NETWORK OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES ASSEMBLED ON A FLEXIBLE SUPPORT AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20130324041A1
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: PAGANI, Alberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,520,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5387 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/5388 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 50/70 : involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 : for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 : for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0075 : using inductive coupling transformers or inductances adapted for inductive coupling H01F38/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0081 : with antenna coils loop aerials H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 : Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 : using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 : Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 : incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 : Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas

Abstract

An embodiment of a network of electronic devices is formed on a flexible substrate by a plurality of electronic devices assembled on the flexible substrate. The electronic devices have an embedded antenna for mutual coupling of a wireless type. Each electronic device is formed by a chip or a complex system integrating a transceiver circuit coupled to the embedded antenna and a functional part coupled to the transceiver circuit and including at least one element chosen in the group comprising: a sensor, an actuator, an interface, an electrode, a memory, a control unit, a power-supply unit, a converter, an adapter, a digital circuit, an analog circuit, an RF circuit, a microelectromechanical system, an electrode, a well, a cell, a container for liquids. The flexible support may be a substrate of plastic material that incorporates the electronic devices or a garment having smart buttons that house the electronic devices.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing; and

a circuit disposed within the housing and configured to communicate magnetically with at least one other circuit disposed outside of the housing.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the housing forms at least a portion of a clothing button.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the housing forms at least a portion of a clothing snap.

51. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a flexible second layer secured to the first layer; and

second circuits configured to be coupled to the second layer, each of the second circuits configured to communicate with at least one of the first circuits.

28. A system, comprising:

a flexible first layer; and

first circuits configured to be coupled to the layer, each of the circuits configured to communicate with at least one of the other circuits.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the flexible first layer includes a polymeric material.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the flexible first layer includes at least a portion of a piece of a wearable article.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein at least one of the first circuits is disposed on the layer.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein at least one of the first circuits is at least partially disposed within the layer.

33. The system of claim 28 wherein each of the circuits includes at least one respective antenna that is configured to communicate with at least one antenna of the at least one other circuit.

36. The system of claim 28, further comprising a conductor secured to the flexible first layer and configured to couple each of the circuits to the at least one of the other circuits.

39. The system of claim 28, further comprising a conductor secured to the flexible first layer and configured to provide power to each of the circuits.

42. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a conductor secured to the flexible first layer; and

wherein each of the circuits includes at least one respective antenna that is configured to communicate magnetically with the conductor.

45. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a magnetic conductor secured to the flexible first layer; and

wherein each of the circuits includes at least one respective antenna that is disposed around at least a portion of the magnetic conductor.

46. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

an electrical conductor secured to the flexible first layer; and

wherein each of the circuits includes at least one respective antenna that is configured to me magnetically coupled to the electrical conductor.

47. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a housing that is configured to be coupled to the flexible first layer; and

wherein at least one of the first circuits is disposed within the housing.

48. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a housing forming at least a portion of button configured to be coupled to at least a portion of the flexible first layer; and

wherein at least one of the first circuits is disposed within the housing.

49. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a housing forming at least a portion of a snap configured to be coupled to at least a portion of the flexible first layer; and

wherein at least one of the first circuits is disposed within the housing.

50. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a flexible second layer secured to the first layer; and

second circuits configured to be coupled to the second layer, each of the second circuits configured to communicate with at least one of the other second circuits.

34-35. -35. (canceled)

37-38. -38. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

43-44. -44. (canceled)

52. A method, comprising:

generating a first signal with a first circuit coupled to a flexible material; and

receiving a second signal that is related to the first signal with a second circuit coupled to the flexible material.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the first and second signals respectively include first and second magnetic signals.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein the first and second signals respectively include first and second electrical signals.

55. The method of claim 52 wherein:

the first signal include a magnetic signal; and

the second signal includes an electrical signal.

56. The method of claim 52 wherein:

the first signal include an electrical signal; and

the second signal includes a magnetic signal.

57. The method of claim 52 wherein the flexible material forms at least a portion of a wearable article.