Smart Clothing for Ambulatory Human Motion Capture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016338644-A1
Application number	US-201615227254-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2016
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

This invention is smart clothing (such as a shirt or pair of pants) for ambulatory motion capture comprising: an article of clothing; an electromagnetic energy emitter; an electromagnetic energy receiver; a helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway that spans a body joint, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the pathway changes the flow of electromagnetic energy from the emitter to the receiver; and a data processor, wherein the data processor analyzes changes in the flow in order to measure motion of the body joint.

First claim

I claim:

1 . Smart clothing for ambulatory human motion capture comprising:
an article of clothing which is worn by a person; an electromagnetic energy emitter; an electromagnetic energy receiver; a helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway, wherein electromagnetic energy flows from the electromagnetic energy emitter to the electromagnetic energy receiver through the pathway, wherein the pathway is configured to span a body joint of the person when the article of clothing is worn by the person, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the pathway changes one or more parameters of the flow of electromagnetic energy from the emitter to the receiver; and a data processor, wherein the data processor analyzes changes in the one or more parameters in order to measure motion of the body joint.

2 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway has a spiral shape.

3 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein a distal portion of the helical stretching and/or bending sensor is configured to spiral at least once around a lower arm or lower leg and a proximal portion of the helical stretching and/or bending sensor is configured to spiral at least once around an upper arm or upper leg, respectively.

4 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic energy emitter is configured to be located on the same side of the person's arm or leg as the electromagnetic energy receiver.

5 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic energy emitter is configured to be located on a different side of the person's arm or leg than the electromagnetic energy receiver.

6 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic energy emitter transmits electrical energy into one end of the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway and the electromagnetic energy receiver receives this electrical energy from the other end of the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway.

7 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the resistance, impedance, capacitance and/or conductivity of the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway changes as the pathway stretches and/or bends.

8 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway further comprises one or more undulating, wavy, and/or sinusoidal electroconductive threads, yarns, or fibers.

9 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway further comprises two or more layers, wherein at least one layer is electroconductive.

10 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway is woven into the fabric of the article of clothing.

11 . The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway is slid or otherwise inserted into a channel, pocket, opening, and/or pouch in the article of clothing.

12 . A smart shirt for ambulatory human motion capture comprising:
a shirt which is worn by a person; a first sensor set comprising a first electromagnetic energy emitter, a first electromagnetic energy receiver, and a first helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's right elbow; a second sensor set comprising a second electromagnetic energy emitter, a second electromagnetic energy receiver, and a second helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's left elbow; a third sensor set comprising a third electromagnetic energy emitter, a third electromagnetic energy receiver, and a third distal-to-proximal longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's right elbow; a fourth sensor set comprising a fourth electromagnetic energy emitter, a fourth electromagnetic energy receiver, and a fourth distal-to-proximal longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's left elbow; and a data processor which measures body motion by analyzing changes in the flows of electromagnetic energy through electromagnetic energy pathways in the four sensor sets.

13 . The smart shirt in claim 12 wherein a helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway has a spiral shape.

14 . The smart shirt in claim 12 wherein a distal portion of the helical stretching and/or bending sensor is configured to spiral at least once around a lower arm or lower leg and a proximal portion of the helical stretching and/or bending sensor is configured to spiral at least once around an upper arm or upper leg, respectively.

15 . The smart shirt in claim 12 wherein the electromagnetic energy emitter transmits electrical energy into one end of the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway and the electromagnetic energy receiver receives this electrical energy from the other end of the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway.

16 . The smart shirt in claim 12 wherein the resistance, impedance, capacitance and/or conductivity of the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway is changed as the pathway stretches and/or bends.

17 . The smart shirt in claim 12 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway further comprises one or more undulating, wavy, and/or sinusoidal electroconductive threads, yarns, or fibers.

18 . The smart shirt in claim 12 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway further comprises two or more layers, wherein at least one layer is electroconductive.

19 . The smart shirt in claim 12 wherein the helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway is woven into the fabric of the article of clothing.

20 . A smart shirt for ambulatory human motion capture comprising:
a shirt which is worn by a person; a first sensor set comprising a first electromagnetic energy emitter, a first electromagnetic energy receiver, and a first helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's right elbow; a second sensor set comprising a second electromagnetic energy emitter, a second electromagnetic energy receiver, and a second helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's left elbow; a third sensor set comprising a third electromagnetic energy emitter, a third electromagnetic energy receiver, and a third longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's right elbow; a fourth sensor set comprising a fourth electromagnetic energy emitter, a fourth electromagnetic energy receiver, a fourth longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's left elbow; a fifth sensor set comprising a fifth electromagnetic energy emitter, a fifth electromagnetic energy receiver, and a fifth longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's right elbow; a sixth sensor set comprising a sixth electromagnetic energy emitter, a sixth electromagnetic energy receiver, and a sixth longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which spans the person's left elbow; a seventh sensor set comprising a seventh distal in

Assignees

• Connor Robert A
• Medibotics Llc

Inventors

• Connor Robert A

Classifications

• A61B5/1127

  using markers · CPC title

• A61B5/6804 Primary

  Garments; Clothes · CPC title

• A41D27/205

  Pockets adapted to receive a mobile phone or other electronic equipment · CPC title

• A61B2090/3975

  active · CPC title

• A41B1/08

  Details · CPC title