Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GARMENTS INCLUDING ELECTRONIC PANELS
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to apparatuses,
systems, and
methods for wearable electronics. More specifically, the disclosure relates to
apparatuses, systems, and methods for flexible electronic panels that can be
incorporated into various garments.
BACKGROUND
[0002]
Wearable electronics and smart garments are becoming increasingly
popular. These wearable electronics, such as smart watches can detect the
pulse rate
and oxygen saturation of a wearer. Smart garments can detect the movement of a
wearer, potentially alerting a user of an unsafe condition or can cause a
garment to light
up, enhancing visibility in low light conditions or for advertising or
marketing purposes.
Further, the capability of wearable electronics has increased dramatically
during the last
number of years, while the price of wearable electronics decreased, adding to
the
popularity of these items. However, garments are typically made of multiple
fabric
panels that are sewn together. The electronic circuitry of a smart garment is
often
required to extend from one panel to another panel, and interconnects between
adjacent panels must be used to connect the electronics where the two panels
meet.
These electrical connections coupling two panels may have excessive wear due
to the
regular flexing of material at the seams of the garment, leading to the
electronic panel
being inoperable. Embodiments disclosed herein solve these problems.
SUMMARY
[0003] As mentioned above, wearable electronics and smart
garments are
becoming increasingly popular. However, there are manufacturing challenges
associated with smart garments. Garments typically require multiple panel
pieces,
where adjacent panel pieces are joined by sewing, stitching, bonding,
adhering, welding
or joining to form the finished garment. For example, a shirt can be produced
from at
least 4 panels, a front trunk portion, a rear trunk portion and two arm
portions. The
panels can be sewn together at adjacent edges to form the garment. The present
disclosure describes a unitary panel comprising at least one conductive trace
that can
be used as one of the panel pieces to produce a garment. The use of a unitary
panel
with at least one conductive trace allows for a garment where the electronic
connections
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are not required to cross from one panel to another panel, thereby producing a
durable
smart garment. As used herein the phrases "unitary panel" and "electronic
panel" are
equivalent and mean a panel that is free from a seam crossing over the panel.
At least
one edge portion of the unitary panel may have a seam joining the unitary
panel to an
adjacent panel or joining one edge of the unitary panel to itself, for
example, in the case
of the panel encircling a cuff portion. It should be understood that the
electronic panel is
a unitary panel comprising at least one conductive trace.
[0004] According to one example, the present disclosure relates
to a garment
comprising a plurality of panels, wherein a first panel is a unitary panel
extending from a
first appendage of the garment to a second appendage of the garment, wherein
at least
the first panel comprises at least one conductive trace and wherein the
remaining
plurality of panels form the remainder of the garment. The garment can be a
shirt, a
long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved shirt, pants, shorts, overall, upper body
garment,
lower body garment, whole body garment, jacket, mid-layer, base-layer,
coverall,
gloves, socks, or hats. The appendages of the garment is meant to denote the
arm
portions or sleeve(s), the leg portions or any combination thereof. In some
embodiments, the unitary panel can extend from a distal portion of a first arm
portion
(i.e., a first appendage) to a distal portion of a second arm portion (i.e., a
second
appendage). In other embodiments, the unitary panel can extend from a distal
portion of
a first leg portion to a distal portion of a second leg portion. As used
herein, the phrase
"a distal portion" means at any point of the appendage. For example, if the
garment is a
long-sleeved shirt, with sleeves extending to each wrist, the unitary panel
can extend
from any point of the first appendage, the wrist, forearm, elbow or bicep
portion of the
first arm portion independently to the wrist, forearm, elbow or bicep portion
of the
second appendage. As is typical with garments, the appendage length can vary
depending upon the design, the function or both the design and function of the
garment.
[0005] According to another example, the present disclosure
relates to a unitary
panel that is substantially flat and that is capable of being incorporated
into a garment
(or an article) to form a 3-dimensional garment/article piece, wherein the
unitary panel is
a conductive panel comprising at least one conductive trace. The garment can
be a
shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved shirt, pants, shorts, overalls,
coveralls,
gloves, socks, or hats. In aspects, the unitary panel is flexible and/or
stretchable. In
aspects, the unitary panel extends from a first point to a second point on a
garment. In
aspects, the first point and the second point are on a torso of the garment.
In some
aspects, the first point is on the same side of the torso of the garment as
the second
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point. In other aspects, the first point is on a different side of the torso
of the garment as
the second point. In some aspects, the unitary panel wraps around less than
half of the
torso. In other aspects, the unitary panel wraps around more than half of the
torso, e.g.,
wraps around an entire circumference of the torso.
[0006] According to yet another example, the present disclosure
relates to two or
more garments, wherein the two or more garments are a base layer, a mid-layer,
an
outer layer, a pair of pants, coveralls, overalls, gloves, socks, or hats,
wherein each of
the two or more garments comprises the unitary panel of the previous example;
and
wherein the unitary panel of the first garment is in electronic communication
with the
unitary panel of the second garment and/or subsequent garments. The garments
can be
shirts, long-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts, pants, shorts, overalls,
coveralls,
gloves, socks, and/or hats.
[0007] According to another example, the present disclosure
relates to an
electronic panel that is substantially flat and configured to be incorporated
into an article
to be worn by a user, wherein the electronic panel is devoid of any seams
extending:
laterally across a portion of the panel, longitudinally across a portion of
the panel, or
combination thereof; wherein the electronic panel is coupled to a plurality of
fabric
panels of the article such that the electronic panel and the plurality of
fabric panels form
the article; and wherein the electronic panel comprises at least one
conductive trace.
[0008] According to another example, the present disclosure
relates to an
electronic panel that is substantially flat and configured to be incorporated
into an article
to be worn by a user, wherein the electronic panel is devoid of any seams
extending:
laterally across a portion the electronic panel, longitudinally across a
portion of the
electronic panel, or combination thereof; wherein the electronic panel is
configured to
extend across at least a joint of the user; and wherein the electronic panel
comprises at
least one conductive trace.
[0009] In aspects of any of the previous examples, the
electronic panel includes a
synthetic polymer membrane compressed in the x-y direction and the conductive
trace
is located within the synthetic polymer membrane; the electronic panel
comprises a
stretchable substrate bonded to the synthetic polymer membrane; and the
conductive
trace is buckled in the z-direction.
[00010] In certain aspects, the article is a long sleeve shirt and the
electronic panel
extends from a central portion across a front or a back of the garment to a
distal portion
of the first arm and to a distal portion of the second arm.
[00011] In certain other aspects, the article is a pair of pants and the
electronic
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panel extends from a central portion across a front or a back of the garment
to a distal
portion of a first leg and to a distal portion of a second leg.
[00012] In even other aspects, the article is a one-piece coverall garment and
the
electronic panel extends from a central portion across a front or a back of
the garment
from a distal portion of a first arm to a distal portion of a second arm; and
further
comprises a trunk extension portion extending from the front or back of the
one-piece
coverall garment to a trunk portion of the one-piece coverall garment and
further
comprises at least one leg extension portion extending from a distal portion
of the trunk
extension portion to a distal portion of at least one of a leg portion of the
one-piece
garment.
[00013] In aspects of any of the previous examples, at least one portion of at
least
one of the distal portions of the electronic panel further comprises a
laterally elongated
portion which circumferentially wraps around a portion of the article.
Additionally, or
alternatively, the electronic panel is a textile fabric, a film, a microporous
membrane, or
other suitable substrates, which independently may or may not have some degree
of
elasticity, or a laminate thereof.
[00014] In certain aspects of any of the previous examples, the electronic
panel
comprises a microporous membrane having the conductive trace imbibed in the
pores,
on the microporous membrane or a combination thereof. Additionally, or
alternatively,
the electronic panel further comprises an electrical connection coupled to the
at least
one conductive trace and configured to releasably couple to one or more
electronic
components. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic panel comprises an
electrical
connection coupled to the at least one conductive trace and configured to
permanently
couple to one or more electronic components.
[00015] In aspects of the previous example, the one or more electronic
components is one or more of: a power supply, a power switch, a sensor,
electronic
circuit, antenna, wireless transmitter, wireless receiver, a remote control, a
display
device, a touch screen, an audio transmitter, a speaker, a microphone, a
haptic device,
a heating element, or a combination thereof.
[00016] In aspects of the previous example, at least two of: the power supply,
the
power switch, the sensor, the electronic circuit, the antenna, the wireless
transmitter,
the wireless receiver, the remote control, the display device, the touch
screen, the audio
transmitter, the speaker, the microphone, the haptic device, the heating
element, or the
combination thereof are connected to each other by the conductive trace.
[00017] In certain aspects of either of previous two examples, at least one
of: the
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power supply, the power switch, the sensor, the electronic circuit, the
antenna, the
wireless transmitter, the wireless receiver, the remote control, the display
device, the
touch screen, the audio transmitter, the speaker, the microphone, the haptic
device, the
heating element, or the combination thereof is removable and/or replaceable.
[00018] In aspects of any of the previous examples, the electronic panel is a
multilayer electronic panel comprising one or more of textile, film, a
combination or a
laminate thereof.
[00019] In certain embodiments of the previous example, the multilayer
electronic
panel is a laminate comprising an outer textile layer, a middle film layer and
an inner
textile layer.
[00020] In certain aspects of the previous embodiment, the middle film layer
is a
microporous layer wherein the conductive trace is within the microporous
layer.
[00021] In aspects of any of the previous examples, the electronic panel
further
comprises a conductive connection configured to route electricity or
electrical signals
from the first panel to a second panel. Additionally, or alternatively, at
least one portion
of the electronic panel further comprises a power supply housing.
Additionally, or
alternatively, the electronic panel is flexible and/or stretchable.
Additionally, or
alternatively, wherein the garment is a shirt and comprises a collar housing
for storing
one or more electronic components.
[00022] In certain aspects of the previous example, the one or more electronic
components is one or more of: a power supply, a power switch, a sensor,
electronic
circuit, antenna, wireless transmitter, wireless receiver, a remote control, a
display
device, a touch screen, an audio transmitter, a speaker, a microphone, a
haptic device,
a heating element, or a combination thereof.
[00023] According to yet another example, the present disclosure relates to a
method of manufacturing a garment, the method comprising: providing a
plurality of
panels, wherein a first panel of the plurality of panels is a unitary panel
comprising a
conductive trace; coupling the first panel to a second panel of the plurality
of panels at a
seam; coupling any remaining panels to the first panel and /or the second
panel to form
the garment, wherein the first panel is devoid of any seams extending:
laterally across a
portion of the panel, longitudinally across a portion of the panel, or a
combination
thereof.
[00024] In aspects of the previous embodiment, wherein the first panel portion
extends from a first appendage of the garment to a second appendage of the
garment.
Alternatively, the garment is a shirt, wherein the first panel extends from a
central
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portion across a front or a back of the shirt to a distal portion of the first
arm and to a
distal portion of the second arm. Alternatively, the garment is a pair of
pants and the first
panel extends from a central portion across a front or a back of the garment
to a distal
portion of the first leg and to a distal portion of the second leg.
Alternatively, the garment
is a one-piece coverall, wherein the garment is a one-piece coverall garment
and the
first panel further comprises a trunk extension portion extending from the
front or back
of the one-piece coverall garment to a trunk portion of the one-piece coverall
garment
and further comprises at least one leg extension portion extending from a
distal portion
of the trunk extension portion to a distal portion of at least one of a leg
portion of the
one-piece garment.
[00025] In aspects of any of the previous method of manufacturing examples,
coupling the first panel to the second panel comprises a sewn seam, an
adhesive seam,
a welded seam, a bonded seam or a combination thereof. Additionally, or
alternatively,
the method of manufacturing the garment further comprise forming the unitary
panel by
arranging the conductive trace on or within a synthetic polymer membrane.
[00026] In aspects of the previous embodiment, the electronic panel is a
multilayer
panel comprising one or more of textile, film, a combination or a laminate
thereof. In
aspects of the previous embodiment, the electronic panel is a multilayer panel
that is a
laminate comprising an outer textile layer, a middle film layer and an inner
textile layer.
In aspects of the previous embodiment, the middle film layer is a microporous
layer
wherein the conductive trace is within the microporous layer. In aspects of
any of the
previous embodiments, the method of manufacturing further comprises coupling
one or
more electronic components to the conductive trace.
