Wearable communication platform

• US 9,282,893 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Company Limited (Aiful Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Life Company Limited (Aiful Corporation)
• Inventors: Longinotti-Buitoni, Gianluigi, Aliverti, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): BALSECA, FRANKLIN D
• Application Number:
  US14/023,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20140070957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.01, 340/870.07, 345/168, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 compression garment comprising a fabric, the garment having a front and a back and configured to be worn over a user'"'"'s torso;

a plurality of interactive sensors comprising a stretchable conductive ink printed on the garment, each interactive sensor configured to sense a volitional contact by the user and to generate a volitional contact signal when the user manually contacts one of the interactive sensors;

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

a plurality of stretchable conductive traces printed on the garment in the stretchable conductive ink, the plurality of stretchable conductive traces connected to the sensor module interface, wherein the stretchable conductive ink comprises a first layer of an insulating adhesive media on the fabric and a second layer of the insulating adhesive media mixed with conductive ink particles on top of the first layer of insulating adhesive media;

wherein electrical resistance of the plurality of stretchable conductive traces varies with stretch.

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, a gyroscope, a magnetoresistor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an electroencephalography sensor (EEG), an electromyography (EMG) sensor, a strain gage, a skin conductance sensor, a temperature sensor, a pulse oxymeter and a respiratory sensor.

7. 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.

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

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor module interface comprises a pocket configured to hold the sensor module.

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

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

12. 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.

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

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

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

16. A sartorial communications apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an undershirt comprising a fabric, the undershirt having a front and a back and configured to be worn over a user'"'"'s torso;

a plurality of interactive sensors comprising a stretchable conductive ink printed on the undershirt, each interactive sensor 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 sensors, resistive sensors, or inductive sensors;

a sensor module interface configured to connect to a sensor module for receiving and for analyzing, transmitting or analyzing and transmitting the volitional contact signals, wherein the sensor module interface is located on the back and is configured to be worn between the user'"'"'s shoulders; and

a plurality of stretchable conductive traces printed on the garment in the stretchable conductive ink, the plurality of stretchable conductive traces connected to the sensor module interface, wherein the stretchable conductive ink comprises a first layer of an insulating adhesive media on the fabric and a second layer of the insulating adhesive media mixed with conductive ink particles on top of the first layer of insulating adhesive media;

wherein electrical resistance of the plurality of stretchable conductive traces varies with stretch.

17. A method of communicating with a sartorial communications apparatus, wherein the sartorial communications apparatus comprises a garment including an interactive sensor printed on the garment and a plurality of stretchable conductive traces printed on the garment in a stretchable conductive ink wherein the interactive sensor and plurality of stretchable conductive traces are connected 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, wherein the interactive sensor comprises a plate of the stretchable conductive ink that is printed on the garment;

transmitting the one or more volitional contact signals from the interactive sensor to the sensor module and transmitting a change in electrical resistance indicating stretch of the plurality of stretchable conductive traces to the sensor module, wherein the stretchable conductive ink comprises a first layer of an insulating adhesive media on a fabric and a second layer of the insulating adhesive media mixed with conductive ink particles on top of the first layer of insulating adhesive media; and

generating or modifying an output from the sensor module in response to the volitional contact signal, where electrical resistance of the plurality of stretchable conductive traces varies with stretch.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising presenting the output from the sensor module in response to the volitional contact signals.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising presenting the output, wherein the output comprises an audible signal.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising presenting the output, wherein the output comprises a visible signal.