Wireless sound charging of clothing and smart fabrics

• US 9,941,705 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PACHECO, ALEXIS BOATENG
• Application Number:
  US14/276,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20150333572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 307 24, 307 43, 320108, 320109, 320137, 320138
• 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 are 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 of using wirelessly transmitted sound waves to provide usable power to a temperature regulation circuit embedded in clothing or smart fabrics, the method comprising:

receiving wirelessly transmitted sound waves (SW) from a pocket-forming transmitter having a SW integrated circuit, transducer elements, a microprocessor, and first communication circuitry, wherein;

the wirelessly transmitted sound waves converge in 3-d space at predetermined locations within a predefined range of the transmitter to form pockets of energy, and

the wirelessly transmitted sound waves are received by one or more sensor elements of a receiver that is embedded in clothing or smart fabric, the receiver including second communication circuitry and a connection to a temperature regulation circuit;

converting, by the receiver, energy from at least some of the wirelessly transmitted sound waves forming the pockets of energy into usable power that is provided to the temperature regulation circuit;

regulating, by the temperature regulation circuit, a temperature of the clothing or smart fabric at least in part by using the usable power.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating, by the temperature regulation circuit, the temperature of the clothing or smart fabric includes using an electrical resistance to dissipate electrical energy as heat within the clothing or smart fabric.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor elements of the receiver are flexible, piezo transducers that are distributed in predetermined patterns within the clothing or smart fabric.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver communicates via the second communication circuitry with the first communication circuitry of the transmitter in conjunction with the microprocessor to control the temperature regulated by the temperature regulation circuit in the clothing or smart fabric.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor elements of the receiver are distributed in a predetermined pattern on the clothing or smart fabric.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiver is coupled with a capacitor via an output circuit of the receiver to increase the charging energy for dissipating the electrical energy as heat in the clothing or smart fabric.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensor elements and a flexible battery that receives the usable power that is provided to the temperature regulation circuit are mounted on a surface of the clothing or smart fabric, and

the one or more sensor elements are configured in a predetermined array for receiving the wirelessly transmitted sound waves that converge to form the pockets of energy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the clothing is a sock having a resistance heating circuit connected to the receiver and woven throughout the sock, and

the receiver surrounds a neck of the sock and is connected with a flexible, rechargeable battery that is charged using the usable power and provides power, via the temperature regulation circuit, to the resistance heating circuit to warm the sock.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the clothing is a glove having a resistance heating circuit connected to the receiver and woven into glove fingers,

a battery is connected to the receiver that is charged using the usable power and provides power, via the temperature regulation circuit, to the resistance heating circuit to warm the glove, and

the one or more sensor elements are flexible sensor elements mounted approximately at an opening of the glove.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the receiver is a flexible receiver,

the clothing is a heating jacket having flexible heating patches with resistance elements connected to the flexible receiver, and

a battery mounted on the heating jacket is connected to the flexible receiver, and the battery is charged using the usable power and provides power, via the temperature regulation circuit, to the resistance elements.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the clothing is a shirt having a flexible display panel thereon or a flexible heating patch thereon that is connected to the receiver, and

the receiver is connected to a battery that is charged using the usable power and provides power, via the temperature regulation circuit, for operating the flexible display panel or the flexible heating patch.

12. The method 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

the receiver is connected to the display and to the flexible battery for operating and charging, respectively.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the clothing is a cooling shirt including a (i) cooling reservoir connected to cooling tubes distributed across the shirt and (ii) 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.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transducer and the one or more 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.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensor elements of the receiver are arranged in a flat panel 8×

8 array made of conductive materials including ceramic, copper, gold, silver among others, and

the one or more sensor elements are printed, etched or laminated onto any suitable non-conductive flexible substrate and embedded in the clothing or smart fabric.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically modifying, by the receiver, the one or more sensor elements to optimize reception of the wirelessly transmitted sound waves.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, via the second communication circuitry of the receiver, information about the receiver to the first communication circuitry of the pocket-forming transmitter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pockets of energy are formed at predetermined times and locations, as determined by the microprocessor of the pocket-forming transmitter based at least in part on the information about the receiver.