WIRELESS SOUND CHARGING OF CLOTHING AND SMART FABRICS

• US 20150333572A1
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Co.
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,941,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 1/08 Details
• 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: A41D 1/02 Jackets
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0053 Cooled garments
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0027 Measuring instruments, e.g. watch, thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/015 Protective gloves A41D19/0055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/008 with means for heating or cooling ventilating arrangements for head coverings A42C5/04
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/003 characterised by the material made of wood A43B17/12, made of sponge, rubber or plastic materials A43B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/04 with metal insertions or coverings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 : TPC being performed in particular situations

Abstract

The present invention provides various electric receiver arrangements included in clothing pieces that require electric current to perform tasks, such as warming, cooling and displaying. Suitable wireless sound power transmission techniques like pocket forming is used to provide the clothing pieces with wireless power. In some embodiments, receivers may include at least one sensor connected to at least one rectifier and one power converter. In other embodiments, receivers including a plurality of sensors, a plurality of rectifiers or a plurality of power converters may be provided. In addition, receivers may include communications components which may allow for communication to various electronic equipment including transmitters for controlling the temperature circuits.

Claims

1. A method for wireless sound power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics, comprising the steps of:

emitting power SW waves from a pocket-forming transmitter having a SW integrated circuit, transducer elements, a microprocessor and communication circuitry;

generating pockets of energy from the transmitter to converge in 3-d space at predetermined locations within a predefined range;

integrating a receiver having sensor elements and communication circuitry within the clothing or smart fabric;

attaching the temperature regulation circuit to the receiver;

converting the pockets of energy in 3-d space from the transmitter to the receiver integrated with the clothing or smart fabric to power and to regulate the temperature within the temperature regulation circuit.

2. The method for wireless power transmission to the temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the temperature regulation circuit includes an electrical resistance to dissipate electrical energy as heat within the clothing or smart fabric.

3. The method for wireless power transmission to the temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the sensor elements are flexible with piezo transducers that are distributed in predetermined patterns within the clothing or smart fabric.

4. The method for wireless power transmission to the temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the communication circuitry of the transmitter and receiver in conjunction with the microprocessor controls the temperature of the temperature regulation circuit in the clothing or smart fabric.

5. The method for wireless power transmission to the temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the temperature regulation circuit within the receiver includes a heating or cooling circuit within the clothing or smart fabric connected to a flexible battery or the receiver for power.

6. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, further including the step of distributing the sensor elements of the receiver in a predetermined pattern on the clothing or smart fabric.

7. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 2, further including the step of adding a capacitor to an output circuit of the receiver to increase the charging energy for the electrical resistance in the heating of the clothing or smart fabric.

8. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the receiver sensor elements and flexible battery for powering the temperature regulation circuit are mounted on the surface of the clothing or smart fabric with the sensor elements configured in a predetermined array for capturing the pockets of energy.

9. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the clothing is a sock having resistance heating circuit woven throughout the sock connected to the receiver surrounding a neck of the sock with a flexible, rechargeable battery connected to the receiver for charging the battery and to the resistance heating circuit to warm the sock.

10. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the clothing is a glove having a resistance heating circuit woven into glove fingers connected to a battery for power wherein the battery is connected to the receiver with flexible sensor elements mounted approximately at the opening of the glove.

11. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the clothing is a heating jacket having flexible heating patches with resistance elements connected to a flexible receiver for receiving the pockets of energy to power the heating patches and a battery mounted on the heating jacket for storing energy from the receiver to provide power to resistance elements.

12. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the clothing is a shirt having a flexible display panel thereon or a flexible heating patch thereon connected to a battery for power and the receiver connected to the battery for charging the battery or for operating the display panel or heating patch.

13. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the clothing is a cap having an electronic display connected to a flexible battery mounted on a circumference of the cap and wherein the receiver is connected to the display and to the battery for operating and charging, respectively.

14. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the clothing is a cooling shirt including a cooling reservoir connected to cooling tubes distributed across the shirt and a case having the receiver and a battery connected to a pump for powering and controlling the flow of a cooling liquid through the cooling tubes.

15. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the transducer and sensor elements of the transmitter and receiver, respectively, operate in frequency bands of 10 KHz to 50 KHz or other approved law enforcement frequency bands.

16. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the communication circuitry between the transmitter and receiver allows the control of the temperature regulation circuit within the clothing and smart fabric through the microprocessor to avoid extremes in heat or cooling within the clothing and smart fabric.

17. The method for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics of claim 1, wherein the receiver sensor elements are arranged in a flat panel 8×

8 array made of conductive materials including ceramic, copper, gold, silver among others wherein the sensor elements are printed, etched or laminated onto any suitable non-conductive flexible substrate and embedded in the clothing or smart fabric.

18. An apparatus for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabric, comprising:

a pocket-forming transmitter having transducer elements, a SW circuit, a digital signal processor for controlling the SW circuit of the transmitter and communication circuitry connected to a power source;

power SW waves generated from the SW circuit in the transmitter to form pockets of energy;

a receiver embedded in the clothing or smart fabrics with communication circuitry and flexible sensor elements arranged in an array for capturing the pockets of energy converging in 3-D space at the receiver;

a battery connected to the receiver for charging the battery; and

a heating circuit or a cooling circuit connected to the temperature regulation circuit embedded in the clothing or smart fabric connected to the receiver or to the battery for powering the heating or cooling circuits.

19. An apparatus for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabric of claim 18, wherein the transmitter and receiver communication circuitry utilizes Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi, FM radio or Zigbee signals for the various communication protocols between the receiver and the transmitter to regulate the heating or cooling of the clothing and smart fabric by the microprocessor.

20. An apparatus for wireless power transmission to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabric of claim 18, wherein the receiver, receiver sensor elements, receiver communication circuitry and battery are all made out of a single flexible substrate or individual interconnected substrates mounted or embedded within the clothing or smart fabric