end of line elements (10) and a corresponding plurality of groups of line elements (12), each group of line elements (12) connected to an end of line element (10).

4. A structure according to claim 3, wherein each end of line element (10) is connected to an adjacent end of line element (10).

5. A structure according to claim 3, wherein a group of line elements (12) are connected in parallel to the respective end of line element (10).

6. A structure according to claim 3, wherein each end of line element (10) is arranged to query each line element (12), to which it is directly connected.

7. A structure according to claim 1, and further comprising a power source (38) connected to a pair of electrically conducting fibres (30).

8. A structure according to claim 7, wherein the power source (38) is connected to multiple independent pairs of electrically conducting fibres (30).

9. A method of operating a structure, the structure comprising a fabric (28) and electronic components (10, 12) mounted thereon, the fabric (28) comprising a warp and weft of fibres (30, 32), each of the warp and weft comprising a combination of electrically conducting fibres (30) and electrically non-conducting fibres (32), each electronic component (10, 12) connected to at least one electrically conducting fibre (30), the method comprising powering the electronic components (10, 12) via the electrically conducting fibres (30) and communicating between the electronic components (10, 12) via the electrically conducting fibres (30).

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the structure further comprises at least one electrically conductive bridge component (36) connecting a pair of electrically conducting fibres (30).

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the electronic components (10, 12) comprise a plurality of end of line elements (10) and a corresponding plurality of groups of line elements (12), each group of line elements (12) connected to an end of line element (10).

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein each end of line element (10) is connected to an adjacent end of line element (12).

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein a group of line elements (12) are connected in parallel to the respective end of line element (10).

14. A method according to claim 11, and further comprising querying each line element (12) from each end of line element (10) to which it is directly connected.