GB2596524A

GB2596524A - Wearable article, assembly and method

Info

Publication number: GB2596524A
Application number: GB2009755.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Riaz Naeem
Original assignee: Prevayl Innovations Ltd
Current assignee: Prevayl Innovations Ltd
Priority date: 2020-06-26
Filing date: 2020-06-26
Publication date: 2022-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-26
Also published as: GB202009755D0; WO2021260384A1; GB2596524B

Abstract

A wearable article such as a garment 200 comprises a sensing component 201. The sensing component has a sensing region 203 and a connection region (205, fig 7) spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer 211. The sensing component passes through a passageway 213, 215 in a first layer 217 of the wearable article 200 to position the sensing region 203 and the connection region 205 on opposing surfaces of the garment. A removable electronics module (100, fig 9) may be attached to the connection region. The flexible base layer of the sensing component may be attached to the first layer in the vicinity of the sensing or connecting regions. A conductive pathway (235, fig. 9) may extend along the flexible base layer to connect the sensing and connecting regions. A second sensing component may be provided on the wearable article. The sensing component may comprise a plurality of connections regions and sensing regions provided on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

Description

WEARABLE ARTICLE, ASSEMBLY AND METHOD The present invention is directed towards a wearable article, assembly and method, and in particular a wearable article with connection regions for interfacing with a removable electronics module.

Background

Wearable articles can be designed to interface with a wearer of the article, and to determine information such as the wearer's heart rate, rate of respiration, activity level, and body positioning. Such properties can be measured with a sensor assembly that includes a sensor for signal transduction and/or microprocessors for analysis. The articles include electrically conductive pathways to allow for signal transmission between an electronics module for processing and communication and sensing components of the article. The wearable articles may be garments. Such garments are commonly referred to as 'smart clothing' and may also be referred to as 'biosensing garments' if they measure biosignals.

United Kingdom Patent Application Publication No. 2530739 A discloses a sensing band that extends against the body of a wearer and has mutually spaced textile sensors and a mounting member secured thereto. Each textile sensor comprises an embossed conductive region that extends continuously along one surface of the textile sensor. The textile sensors pass from a first side of the mounting body, through a first parallel spaced slot, across a second side of the mounting body, and back to the first side of the mounting body through the second parallel spaced slot. A first end of the textile sensor lies between the corresponding securing formations of the mounting body and the sensing band. This arrangement secures the textile sensor and the mounting body to the sensing band and helps to hold the textile sensor taught.

A processing unit retaining formation of the mounting member selectively removably retains a processing unit in electrical contact with retained taught portions of the textile sensors. The processing unit is provided with contact element which, when the processing unit is retained by the processing unit retaining formation, are held in abutting contact with a corresponding retained taught portion of the textile sensor.

A sensing portion of each textile sensor lies adjacent to an inner surface of the sensing band such that, in use, the sensing portions sit against the body of a wearer. The mounting member lies on an outer surface of the sensing band and so is spaced from the body of the wearer.

It is desirable to provide a wearable article with a simpler construction for forming an electrical connection between a sensing component of a wearable article and a removable electronics module.

Summary

According to the present disclosure there is provided wearable article, assembly and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows.

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a wearable article. The wearable article comprises a sensing component comprising a sensing region and a connection region spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer. The sensing component passes through a passageway in a first layer of the wearable article to position the sensing region and the connection region on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

Advantageously, the first aspect of the disclosure provides a sensing component with a sensing region and a connection region provided on opposing surfaces of the flexible base layer. This contrasts with providing a textile sensor with an embossed conductive region that extends continuously along only one surface of the textile sensor. The positioning of the sensing region and connection region on opposing surfaces of the base layer simplifies the construction of the wearable article. A separate mounting member is not required to position the connection region in the desired location for forming an electrical connection with a removable electronics module.

The sensing region may be positioned on an inner surface of the first layer and the connection region may be positioned on an outer surface of the first layer.

The base layer in the vicinity of the connection region may be attached to the outer surface of the first layer.

The base layer in the vicinity of the sensing region may be attached to the inner surface of the first layer.

