Portable, wireless communication apparatus integrated with garment
First Claim
1. A user-wearable communication device, comprising:
- a garment;
a microprocessor-based, software-programmable host unit securably affixed to said garment in a manner and location such that the presence of the host unit, and its location and manner of being affixed, are substantially unobservable;
a two-way interactive communication unit separately and securably affixed to said garment; and
an interface connecting said host unit to said interactive communication unit and one or more peripheral electronic appliances;
wherein said host unit, comprises;
a docking station securably affixed to said garment, said docking station having an electronic interface which accommodates said host unit and is configured to allow said host unit to be mounted flushly therein, said docking station having a docking housing adapted to engage with a sufficient portion of a host unit housing so as to securably retain the host unit in the docking station;
a mechanical, pressure-based locking mechanism adapted to allow rapid secured placement and removal of the host unit from said docking station; and
a battery power source internal to said host unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable communication apparatus suitable for integration into a garment includes a host unit, an interface and an interactive communication unit. The host unit comprises a removable host device which can be docked into a docking station located in, e.g., the torso area of the garment, and may also be used in a standalone fashion when undocked. The host unit is connected to the interactive communication unit through an interface, which may be a wired or wireless interface. The interactive display unit is preferably located at the end of the sleeve, and may include a graphical display device, a microphone, a speaker, and/or user-activated buttons. The host device may act as a pager as well as perform other functions, and may be replaced with another host device in the docking station having different function and features. The host unit may have a data port, which may be used to connect a remote speaker located in another area of the garment, such as the collar, near the wearer'"'"'s ear. The communication apparatus may provide advanced messaging, cellular telephony, IP telephony, digital audio generation and/or pager functionality.
259 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A user-wearable communication device, comprising:
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a garment;
a microprocessor-based, software-programmable host unit securably affixed to said garment in a manner and location such that the presence of the host unit, and its location and manner of being affixed, are substantially unobservable;
a two-way interactive communication unit separately and securably affixed to said garment; and
an interface connecting said host unit to said interactive communication unit and one or more peripheral electronic appliances;
wherein said host unit, comprises;
a docking station securably affixed to said garment, said docking station having an electronic interface which accommodates said host unit and is configured to allow said host unit to be mounted flushly therein, said docking station having a docking housing adapted to engage with a sufficient portion of a host unit housing so as to securably retain the host unit in the docking station;
a mechanical, pressure-based locking mechanism adapted to allow rapid secured placement and removal of the host unit from said docking station; and
a battery power source internal to said host unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A user-wearable communication device, comprising:
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a garment;
a microprocessor-based, software-programmable host unit securably affixed to said garment in a manner and location such that the presence of the host unit, and its location and manner of being affixed, are substantially unobservable;
a two-way interactive communication unit separately and securably affixed to said garment; and
an interface connecting said host unit to said interactive communication unit and one or more peripheral electronic appliances;
wherein said garment comprises a sleeve, and said interactive communication unit comprises a graphical display securably attached at or near an end of said sleeve; and
wherein said interactive communication unit comprises a speaker and a directional messaging light located on said interactive communication unit to facilitate observation by a wearer of the user-wearable communication device but to hinder observation by others. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A user-wearable communication device, comprising:
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a garment;
a microprocessor-based, software-programmable host unit securably affixed to said garment in a manner and location such that the presence of the host unit, and its location and manner of being affixed, are substantially unobservable;
a two-way interactive communication unit separately and securably affixed to said garment; and
an interface connecting said host unit to said interactive communication unit and one or more peripheral electronic appliances;
wherein said garment comprises a sleeve, and said interactive communication unit comprises a graphical display securably attached at or near an end of said sleeve; and
wherein said interactive communication unit comprises one or more manually activated buttons for controlling presentation and the selection of features on said graphical display.
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26. A user-wearable communication device, comprising:
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a garment;
a microprocessor-based, software-programmable host unit securably affixed to said garment in a manner and location such that the presence of the host unit, and its location and manner of being affixed, are substantially unobservable;
a two-way interactive communication unit separately and securably affixed to said garment; and
an interface connecting said host unit to said interactive communication unit and one or more peripheral electronic appliances;
wherein said host unit and said interactive communication unit are connected to an ancillary photovoltaic power source located on a collar region or sleeve of said garment or integrated with the interactive communication unit.
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27. A multi-function, self-contained, microprocessor-based system-in-a-package host device assembly, comprising:
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a docking station;
a host device housing encasing host device electronics, said host device housing capable of being removed from or flushly secured to said docking station, said docking station securably attached to an interior portion of a garment such that the presence of the host device, and its location and manner of being affixed, are substantially unobservable, and having surfaces substantially surrounding a sufficient portion of said host device when secured to said docking station so as to effectively lock and retain said host device securably in said docking station;
electrical contacts on said host device housing for interfacing with complementary electrical contacts on the docking station when said host device is attached thereto;
an internal power source; and
at least one user-interactive component operable in connection with said host device when said host device housing is removed from said docking station;
wherein, when said host device housing is secured to said docking station, said host device is electronically coupled to and controls at least one peripheral device; and
wherein said docking station is securably affixed, through the adherence of a natural or synthetic material flange, to the garment. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. An interactive communication unit, comprising:
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a casing affixed to a sleeve of a garment;
at least one user-interactive component integrated into said casing, said at least one user-interactive component comprising a speaker and microphone for carrying out two-way voice communication and a plurality of manually activated buttons located on said casing; and
electronics housed within said casing for interfacing with said at least one interactive component, and for receiving data from and sending data to a remote host unit securably attached to the garment, said electronics within said casing being electronically coupled to said host unit through conductors integrated with the garment. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus, comprising:
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a garment having sleeves;
a docking station securably affixed to an interior portion of said garment, said docking station adapted to receive a host device containing an internal battery power source and to allow said host device to be mounted flushly therein, said docking station having a docking housing adapted to engage with a sufficient portion of a host unit housing so as to securably retain the host unit in the docking station; and
a two-way interactive communication unit separately and securably attached to a sleeve of said garment, said interactive unit configured to communicate with said host device. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A method of assembling a microprocessor-based system-in-a-package wireless communication apparatus and a garment, comprising the steps of:
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securably attaching a host unit to a garment having sleeves in a manner and location such that the presence of the host unit, and its location and manner of being affixed, are substantially unobservable;
securably attaching a two-way interactive communication unit to one of the sleeves of the garment;
connecting said host unit to said two-way interactive communication unit across an interface;
connecting said host unit one or more peripheral electronic appliances across said interface; and
connecting said host unit and said interactive communication unit to an ancillary photovoltaic power source located on a collar region or sleeve of said garment or integrated with the interactive communication unit. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification