Smart clothing with converging/diverging bend or stretch sensors for measuring body motion or configuration

• US 10,716,510 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Issued: 07/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Inventors: Connor, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Xin Y
• Application Number:
  US15/702,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20180008196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

This invention is smart clothing with stretch and/or bend sensors for measuring changes in a person'"'"'s body configuration. This smart clothing has an elastic nonconductive layer onto which helical converging/diverging conductive pathways are printed using ink which is a mixture of elastic nonconductive material and conductive material. Changes in the transmission of electromagnetic energy through the pathway are analyzed to measure changes in the configuration of the person'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. Smart clothing with stretch sensors for measuring changes in body configuration comprising:

a wearable layer which is configured to be worn by a person, wherein the wearable layer comprises a first electromagnetically-nonconductive material; and

an electromagnetically-conductive pathway, wherein a distal portion of the electromagnetically-conductive pathway is more elastic or stretchable than a proximal portion of the electromagnetically-conductive pathway, or vice versa, wherein the electromagnetically-conductive pathway is created by printing electromagnetically-conductive ink onto the wearable layer, wherein the ink comprises a mixture of a second electromagnetically-nonconductive material and an electromagnetically-conductive material, wherein stretching the electromagnetically-conductive pathway causes changes in the transmission of electromagnetic energy through the electromagnetically-conductive pathway, and wherein the changes in the transmission of electromagnetic energy through the electromagnetically-conductive pathway are analyzed to measure changes in the configuration of the person'"'"'s body.

2. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive material, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive material, or both comprise a polymer.

3. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive material, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive material, or both comprise polyurethane.

4. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive material, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive material, or both comprise elastane.

5. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromagnetically-conductive material comprises aluminum, carbon, copper, gold, silver, or steel.

6. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, and the electromagnetically-conductive material comprises aluminum.

7. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, and the electromagnetically-conductive material comprises carbon.

8. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, and the electromagnetically-conductive material comprises copper.

9. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, and the electromagnetically-conductive material comprises gold.

10. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, and the electromagnetically-conductive material comprises silver.

11. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, the second electromagnetically-nonconductive polymer comprises polyurethane, and the electromagnetically-conductive material comprises steel.

12. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein computer-guided 3D printing is used to print electromagnetically-conductive ink on the wearable layer.

13. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the smart clothing further comprises a data processor or other modular electronic members to create an electronically-functional article of clothing.

14. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein computer-guided 3D printing is used to print modular members on the wearable layer to create an electronically-functional article of clothing.

15. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein computer-guided 3D printing is used to place modular members on the wearable layer to create an electronically-functional article of clothing.

16. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein computer-guided 3D printing is used to adhere modular members on the wearable layer to create an electronically-functional article of clothing.

17. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic energy pathway is helical.

18. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the changes in the transmission of electromagnetic energy through the pathway are measured by one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of:

amperage, capacitance, conductivity, current, electromagnetic wave pattern, impedance, phase, resistance, and voltage.

19. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the smart clothing further comprises a first flexible energy pathway and a second flexible energy pathway;

wherein the first energy pathway and the second energy pathway differ in elasticity level.

20. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the smart clothing further comprises a first flexible energy pathway and a second flexible energy pathway;

wherein the first energy pathway and the second energy pathway have different cross-sectional shapes.