The sensing component may further comprise a conductive pathway extending along the flexible base layer and electrically connecting the connection region to the sensing region.

The conductive pathway may extend along the same surface of the flexible base layer as the connection region.

The conductive pathway may be narrower than the sensing region and/or the connection region.

The sensing component may have definitive connection and sensing regions separated by a narrower conductive pathway. This arrangement beneficially provides an improved signal quality compared to an embossed conductive region that extends continuously along only one surface of a textile sensor.

The sensing component may be a first sensing component. The wearable article may further comprise a second sensing component. The second sensing component may comprise a sensing region and a connection region spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer. The second sensing component may pass through a second passageway in the first layer to position the sensing region and the connection region on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

The sensing component may comprise a plurality of connection regions and a plurality of sensing regions. The plurality of sensing regions and the plurality of connection regions may be provided on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

The sensing component may pass through a first passageway and a second passageway in the first layer to provide the plurality of sensing regions and the plurality of connection regions on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

The sensing component may be woven through a first passageway, a second passageway, a third passageway and a fourth passageway to provide the plurality of sensing regions and the plurality of connection regions on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

The plurality of connection regions may be arranged proximate to one another.

The plurality of sensing regions may be spaced apart from one another.

The first layer may comprise a mounting arrangement for receiving an electronics module. When the electronics module is received in the mounting arrangement, the electronics module may be brought into communication with the connection region.

The mounting arrangement may comprise a pocket space formed between the first layer and a pocket layer. The electronics module may be able to be removably positioned in the pocket space.

The wearable article may further comprise a second layer that overlaps the first layer in an overlapping region. Part of the sensing component may be disposed in the overlapping region. The second layer may comprise an opening to expose at least part of the sensing component. The opening may expose at least part of the sensing region.

The sensing region may comprise an electrode.

The base layer may be a fabric base layer. The base layer may be a woven or knitted component.

The sensing component may be formed from conductive yarn. The sensing component may be a knitted or woven component. The connection region and the sensing region may be integrally formed with the base layer so as to form an article of a unitary construction that comprises the base component and the sensing component.

The sensing region and/or the connection region may extend away from the base layer to form a raised region.

The sensing components may be biosensing components. The sensing components may comprise one or more components of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, an electropotenfial sensor, an electroimpedance sensor, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor. Here, "component" means that not all of the components of the sensor may be provided in the wearable article. The processing logic, power and other functionality may be provided in the electronics module. The wearable article may only comprise the minimal functionality to perform the sensing such as by only including sensing electrodes. The temperature sensor may be arranged to measure an ambient temperature, a skin temperature of a human or animal body, or a core temperature of a human or animal body. The humidity sensor may be arranged to measure humidity or skin-surface moisture levels for a human or animal body. The motion sensor may comprise one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer sensor. The motion sensor may comprise an inertial measurement unit. The electropotenfial sensor may be arranged to perform one or more bioelectrical measurements. The electropotential sensor may comprise one or more of electrocardiography (ECG) sensor modules, electrogastrography (EGG) sensor modules, electroencephalography (EEG) sensor modules, and electromyography (EMG) sensor modules. The electroimpedance sensor may be arranged to perform one or more bioimpedance measurements. Bioimpedance sensors can include one or more of plethysmography sensor modules (e.g., for respiration), body composition sensor modules (e.g., hydration, fat, etc.), and electroimpedance tomography (Er) sensors. An optical sensor may comprise a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor module or an orthopantomogram (OPG) sensor module.

According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a wearable assembly comprising a wearable article of the first aspect of the disclosure and an electronics module.

According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of assembling a wearable article, the method comprising: providing a sensing component comprising a sensing region and a connection region spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer; and passing the sensing component through a passageway in a first layer of the wearable article to position the sensing region and the connection region on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

The present disclosure is not limited to wearable articles. The electronics arrangement disclosed herein may be incorporated into other forms of devices such as user electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones). In additions, they may be incorporated into any form of textile article. Textile articles may include upholstery, such as upholstery that may be positioned on pieces of furniture, vehicle seating, as wall or ceiling decor, among other examples.

