Textile fabric with integrated electrically conductive fibers and clothing fabricated thereof

• US 5,906,004 A
• Filed: 04/29/1998
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lebby, Michael S., Jachimowicz, Karen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TAJASH D
• Application Number:
  US09/069,621
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 2/1, 2/69, 2/94, 2/102, 2/243.1, 2/905, 174/5.5 B, 174/5 R, 174/5 SG, 361/212, 361/221-223, 442/208, 442/209, 442/210, 442/212, 139/425 R
• US Class Current: 2/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/00 Materials specially adapted for outerwear
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/441 Yarns or threads with antistatic, conductive or radiation-shielding properties electroconductive, anti-static or radiation-shielding filaments D01F1/09, D01F1/106; anti-static fabrics D03D15/533; conducting, insulating or anti-static layers for floor coverings D06N7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/242 inorganic, e.g. basalt
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/25 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/258 Noble metal
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/547 with optical functions other than colour, e.g. comprising light-emitting fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/20 optical
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/00 Wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/141 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/905 Electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3236 Including inorganic strand material

Abstract

A textile fabric including a plurality of electrically conductive fibers characterized as providing sufficient current to induce either a wired or wireless coupling between the textile fabric and a portable electronic device. The textile fabric is intended for fabrication into a functional article of clothing or other item made of the woven textile fabric, so as to increase functionality of the article of clothing or item made thereof. The plurality of electrically conductive fibers are characterized as creating an interconnect to a portable electronic device, including integrated components, electronics, or the like, or serving as an antenna for signals received and transmitted by the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A textile fabric including a plurality of electrically conductive fibers and a plurality of non-electrically conductive fibers, including a plurality of holographic optical fibers, wherein the electrically conductive fibers are characterized as providing sufficient current to induce at least one of a wired and wireless coupling between the textile fabric and a portable electronic device.

2. A textile fabric according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive fibers include a metallic material.

3. A textile fabric according to claim 2 wherein the metallic material includes at least one of copper, gold, steel, iron, nickel, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, zinc, manganese, thallium, aluminum, and magnesium.

4. A textile fabric according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive fibers include a semi-metallic material.

5. A textile fabric according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive fibers includes a semi-insulative material.

6. A textile fabric according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive fibers include a semi-conductive material.

7. A textile fabric according to claim 6 wherein the semi-conductive material includes at least one of a silicon material and a gallium arsenide (GaAs) material.

8. A textile fabric according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive fibers include a transparent conductive material.

9. A textile fabric according to claim 8 wherein the transparent conductive material includes an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) material.

10. A textile fabric according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive fibers are woven in orthogonal directions thereby defining a plurality of crossover points.

11. A textile fabric according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive fibers and the plurality of non-electrically conductive fibers are woven in orthogonal directions thereby providing for individual addressing of each of the plurality of electrically conductive fibers.

12. An article of functional clothing fabricated of a textile fabric including a plurality of electrically conductive fibers and a plurality of non-electrically conductive fibers including a plurality of holographic optical fibers, the plurality of electrically conductive fibers characterized as providing sufficient current to induce at least one of a wired and wireless coupling between the article of functional clothing and a portable electronic device.

13. An article of functional clothing according to claim 12 wherein the portable electronic device includes a portable communication device.

14. An article of functional clothing according to claim 12 wherein the textile fabric and the portable electronic device are in electrical interface utilizing a wireless connection.

15. An article of functional clothing according to claim 12 wherein the textile fabric and the portable electronic device are in electrical interface utilizing a wired connection.

16. An article of functional clothing according to claim 12 wherein the textile fabric including a plurality of electrically conductive fibers is characterized as creating a local area network (LAN) about a wearer of the functional clothing, thereby providing an antenna for the portable electronic device.

17. An article of functional clothing comprising:

a textile fabric including a plurality of conductive fibers and a plurality of non-electrically conductive holographic optical fibers; and

an electrical interface between the textile fabric and at least one portable electronic device.

18. An article of functional clothing as claimed in claim 17 wherein the electrical interface between the textile fabric and the plurality of electrically conductive fibers includes at least one of a wired and a wireless interface.