[00027] In aspects of the previous example, the one or more electronic
components is one or more of: a power supply, a power switch, a sensor,
electronic
circuit, antenna, wireless transmitter, wireless receiver, a remote control, a
display
device, a touch screen, an audio transmitter, a speaker, a microphone, a
haptic device,
a heating element, or a combination thereof.
[00028] The foregoing Examples are just that, and should not be read to limit
or
otherwise narrow the scope of any of the inventive concepts otherwise provided
by the
instant disclosure. While multiple examples are disclosed, still other
embodiments will
become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed
description, which
shows and describes illustrative examples. Accordingly, the drawings and
detailed
description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature rather than
restrictive in nature.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00029] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part
of this
specification, illustrate embodiments, and together with the description serve
to explain
the principles of the disclosure.
[00030] FIG. 1 is an example system of an electronic panel incorporated into a
garment that can be worn by a subject, according to at least one embodiment;
[00031] FIGS. 2A-B is an example of an electronic panel incorporated into a
garment, according to at least one embodiment;
[00032] FIG. 3 is an example of the electronic panel illustrated in FIGS. 2A-B
decoupled from the garment, according to at least one embodiment;
[00033] FIGS. 4A-B is another example of an electronic panel incorporated into
a
garment, according to at least one embodiment;
[00034] FIGS. 5A-B is yet another example of an electronic panel incorporated
into
a garment, according to at least one embodiment;
[00035] FIGS. 6A-C are schematic illustrations of the formation of a
conductive
article where the electrically conductive trace has been applied to the
surface of the
synthetic polymer membrane and buckled, according to at least one embodiment;
[00036] FIG. 6D is a schematic illustration of the application of an
electronic panel
to both sides of a garment, according to at least one embodiment;
[00037] FIG. 6E is a schematic illustration of a stretchable substrate having
thereon a buckled synthetic polymer membrane on each side thereof, according
to at
least one embodiment;
[00038] FIG. 6F is a schematic illustration of a synthetic polymer membrane
having electrically conductive traces on both sides thereof and imbibed
electrically
conductive traces electrically interconnecting the electrically conductive
traces where
the synthetic polymer membrane is in a buckled configuration, according to at
least one
embodiment;
[00039] FIG. 7A is a schematic illustration of a conductive article where the
electrically conductive trace has been imbibed into the synthetic polymer
membrane
and buckled, according to at least one embodiment;
[00040] FIG. 7B is a schematic illustration of a conductive article having a
buckled
synthetic polymer membrane on each side of the stretchable substrate,
according to at
least one embodiment;
[00041] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating physical components (e.g.,
hardware)
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of a computing device with which aspects of the disclosure may be practiced;
[00042] FIG. 9A is a simplified diagram of a mobile computing device with
which
aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced; and
[00043] FIG. 9B is another simplified block diagram of a mobile computing
device
with which aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced.
[00044] FIG. 10 is another example of an electronic panel incorporated into a
garment, according to at least one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00045] The disclosures of all cited patent and non-patent literature are
incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[00046] As used herein, the term "embodiment" or "disclosure" is not meant to
be
limiting, but applies generally to any of the embodiments defined in the
claims or
described herein. These terms are used interchangeably herein.
[00047] Unless otherwise disclosed, the terms "a" and "an" as used herein are
intended to encompass one or more (i.e., at least one) of a referenced
feature.
[00048] The features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more
readily understood, by those of ordinary skill in the art from reading the
following
detailed description. It is to be appreciated that certain features of the
disclosure, which
are, for clarity, described above and below in the context of separate
embodiments,
may also be provided in combination in a single element. Conversely, various
features
of the disclosure that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single
embodiment,
may also be provided separately or in any sub-combination. In addition,
references to
the singular may also include the plural (for example, "a" and "an" may refer
to one or
more) unless the context specifically states otherwise.
The use of numerical values in the various ranges specified in this
application, unless
expressly indicated otherwise, are stated as approximations as though the
minimum
and maximum values within the stated ranges were both proceeded by the word
"about". In this manner, slight variations above and below the stated ranges
can be
used to achieve substantially the same results as values within the ranges.
Also, the
disclosure of these ranges is intended as a continuous range including each
and every
value between the minimum and maximum values.
Description of Various Embodiments
[00049] Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various
aspects of the
present disclosure can be realized by any number of methods and apparatuses
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configured to perform the intended functions. It should also be noted that the
accompanying drawing figures referred to herein are not necessarily drawn to
scale but
may be exaggerated to illustrate various aspects of the present disclosure,
and in that
regard, the drawing figures should not be construed as limiting.
[00050] FIG. 1 is an example system 100 of an electronic panel 102
incorporated
into a garment 104 that can be worn by a subject 106, in accordance with an
embodiment. As illustrated, the electronic panel 102 can be incorporated into
various
types of garments 104 including but not limited to shirts (e.g., long-sleeve
shirts, short
sleeve shirts, tank tops, etc.), pants, shorts, overalls, coveralls, leggings,
dresses, skirts,
underwear, gloves, socks, hats, and/or the like. According to certain
embodiments, the
electronic panel 102 and/or the garment 104 can be a textile fabric, a film, a
microporous membrane, or other suitable substrates, which independently may or
may
not have some degree of elasticity, or a laminate thereof. Additional details
of these
examples are provided below.
[00051] In some embodiments, the electronic panel 102 can be a
unitary panel
that, along with panel pieces A', A", A", B', and/or B", form the garment 104.
In these
embodiments, the electronic panel 102 is attached to one or more panels pieces
A', A",
A", B', and/or B" at or near the perimeter of each panel piece and forms a
portion of the
garment 104. In aspects, individual panel pieces A', A", A¨, B', and/or B" and
the
electronic panel 102 that form the garment 104 may be attached to each other
by a
seam. For example, the electronic panel 102 can be coupled to the individual
panel
pieces by at least one seam 108', 108", 108" that extends around at least a
portion of
the perimeter of the electronic panel 102. Attachment methods to form the seam
can
include, for example, stitching, bonding, laminating, gluing, adhesion,
welding or a
combination thereof. Because the electronic panel 102 can be unitary and is
attached to
more than one panel piece A', A", A", B', and/or B" of the garment 104,
electrical
connections between individual garment panels are not required. An
electrically
conductive trace (e.g., the electrically conductive trace 120 discussed below)
can allow
the connection of one or more electrical components adjacent to multiple
portions of the
garment 104, for example, adjacent to multiple panel pieces A', A", A", B',
and/or B",
by extending along a portion of a length of the electronic panel 102 and/or
along an
entirety of the length of the electronic panel 102. Additionally, or
alternatively, an
electrically conductive trace (e.g., the electrically conductive trace 120
discussed below)
can allow the connection of one or more electrical components adjacent to
multiple
portions of the garment 104, for example, panel pieces A', A", A", B', and/or
B", by
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extending along a portion of a width of the electronic panel 102 and/or along
an entirety
of the width of the electronic panel 102. As such, the electronic panel 102
and the
functionality thereof can be associated with multiple panel pieces A', A", A¨,
B', and/or
B". It should be understood that the present disclosure describes the
formation of
garments from a unitary panel and one or more additional panels, those one or
more
additional panels are described herein as A', A", A", B' and/or B", for
convenience only.
The garment may be produced from the unitary panel, that is, the electronic
panel, and
from at least one additional panel. In some embodiments, the number of
additional
panels could be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more. The exact number of
additional
panels used to form the garment will depend upon many factors and, for
example, can
be a design choice, a functional decision or a combination of design and
function.
[00052] In aspects, the electronic panel 102 can be an
electronic panel that is
devoid of any seams and extends between and/or is attached to at least one of
the
panel pieces A', A", A", B', and/or B" of the garment 104. In certain
instances, the
electronic panel 102 is devoid of any seams extending laterally across a
portion of the
electronic panel 102, i.e., extending across a portion of the width of the
electronic panel
102. Additionally, or alternatively, in certain instances, the electronic
panel 102 is devoid
of any seams extending longitudinally across a portion of the electronic panel
102, i.e.,
extending across a portion of the length of the electronic panel 102.
[00053] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel
102 is sewn,
applied, and/or adhered to the other panel pieces A', A", A", B', and/or B" to
form the
garment 104. In certain embodiments where the garment 104 is a shirt, the
electronic
panel 102 may be attached to multiple panels A', A", A" by extending from a
first
appendage of the garment 104 to a second appendage of the garment 104, for
example, a distal portion of a first arm portion 110 to a distal portion of a
second arm
portion 112. In certain instances, the distal portion of the first arm portion
110 may be
referred to herein as a first distal portion of a first arm portion 110, the
distal portion of a
second arm portion 112 may be referred to herein as a second distal portion of
a
second arm portion 112, and, collectively, the distal portion of the first arm
portion 110
and the distal portion of a second arm portion 112 may be referred to herein
as distal
arm portions 110, 112.
[00054] Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic panel 102
may be attached to
a portion of the torso of the garment 104, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In some
of these
embodiments, the electronic panel 102 can extend from a first point 113 on the
torso of
the garment 104 to a second point 115 on the torso of the garment 104. In some
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embodiments, the first point 113 and the second point 115 are on the same side
of the
torso of the garment 104 and in other embodiments the first point 113 and the
second
point 115 are on different sides of the torso of the garment 104. In some
embodiments,
the electronic panel 102 wraps around less than half of the torso of the
garment 104
and in other embodiments the electronic panel 102 wraps around more than half
of the
torso of the garment 104. In some embodiments, the electronic panel 102 wraps
around
an entire circumference of the torso of the garment 104.
[00055] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel
102 can include a
laterally elongated portion 110, 112 at one or more of the arm portions, which
circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of one or both of the arm
portions of
the subject 106. By including a laterally elongated portion that wraps around
at least a
portion of the arm portion, the electronic panel 102 may, in some embodiments,
provide
a relatively tight fit around one or more arms of the subject 106, which can
facilitate
accurate readings by one or more sensors incorporated into the electronic
panel 102, as
discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the electronic panel 102
can
include a laterally elongated portion 110, 112, arranged at a distance from
one or more
of the distal arm portions which circumferentially wraps around at least a
portion of one
or both of the arm portions of the subject 106. Additionally, or
alternatively, the
electronic panel 102 can include a laterally elongated portion 110, 112, which
circumferentially wraps around a distal portion of one or both of the arm
portions of the
subject 106. In some embodiments, the laterally elongated portion 110 extends
around
more than half of the arm portion as illustrated and in other embodiments the
laterally
elongated portion 112 extends around less than half of the arm portion as
illustrated.
[00056] In certain embodiments where the garment 104 is a pair
of pants, the
electronic panel 102 is attached to multiple panels by extending from a distal
portion of
a first leg portion 116 to a distal portion of a second leg portion 114. In
certain
instances, the distal portion of the first leg portion 116 may be referred to
herein as a
first distal portion of a first leg portion 116, the distal portion of a
second leg portion 114
may be referred to herein as a second distal portion of a second leg portion
114, and,
collectively, the distal portion of the first leg portion 116 and the distal
portion of a
second leg portion 114 may be referred to herein as distal leg portions 116,
114.
[00057] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel
102 can include a
laterally elongated portion 114, 116 at one or more of the leg portions which
circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of one or both of the leg
portions of the
subject 106. By including a laterally elongated portion that wraps around at
least a
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portion of the leg portion, the electronic panel 102 may, in some embodiments,
provide
a relatively tight fit around one or more legs of the subject 106, which can
facilitate
accurate readings by one or more of the sensors incorporated into the
electronic panel
102, as discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the electronic
panel 102
can include a laterally elongated portion 114, 116 arranged at a distance from
one or
more of the distal leg portions which circumferentially wraps around at least
a portion of
one or both of the leg portions of the subject 106. Additionally, or
alternatively, the
electronic panel 102 can include a laterally elongated portion 114, 116 which
circumferentially wraps around a distal portion of one or both of the leg
portions of the
subject 106.
[00058] Other examples of garments 104 and the incorporation of
the electronic
panel 102 into the exemplary garments 104 is explained in more detail below.
[00059] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 102
includes a
synthetic polymer membrane 118 and an electrically conductive trace 120.
