Conductive Thread for Interactive Textiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016284436-A1
Application number	US-201514959799-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 4, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

This document describes conductive thread for interactive textiles. The conductive thread of the interactive textile includes a conductive core that includes at least one conductive wire and a cover layer constructed from flexible threads that covers the conductive core. The conductive core may be formed by twisting one or more flexible threads (e.g., silk threads, polyester threads, or cotton threads) with the conductive wire, or by wrapping flexible threads around the conductive wire. In one or more implementations, the conductive core is formed by braiding the conductive wire with flexible threads (e.g., silk). The cover layer may be formed by wrapping or braiding flexible threads around the conductive core. In one or more implementations, the conductive thread is implemented with a “double-braided” structure in which the conductive core is formed by braiding flexible threads with a conductive wire, and then braiding flexible threads around the braided conductive core.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A conductive thread configured to be woven into an interactive textile, the conductive thread comprising:
a conductive core comprising at least one conductive wire; and a cover layer configured to cover the conductive core, the cover layer comprising flexible threads braided around the conductive core.

2 . The conductive thread as recited in claim 1 , wherein the flexible threads comprise silk threads, polyester threads, cotton threads, wool threads, or nylon threads.

3 . The conductive thread as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conductive core comprises additional flexible threads braided with the conductive wire.

4 . The conductive thread as recited in claim 3 , wherein the additional flexible threads comprise silk threads.

5 . The conductive thread as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conductive core comprises one or more additional flexible threads twisted with the conductive wire.

6 . The conductive thread as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive wire comprises at least one copper wire.

7 . The conductive thread as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive wire is insulated.

8 . The conductive thread as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive wire is not insulated.

9 . An interactive textile integrated within a flexible object, the interactive textile comprising a grid of conductive thread woven into the interactive textile to form a capacitive touch sensor, the conductive thread comprising a conductive core comprising at least one conductive wire and a cover layer comprising flexible threads that cover the conductive core; and
a textile controller coupled to the capacitive touch sensor, the textile controller configured to detect touch-input to the capacitive touch sensor when an object touches the capacitive touch sensor, and process the touch-input to provide touch data usable to control a computing device or an application at the computing device.

10 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 9 , wherein the cover layer comprises flexible threads that are wrapped around the conductive core.

11 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 10 , wherein the conductive core comprises one or more additional flexible threads twisted with the at least one conductive wire.

12 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 10 , wherein the conductive core comprises additional flexible threads braided with the conductive wire.

13 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 12 , wherein the additional flexible thread comprise silk thread.

14 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 9 , wherein the flexible threads comprise polyester threads or cotton threads.

15 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 9 , wherein the cover layer comprises flexible threads that are braided around the conductive core.

16 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 15 , wherein the flexible threads comprise silk threads, polyester threads, cotton threads, wool threads, or nylon threads.

17 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 15 , wherein the conductive core comprises additional flexible threads braided with the at least one conductive wire.

18 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 17 , wherein the additional flexible threads comprise silk threads.

19 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one conductive wire is insulated.

20 . The interactive textile as recited in claim 9 , wherein the flexible object comprises a clothing item.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Fukuhara Shiho
• Harada Shozo
• Sawai Shin
• Poupyrev Ivan

Classifications

• H01B7/04

  Flexible cables, conductors, or cords, e.g. trailing cables · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01B3/50 Primary

  fabric · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• H01B1/026

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title