Interactive Fabric

• US 20190208837A1
• Filed: 03/18/2019
• Published: 07/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Poupyrev, Ivan, Schwesig, Carsten C., Karagozler, Mustafa Emre, Raja, Hakim K., Allmon, David Scott, Pallipuram, Gerard George, Fukuhara, Shiho, Gong, Nan-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 10,660,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/12 Threads containing metallic filaments or strips
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/36 Cored or coated yarns or threads D02G3/34, D02G3/40 take precedence; elastic yarns or threads D02G3/32
• 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: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

This document describes techniques using, and objects embodying, an interactive fabric which is configured to sense user interactions in the form of single or multi-touch-input (e.g., gestures). The interactive fabric may be integrated into a wearable interactive garment (e.g., a jacket, shirt, or pants) that is coupled (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) to a gesture manager. The gesture manager may be implemented at the interactive garment, or remote from the interactive garment, such as at a computing device that is wirelessly paired with the interactive garment and/or at a remote cloud based service. Generally, the gesture manager recognizes user interactions to the interactive fabric, and in response, triggers various different types of functionality, such as answering a phone call, sending a text message, creating a journal entry, and so forth.

Claims

1. An interactive garment comprising:

an interactive fabric having a first set of conductive threads and a second set of conductive threads,

the first set of conductive threads having two or more individual conductive threads oriented together in a first direction,

a second set of conductive threads having two or more individual conductive threads oriented together in a second direction,

the first and second sets of conductive threads;

integrated into the interactive fabric to form a capacitive touch sensor; and

oriented within the interactive fabric such that;

the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular; and

at least one of the two or more individual conductive threads of each of the first and second sets crossing over one another at an intersection; and

sensing circuitry coupled to the conductive threads, the sensing circuitry configured to;

detect touch-input to at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads when a user wearing the interactive garment touches the conductive threads of the interactive garment, the detected touch-input comprising a change in capacitance simultaneously in the at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads;

detect additional touch-input to at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the second set of conductive threads when a user wearing the interactive garment touches the conductive threads of the interactive garment, the detected touch-input comprising another change in capacitance simultaneously in the at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the second set of conductive threads;

process the touch-input and the additional touch-input to provide touch data; and

communicate the touch data to a gesture manager to cause the gesture manager to initiate a functionality associated with the touch-input.

2. The interactive garment as recited in claim 1, further comprising a network interface, and wherein the touch data is communicated over a wireless network, via the network interface, to the gesture manager implemented at a remote computing device.

3. The interactive garment as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple conductive threads are integrated into the interactive fabric by weaving or embroidering.

4. The interactive garment as recited in claim 1, further comprising an output device configured to provide audio, visual, or haptic feedback when the touch-input or the additional touch-input is detected.

5. The interactive garment as recited in claim 4, wherein the output device comprises one or more of a light source, a speaker, a display, or a vibration component.

6. The interactive garment as recited in claim 1, wherein the gesture manager initiates the particular functionality in the interactive garment or at a computing device coupled to the interactive garment based on the touch data and sensor data received from one or more sensors integrated at the interactive garment.

7. The interactive garment as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensing circuitry is contained within an internal electronics module that is configured to interface with a removable electronics module.

8. The interactive garment as recited in claim 7, wherein the removable electronics module comprises a microprocessor, a power source, and a network interface.

9. The interactive garment as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads are positioned within the interactive garment a distance from two or more individual conductive threads of a third set of conductive threads, the distance between the first set of conductive threads and the third set of conductive threads being greater than another distance between the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads.

10. The interactive garment as recited in claim 9, wherein an orientation of the third set of conductive threads comprises a third direction and wherein the first set of conductive threads and the third set of conductive threads are substantially parallel to one another.

11. A system comprising:

an interactive garment comprising;

an interactive fabric having a first set of conductive threads and a second set of conductive threads,

the first set of conductive threads having two or more individual conductive threads oriented together in a first direction,

a second set of conductive threads having two or more individual conductive threads oriented together in a second direction,

the first and second sets of conductive threads;

integrated into the interactive fabric to form a capacitive touch sensor; and

oriented within the interactive fabric such that;

the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular; and

at least one of the two or more individual conductive threads of each of the first and second sets crossing over one another at an intersection; and

an internal electronics module coupled to the first and second sets of conductive threads, the internal electronics module comprising sensing circuitry configured to detect touch-input to at least two of the two or more individual conductive treads of the first set of conductive threads and other touch-input to at least two of the two or more individual conductive treads of the second set of conductive threads, the detected touch-input comprising a change in capacitance simultaneously in the at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads, the detected other touch-input comprising a change in capacitance simultaneously in the at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the second set of conductive threads;

an external electronics module comprising one or more electronic components, the external electronics module removably coupled to the interactive garment; and

a communication interface configured to enable communication between the internal electronics module and the external electronics module when the external electronics module is coupled to the interactive garment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads are positioned within the interactive garment a distance from two or more individual conductive threads of a third set of conductive threads, the distance between the first set of conductive threads and the third set of conductive threads being greater than another distance between the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein an orientation of the third set of conductive threads comprises a third direction and wherein the first set of conductive threads and the third set of conductive threads are substantially parallel to one another.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the detected touch-input and detected other touch-input further comprise a gesture and wherein the system further comprises a gesture manager configured to initiate a functionality associated with the gesture.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the gesture manager initiates the particular functionality in the interactive garment or at a computing device coupled to the interactive garment based on the touch-input, the other touch-input, and sensor data received from one or more sensors integrated at the interactive garment.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, touch data and other touch data from an interactive garment worn by a user, the interactive garment comprising;

an interactive fabric having a first set of conductive threads and a second set of conductive threads,

the first set of conductive threads having two or more individual conductive threads oriented together in a first direction,

a second set of conductive threads having two or more individual conductive threads oriented together in a second direction,

the first and second sets of conductive threads;

integrated into the interactive fabric to form a capacitive touch sensor; and

oriented within the interactive fabric such that;

the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular; and

at least one of the two or more individual conductive threads of each of the first and second sets crossing over one another at an intersection; and

the touch data comprising a touch-input of the user to at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads, the touch-input comprising a change in capacitance simultaneously in the at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads, the other touch data comprising other touch-input of the user to at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the second set of conductive threads, the other touch-input comprising a change in capacitance simultaneously in the at least two of the two or more individual conductive threads of the second set of conductive threads;

determining, at the computing device, that the touch data and the other touch data correspond to a request to perform a particular functionality; and

performing the particular functionality.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads are positioned within the interactive garment a distance from two or more individual conductive threads of a third set of conductive threads, the distance between the first set of conductive threads and the third set of conductive threads being greater than another distance between the two or more individual conductive threads of the first set of conductive threads.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein an orientation of the third set of conductive threads comprises a third direction and wherein the first set of conductive threads and the third set of conductive threads are substantially parallel to one another.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the request further comprises a gesture and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises initiating, by a gesture manager, the performing of the particular functionality associated with the gesture.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the gesture manager initiates the particular functionality in the interactive garment or at a computing device coupled to the interactive garment based on the touch data, the other touch data, and sensor data received from one or more sensors integrated at the interactive garment.