According to
certain embodiments, the electrically conductive trace 120 can include
multiple
electrically conductive traces 120. In certain embodiments, the synthetic
polymer
membrane 118 and the electrically conductive trace 120 can partially or fully
span the
electronic panel 102. Accordingly, the electrically conductive trace 120 can
be adjacent
to multiple panel pieces (e.g., panel pieces A', A", A¨, B', and/or B") and
provide an
electrical connection at various portions of the garment.
[00060] According to certain embodiments, the electrically
conductive trace 120
may be positioned on the surface of or be imbibed into the pores through the
thickness
of the synthetic polymer membrane 118. The electronic panel 102 may be
compressed
within the membrane plane such that buckling of the synthetic polymer membrane
118
occurs out of the membrane plane or in the "thickness" direction of the
synthetic
polymer membrane 118. Additionally, the synthetic polymer membrane 118 may be
porous or non-porous. In some embodiments, the synthetic polymer membrane 118
is
microporous.
[00061] Advantageously, the electronic panel 102 can retain
conductive
performance over a range of stretch, thereby reducing the likelihood the
electronic panel
102 becomes inoperable due to the flexing of the garment 104. For example, the
electronic panel 102 can have negligible resistance change when stretched up
to 50%
strain of the original, relaxed configuration of the electronic panel 102.
"Strain", as
defined herein, is meant to denote the extension of the synthetic polymer
membrane
118 relative to its original, relaxed configuration. In some embodiments, the
electronic
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panel 102 has negligible resistance change when stretched up to 100% strain or
even
over 100% strain. In some embodiments, the electronic panel 102 is more
stretchable
than the garment 104 into which the electronic panel 102 is incorporated.
[00062] According to certain embodiments, the term "electrically
conductive
trace" as used herein is meant to describe a continuous line or continuous
pathway that
is able to conduct electrons therethrough. In exemplary embodiments, non-
conducting
regions are located alongside the electrically conductive trace 120 on or
within the
synthetic polymer membrane 118. In some embodiments, an electrically
conductive ink
may be used to deposit the electrically conductive trace 120 on or into the
synthetic
polymer membrane 118. The term "electrically conductive ink" as used herein
refers to
materials that incorporate electrically conductive particles in a carrier
liquid (e.g., a
solvent). In some embodiments, the electrically conductive particles include
silver, gold,
copper, or platinum particles. Non-limiting examples of suitable electrically
conductive
inks include 2108-IPA (Nanogap Inc., Richmond, CA), UTDAgPA (UT Dots, Inc.,
Champaign, IL), UTDAg60X (UT Dots, Inc., Champaign, IL), PE872 (DuPont,
Wilmington, DE), 125-19FS (Creative Materials, Inc., Ayer, MA), and CM 036
(Engineered Conductive Materials, Delaware, OH). Non-limiting examples of
other
electrically conductive materials that form the electrically conductive trace
120 include
electrically conductive metal particles or nanoparticles ( e.g., silver, gold,
copper, and
platinum), particles or nanoparticles of other electrically conductive
materials {e.g.,
graphite or carbon black), electrically conductive nanotubes, electrically
conductive
metal flakes, electrically conductive polymers, and combinations thereof. As
used
herein, the term "nanoparticle" is meant to describe a particle that has a
size from 1.0
nm to 100 nm in at least one dimension of the conductive particle.
[00063] In certain examples, the electrically conductive trace
may be distributed
onto the outer surface of a porous or non-porous synthetic polymer membrane
118
and/or deposited in the pores of a porous (or microporous) synthetic polymer
membrane
118. Non-limiting examples of suitable synthetic polymer membranes include
polyurethanes, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene
(ePTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP),
perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PEA), modified polytetrafluoroethylene polymers,
tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) copolymers, polyalkylenes such as polypropylene and
polyethylene, polyester sulfone (PES), polyesters, poly (p- xylylene) (ePPX)
as taught in
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0032069, porous ultra-high molecular weight
polyethylene (eUHMWPE) as taught in U.S. Patent No. 9,926,416 to Sbriglia,
porous
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ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (eETFE) as taught in U.S. Patent No. 9,932,429 to
Sbriglia,
porous polylactic acid (ePLLA) as taught in U.S. Patent No. 7,932,184 to
Sbriglia, et al.,
porous vinylidene fluoride-co-tetrafluoroethylene or trifluoroethylene [VDF-co-
(TFE or
TrFE)] polymers as taught in U.S. Patent No. 9,441 ,088 to Sbriglia and
copolymers and
combinations thereof.
[00064] In at least one embodiment, the synthetic polymer membrane 118 is a
microporous synthetic polymer membrane 118, such as a microporous
fluoropolymer
membrane 118 having a node and fibril microstructure where the nodes are
interconnected by the fibrils and the pores are the voids or space located
between the
nodes and fibrils throughout the membrane. An exemplary node and fibril
microstructure
is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,953,566 to Gore.
[00065] The microporous membranes 118 described herein may be differentiated
from other membranes or structures in that they have a specific surface area
of greater
than about 4.0 m2/ cm3, greater than about 10 m2/cm3, greater than about 50
m2/ cm3,
greater than about 75 m2/cm3, and up to 100 m2/cm3. In some embodiments, the
specific surface area is from about 4.0 m2/cm3 and 100 m2/cm3. Herein,
specific surface
area is defined on the basis of skeletal volume, not envelope volume. In
addition, the
majority of the fibrils in the microporous synthetic polymer membrane 118 have
a
diameter that is less than about 1.0 pm, or from about 0.1 pm to about 1.0 pm,
from
about 0.3 pm to about 1.0 pm, from about 0.5 pm to about 1.0 pm, or from about
0.7 pm
to about 1.0 pm. Additionally, the microporous membranes 118 are thin, having
a
thickness less than about 100 pm, less than about 75 pm, less than about 50
pm, less
than about 35 pm, less than about 25 pm, less than about 20 pm, less than
about 10
pm, less than about 5 pm, or less than about 3 pm. In at least one exemplary
embodiment, the synthetic polymer membrane 118 is an expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene
(ePTFE)
membranes prepared in accordance with the methods described in U.S. Patent No.
3,953,566 to Gore, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0173978 to Bowen et al.,
U.S.
Patent No. 7,306,729 to Bacino et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,476,589 to Bacino, or
U.S.
Patent No. 5,183,545 to Branca et al. may be used herein.
[00066] In certain embodiments, the conductive trace 120 may be applied to the
outer surface of the synthetic polymer membrane 118 (e.g., a non-porous
synthetic
polymer membrane) to form the electronic panel 102. In some embodiments, the
electrically conductive trace forms a monolithic (e.g., continuous) coating on
portions of
the outer surface of the synthetic polymer membrane 118. In at least one
embodiment,
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a stencil having the desired pattern is applied to the surface of the
synthetic polymer
membrane 118. Other forms of forming a pattern on the surface of a synthetic
polymer
membrane 118 known to those of skill in the art are considered to be within
the purview
of this disclosure. In exemplary embodiments, the synthetic polymer membrane
118 is
flat (i.e., planar) and contains no wrinkles when the electrically conductive
material is
applied. The electrically conductive material (e.g., an electrically
conductive ink) is
applied over the stencil such that once the stencil is removed, the
electrically conductive
material remains on the synthetic polymer membrane 118 in the desired pattern,
forming the electrically conductive trace 120. The electrically conductive
material may
be applied such that the electrically conductive trace 120 is positioned on at
least a
portion of the outer surface of the synthetic polymer membrane 118 to form the
electronic panel 102.
[00067] It is to be appreciated that the term "on" as used herein with respect
to
the electrically conductive trace 120 is meant to denote that the trace is on
the surface
of the synthetic polymer membrane 118 (i.e., no electrically conductive
material is
located in the pores of the synthetic polymer membrane 118) or that the trace
is
substantially located on the surface of the synthetic polymer membrane 118
(i.e., a
negligible amount of an electrically conductive material may be located in the
pores of
the synthetic polymer membrane 118). "On" is also meant to denote that the
electrically
conductive trace 120 may be positioned directly on the substrate (with no
intervening
elements) or that intervening elements may be present. Although not wishing to
be
bound by theory, it is believed that the negligible penetration (e.g., a
micron) of the
electrically conductive material into the pores of the synthetic polymer
membrane 118
results in an improved adhesion of the electrically conductive trace 120 to
the surface of
the synthetic polymer membrane 118.
[00068] In another embodiment, the electrically conductive
material (e.g.,
electrically conductive ink) may be applied to a porous or microporous
synthetic polymer
membrane 118 such that the conductive material is imbibed into the synthetic
polymer
membrane 118 to place the electrically conductive material, and thus the
electrically
conductive trace 120, within the synthetic polymer membrane 118 to form the
electronic
panel 102.
[00069] "Imbibed" as used herein is meant to describe the inclusion and/or
deposition of an electrically conductive trace 120 into the existing pores or
void spaces
of a porous or microporous synthetic polymer membrane 118 via a liquid carrier
(such
as an electrically conductive ink) and specifically excludes filled membranes
where the
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electrically conductive trace 120 is an integral part of the synthetic polymer
membrane
118 and which may have some exposed electrically conductive trace 120 within a
pore
or void space. It is to be noted that any known method of depositing
electrically
conductive material(s) into the pores or void spaces in a membrane may be
utilized
herein. In some embodiments, the electrically conductive trace 120 occupies
the pores
through the thickness of a porous or microporous synthetic polymer membrane
118.
[00070] As such, the electrically conductive trace 120 may occupy the majority
of
the pore volume in the porous or microporous synthetic polymer membrane 118.
In
exemplary embodiments, the pores contain an amount of electrically conductive
material that is sufficient to create an electrically conductive trace 120 for
the passage
of electrons therethrough. The electrically conductive material may be applied
to the
synthetic polymer membrane 118 by known deposition, coating methods, and
imbibing
methods such as, for example, screen printing, over-coating, pad printing,
flexographic
printing, ink jet printing, digital printing, and gravure printing to form the
electrically
conductive trace. The synthetic polymer membrane 118 having thereon or therein
an
electrically conductive trace 120 is referred to herein as an electronic panel
102.
[00071] In order to impart stretch to the electronic panel 102,
a synthetic polymer
membrane 118 with a conductive trace on and/or within the polymer membrane may
be
positioned on a stretched substrate (e.g., an elastic textile) such that, when
the
stretched substrate (e.g., the elastic textile) is released and reverts to its
relaxed,
unstretched state, buckling of the synthetic polymer membrane 118 occurs out
of the
plane of the membrane, or in the "thickness" direction of the synthetic
polymer
membrane 118, to introduce stretch into the electronic panel 102. In certain
instances,
the electronic panel 102 is attached to the elastic substrate by a
discontinuous
adhesive. In certain examples, an insulative overcoat is positioned over the
electrically
conductive trace 120 to protect the electrically conductive trace 120 from
external
forces. This planar compression of the electronic panel 102 stores length in
the
synthetic polymer membrane 118. A variety of techniques may be used to
introduce
stretch into an electronic panel 102, such as by imparting stretch into a
planar
membrane (W02016/135188 to Zaggl et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No.
2016/0167291
to Zaggl et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,026,513 to Flouse et al.; U.S. Patent
Publication No.
2013/183515 to White; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/167547 to Jain; U.S.
Patent
No. 4,443,511 to Worden et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/227165 to
!mai, and
U.S. Patent No. 5,804,011 to Dutta, et al.). Mechanical and non-mechanical
(e.g.,
thermal) processing techniques may be used.
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[00072] One approach is to mechanically compress or buckle the electronic
panel
102 to wrinkle or produce out-of-plane structures within the electronic panel
102. In
exemplary embodiments, the compression is conducted on a planar printed
circuit.
"Buckling" or a "buckled orientation" as used herein is meant to describe an
electronic
panel 102 that shows out-of-plane structures, such as wrinkles, corrugations,
or folds.
Buckling may be introduced into the electronic panel 102 in one or two
directions. As
used herein, "compressed in the x-y direction", "x-y compression", or "x-y
compressing"
refers to the introduction of stretch into the printed circuit via compression
in one
direction (i.e., "x" direction or "y" direction) or in both directions (i.e.,
"x" and "y"
directions). The electronic panel 102 may be compressed in the "x" and "y"
directions
either sequentially or simultaneously.
