Apparel with pressure sensor control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11253010-B2
Application number	US-202016859136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2020
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

An article of apparel and method include a structure configured to enclose a human body part, a pressure sensor array including multiple pressure sensors separately positioned at locations within the structure, wherein each pressure sensor is configured to output a signal indicative of an amount of pressure being exerted on the pressure sensor by an external mechanical force, an electronic display, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the pressure sensors and, based on a sequence and a timing of the signals as received, determine a command related to a function of a device. The electronic display is configured to display information related to the function.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of apparel, comprising:
a structure configured to enclose a human body part;
electronics, positioned between layers of the structure and isolated against environmental conditions, comprising:
a pressure sensor array including multiple pressure sensors separately positioned at locations within the structure, wherein each pressure sensor is configured to output a signal indicative of an amount of pressure being exerted on the pressure sensor by an external mechanical force;
a controller, coupled to the pressure sensor array, configured to:
receive signals from the pressure sensors; and
based on a sequence and a timing of the signals as received, determine a command related to a function of a device; and
an electronic display, coupled to the controller and positioned to form a line with a first one of the pressure sensors and a second one of the pressure sensors, configured to display information related to the function through a textile layer of the layers.

2. The article of apparel of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the pressure sensors of the pressure sensor array are components of an integrated pressure sensor assembly, wherein the integrated pressure sensor assembly comprises:
an electrically conductive film having a first resistance at a location when not acted on by a mechanical force at the location and the external second resistance less than the first resistance at the location when acted on by the external mechanical force at the location;
a first conductor coupled a first major surface of the electrically conductive film and to an electrical reference; and
for each pressure sensor of the integrated pressure sensor assembly, one of a plurality of second conductors separately coupled to a second major surface of the electrically conductive film and to the controller, each second conductor separately corresponding to one of the pressure sensors of the integrated pressure sensor assembly,
wherein one of the pressure sensors proximate the location is configured to output the signal indicative of the change from the first resistance to the second resistance upon the location being contacted by the external mechanical force.

3. The article of apparel of claim 2 , wherein the first conductor and the plurality of second conductors are arranged on the first and second major surfaces, respectively, in a sinusoidal pattern, wherein the second conductors are arranged to substantially cover a respective area of the second major surface corresponding to a location of an associated one of the multiple pressure sensors.

4. The article of apparel of claim 2 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductors are conductive thread.

5. The article of apparel of claim 1 , wherein the device is an external device, and further comprising a wireless communication block coupled to the controller and configured to transmit the command to the external device, wherein the external device is configured to implement the function based on the command as received.

6. The article of apparel of claim 5 , wherein the wireless communication block is further configured to receive data related to the function from the external device and display the information on the electronic display based on the data.

7. The article of apparel of claim 1 , wherein the device is the article of apparel and wherein the function is a personal fitness function implemented by the controller and indicative of a fitness activity conducted by a wearer of the article of apparel.

8. The article of apparel of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to convert the signals from the pressure sensors from analog signals to digital signals and, for each of the pressure sensors, separately determine the command based on a rolling weighted average of the digital signals as converted from each of the pressure sensors.

9. The article of apparel of claim 8 , wherein the rolling weighted average for one of the pressure sensors is based on a percentage of a previously determined rolling weighted average for the pressure sensor and a percentage of a current digital signal as converted from the analog signal from the pressure sensor.

10. The article of apparel of claim 9 , wherein the percentage of the previously determined rolling weighted average is approximately eighty (80) percent and the percentage of the current digital signal is approximately twenty (20) percent.

11. A method, comprising:
outputting, for each of multiple pressure sensors of a pressure sensor array, a signal indicative of an amount of pressure being exerted on the pressure sensor by an external mechanical force, the pressure sensors positioned at locations within a structure of an article of apparel configured to enclose a human body part;
receiving, with a controller, signals from the pressure sensors;
determining, with the controller, based on a sequence and a timing of the signals as received, a command related to a function of a device; and
displaying, on an electronic display positioned to form a line with a first one of the pressure sensors and a second one of the pressure sensors, information related to the function, wherein the pressure sensor array, the controller, and the electronic display are components of electronics positioned between layers of the structure and isolated against environmental conditions, the electronic display configured to display the information through a textile layer of the layers.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the pressure sensors of the pressure sensor array are components of an integrated pressure sensor assembly, wherein the integrated pressure sensor assembly comprises:
an electrically conductive film having a first resistance at a location when not acted on by a mechanical force at the location and the external second resistance less than the first resistance at the location when acted on by the external mechanical force at the location;
a first conductor coupled a first major surface of the electrically conductive film and to an electrical reference; and
for each pressure sensor of the integrated pressure sensor assembly, one of a plurality of second conductors separately coupled to a second major surface of the electrically conductive film and to the controller, each second conductor separately corresponding to one of the pressure sensors of the integrated pressure sensor assembly;
wherein outputting the signal includes outputting the signal indicative of the change from the first resistance to the second resistance upon the location being contacted by the external mechanical force.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first conductor and the plurality of second conductors are arranged on the first and second major surfaces, respectively, in a sinusoidal pattern, wherein the second conductors are arranged to substantially cover a respective area of the second major surface corresponding to a location of an associated one of the multiple pressure sensors.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductors are conductive thread.

15. The method of claim 11 , w herein the device is an external device, and further comprising transmitting, via a wireless communication block coupled to the controller, the command to the external device, wherein the external device is configured to implement the function based on the command as received.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, via the wireless communication block, data related to the function from the external device; and
displaying the information on the electronic

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Alipour Hamid
• Pheil Holli
• Vanweerd Mark

Classifications

• G01L5/22

  for measuring the force applied to control members, e.g. control members of vehicles, triggers · CPC title

• G01L1/20

  by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids (of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18); by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress · CPC title

• A41D27/00

  Details of garments or of their making (buttons, pins, buckles, slide fasteners or the like A44B) · CPC title

• A41D1/002 Primary

  adapted to accommodate electronic equipment (patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085) · CPC title

• G01L1/205 Primary

  using distributed sensing elements · CPC title