ELECTRONIC TEXTILE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A FUNCTIONAL AREA OF AN ELECTRONIC TEXTILE

• US 20110175630A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• 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: Bhattacharya, Rabin
• Granted Patent: US 8,823,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/658
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0289 having a matrix lay-out, i.e. having selectively interconnectable sets of X-conductors and Y-conductors in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/162 incorporating printed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0281 Conductive fibers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/029 Woven fibrous reinforcement or textile
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3976 Including strand which is stated to have specific attributes [e.g., heat or fire resistance, chemical or solvent resistance, high absorption for aqueous composition, water solubility, heat shrinkability, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a functional area of an electronic textile (100;200). The electronic textile comprises a textile substrate having a first plurality of conductors (108a-b;202a-d), a second plurality of conductors (104a-c;204a-d), and a plurality of capacitors (112;212a-p), each capacitor comprising a conductor from the first plurality of conductors (108a-b;202a-d) and a conductor from the second plurality of conductors (104a-c;204a-d), separated by a dielectric (103a), the capacitors (112;212a-p) being distributed across substantially an entire surface of the electronic textile, wherein each capacitor (112;212a-p) has a capacitance of at least 10 pF.

The method comprises, for each of the capacitors, the steps of (a) applying (301) a voltage between the conductor from the first plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor and the conductor from the second plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor, (b) detecting (302) an electrical characteristic indicative of a capacitance of the capacitor, (c) evaluating (303) the detected electrical characteristic, and (d) determining (304) whether the capacitor is included in the functional area of the electronic textile based on the evaluation.

As the method takes advantages of physical characteristics inherent in the electronic textile, such as the capacitors formed between conductors in the electronic textile, no electronic devices need to be arranged on the electronic textile to determine the functional area.

Claims

1. A method for determining a functional area of an electronic textile comprising a textile substrate having a first plurality of conductors and a second plurality of conductors, wherein the textile substrate is configured such that a plurality of capacitors, each comprising a conductor from the first plurality of conductors and a conductor from the second plurality of conductors separated by a dielectric, are formed across substantially an entire surface of the electronic textile, the method comprising, for each of the capacitors, the steps of:

applying a voltage between the conductor from the first plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor and the conductor from the second plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor;

detecting an electrical characteristic indicative of a capacitance of the capacitor;

evaluating the detected electrical characteristic; and

determining whether the capacitor is included in the functional area of the electronic textile based on the evaluation.

2. A method for determining the functional area of an electronic textile according to claim 1, wherein the voltage applied between the conductors is an alternating voltage.

3. A method for determining the functional area of an electronic textile according to claim 1, wherein the detected electrical characteristic is an alternating current.

4. A method for determining the functional area of an electronic textile according to claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating the detected electrical characteristic includes comparing the detected electrical characteristic to a predetermined threshold value.

5. A method for determining the functional area of an electronic textile according to claim 1, wherein any conductor(s) not associated with the evaluated capacitor(s) is kept at a constant voltage while the voltage is applied between the conductors associated with the evaluated capacitor(s).

6. An electronic textile comprising a textile substrate having a first plurality of conductors, a second plurality of conductors, and a plurality of capacitors, each capacitor comprising a conductor from the first plurality of conductors and a conductor from the second plurality of conductors, separated by a dielectric, the capacitors being distributed across substantially an entire surface of the electronic textile, wherein each capacitor has a capacitance of at least 10 pF.

7. An electronic textile according to claim 6, wherein a distance between the conductor from the first plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor and the conductor from the second plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor is such that the capacitor has a capacitance of at least 10 pF.

8. An electronic textile according to claim 6, wherein the dielectric between the conductor from the first plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor and the conductor from the second plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor has a permittivity such that the capacitor has a capacitance of at least 10 pF.

9. An electronic textile according to claim 6, wherein each capacitor has a capacitance of at least 100 pF.

10. An electronic textile according to claim 6, further comprising a first set of driving conductors and a second set of driving conductors arranged to drive a set of electronic components.

11. A controller connectable to an electronic textile according to claim 6 for determining a functional area thereof, wherein the controller is configured to evaluate each of the capacitors by applying a voltage between the conductor from the first plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor and the conductor from the second plurality of conductors associated with the capacitor, detecting an electrical characteristic indicative of a capacitance of the capacitor, evaluating the detected electrical characteristic, and determining whether the capacitor is included in the functional area of the electronic textile based on the evaluation.

12. A controller according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured such that any conductor(s) not associated with the evaluated capacitor is kept at a constant voltage while the voltage is applied between the conductors associated with the evaluated capacitor.