[00073] In at least one embodiment, the compression is conducted in one
direction (e.g., "x" direction). The compression of the electronic panel 102
in the "x"
direction (e.g., in the membrane plane) may introduce "buckles" or structures
that are
out-of- plane (i.e., in the "z" direction). Such a process is generally
disclosed in U.S.
Patent Publication No. 2016/0167291 to Zaggl et al. in which a porous film is
applied
onto a stretchable substrate in a stretched state such that a reversible
adhesion of the
porous film on the stretched stretchable substrate occurs. The stretchable
substrate is
then relaxed with the applied porous film thereon to obtain a structured or
compacted
porous film. In an alternative embodiment taught in, W02016/135188 to Zaggl et
al. a
porous membrane having a node a fibril structure may be compressed such that
there is
little or no introduction of a substantial structure in the "z" direction
(i.e., fibril compaction
within the node and fibril structure).
[00074] The "buckles" or out-of-plane structures in the electronic panel 102
may
have a height that is at least two times the thickness of the non-compressed
electronic
panel 102. In addition, the height of the out-of-plane (i.e., z-direction)
structures may
range from about 2 pm to about 2000 pm or from about 20 pm to about 1000 pm.
Further, the structure density in at least one direction is at least 1 buckle
per mm, at
least 2 buckles per mm, at least 3 buckles per mm, at least 4 buckles per mm,
at least 5
buckles per mm, at least 6 buckles per mm, at least 7 buckles per mm, at least
8
buckles per mm, at least 9 buckles per mm, or at least 10 buckles per mm. In
some
embodiments, the structure density is from 1 buckle per mm to 10 buckles per
mm, from
1 buckle per mm to 7 buckles per mm, from 1 buckle per mm to 5 buckles per mm,
or
from 1 buckle per mm to 3 buckles per mm.
[00075] In certain embodiments, the electronic panel 102 may be
a multi-layer
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panel comprising one or more of textile, film, a combination or a laminate
thereof. For
example, the electronic panel 102 may be a multi-layer laminate comprising an
outer
textile layer (i.e., the layer that faces the exterior when the laminate is
made into a
garment), a middle film layer, and an inner textile layer (i.e., the layer
that is interior
facing and/or body-contacting when the laminate is made into a garment). In
some of
these embodiments, the middle film layer may be a microporous layer wherein
the
electrically conductive trace is within the microporous layer. In other
embodiments, the
electronic panel 102 may be a two-layer laminate comprising an outer film
layer
(exterior facing) and an inner textile layer (interior facing and/or body
contacting).
[00076] In certain examples, one or more electronic components
122 are
electrically coupled to the electrically conductive trace 120, which can then
be used to
provide one or more of the following functions: sensing (e.g., sensing one or
more
parameters associated with the subject 106 that can be stored as data),
collecting data,
processing data, storing data, transmitting data, providing power to the
electronic panel
102 and its components, providing a user interface (e.g., a touch screen, a
microphone), and/or providing feedback (e.g., sensory, haptic, audio, visual,
and/or the
like). Examples of electronic components 122 include, but are not limited to,
the
following: a computing device, a power supply, a power switch, a sensor, an
electronic
circuit, an antenna, a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a user
interface, a remote
control, a display device, a touch screen, an audio transmitter, a speaker, a
microphone, a haptic device, a heating element, a temperature regulating
device, e.g.,
heating and/or cooling device, an accelerometer, a strain gauge, a biometric
sensor, a
temperature sensor, an ECG sensor, an [MG sensor, a charger, or a combination
thereof. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more electronic components 122
can be
electrically coupled together via the electrically conductive trace 120. For
example, an
electronic component 122A located on a first arm 110 and the electronic
component
122B located on a second arm 112, can be electrically and communicatively
coupled to
one another via the electrically conductive trace 120. Similarly, an
electronic component
122C located on a first leg 114 and the electronic component 122D located on a
second
leg 1146 can be electrically and communicatively coupled to one another via
the
electrically conductive trace 120.
[00077] According to certain embodiments, one or more of the
electronic
components such as for example those shown at 122 can be releasably coupled to
an
electronic panel such as that shown at 102 via an electrical connection 124.
As such,
one or more of the electronic components 122 can be removed and/or replaced in
the
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event it is desirous to upgrade one or more of the electronic components 122
and/or
one of the electronic components 122 fails. In at least some embodiments, the
electrical
connection 124 can be incorporated into a feature of the electronic panel 102
and/or
garment 104, e.g., a zipper, a button, a snap, a male connector, a female
connector, a
pocket, or a combination thereof. According to certain embodiments, the term
"releasably coupled" as used herein is meant to describe an electrical and/or
informational connection between at least a first electrical component and a
second
electrical component that can be repeatedly (e.g., more than once) connected
and
disconnected. The connection can facilitate the transfer of electricity or
electrical/data
signals between two or more components and can be any of the known
connections. Known connections can include, for example, but are not limited
to, USB,
mini-USB, USB-C, POGO, MAG-Safe, ethernet, SATA, Firewire, serial connectors.
The
connectors may or may not be waterproof.
[00078] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 102
and/or the
garment 104 can include one or more housings 126 one or more of the electronic
components 122. In certain instances, the housing 126 can be located: proximal
a distal
portion of the electronic panel 102 and/or garment 104 (e.g., one or more of
the distal
portions 110, 112, 114, and/or 116) as shown by housing 126A and/or arranged
away
from a distal portion of the electronic panel 102 and/or garment 104 as shown
by
housing 126B. In at least some embodiments, the housing 126 can be
incorporated into
a feature of the electronic panel 102 and/or garment 104, e.g., a collar.
[00079] According to certain embodiments, data (e.g., sensed
data) can be
transmitted from the electronic panel 102 and/or the electronic component 122
to one or
more computing devices 128 (e.g., a laptop and/or desktop computer 128A and/or
a
mobile device 128B) and from one or more computing devices 128 to the
electronic
panel 102 and/or the electronic component 122 via a communication link (not
shown). In
certain embodiments, the computing devices 128 can process and/or store data
sensed
and/or collected by the electronic panel 102 and/or the electronic component
122.
Additionally, or alternatively, data can be sent to and received from one or
more servers
130 via a communication link and network 132, which can then process and/or
store
data sensed and/or collected by the electronic panel 102 and/or the electronic
component 122.
[00080] In certain instances, the data sensed and/or collected
by electronic panel
102 and processed by the electronic panel 102 and/or by the computing device
128
and/or server 130 may facilitate determining various biometrics parameters for
the
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subject. For example, in certain embodiments, the data collected and/or sensed
by the
electronic panel may indicate how often the subject 106 is moving in a
particular
manner. Additionally, or alternatively, the data collected by electronic panel
102 can be
used to determine whether the subject 106 is moving in a manner that is likely
to lead to
injury and/or is moving in a manner that indicates the subject 106 is
operating at a
reduced capacity. In certain embodiments, determining whether the subject 106
is
moving in a manner that is likely to lead to injury and/or is moving in a
manner that
indicates the subject 106 is operating at a reduced capacity may be based upon
comparing the movement data of the subject 106 to movement data from other
healthy
subjects. And, if the movement data of the subject 106 varies from the
movement data
from other healthy subjects by a threshold, the electronic panel 102, the
computing
device 128, and/or server 130 may determine the subject 106 is moving in a
manner
that is likely to lead to injury and/or is moving in a manner that indicates
the subject 106
is operating at a reduced capacity
[00081] In certain embodiments, a notification can be provided
to the subject 106
via a user interface of the electronic panel 102, the computing device 128
and/or server
130 about how the subject 106 is moving, how often the subject 106 is moving
in a
particular manner, and/or whether the frequency of the movement and/or manner
of
movement has or will lead to injury.
[00082] As another example, the data collected and/or sensed by
the electronic
panel may indicate one or more biometric parameters, for example, the
temperature of
the subject 106, the pulse rate of the subject 106, the blood pressure of the
subject 106,
the oxygen saturation of the subject 106, other cardiac and/or respiratory
parameters of
the subject 106. Similarly, notifications pertaining to any of these
parameters can be
provided to the subject 106 via a user interface of the electronic panel 102,
the
computing device 128 and/or server 130.
[00083] In certain embodiments, the communication link may be,
or include, a
wired link (e.g., a link accomplished via a physical connection) and/or a
wireless
communication link such as, for example, a short-range radio link, such as
Bluetooth,
IEEE 802.11, near-field communication (NFC), WiFi, a proprietary wireless
protocol,
and/or the like. The term "communication link" may refer to an ability to
communicate
some type of information in at least one direction between at least two
devices, and
should not be understood to be limited to a direct, persistent, or otherwise
limited
communication channel. That is, according to embodiments, the communication
link
may be a persistent communication link, an intermittent communication link, an
ad-hoc
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communication link, and/or the like. The communication link may refer to
direct
communications between the electronic panel 102, the electronic component 122,
the
computing devices 128, and/or the server 130, and/or indirect communications
that
travel between the electronic panel 102, the electronic component 122, the
computing
devices 128, and/or the server 130 via at least one other device (e.g., a
repeater, router,
hub, and/or the like). The communication link may facilitate uni-directional
and/or bi-
directional communication between the electronic panel 102, the electronic
component
122, the computing devices 128, and/or the server 130. Data and/or control
signals may
be transmitted between the electronic panel 102, the electronic component 122,
the
computing devices 128, and/or the server 130 to coordinate the functions of
the
electronic panel 102, the electronic component 122, the computing devices 128,
and/or
the server 130. In certain embodiments, data may be downloaded from one or
more of
the electronic panel 102, the electronic component 122, the computing devices
128,
and/or the server 130 periodically or on command. In certain instances, the
subject may
communicate with the electronic panel 102, the electronic component 122, the
computing devices 128, and/or the server 130, for example, to acquire data
sensed
and/or collected by the electronic panel 102 and/or the electronic component
122, or to
initiate, terminate and/or modify recording and/or therapy.
[00084] Additional details regarding the computing devices 128
and the server
130 are provided in FIGS. 9-10B below.
[00085] FIGS. 2A-B is an example of an electronic panel 202 incorporated into
a
garment 204. In particular, FIG. 2A illustrates the back of the garment 204
including a
portion of the electronic panel 202 and FIG. 2B illustrates the front of the
garment 204
including another portion of the electronic panel 202. In addition, FIG. 3 is
an example
of the electronic panel 202 illustrated in FIGS. 2A-B decoupled from the
garment 204,
according to at least one embodiment.
[00086] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 202 can have
the
same or similar characteristics as the electronic panel 102 and/or the garment
204 can
have the same or similar characteristics as the garment 104. For example,
according to
certain embodiments, the electronic panel 202 and/or the garment 204 can be a
textile
fabric, a film, a microporous membrane, or other suitable substrates, which
independently may or may not have some degree of elasticity, or a laminate
thereof.
[00087] As illustrated, the garment 204 can be a long sleeve
shirt and includes
multiple panel pieces (e.g., panel pieces A', A", and/or A"). Similar to the
electronic
panel 102, the electronic panel 202 can be a unitary panel that, along with
panel pieces
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A', A", A", form the garment 204. In these embodiments, the electronic panel
202 is
attached to one or more panels pieces A', A", A" at or near the perimeter of
each panel
piece and forms a portion of the garment 204. In aspects, individual panel
pieces A', A",
A" and the electronic panel 202 that form the garment 204 may be attached to
each
other by a seam. For example, the electronic panel 202 can be coupled to the
individual
panel pieces by at least one seam 206 that extends around at least a portion
of the
perimeter of the electronic panel 202. Because the electronic panel 202 can be
unitary
and is attached to more than one panel piece A', A", and/or A" of the garment
204,
electrical connections coupling electronic panels that are associated with
each panel
piece A', A", and/or A" are not required. An electrically conductive trace
(e.g., the
electrically conductive trace 218 discussed below) can allow the connection of
one or
more electrical components adjacent to multiple portions of the garment 204,
for
example, adjacent to panel pieces A', A", and/or A", by extending along a
portion of a
length of the electronic panel 202 and/or along an entirety of the length of
the electronic
panel 202. Additionally, or alternatively, an electrically conductive trace
(e.g., the
electrically conductive trace 218 discussed below) can allow the connection of
one or
more electrical components adjacent to multiple panel pieces A', A", and/or A"
by
extending along a portion of a width of the electronic panel 202 and/or along
an entirety
of the width of the electronic panel 202. As such, the electronic panel 202
and the
functionality thereof can be associated with multiple panel pieces A', A",
and/or A'".
