Fabric-based items with stretchable bands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11484264-B2
Application number	US-202017088457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2020
Priority date	Mar 28, 2018
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A fabric-based item may be provide with a stretchable band. The stretchable band may be formed from a ring-shaped strip of stretchable fabric having an opening configured to fit around a body part of a user. Circuitry may be coupled to strands of material in the stretchable band. The circuitry may include sensor circuitry for making measurements on the body part such as electrocardiogram measurements, blood pressure measurements, and respiration rate measurements. Wireless communications circuitry in the fabric-based item may be used to communicate wirelessly with external electronic equipment. A wireless power transmitting device may transmit wireless power. A coil formed from conductive strands in the fabric-based item may be used by wireless power receiving circuitry in the fabric-based item to receive the wireless power. The coil may have one or more turns that run around the ring-shaped strip of stretchable fabric.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus configured to be worn on a body part of a user, the apparatus comprising:
a band of fabric configured to at least partially surround the body part; and
power receiving circuitry in the band of fabric that is configured to receive wireless power, wherein the power receiving circuitry comprises:
at least one conductive line in the band of fabric that is configured to form an inductive wireless power receiving coil that runs entirely around the band of fabric.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the band of fabric is a watch band, the apparatus further comprising a metal portion.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the metal portion and the band of fabric surround a central opening that receives the body part of the user.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the at least one conductive line runs along an entirety of the band of fabric.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 3 further comprising:
an electrical component coupled to the band of fabric.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the electrical component is a blood pressure sensor.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the electrical component is an accelerometer configured to measure a respiration rate.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 5 further comprising:
patch electrodes on the band; and
conductive paths in the band, wherein the electrical component comprises an electrocardiogram sensor coupled to the patch electrodes by the conductive paths.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the fabric includes conductive strands that are coupled to the electrical component.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising an energy storage device that stores the wireless power received by the power receiving circuitry.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein the energy storage device is a battery.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein the energy storage device is a capacitor that is coupled to the band of fabric.

13. A fabric item configured to be worn on a body part of a user, comprising:
a stretchable fabric band;
wireless transceiver circuitry coupled to the stretchable fabric band;
a first antenna coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry;
a second antenna coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry, wherein the second antenna is orthogonal to the first antenna;
a capacitor; and
sensor circuitry that receives power from the capacitor and that gathers sensor measurements from the body part, wherein the sensor circuitry comprises conductive strands that form sensor electrodes.

14. The fabric item defined in claim 13 wherein the sensor electrodes are a portion of a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a blood pressure sensor, a respiration rate sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, and an electrocardiogram sensor.

15. The fabric item defined in claim 14 further comprising wireless power receiving circuitry having an inductive wireless power receiving coil configured to receive wireless power from a wireless power transmitter.

16. The fabric item defined in claim 15 wherein the capacitor is configured to store the power received by the inductive wireless power receiving coil.

17. The fabric item defined in claim 16 wherein the first and second antennas are formed from conductive traces that are coupled to the fabric band and wherein the conductive traces have meandering paths.

18. An apparatus configured to be worn on a body part of a user, the apparatus comprising:
a stretchable fabric band configured to surround the body part, wherein the stretchable fabric band comprises first fabric strands with a first elasticity and second fabric strands with a second elasticity, and wherein the second elasticity is less than the first elasticity;
circuitry in the stretchable fabric band that comprises:
wireless communications circuitry configured to communicate wirelessly with external electrical equipment;
wireless power receiving circuitry configured to receive wireless power;
sensor circuitry comprising sensors that include electrodes formed from conductive strands that are intertwined with the fabric strands through loops of the second fabric strands; and
control circuitry configured to use the sensor circuitry to gather measurements from the body part of the user; and
additional fabric coupled to the stretchable fabric band.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Keating Steven J
• Sunshine Daniel D
• Grena Benjamin J
• Podhajny Daniel A
• Guterman Jerzy S
• Lu Jessica J
• Kindlon David M

Classifications

• A61B5/268

  containing conductive polymers, e.g. PEDOT:PSS polymers · CPC title

• A61B5/263

  characterised by the electrode materials · CPC title

• A61B5/28

  for electrocardiography [ECG] · CPC title

• A61B5/256

  Wearable electrodes, e.g. having straps or bands · CPC title

• D02G3/441

  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 title