NEAR-FIELD COMMUNICATION ENABLED WEARABLE APPAREL GARMENT AND METHOD TO CAPTURE GEOSPATIAL AND SOCIALLY RELEVANT DATA OF A WEARER OF THE WEARABLE APPAREL GARMENT AND/OR A USER OF A READER DEVICE ASSOCIATED THEREWITH

• US 20130073375A1
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raj Abhyanker
• Original Assignee: Trademarkia, Inc.
• Inventors: Abhyanker, Raj Vasant
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.39
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A method includes providing, through a server device, a number of wearable apparel garments to an entity and monitoring readings of near-field communication tags associated with the number of wearable apparel garments procured from the entity through a number of reader devices of a corresponding number of another human mammals. The method also includes transmitting a profile information of the human mammal wearing the wearable apparel garment to the reader device of the another human mammal and/or a geospatial information of the reader device to the server device configured to collect information from the number of reader devices. Further, the method includes obtaining, through the server device and/or another server device, information related to market intelligence based on the transmitted profile information and/or the geospatial information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, through a server device, a plurality of wearable apparel garments to an entity, each wearable apparel garment of the plurality of wearable apparel garments including;

a textile region configured to cover an epidermis region of a human mammal;

a near-field communication tag coupled to the textile region of the wearable apparel garment at an externally visible area thereof; and

a message communication area adjacent to the near-field communication tag configured to direct a responsive action of another human mammal in establishing a communication link between a reader device of the another human mammal and the near-field communication tag;

monitoring readings of the near-field communication tags associated with the plurality of wearable apparel garments procured from the entity through a plurality of reader devices of a corresponding plurality of another human mammals;

transmitting, through the communication link, at least one of a profile information of the human mammal wearing the wearable apparel garment to the reader device of the another human mammal and a geospatial information of the reader device to the server device configured to collect information from the plurality of reader devices; and

obtaining, through at least one of the server device and another server device, information related to market intelligence based on the transmitted at least one of the profile information of the human mammal and the geospatial information of the reader device associated with the another human mammal.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein one of:

the another server device is associated with the entity and the method further comprises providing, through the server device, a subscription service to the entity associated with access to the information related to market intelligence.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

optionally providing, through a web-store of the at least one of the server device and the another server device, at least a portion of the plurality of wearable apparel garments for at least one of;

a reduced price compared to a retail price thereof and free of cost to those who read a near-field communication tag to socially propagate wearing of the wearable apparel garments.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

describing, through the message communication area, an incentive to the another human mammal when the another human mammal establishes the communication link with the near-field communication tag;

delivering the incentive to the reader device of the another human mammal through a browser that activates a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) page whose identity is revealed through the communication link with the near-field communication tag; and

delivering another incentive to the human mammal through the at least one of the server device and the another server device based on the reading of the near-field communication tag.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

providing, to the human mammal possessing the wearable apparel garment, a capability to program the near-field communication tag associated therewith; and

providing, to a transferor of the wearable apparel garment, a capability to simultaneously program the near-field communication tag along with other near-field communication tags of the plurality of wearable apparel garments through a tag definition website.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the communication link is configured to open a browser on the reader device on which the profile information associated with the human mammal is displayed,

the incentive is at least one of a coupon having a monetary value associated therewith and an entry into a drawing of chance having a prize associated therewith, and

the communication link is configured to enable opening of at least one of a personal webpage, a dating profile, a social networking profile and a business networking profile associated with the human mammal on the reader device of the another human mammal based on a URL information stored in the near-field communication tag being transmitted to the reader device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the wearable apparel garment is at least one of a shirt, a jacket, a hat and a glove,

the externally visible area of the textile region is a shoulder area of the shirt,

the near-field communication tag is coated with a water-resistant material that is configured to protect a memory region and a communication area associated therewith from water and corrosive washing while permitting the reading thereof through the reader device,

the near-field communication tag is one of sewn onto the externally visible area of the textile region and removably attached thereto,

the reader device of the another human mammal is a near-field communication enabled mobile phone,

the reader device includes an appropriate tag reader to read the near-field communication tag, and

the near-field communication tag is a passive tag configured to be powered by the reading thereof by the reader device.