[00088] In aspects, the electronic panel 202 can be an
electronic panel that is
devoid of any seams and extends between and/or is attached to more than one
panel
piece A', A", and/or A¨ of the garment 204. In certain instances, the
electronic panel
202 is devoid of any seams extending laterally across a portion of the
electronic panel
202, i.e., extending across a portion of the width of the electronic panel
202.
Additionally, or alternatively, in certain instances, the electronic panel 202
is devoid of
any seams extending longitudinally across a portion of the electronic panel
202, i.e.,
extending across a portion of the length of the electronic panel 202.
[00089] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel
202 is sewn,
applied, and/or adhered to the other panel pieces A', A", A" to form the
garment 204. In
certain embodiments, the electronic panel 202 is attached to multiple panels
A', A", A"
by extending from a first appendage of the garment 204 to a second appendage
of the
garment 204, for example a distal portion of a first arm portion 208 to a
distal portion of
a second arm portion 210. In certain instances, the distal portion of the
first arm portion
208 may be referred to herein as a first distal portion of a first arm portion
208, the distal
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portion of a second arm portion 210 may be referred to herein as a second
distal portion
of a second arm portion 210, and, collectively, the distal portion of the
first arm portion
208 and the distal portion of a second arm portion 210 may be referred to
herein as
distal arm portions 208, 210.
[00090] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel
202 can include a
laterally elongated portion 212 at one or more of the distal arm portions 208,
210, which
circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of one or both of the distal
arm portions
208, 210. In certain instances, the laterally elongated portion 212 may form a
cuff of the
garment 204. By including a laterally elongated portion 212 that wraps around
at least a
portion of the distal arm portions 208, 210, the electronic panel 202 may be
provide a
relatively tight fit around one or more arms of the wearer of the garment 204,
which can
facilitate accurate readings by one or more sensors incorporated into the
electronic
panel 202. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic panel 202 can
include a laterally
elongated portion 212 arranged at a distance from one or more of the distal
arm
portions 208, 210, which circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of
one or both
of the arm portions of a wearer of the garment 204. Additionally, or
alternatively, the
electronic panel 202 can include a laterally elongated portion 212 which
circumferentially wraps around a portion of a wearer of the garment 204 other
than one
or both of the arm portions of a wearer of the garment 204.
[00091] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel
202 extends from
a back central portion 214 of the garment 204 to the distal portion of the
first arm 208
and/or to the distal portion of the second arm 210. Due to the electronic
panel 202
extending from a central portion 214 of the garment 204 to one or more distal
arm
portions 208, 210, the electronic panel 202 may be able to better sense
movement of a
wearer's arm(s) in relation to the wearer's torso, which can better indicate
whether the
user is likely to be injured and/or the user's movement is compensating for an
injury.
Additionally, or alternatively, by being located proximal to a central portion
214 of the
garment 204, more accurate biometric readings may be taken, such as pulse
rate, blood
pressure, oxygen saturation, body temperature, and/or other cardiac and/or
respiratory
parameters.
[00092] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 202
includes a
synthetic polymer membrane 216 and an electrically conductive trace 218.
According to
certain embodiments, the electrically conductive trace 218 can include
multiple
electrically conductive traces 218. In certain embodiments, the synthetic
polymer
membrane 216 and the electrically conductive trace 218 can partially or fully
span the
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electronic panel 202. Accordingly, the electrically conductive trace 218 can
be adjacent
to multiple panel pieces (e.g., panel pieces A', A", and/or A") and provide an
electrical
connection at various portions of the garment.
[00093] In certain examples, one or more electronic components
220 are
electrically coupled to the electrically conductive trace 218, which can then
be used to
provide one or more of the following functions: sensing (e.g., sensing one or
more
parameters associated with a wearer of the garment 204 that can be stored as
data),
collecting data, processing data, storing data, transmitting data, providing
power to the
electronic panel 202 and its components, providing a user interface (e.g., a
touch
screen, a microphone), and/or providing feedback (e.g., sensory, haptic,
audio, visual,
and/or the like). Examples of electronic components 220 include, but are not
limited to,
the following: a computing device, a power supply, a power switch (e.g., power
switch
220A), a sensor (e.g., sensor 220B), an electronic circuit, an antenna, a
wireless
transmitter, a wireless receiver, a user interface (e.g., user interface
220C), a remote
control, a display device, a touch screen, an audio transmitter, a speaker, a
microphone, a haptic device, a heating element, a charger, or a combination
thereof.
Additionally, or alternatively, one or more electronic components 220 can be
electrically
coupled together via the electrically conductive trace 218. For example, even
though the
electronic component 220C is located at a first distal portion of a first arm
208 and the
electronic component 220B is located at on a portion of the second arm, they
can be
electrically and communicatively coupled to one another via the electrically
conductive
trace 218.
[00094] According to certain embodiments, one or more of the
electronic
components 220 can be releasably coupled to the electronic panel 202 via an
electrical
connection 222. As such, one or more of the electronic components 220 can be
removed and/or replaced in the event it is desirous to upgrade one or more of
the
electronic components 220 and/or one of the electronic components 220 fails.
In at least
some embodiments, the electrical connection 222 can be incorporated into a
feature of
the electronic panel 202 and/or garment 204, e.g., a zipper, a snap, a male
connector, a
female connector, a button, a pocket, or a combination thereof.
[00095] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 202
and/or the
garment 204 can include one or more housing 224 for housing one or more of the
electronic components 220. In certain instances, the housing 224 can be
located:
proximal a distal portion of the electronic panel 202 and/or garment 204
(e.g., one or
more of the distal portions 208 and/or 210) as shown by housing 224A and/or
arranged
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away from a distal portion of the electronic panel 202 and/or a distal portion
of garment
204 as shown by housing 224B. In at least some embodiments, the housing 224
can be
incorporated into a feature of the electronic panel 202 and/or garment 204,
e.g., a collar.
[00096] According to certain embodiments, data (e.g., sensed
data) can be
transmitted from the electronic panel 202 and/or the electronic component 220
to one or
more computing devices (e.g., a laptop and/or desktop computer 128A and/or a
mobile
device 128B) and from one or more computing devices to the electronic panel
202
and/or the electronic component 220 via a communication link (not shown). In
certain
embodiments, the computing devices can process and/or store data sensed and/or
collected by the electronic panel 202 and/or the electronic component 220.
Additionally,
or alternatively, data can be sent to and received from one or more servers
(e.g., server
130) via a communication link and network (e.g., network 132), which can then
process
and/or store data sensed and/or collected by the electronic panel 202 and/or
the
electronic component 220.
[00097] FIGS. 4A-B is another example of an electronic panel 302 incorporated
into a garment 304, according to at least one embodiment. According to certain
embodiments, the electronic panel 302 can have the same or similar
characteristics as
the electronic panel 102 and/or 202 and/or the garment 304 can have the same
or
similar characteristics as the garment 104 and/or 204. For example, according
to certain
embodiments, the electronic panel 302 and/or the garment 304 can be a textile
fabric, a
film, a microporous membrane, or other suitable substrates, which
independently may
or may not have some degree of elasticity, or a laminate thereof.
[00098] As illustrated, the garment 304 is a pair of pants and
includes multiple
panel pieces (e.g., panel pieces A' and/or A"). Similar to the electronic
panels 102
and/or 202, the electronic panel 302 can be a unitary panel that, along with
panels A',
A", form the garment 304. In these embodiments, the electronic panel 302 is
attached
to one or more panels pieces A', A" at or near the perimeter of each panel
piece and
forms a portion of the garment 304. In aspects, individual panel pieces A', A"
and the
electronic panel 302 that form the garment 304 may be attached to each other
by a
seam. For example, the electronic panel 302 can be coupled to the individual
panel
pieces by at least one seam 306 that extends around at least a portion of the
perimeter
of the electronic panel 302. Because the electronic panel 302 can be unitary
and is
attached to more than one panel piece A' and/or A" of the garment 304,
electrical
connections coupling electronic panels that are associated with each panel
piece A'
and/or A" are not required. An electrically conductive trace (e.g., the
electrically
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conductive trace 318 discussed below) can allow the connection of one or more
electrical components adjacent to multiple portions of the garment 304, for
example,
panel pieces A' and/or A", by extending along a portion of a length of the
electronic
panel 302 and/or along an entirety of the length of the electronic panel 302.
Additionally,
or alternatively, an electrically conductive trace (e.g., the electrically
conductive trace
318 discussed below) can allow the connection of one or more electrical
components
adjacent to multiple panel pieces A' and/or A" by extending along a portion of
a width of
the electronic panel 302 and/or along an entirety of the width of the
electronic panel
302. As such, the electronic panel 302 and the functionality thereof can be
associated
adjacent to multiple panel pieces A' and/or A".
[00099] In aspects, the electronic panel 302 can be an
electronic panel that is
devoid of any seams and extends between and/or is attached to more than one
panel
piece A' and/or A" of the garment 304. In certain instances, the electronic
panel 302 is
devoid of any seams extending laterally across a portion of the electronic
panel 302,
i.e., extending across a portion of the width of the electronic panel 302.
Additionally, or
alternatively, in certain instances, the electronic panel 302 is devoid of any
seams
extending longitudinally across a portion of the electronic panel 302, i.e.,
extending
across a portion of the length of the electronic panel 302.
[000100] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 302 is sewn,
applied, and/or adhered to other panel pieces A', A" to form the garment 304.
In certain
embodiments, the electronic panel 302 is attached to multiple panels by
extending from
a distal portion of a first leg portion 308 to a distal portion of a second
leg portion 310. In
certain instances, the distal portion of the first leg portion 308 may be
referred to herein
as a first distal portion of a first leg portion 308, the distal portion of a
second leg portion
310 may be referred to herein as a second distal portion of a second leg
portion 310,
and, collectively, the distal portion of the first leg portion 308 and the
distal portion of a
second leg portion 310 may be referred to herein as distal leg portions 308,
310.
[000101] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 302 can
include a
laterally elongated portion 312A at one or more of the distal leg portions
308, 310, which
circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of one or both of the distal
leg portions
308, 310. In certain instances, the laterally elongated portion 312A may form
a leg cuff
of the garment 304. By including a laterally elongated portion 312 that wraps
around at
least a portion of the distal leg portions 308, 310, the electronic panel 302
may provide
a relatively tight fit around one or more legs of the wearer of the garment
304, which can
facilitate accurate readings by one or more sensors incorporated into the
electronic
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panel 302. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic panel 302 can
include a laterally
elongated portion 312B arranged at a distance from one or more of the distal
leg
portions 308, 310, which circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of
one or both
of the leg portions of a wearer of the garment 304. Additionally, or
alternatively, the
electronic panel 302 can include a laterally elongated portion 312 which
circumferentially wraps around a portion of a wearer of the garment 304 other
than one
or both of the leg portions of a wearer of the garment 304.
[000102] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 302 extends
from
a back central portion 314' (and/or a front central portion 314") of the
garment 304 to
the distal portion of the first leg 308 and/or to the distal portion of the
second leg 310.
Due to the electronic panel 302 extending from a central portion 314 of the
garment 304
to one or more distal leg portions 308, 310, the electronic panel 302 may be
able to
better sense movement of a wearer's leg(s) in relation to the wearer's hips,
which can
better indicate whether the user is likely to be injured and/or the user's
movement is
compensating for an injury. Additionally, or alternatively, by being located
proximal to a
central portion 314 of the garment 304, more accurate physiological parameters
may be
sensed.
[000103] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 302 includes a
synthetic polymer membrane 316 and an electrically conductive trace 318.
According to
certain embodiments, the electrically conductive trace 318 can include
multiple
electrically conductive traces 318. In certain embodiments, the synthetic
polymer
membrane 316 and the electrically conductive trace 318 can partially or fully
span the
electronic panel 302. Accordingly, the electrically conductive trace 318 can
be adjacent
to multiple panel pieces (e.g., panel pieces A' and/or A") and provide an
electrical
connection at various portions of the garment.
