WEARABLE COMMUNICATION PLATFORM

• US 20140070957A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Company Limited (Aiful Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Andrea Aliverti
• Inventors: ALIVERTI, Andrea, LONGINOTTI-BUITONI, Gianluigi
• Granted Patent: US 9,282,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.01
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1236 Patients' garments
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/52 Electrically conductive inks
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0283 Stretchable printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives

Abstract

An wearable communications garment that includes one or more user-selectable inputs integrated into the garment. A sartorial communications apparatus may include a flexible material that is worn (e.g., as an undergarment) by the user and includes one or more interactive sensors that may be manually activated by a user, even through one or more intervening layers of clothing. The apparatus may also include one or more additional body sensors configured to sense a user'"'"'s position, movement, and/or physiological status. The sensor(s) may be connected via a conductive trace on the garment to a sensor module for analysis and/or transmission. Methods of manufacturing the garments as well as methods of using the garments are also described.

Claims

1. A sartorial communications apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a flexible garment comprising a fabric;

a plurality of interactive sensors integrated into the garment, each configured to sense a volitional contact by the user and to generate a volitional contact signal when the user manually contacts one or the interactive sensors;

a sensor module interface configured to connect to a sensor module for receiving and analyzing, transmitting or analyzing and transmitting the volitional contact signals; and

a plurality of conductive traces on the garment connecting the interactive sensors to the sensor module interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of surface regions on the garment, wherein each surface region corresponds to a contact surface for one of the interactive sensors.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of surface regions comprise a visual marker on the fabric of the garment indicating the location of the interactive sensor corresponding to the surface region.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of surface regions is between about 10 mm and about 150 mm in diameter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one body sensor on the garment configured to generate a body sensor signal describing one or more of the user'"'"'s position, the user'"'"'s movement, and the user'"'"'s physiological status.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the body sensor comprises one of:

an accelerometer, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an electroencephalography sensor (EEG), and a respiratory sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible garment comprises a compression garment configured to continuously conform to a user'"'"'s body when the garment is worn by the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible garment comprises a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis wherein the garment is configured to stretch in size in the first axis but not to substantially stretch in the second axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises an undershirt.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a shirt having a front and a back, further wherein the sensor module interface comprises a pocket configured to hold the sensor module.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive trace comprises a conductive ink layer on an inner surface of the garment, an outer surface of the garment, or on the inner and outer surfaces of the garment.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive trace is flexible.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a seam enclosing the conductive trace.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interactive sensor is configured to transmit a first interactive sensor signal when manually activated by a first pattern of contact and to transmit a second interactive sensor signal when manually activated by a second pattern of contact, wherein the first interactive sensor signal is different from the second interactive sensor signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interactive sensors are on a front of the garment.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interactive sensor is configured to be manually activated by a user through an intervening layer of clothing.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interactive sensor comprises a capacitive or an inductive sensor.

18. A sartorial communications apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an undershirt comprising a fabric;

a plurality of interactive sensors integrated into the undershirt, each configured to sense a volitional contact by the user through an intervening layer of clothing and to generate a volitional contact signal when the user manually contacts one or the interactive sensors, wherein the interactive sensors are capacitive or inductive sensors;

a sensor module interface configured to connect to a sensor module for receiving and analyzing, transmitting or analyzing and transmitting the volitional contact signals; and

a plurality of conductive traces on the garment connecting the interactive sensors to the sensor module interface.

19. A method of communicating with a sartorial communications apparatus, wherein the sartorial communications apparatus comprises a garment including an interactive sensor integrated in the garment and connected via an integrated conductive trace with a sensor module, the method comprising:

sensing one or more volitional contact signals with the interactive sensor when a user touches the interactive sensor through an intervening layer of clothing;

transmitting the volitional contact signal from the interactive sensor to the sensor module; and

generating or modifying an output from the sensor module in response to the volitional contact signal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising presenting the output from the sensor module in response to the volitional contact signals.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising presenting the output, wherein the output comprises an audible signal.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising presenting the output, wherein the output comprises a visible signal.