Electroluminescent communication system between articles of apparel and the like

• US 7,789,520 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kristian Konig, Marcel Konig
• Original Assignee: Kristian Konig, Marcel Konig
• Inventors: Konig, Marcel, Konig, Kristian
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACCHIAROLO, LEAH SIMONE
• Application Number:
  US11/899,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements

Abstract

An article of apparel, or household fabric, having a power source, a switch and at least one electroluminescent or fabric strip for illuminating the article of apparel, or household article. In addition, the present invention can be used in a peer to peer network. The article may have a communication system including a transmitter and a receiver. Furthermore, the present invention can have electric circuitry that can be integrated with the electrical components so as to create different visual effects in response to signals from the communication system. The electroluminescent strips of the present invention can be designed to follow the contour of a trademark, logo, or character. Also, the electroluminescent strips can be designed to follow the stitching of the sneaker and follow the sneaker lace path. Switches of the present invention can include, preferably, a toggle switch, or if desired a pressure switch, a reed switch, or the like. The power source implemented is preferably a rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. An article comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate, each of said substrates having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a perimeter edge surface at least a portion of said first substrate being positioned over a portion of said second substrate such that said bottom surface of said first substrate contacts at least a portion of said top surface of said second substrate, said article further comprising an electroluminescent strip, said strip being positioned such that an outer surface of said strip contacts at least a portion of said first substrate, said electroluminescent strip comprising one or more of a fabric and a wire, said electroluminescent strip being operatively connected to a power source and a switch for activating said strip, said article further comprising a mobile computing device using wireless local area networks, said computing device being capable of storing personal data and creating a profile of said user, said profile comprising one or more of music, food, and movies, and wherein when said article is within a certain range of a second article, with said second article having its own profile, said mobile computing device of each article causing respective computing devices to exchange at least a portion of said data in said profile of each article, and signal that said profile is being exchanged.

2. The article according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of said strip contacts said edge of said first substrate and at least a portion of the top surface of said second substrate.

3. The article according to claim 1 wherein said article is an article of clothing.

4. The articles according to claim 3 wherein the article of clothing is a footwear.

5. The article according to claim 4 wherein a portion of said footwear is manufactured from a light emitting textile.

6. The article according to claim 4 wherein said footwear has apertures for threading a shoelace therethrough, said electroluminescent strip being threaded through said apertures.

7. The article according to claim 1 wherein said power supply is operatively connected to said computing means, said computing means controlling the illumination of said electroluminescent strip.

8. The article according to claim 1 wherein said power supply is operatively connected to said computing means said computing means controlling the illumination of said electroluminescent fabric.

9. The article according to claim 8 wherein said computing means is programmed to display one or more alphanumeric characters.

10. The article according to claim 1 wherein said computing means is programmed to alert the user at specific times.

11. The article according to claim 10 wherein said computing means has a remote control bypass.

12. The article according to claim 11 wherein said remote control bypass is located in a button on said user.

13. The article according to claim 1 further comprising a communication system that permits one article to communicate with another article.

14. The article according to claim 13 wherein the communication system includes at least one transmitter on one article and at least one receiver on a second article.

15. The article according to claim 14 wherein said articles are footwear.

16. The article according to claim 15 further comprising a motherboard.

17. The article according to claim 16 further comprising a power inverter.

18. The article according to claim 17 wherein said footwear has an electroluminescent fabric thereon.

19. The article according to claim 18 wherein said communication system in said article automatically connects to the communication system in other articles.

20. The article according to claim 19 wherein said communication system automatically connects to an access point via wireless or wired network.

21. The article according to claim 20 wherein said communication system sends information to a computer.

22. The article according to claim 21 wherein said communication system sends information a website.

23. The article according to claim 1 wherein said personal data includes at least a device identification number.

24. At least a first and a second article of footwear with each comprising:

an upper member and a sole/heel member, a motherboard, and a power inverter, and at least a portion of said footwear having and an electroluminescent material secured thereto, said electroluminescent material comprising one or more of electroluminescent fabric and electroluminescent wire, said electroluminescent material being operatively connected to a power source and a switch for activating said material, said article further comprising a communication system that permits said first article to communicate with said second article, said communication system comprising at least one transmitter and at least one receiver on each of said at least a first and second article of footwear;

said electroluminescent material becoming illuminated when said receiver receives a signal from a transmitter not present on said at least a first and second article of footwear;

said at least a first and second article further comprising a mobile computing device, said mobile computing device being capable of storing personal data and a profile of said user, said personal data comprising data about said user including one or more of personal, business, advertising, classified, and recreational data; and

wherein when said first article is within a certain range of said second article, each of said mobile computing devices of said at least a first and second article exchange at least a portion of said data therebetween, and with a signal being provided that said profile is being exchanged.

25. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper member and a sole/heel member, at least a portion of said footwear having and an electroluminescent material secured thereto, said electroluminescent material being operatively connected to a power source and a switch for activating said material, said article further comprising a mobile computing device and a communication system, said mobile computing device storing personal data in a profile of the user, said communication device permitting said article to communicate with a second such article, and wherein when said article is within a certain range of said second article, said second article having its computing device with its own profile, said mobile computing device of each article causing communication therebetween, said communication comprising said computing device of each article exchanging at least a portion of said data therebetween and signaling that said profile is being exchanged.

26. The article according to claim 25 wherein the communication system includes at least one transmitter on one article and at least one receiver on a second article.

27. The article according to claim 26 wherein said article of footwear has a transmitter and a receiver.

28. The article according to claim 27 wherein said electroluminescent material becomes illuminated when said receiver receives a signal from a transmitter not present on said article of footwear.

29. The article according to claim 28 further comprising a motherboard.

30. The article according to claim 29 further comprising a power inverter.

31. The article according to claim 30 wherein said article of footwear has an electroluminescent fabric thereon.

32. The article according to claim 31 wherein said article of footwear has an electroluminescent wire thereon.

33. The article according to claim 32 wherein said personal data comprises one or more of personal, business, advertising, classified, recreational data about a user.

34. An article comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate, each of said substrates having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a perimeter edge surface, at least a portion of said first substrate being positioned over a portion of said second substrate such that said bottom surface of said first substrate contacts at least a portion of said top surface of said second substrate, said article further comprising an electroluminescent strip, said strip being positioned such that an outer surface of said strip contacts at least a portion of said first substrate, said electroluminescent strip being operatively connected to a power source and a switch for activating said strip, said article further comprising a mobile computing device using wireless local area networks, said computing device storing personal data in a user profile, and wherein when said article is within a certain range of a second article, said second article having its own profile, said mobile computing device of each article causing said computing device to exchange at least a portion of said data in said profile of each of said articles, and signal that said profile is being exchanged.