[000104] In certain examples, one or more electronic components 320 are
electrically coupled to the electrically conductive trace 318, which can then
be used to
provide one or more of the following functions: sensing (e.g., sensing one or
more
parameters associated with a wearer of the garment 304 that can be stored as
data),
collecting data, processing data, storing data, transmitting data, providing
power to the
electronic panel 302 and its components, providing a user interface (e.g., a
touch
screen, a microphone), and/or providing feedback (e.g., sensory, haptic,
audio, visual,
and/or the like). Examples of electronic components 320 include, but are not
limited to,
the following: a computing device, a power supply, a power switch (e.g., power
switch
320A), a sensor (e.g., sensors 320B and/or 320C), an electronic circuit, an
antenna, a
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wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a user interface (e.g., user
interface 320D), a
remote control, a display device, a touch screen, an audio transmitter, a
speaker, a
microphone, a haptic device, a heating element, a charger, or a combination
thereof.
Additionally, or alternatively, one or more electronic components 320 can be
electrically
coupled together via the electrically conductive trace 318. For example, even
though the
electronic component 320B is located at a first distal portion of a first leg
308 and the
electronic component 320C is located at on a portion of the second leg 310,
they can be
electrically and communicatively coupled to one another via the electrically
conductive
trace 318.
[000105] According to certain embodiments, one or more of the electronic
components 320 can be releasably coupled to the electronic panel 302 via an
electrical
connection 322. As such, one or more of the electronic components 320 can be
removed and/or replaced in the event it is desirous to upgrade one or more of
the
electronic components 320 and/or one of the electronic components 320 fails.
In some
embodiments, the one or more electronic components 320 are releasably coupled
to the
electronic panel 302 via a male/female connector. Additionally, or
alternatively, the
electrical connection 322 can be incorporated into a feature of the electronic
panel 302
and/or garment 304, e.g., a zipper, a button, a snap, a male connector, a
female
connector, a pocket, or a combination thereof.
[000106] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 302 and/or the
garment 304 can include one or more housings 324 for one or more of the
electronic
components 320. In certain instances, the compartment 324 can be located:
proximal a
distal portion of the electronic panel 302 and/or garment 304 (e.g., one or
more of the
distal portions 308 and/or 310) and/or arranged away from a distal portion of
the
electronic panel 302 and/or a distal portion of garment 304 as shown by
housing 324. In
at least some embodiments, the housing 324 can be incorporated into a feature
of the
electronic panel 302 and/or garment 304, e.g., a waist band.
[000107] According to certain embodiments, data (e.g., sensed data) can be
transmitted from the electronic panel 302 and/or the electronic component 320
to one or
more computing devices (e.g., a laptop and/or desktop computer 128A and/or a
mobile
device 128B) and from one or more computing devices to the electronic panel
302
and/or the electronic component 320 via a communication link (not shown). In
certain
embodiments, the computing devices can process and/or store data sensed and/or
collected by the electronic panel 302 and/or the electronic component 320.
Additionally,
or alternatively, data can be sent to and received from one or more servers
(e.g., server
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130) via a communication link and network (e.g., network 132), which can then
process
and/or store data sensed and/or collected by the electronic panel 302 and/or
the
electronic component 320.
[000108] FIGS. 5A-B is yet another example of an electronic panel 402
incorporated into a garment 404, according to at least one embodiment.
According to
certain embodiments, the electronic panel 402 can have the same or similar
characteristics as the electronic panel 102, 202, and/or 302 and/or the
garment 404 can
have the same or similar characteristics as the garment 104, 204, and/or 304.
For
example, according to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 402 and/or the
garment 404 can be a textile fabric, a film, a microporous membrane, or other
suitable
substrates, which independently may or may not have some degree of elasticity,
or a
laminate thereof.
[000109] As illustrated, the garment 404 is a one-piece coverall garment and
includes multiple panel pieces (e.g., panel pieces A', A"). As used herein, a
one-piece
coverall garment means a single garment comprising a trouser-like portion and
a top
portion with or without long sleeves. Similar to the electronic panels 102,
202, and/or
302, the electronic panel 402 can be a unitary panel that, along with, for
example,
panels A', A", form the garment 404. In these embodiments, the electronic
panel 402 is
attached to one or more panels pieces, for example, A', A" at or near the
perimeter of
each panel piece and forms a portion of the garment 404. In aspects,
individual panel
pieces A', A" and the electronic panel 402 that form the garment 404 may be
attached
to each other by a sewn seam. For example, the electronic panel 402 can be
coupled to
the individual panel pieces by at least one seam 406 that extends around at
least a
portion of the perimeter of the electronic panel 402. Because the electronic
panel 402
can be unitary and is attached to more than one panel piece A' and/or A" of
the garment
404, electrical connections coupling electronic panels that are associated
each panel
piece A', A" are not required. An electrically conductive trace (e.g., the
electrically
conductive trace 418 discussed below) can allow the connection of one or more
electrical components adjacent to multiple panel pieces A' and/or A' by
extending along
a portion of a length of the electronic panel 402 and/or along an entirety of
the length of
the electronic panel 402. Additionally, or alternatively, an electrically
conductive trace
(e.g., the electrically conductive trace 418 discussed below) can allow the
connection of
one or more electrical components adjacent to multiple panel pieces A' and/or
A" by
extending along a portion of a width of the electronic panel 402 and/or along
an entirety
of the width of the electronic panel 402. As such, the electronic panel 402
and the
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functionality thereof can be associated adjacent to multiple panel pieces used
to form
the garment, for example, panel pieces A' and/or A".
[000110] In aspects, the electronic panel 402 can be an electronic panel that
is
devoid of any seams and extends between and/or is attached to more than one
panel
piece A' and/or A" of the garment 404. In certain instances, the electronic
panel 402 is
devoid of any seams extending laterally across a portion of the electronic
panel 402,
i.e., extending across a portion of the width of the electronic panel 402.
Additionally, or
alternatively, in certain instances, the electronic panel 402 is devoid of any
seams
extending longitudinally across a portion of the electronic panel 402, i.e.,
extending
across a portion of the length of the electronic panel 402.
[000111] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 402 is sewn,
applied, and/or adhered to panel pieces A', A" to form the garment 404. In
certain
embodiments, the electronic panel 402 can span multiple panels and include a
trunk
extension portion 408 extending from the front or back trunk portion of the
one-piece
coverall garment 404 to at least one leg extension portion 411. In aspects,
the leg
extension portion 411 extends from a distal portion of the trunk extension
portion 409 to
a distal portion of at least one of a leg portion 410 of the one-piece garment
404.
[000112] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 402 can
include a
laterally elongated portion 412A at one or more of a distal leg portions 410,
which
circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of one or both of the distal
leg portions
410. In certain instances, the laterally elongated portion 412A may form a leg
cuff of the
garment 404. By including a laterally elongated portion 412 that wraps around
at least a
portion of the distal leg portions 410, the electronic panel 402 may be
provide a
relatively tight fit around one or more legs of the wearer of the garment 404,
which can
facilitate accurate readings by one or more sensors incorporated into the
electronic
panel 402. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic panel 402 can
include a laterally
elongated portion 412B arranged at a distance from one or more of the distal
leg
portions 410, which circumferentially wraps around at least a portion of one
or both of
the leg portions of a wearer of the garment 404. Additionally, or
alternatively, the
electronic panel 402 can include a laterally elongated portion 412C at one or
more of
the distal arm portions 413, which circumferentially wraps around at least a
portion of
one or both of the distal arm portions 413. Additionally, or alternatively,
the electronic
panel 402 can include a laterally elongated portion 412 which
circumferentially wraps
around a portion of a wearer of the garment 404 other than one or both of the
leg
portions and/or arm portions of a wearer of the garment 404.
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[000113] According to certain embodiments, the electronic panel 402 extends
from
a back central portion 414' (and/or a front central portion 414" (not
illustrated)) of the
garment 404 to the one or more distal leg portions 410 and/or to one or more
distal arm
portions 413. Due to the electronic panel 402 extending from a central portion
414 of the
garment 404 to one or more distal leg portions 410 and/or one or more distal
arm
portions 413, the electronic panel 402 may be able to better sense movement of
a
wearer's leg(s) and/or arm(s) in relation to the wearer's torso, which can
better indicate
whether the user is likely to be injured and/or the user's movement is
compensating for
an injury. Additionally, or alternatively, by the electronic panel 402 being
located
proximal to a central portion 414 of the garment 404, more accurate
physiological
parameters may be sensed.
[000114] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 402 includes a
synthetic polymer membrane 416 and an electrically conductive trace 418.
According to
certain embodiments, the electrically conductive trace 418 can include
multiple
electrically conductive traces 418. In certain embodiments, the synthetic
polymer
membrane 416 and the electrically conductive trace 418 can partially or fully
span the
electronic panel 402. Accordingly, the electrically conductive trace 418 can
be adjacent
to multiple panel pieces (e.g., panel pieces A' and/or A") and provide an
electrical
connection at various portions of the garment.
[000115] In certain examples, one or more electronic components 420 are
electrically coupled to the electrically conductive trace 418, which can then
be used to
provide one or more of the following functions: sensing (e.g., sensing one or
more
parameters associated with a wearer of the garment 404 that can be stored as
data),
collecting data, processing data, storing data, transmitting data, providing
power to the
electronic panel 402 and its components, providing a user interface (e.g., a
touch
screen, a microphone), and/or providing feedback (e.g., sensory, haptic,
audio, visual,
and/or the like). Examples of electronic components 420 include, but are not
limited to,
the following: a computing device, a power supply, a power switch (e.g., power
switch
420A), a sensor (e.g., sensors 420B and/or 420C), an electronic circuit, an
antenna, a
wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a user interface (e.g., user
interface 420D), a
remote control, a display device, a touch screen, an audio transmitter, a
speaker, a
microphone, a haptic device, a heating element, a charger, or a combination
thereof.
Additionally, or alternatively, one or more electronic components 420 can be
electrically
coupled together via the electrically conductive trace 418. For example, even
though the
electronic component 420B is located at a first distal portion of a first leg
410 and the
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electronic component 420C is located at on a portion of a first arm 413, they
can be
electrically and communicatively coupled to one another via the electrically
conductive
trace 418.
[000116] According to certain embodiments, one or more of the electronic
components 420 can be releasably coupled to the electronic panel 402 via an
electrical
connection 422. As such, one or more of the electronic components 420 can be
removed and/or replaced in the event it is desirous to upgrade one or more of
the
electronic components 420 and/or one of the electronic components 420 fails.
In at least
some embodiments, the electrical connection 422 can be incorporated into a
feature of
the electronic panel 402 and/or garment 404, e.g., a zipper, a button, a snap,
a male
connector, a female connector, a pocket, or a combination thereof.
[000117] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 402 and/or the
garment 404 can include one or more housings 424 for one or more of the
electronic
components 420. In certain instances, the housing 424 can be located: proximal
a distal
portion of the electronic panel 402 and/or garment 404 (e.g., one or more of
the distal
portions 410 and/or 413) and/or arranged away from a distal portion of the
electronic
panel 402 and/or a distal portion of garment 404 as shown by housing 424. In
at least
some embodiments, the housing 424 can be incorporated into a feature of the
electronic
panel 402 and/or garment 404, e.g., a waist band, a collar, etc.
[000118] According to certain embodiments, data (e.g., sensed data) can be
transmitted from the electronic panel 402 and/or the electronic component 420
to one or
more computing devices (e.g., a laptop and/or desktop computer 128A and/or a
mobile
device 128B) and from one or more computing devices to the electronic panel
402
and/or the electronic component 420 via a communication link (not shown). In
certain
embodiments, the computing devices can process and/or store data sensed and/or
collected by the electronic panel 402 and/or the electronic component 420.
Additionally,
or alternatively, data can be sent to and received from one or more servers
(e.g., server
130) via a communication link and network (e.g., network 132), which can then
process
and/or store data sensed and/or collected by the electronic panel 402 and/or
the
electronic component 420.
