WEARABLE ARCHITECTURE AND METHODS FOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING, ANALYSIS, AND FEEDBACK

• US 20140135593A1
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAD Apparel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MAD Apparel Incorporated
• Inventors: Jayalth, Dhananja, Weibe, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,498,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/04 Vests, jerseys, sweaters or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2500/52 in sheet form
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0209 Special features of electrodes classified in A61B5/24, A61B5/25, A61B5/283, A61B5/291, A61B5/296, A61B5/053
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/18 Shielding or protection of sensors from environmental influences, e.g. protection from mechanical damage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6841 by using templates
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0078 : Exercise efforts programmed as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

The present application relates generally to computer software, mobile electronics, wireless communication links, and wearable monitoring systems. More specifically, techniques, fabrics, materials, systems, sensors, EMG sensors, circuitry, algorithms and methods for wearable monitoring devices and associated exercise apparatus are described. A garment borne sensor system may generate data on a user'"'"'s performance during exercise, for example, and the data may be analyzed in real time and feedback may be provided to the user based on the analysis. A piece of exercise equipment may be instrumented and in communication with the sensor system or other system and may be controlled in real time to adjust its settings to affect the user during the exercise routine. Communication between the sensor system and other systems may be wireless. Conductive structures formed directly in a fabric of the garment may integrally include sensors, circuitry, controllers, conductive traces, and sensor electronics.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring, analyzing and providing feedback on physical activity of a user, comprising:

a garment configured to be worn on a portion of a body of a human subject, the garment including,

a controller,

a plurality of electromyography (EMG) sensors configured to acquire bio-potential signals indicative of muscle activation,

a battery pack electrically coupled with the controller, the EMG sensors or both,

a fabric including an electrode base for each EMG sensor, the electrode base made from a conductive resin material and formed directly on the fabric, and

conductive leads coupled with each electrode base and the controller, each conductive lead made from a flexible and electrically conductive material that is positioned on the fabric.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the garment is configured to withstand a plurality of cycles of washing, drying or both, without damage to the garment, the controller, the plurality of EMG sensors, the electrode base, the conductive leads, or the battery pack.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of EMG sensors are configured to sense the bio-potentials signals associated with a plurality of muscles of the human subject, and the fabric is configured to position the plurality of sensors in contact with the plurality of muscles when the garment is donned by the human subject.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fabric includes an alignment mark, a designed structure or both operative to aid the human subject in correct placement of the plurality of EMG sensors relative to muscles to be sensed by the plurality of EMG sensors when the human subject dons the garment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising:

an equipment detector included with the garment and electrically coupled with the controller and the battery pack using another conductive lead made from a flexible and electrically conductive material that is directly formed on the fabric,

the equipment detector including a first wireless communication link configured to wirelessly link with an exercise apparatus coupled with the human subject during muscle activation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fabric is made from a stretchable, compressive and form-fitting material configured to bias the EMG sensors into contact with a plurality of muscles on the human subject when the human subject dons the garment.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, spandex, and synthetic fibers.

8. An apparatus for monitoring, analyzing and providing feedback on physical activity of a user, comprising:

a garment configured to be worn on a portion of a body of a human subject, the garment including,

a fabric,

a controller,

a sensor base made from a non-conductive resin material that is positioned on the fabric,

a plurality of electromyography (EMG) sensors configured to acquire bio-potential signals indicative of muscle activation, the EMG sensors including an electrode base made from a conductive resin material that is positioned on the fabric,

a battery pack electrically coupled with the controller, the EMG sensors or both, and

conductive leads coupled with each electrode base and the controller, each conductive lead made from a flexible and electrically conductive material that is positioned on the fabric.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the garment is configured to withstand a plurality of cycles of washing, drying or both, without damage to the garment, the controller, the plurality of EMG sensors, the electrode base, the sensor base, the conductive leads, or the battery pack.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 and further comprising:

an equipment detector include with the garment and electrically coupled with the controller and battery pack using another conductive lead made from a flexible and electrically conductive material that is directly formed on the fabric,

the equipment detector including a first wireless communication link configured to wirelessly link with an apparatus coupled with the human subject during muscle activation.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of electromyography (EMG) sensors, the controller, or both are permanently connected with the garment.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of electromyography (EMG) sensors, the controller, or both are detachably connected with the garment.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the non-conductive resin material, the conductive resin material, or both comprise a material selected from the group consisting of a neoprene-based material, a polymer material, a rubber material, a thermoplastic material, and a silicone-based material.

14. A textile-based human monitoring, analysis, and feedback (MAF) system, comprising:

a garment configured to be worn on a portion of a body of a human subject, the garment made from a fabric that includes integrally fabricated with the fabric

a controller,

a sensor base made from a non-conductive resin material that is positioned on a fabric,

a plurality of electromyography (EMG) sensors configured to acquire bio-potential signals indicative of muscle activation, the EMG sensors including in an electrode base made from a conductive resin material that is positioned on the fabric,

a multi-axis motion sensor configured to acquire signals indicative of motion of the human subject,

a battery pack electrically coupled with the controller, the EMG sensors or both, and

conductive leads configured to couple the multi-axis motion sensor and each electrode base with the controller, each conductive lead made from a flexible and electrically conductive material that is positioned on the fabric.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the multi-axis motion sensor comprises one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a plurality of accelerometers, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein each EMG sensor comprises two electrode sensing sites electrically coupled with a differential amplifier, the differential amplifier is configured to amplify a voltage difference between the bio-potential signals from the two electrode sensing sites, an output of the differential amplifier is coupled with an analog-to-digital-converter (ADC), and an output of the ADC is coupled with a signal processor.

17. The system of claim 14 and further comprising one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of a heart rate sensor, a respiration sensor, a temperature sensor, and a galvanic skin response sensor.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the conductive leads couple each EMG sensor with inputs of a calibration circuit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the sensor electronics output a sensed signal (SS) indicative of muscle activity from the human subject and the SS is coupled with an input of a variable gain block configured to scale the SS by a gain factor set by a user profile signal that is coupled with an input node of the variable gain block, the input node coupled with the controller.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user profile includes one or more user specific data selected the group consisting of a Body Mass Index (BMI), historical data, a body type, and a body fat percentage.