[000119] Referring to FIGS. 6A-F, in some embodiments, to produce an
electronic
panel 600 (e.g., electronic panel 102, 202, 302, 402 and/or 502) including a
conductive
trace 670 and a synthetic polymer membrane 660 on a stretchable substrate 610.
In
some embodiments, a stretchable substrate 610 is first stretched in the
direction of
arrows 615 (e.g., x-direction) prior to the application of the conductive
trace containing
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polymer membrane 650 as shown in FIG. 6B. As used herein, the term
"stretchable" is
meant to denote a material that can be pulled in one or more directions, but
when it is
released, the material returns or substantially returns to its original shape.
In addition,
the stretchable substrate 610 has thereon a discontinuous adhesive, such as
thermoplastic adhesive or thermoset adhesive. The adhesive may be applied in a
pattern by a gravure printer in the form of adhesive dots 620, such as is
shown in FIG.
6A. It is to be appreciated that the pattern of the adhesive on the
stretchable substrate
610 is not limited so long as the discontinuous adhesion of the conductive
trace
containing polymer membrane 650 (or a continuous adhesion on the conductive
trace
containing polymer membrane 650) permits the conductive trace containing
polymer
membrane 650 to be compressed in the x- and/or -y direction and buckle in the
z-
direction. Thus, other patterns, such as grids or parallel lines are
considered to be within
the purview of the invention so long as the electronic panel compresses in the
x- and/or
y-direction and buckles in the z-direction.
[000120] In some embodiments, the conductive trace containing polymer
membrane 650 is discontinuously attached to the stretched substrate 610 by an
adhesive, e.g., a thermoplastic adhesive, in its stretched state. The
stretchable
substrate may be stretched to 1.25 times, 1.5 times, 1.7 times, 2 times, 3
times, 4 times,
times, 6 times, 7 times, 8 times, 9 times, or 10 times its original, relaxed
length (or
more), depending on the elasticity of the stretchable substrate. In some
embodiments,
the stretchable substrate 610 is stretched until the elastic limit of the
substrate is
reached.
[000121] Once the stretchable substrate 610 is stretched to its desired
amount, the
conductive trace containing polymer membrane 650 containing the synthetic
polymer
membrane 660 and conductive trace 670 is positioned over the stretched
substrate 610
and is attached to the stretched substrate 610 via the adhesive dots 620
previously
attached to the stretchable substrate 610, as is shown in FIG. 6B. It is to be
appreciated
that the conductive trace 670 may be positioned such that it faces away from
the
stretched substrate 610 as depicted in FIG. 6B, or the conductive trace 670
may be
positioned such that it faces towards the stretched substrate (not depicted).
The
stretchable substrate 610 having thereon the conductive trace containing
polymer
membrane 650 is then allowed to return to its non-stretched (/.e., relaxed)
state in the
direction of arrows 625, as depicted in FIG. 6C, thereby compressing the
conductive
trace containing polymer membrane 650 in the x-direction and buckling the
membrane
in the z- plane to form out-of-plane structures (e.g., wrinkles, corrugations,
or folds).
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[000122] The conductive trace containing polymer membrane 650 demonstrates
out-of-plane geometries such as wrinkles or folds in the z-direction in the
synthetic
polymer membrane such as, but not limited to, those described in conjunction
with the
methods set forth in EP3061598 Al to Zaggl et al. and US Patent No. 9,849,629
to
Zaggl, et al. In such embodiments, the synthetic polymer membrane has a
buckled
orientation. Examples of stretchable substrates that may be used include, but
are not
limited to, a stretchable textile or fabric, a stretchable nonwoven material,
or a
stretchable membrane. The electronic panel 600 formed in FIG. 6C illustrates
an
embodiment where the conductive trace 670 has been applied to the surface of
the
synthetic polymer membrane 660, such as by printing the trace 670 on the
synthetic
polymer membrane 660 and been allowed to retract to its relaxed configuration
in the
direction of arrows 625. It can be seen in FIG. 6C that the conductive trace
670 and
synthetic polymer membrane 660 have a buckled orientation, with discrete
adhesion
points to the stretchable substrate 610 at the adhesive dots 620. This
buckling permits
the conductive trace containing polymer membrane 650 to move with the
stretchable
substrate 610 as it is stretched in one or more directions without breaking
the
conductivity in the conductive trace 670.
[000123] In some embodiments, conductive trace containing polymer membranes
650, 651, each having a synthetic polymer membrane 660 and a conductive trace
670,
may be applied to both sides of the stretched substrate 610 (i.e., stretched
in the
direction of arrows 615) as shown in FIG. 6D. In other words, conductive trace
containing polymer membrane 650 may be positioned on one side of the stretched
substrate 610 and conductive trace containing polymer membrane 651 may be
positioned on the opposing side of the stretched substrate 610. Similar to the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 6C, the stretched substrate 610 is allowed to
return to is
non-stretched, relaxed state in the direction of arrows 625, thereby
compressing the
conductive trace containing polymer membranes 650, 651 in the x- direction and
buckling the synthetic polymer membranes 660 in the z-plane to form out- of-
plane
structures (e.g., wrinkles, corrugations, or folds) as shown in FIG. 6E. It is
to be noted
that the synthetic polymer membranes 660 and the conductive traces 670 in the
conductive trace containing polymer membranes 650, 651 may be the same or
different
from each other.
[000124] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6F, an electrically conductive
trace 670 and an electrically conductive trace 671 may be located opposing
sides of the
synthetic polymer membrane 660, forming a portion of the electronic panel 600.
As
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depicted in FIG. 6G, an electrically conductive trace 670 is positioned on one
side of
the synthetic polymer membrane 660 and electrically conductive trace 671 is
positioned
on the opposing side of the synthetic polymer membrane 660 and vertical
interconnect
accesses (VIA) 675 allow the electrically conductive traces 670, 671 to
communicate
electrically with each other, and form conductive trace containing polymer
membrane
680. The VIAs 675 may be formed by creating a through hole in the synthetic
polymer
membrane and filling the hole with electrically conductive material.
Alternatively, the VIA
may be formed by imbibing the electrically conductive material through the
thickness of
the porous synthetic polymer membrane, without the need to first create a
through hole.
It is to be noted that electrically conductive traces 670, 671 may be the same
or different
from each other.
[000125] In some embodiments, the stretchable substrate 610 can be stretched
up
to 50% strain of the original, relaxed configuration of the stretchable
substrate while
maintaining conductivity. In other words, the resistance of the electronic
panel remains
substantially unchanged as the electronic panel is elongated to 50% strain.
That is, the
resistance of the electronic panel remains substantially unchanged as the
electronic
panel is elongated to 50% strain. For example, if the electronic panel was 10
mm, it
could be stretched to a length of 15 mm without loss or significant loss of
resistance.
[000126] In other embodiments, the electronic panels have negligible
resistance
change when stretched up to 100% or even greater than 100% of the original,
relaxed
configuration of the stretchable substrate. The corrugations or buckling allow
the
conductive trace to stretch freely in one or more directions with nearly the
same
characteristics as the stretch textile without an electronic panel thereon.
[000127] In an alternate embodiment, shown in FIG. 7A, the electrically
conductive
trace is imbibed into the synthetic polymer membrane 710, forming the
conductive trace
containing polymer membrane 750. It is to be noted that the structure of the
electronic
panel 700 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 6A-6C with the exception that the
conductive trace has been imbibed into the synthetic polymer membrane 710 and
as
such, is not separately depicted. It is to be appreciated that some amount of
conductive
material may remain on the surface or on portions of the surface of the
synthetic
polymer membrane as a consequence of the imbibing process. The conductive
trace
containing polymer membrane 750, which includes the synthetic polymer membrane
710 containing therein the conductive trace, has a buckled configuration on
the
stretchable substrate 730 when the stretchable substrate 730 is in its relaxed
(non-
stretched) state. The conductive trace containing polymer membrane 750 is
discretely
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attached to the stretchable substrate 730 by adhesive dots 720 (e.g.,
thermoplastic or
thermoset adhesive dots). The buckling of the synthetic polymer membrane 710
in the
z-plane permits the conductive trace containing polymer membrane 750 to move
with
the stretchable substrate 730 as it is stretched in one or more directions
without
breaking the conductivity in the conductive trace. In another embodiment
depicted in
FIG. 7B, conductive trace containing polymer membranes 750, 751, each having
therein
conductive trace, are each applied to opposite sides of the substrate 730 by
discrete
adhesive dots 720. The buckling of the synthetic polymer membranes 710, 715 in
the z-
plane permits the conductive trace containing polymer membranes 750, 751 to
move
with the stretchable substrate 730 as it is stretched in one or more
directions without
breaking the conductivity in the conductive trace it is to be noted that the
synthetic
polymer membranes 710, 715 and conductive traces therein may be the same or
different from each other.
[000128] Although not depicted in any figure, it is to be appreciated that
some
conductive trace may be located on the surface or on portions of the synthetic
polymer
membrane as a consequence of the imbibing process. In embodiments where the
conductive trace is applied via a liquid carrier (e.g., an electrically
conductive ink) heat
may be applied to the electronic panel to remove at least a portion of the
liquid carrier.
The temperature applied may be sufficient to at least partially fuse the
conductive trace
(e.g., metal particles) within the synthetic polymer membrane to form a
continuous
network of conductive particles. In other embodiments, such as where the
conductive
trace is applied to the surface of the synthetic polymer membrane, heat may be
applied
to the electronic panel to at least partially melt the conductive trace (e.g.,
metal
particles) to form a continuous network of conductive particles on the surface
of the
synthetic polymer membrane. In other embodiments, heat be used to remove
ligands or
other processing aids from the conductive particles.
[000129] In some embodiments, an insulative overcoat may be applied over the
electrically conductive trace to assist in protecting the electrically
conductive trace from
external elements, such as, but not limited to, abrasion. Non-limiting
examples of
materials used to insulate the electrically conductive trace include
urethanes, acrylics,
silicones, Styrene Isoprene Butadiene Block Copolymers, Viton FKM (a synthetic
rubber
and fluoropolymer elastomer), polyolefins, or fluoropolymers.
[000130] Advantageously, the conductive articles described herein are highly
flexible, having a flexibility of less than 0.1 grams force-cm2/cm as
evidenced by the
Kawabata test set forth below. Additionally, the conductive articles are
highly durable
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and are able to withstand multiple washings while still maintaining
conductivity in the
electronic panel. Further, the conductive articles are highly stretchable, as
defined by
the Stretch v. Resistance test set forth herein. Also, the conductive articles
are also
highly breathable, having an MVTR of at least 2,000 as evidenced by the
Moisture
Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) test described herein.
[000131] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating physical components (e.g.,
hardware) of a computing device, which may be incorporated into and/or
communicatively coupled to an electronic panel as described herein (e.g., the
electronic
panel 102, 202, 302, 402, and/or 502) The computing device components
described
below may be able to sense and/or process physiological data (e.g., movement
data,
pulse rate data, blood pressure data, oxygen saturation data and/or other
cardiac and/or
respiratory data). In a basic configuration, the computing device 800 may
include at
least one processing unit 802 and a system memory 804. Depending on the
configuration and type of computing device, the system memory 804 may
comprise, but
is not limited to, volatile storage (e.g., random access memory), non-volatile
storage
(e.g., read-only memory), flash memory, or any combination of such memories.
The
system memory 804 may include an operating system 805 and one or more, such as
a
sensing and processing component 820.
[000132] The operating system 805, for example, may be suitable for
controlling
the operation of the computing device 800. Furthermore, embodiments of the
disclosure
may be practiced in conjunction with a graphics library, other operating
systems, or any
other application program and is not limited to any particular application or
system. This
basic configuration is illustrated in FIG. 8 by those components within a
dashed line
808. The computing device 800 may have additional features or functionality.
For
example, the computing device 800 may also include additional data storage
devices
(removable and/or non-removable). Such additional storage is illustrated in
FIG. 8 by a
removable storage device 809 and a non-removable storage device 810.
[000133] As stated above, a number of program modules and data files may be
stored in the system memory 804. While executing on the processing unit 802,
the
program modules 806 (e.g., the sensing and processing component 820) may
perform
processes including, but not limited to, the aspects, as described herein,
e.g., the
sensing aspects described in FIG. 1.
[000134] Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in an
electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or
integrated
electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor,
or on a single
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chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. For example,
embodiments of
the disclosure may be practiced via a system-on-a-chip (SOC) where each or
many of
the components illustrated in FIG. 8 may be integrated onto a single
integrated circuit.
Such an SOC device may include one or more processing units, graphics units,
communications units, system virtualization units and various application
functionality all
of which are integrated (or "burned") onto the chip substrate as a single
integrated
circuit. When operating via an SOC, the functionality, described herein, with
respect to
the capability of client to switch protocols may be operated via application-
specific logic
integrated with other components of the computing device 800 on the single
integrated
circuit (chip). Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced using
other
technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example,
AND, OR,
and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and
quantum
technologies. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced
within a
general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems.
[000135] The computing device 800 may also have one or more input device(s)
812 such as visual image sensors, audio sensors, a sound or voice input
device, a
touch or swipe input device, etc. The output device(s) 814 such as a display,
speakers,
etc. may also be included. The aforementioned devices are examples and others
may
be used. The computing device 800 may include one or more communication
connections 816 allowing communications with other computing devices 850
(e.g.,
computing devices 128 and/or 130). Examples of suitable communication
connections
816 include, but are not limited to, radio frequency (RE) transmitter,
receiver, and/or
transceiver circuitry; universal serial bus (USB), parallel, and/or serial
ports.
[000136] The term computer readable media as used herein may include
computer storage media. Computer storage media may include volatile and
nonvolatile,
removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for
storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data
structures, or
program modules. The system memory 804, the removable storage device 809, and
the
non-removable storage device 810 are all computer storage media examples
(e.g.,
memory storage). Computer storage media may include RAM, ROM, electrically
erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory
technology, optical storage, magnetic storage devices, or any other article of
manufacture which can be used to store information and which can be accessed
by the
computing device 800. Any such computer storage media may be part of the
computing
device 800. Computer storage media does not include a carrier wave or other
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propagated or modulated data signal.
[000137] Communication media may be embodied by computer readable
instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated
data
signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any
information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" may describe a
signal that
has one or more characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode
information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,
communication media
may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection,
and
wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other
wireless
media.
[000138] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a mobile computing device 900, for
example,
a mobile telephone, a smart phone, wearable computer (such as a smart watch),
a
tablet computer, a laptop computer, and the like, with which embodiments of
the
disclosure may be practiced. For example, the computing devices 128 and/or 130
may
have some or all of the functionality of the mobile computing device 900. In
certain
embodiments, some of the processing and/or storing of the physiological
signals sensed
by the electronic panel embodiments may be performed by the mobile computing
device
900. Additionally, or alternatively, the mobile computing device 900 may
transmit data to
the electronic panel embodiments and/or provide a way for a subject (e.g., the
subject
106) to interact with the electronic panel embodiments.
[000139] In a basic configuration, the mobile computing device 900 is a
handheld
computer having both input elements and output elements. The mobile computing
device 900 typically includes a display 905 and one or more input buttons 910
that allow
the user to enter information into the mobile computing device 900. The
display 905 of
the mobile computing device 900 may also function as an input device (e.g., a
touch
screen display). If included, an optional side input element 915 allows
further user input.
The side input element 915 may be a rotary switch, a button, or any other type
of
manual input element. In alternative aspects, mobile computing device 900 may
incorporate more or less input elements. For example, the display 905 may not
be a
touch screen in some embodiments. In yet another alternative embodiment, the
mobile
computing device 900 is a portable phone system, such as a cellular phone. The
mobile
computing device 900 may also include an optional keypad 935. Optional keypad
935
may be a physical keypad or a "soft" keypad generated on the touch screen
display. In
various embodiments, the output elements include the display 905 for showing a
graphical user interface (GUI), a visual indicator 920 (e.g., a light emitting
diode), and/or
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an audio transducer 925 (e.g., a speaker). In some aspects, the mobile
computing
device 900 incorporates a vibration transducer for providing the user with
tactile
feedback. In yet another aspect, the mobile computing device 900 incorporates
input
and/or output ports, such as an audio input (e.g., a microphone jack), an
audio output
(e.g., a headphone jack), and a video output (e.g., a HDMI port) for sending
signals to
or receiving signals from an external device.
[000140] FIG. 9B is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of one
aspect of a
mobile computing device. That is, the mobile computing device 900 can
incorporate a
system (e.g., an architecture) 902 to implement some aspects. In one
embodiment, the
system 902 is implemented as a "smart phone" capable of running one or more
applications (e.g., browser, e-mail, calendaring, contact managers, messaging
clients,
games, and media clients/players). In some aspects, the system 902 is
integrated as a
computing device, such as an integrated personal digital assistant (PDA) and
wireless
phone.
[000141] One or more application programs 966 may be loaded into the memory
962 and run on or in association with the operating system 964. Examples of
the
application programs include phone dialer programs, e-mail programs, personal
information management (PIM) programs, word processing programs, spreadsheet
programs, Internet browser programs, messaging programs, and so forth. The
system
902 also includes a non-volatile storage area 968 within the memory 962. The
non-
volatile storage area 968 may be used to store persistent information that
should not be
lost if the system 902 is powered down. The application programs 966 may use
and
store information in the non-volatile storage area 968, such as email or other
messages
used by an email application, and the like. A synchronization application (not
shown)
also resides on the system 902 and is programmed to interact with a
corresponding
synchronization application resident on a host computer to keep the
information stored
in the non-volatile storage area 968 synchronized with corresponding
information stored
at the host computer. As should be appreciated, other applications may be
loaded into
the memory 962 and run on the mobile computing device 900, including the
instructions
for providing an input-based FOA model as described herein (e.g., language
parser,
object detector, object selector, and/or movement detector, etc.).
[000142] The system 902 has a power supply 970, which may be implemented as
one or more batteries. The power supply 970 may further include an external
power
source, such as an AC adapter or a powered docking cradle that supplements or
recharges the batteries.
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[000143] The system 902 may also include a radio interface layer 972 that
performs the function of transmitting and receiving radio frequency
communications.
The radio interface layer 972 facilitates wireless connectivity between the
system 902
and the "outside world" (e.g., the electronic panel embodiments) via a
communications
carrier or service provider. Transmissions to and from the radio interface
layer 972 are
conducted under control of the operating system 964. In other words,
communications
received by the radio interface layer 972 may be disseminated to the
application
programs 966 via the operating system 964, and vice versa.
[000144] The visual indicator 920 may be used to provide visual notifications,
and/or an audio interface 974 may be used for producing audible notifications
via an
audio transducer 925 (e.g., audio transducer 925 illustrated in FIG. 9A). In
the illustrated
embodiment, the visual indicator 920 is a light emitting diode (LED) and the
audio
transducer 925 may be a speaker. These devices may be directly coupled to the
power
supply 970 so that when activated, they remain on for a duration dictated by
the
notification mechanism even though the processor 960 and other components
might
shut down for conserving battery power. The LED may be programmed to remain on
indefinitely until the user takes action to indicate the powered-on status of
the device.
The audio interface 974 is used to provide audible signals to and receive
audible signals
from the user. For example, in addition to being coupled to the audio
transducer 925,
the audio interface 974 may also be coupled to a microphone to receive audible
input,
such as to facilitate a telephone conversation. In accordance with embodiments
of the
present disclosure, the microphone may also serve as an audio sensor to
facilitate
control of notifications, as will be described below. The system 902 may
further include
a video interface 976 that enables an operation of peripheral device 930
(e.g., on-board
camera) to record still images, video stream, and the like. Audio interface
974, video
interface 976, and keyboard 935 may be operated to receive input (e.g., a
verbal cue or
a textual cue, as described herein).
[000145] A mobile computing device 900 implementing the system 902 may have
additional features or functionality. For example, the mobile computing device
900 may
also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable)
such
as, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is
illustrated in FIG.
9B by the non-volatile storage area 968.
[000146] Data/information generated or captured by the mobile computing device
900 and stored via the system 902 may be stored locally on the mobile
computing
device 900, as described above, or the data may be stored on any number of
storage
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media that may be accessed by the device via the radio interface layer 972 or
via a
wired connection between the mobile computing device 900 and a separate
computing
device associated with the mobile computing device 900, for example, a server
computer in a distributed computing network, such as the Internet. As should
be
appreciated such data/information may be accessed via the mobile computing
device
900 via the radio interface layer 972 or via a distributed computing network.
Similarly,
such data/information may be readily transferred between computing devices for
storage and use according to well-known data/information transfer and storage
means,
including electronic mail and collaborative data/information sharing systems.
[000147] As should be appreciated, FIGS. 9A and 9B are described for purposes
of illustrating the present methods and systems and is not intended to limit
the
disclosure to a particular sequence of steps or a particular combination of
hardware or
software components.
[000148] FIG. 10 is yet another example of an electronic panel 1202
incorporated
into a garment 1204 which is shown for purposes of example as a shirt. FIG. 10
illustrates the back of the garment 1204. In certain embodiments, the
electronic panel
1202 can span multiple panels and include a trunk extension portion 1208
extending
from the front (not shown in FIG. 10) or back trunk portion of the garment
1204. In
aspects, the trunk extension portion 1208 extends toward and to the bottom
portion of
the garment 1204, such as for example to the portion of the garment located
near the
waist of a wearer of the garment in the exemplary illustrated shirt. According
to certain
embodiments, one or more of the electronic components 1220 can be releasably
coupled to the electronic panel 1202 via an electrical connection 1222. As
such, one or
more of the electronic components 1220 can be removed and/or replaced in the
event it
is desirous to upgrade one or more of the electronic components 1220 and/or
one of the
electronic components 1220 fails. In at least some embodiments, the electrical
connection 1222 can be incorporated into a feature of the electronic panel
1202 and/or
garment 1204, e.g., a zipper, a button, a snap, a male connector, a female
connector, a
pocket, or a combination thereof.
[000149] In at least some embodiments, the electronic panel 1202 and/or the
garment 1204 can include one or more housings 1224 for one or more of the
electronic
components 1220 coupled to the electrically conductive trace 1218. In certain
instances,
such as those shown for example in FIG. 10, the housing 1224 can be located on
the
trunk extension portion 1208, and near the waist of a wearer of the garment in
the
exemplary illustrated shirt. In certain examples, one or more electronic
components
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1220 are electrically coupled to the electrically conductive trace 1218, which
can then
be used to provide one or more of the following functions: sensing (e.g.,
sensing one or
more parameters associated with a wearer of the garment 1204 that can be
stored as
data), collecting data, processing data, storing data, transmitting data,
providing power
to the electronic panel 1202 and its components, providing a user interface
(e.g., a
touch screen, a microphone), and/or providing feedback (e.g., sensory, haptic,
audio,
visual, and/or the like). FIG. 10 shows an embodiment wherein one electrically
conductive wire 1218 is shown extending from the trunk extension portion 1208
to a first
appendage. It should be understood that the electrically conductive wire 1208
can
include a single wire or multiple wires extending from the trunk portion to
any other
portion of the electrical panel 1202. In some embodiments, multiple wires can
be
attached to the electronic panel 1202 independently of each other. In other
embodiments, additional wires may branch from a wire or wire bundle at a
junction.
Examples of electronic components 1220 include, but are not limited to, the
following: a
computing device, a power supply, a power switch (e.g., power switch 1220A), a
sensor, an electronic circuit, an antenna, a wireless transmitter, a wireless
receiver, a
user interface, a remote control, a display device, a touch screen, an audio
transmitter,
a speaker, a microphone, a haptic device, a heating element, a charger, or a
combination thereof. Other than the features relating to the trunk extension
portion 1208
and the location of the electronic components 1220 and/or one or more housings
1224
on the trunk extension portion 1208 (e.g., near the waist of the wearer of the
garment
1204), the garment 1204 and electronic panel 1202 may include one or more
features
the same as or similar to other garments and electronic panels described
herein,
including those described in connection with FIGs. 2A, 2B, 3, 5A and 5B.
Features of
the embodiments shown in FIG. 10 that are similar to those shown in FIGs. 2A,
2B, 3,
5A and 5B are identified by similar reference numbers.
[000150] The invention of this application has been described above both
generically and with regard to specific embodiments. It will be apparent to
those skilled
in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the
embodiments
without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that
the
embodiments cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided
they
come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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