Brief Description of the Drawinqs

Examples of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram for an example system according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figure 2 shows a sectional view of an example apparatus comprising an electronics module and a wearable article according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram for an example electronics module according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figures 4 and 5 show perspective views of an example assembled electronics module according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figure 6 shows a view of an inner surface of a wearable article according to aspects of

the present disclosure;

Figure 7 shows a view of an outer surface of the wearable article of Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a side view of the wearable article of Figure 6; Figure 9 shows a side view of another example wearable article according to aspects of the present disclosure and an electronics module disposed in a pocket space of the wearable article; Figure 10 shows a view of an inner surface of a sensing component according to aspects of the present disclosure Figure 11 shows a view of an outer surface of the sensing component of Figure 10; Figure 12 shows a side view of the sensing component of Figure 10; and Figure 13 shows a flow diagram for an example method of assembling a wearable article according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

"Wearable article" as referred to throughout the present disclosure may refer to any form of electronic device which may be worn by a user such as a smart watch, necklace, bracelet, headphones, in-ear headphones, or glasses. The wearable article may be a textile article. The wearable article may be a garment. The garment may refer to an item of clothing or apparel. The garment may be a top. The top may be a shirt, t-shirt, blouse, sweater, jacket/coat, or vest. The garment may be a dress, brassiere, shorts, pants, arm or leg sleeve, vest, jacket/coat, glove, armband, underwear, headband, hat/cap, collar, wristband, chestband, armband, stocking, sock, or shoe, athletic clothing, swimwear, personal protection equipment, wetsuit or drysuit.

The wearable article/garment may be constructed from a woven or a non-woven material. The wearable article/garment may be constructed from natural fibres, synthetic fibres, or a natural fibre blended with one or more other materials which can be natural or synthetic. The yarn may be cotton. The cotton may be blended with polyester and/or viscose and/or polyamide according to the particular application. Silk may also be used as the natural fibre. Cellulose, wool, hemp and jute are also natural fibres that may be used in the wearable article/garment. Polyester, polycotton, nylon and viscose are synthetic fibres that may be used in the wearable article/garment.

The garment may be a tight-fitting garment. Beneficially, a tight-fitting garment helps ensure that the sensor devices of the garment are held in contact with or in the proximity of a skin surface of the wearer. The garment may be a compression garment. The garment may be an athletic garment such as an elastomeric athletic garment. The present disclosure is not limited to wearable articles for humans and includes wearable articles for animals such as animal collars, jackets and sleeves.

The following description refers to particular examples of the present disclosure where the wearable article is a garment. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to garments and other forms of wearable article are within the scope of the present disclosure as outlined above.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown an example system 10 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The system 10 comprises an electronics module 100, a garment 200, and a mobile device 300. The garment 200 is worn by a user 400. The electronics module 100 is attached to the garment 200. The electronics module 100 is shown on the outside surface 201 of the garment 200 in Figure 1 but may also be within the garment 200 or hidden within a pocket or similar mounting arrangement of the garment 200.

The electronics module 100 is arranged to integrate with sensing components incorporated into the garment 200 so as to obtain signals from the sensing components. The sensing components may comprise electrodes. The electronics module 100 is arranged to wirelessly communicate data to the mobile device 300. Various protocols enable wireless communication between the electronics module 100 and the mobile device 300. Example communication protocols include Bluetooth 0, Bluetooth 0 Low Energy, and near-field communication (NFC). In some examples, the electronics module 100 may communicate over a long-range wireless communication protocol.

The electronics module 100 may be removable from the garment 200. The mechanical coupling of the electronic module 100 to the garment 200 may be provided by a mechanical interface such as a clip, a plug and socket arrangement, etc. The mechanical coupling or mechanical interface may be configured to maintain the electronic module 100 in a particular orientation with respect to the garment 200 when the electronic module 100 is coupled to the garment 200. This may be beneficial in ensuring that the electronic module 100 is securely held in place with respect to the garment 200 and/or that any electronic coupling of the electronic module 100 and

B

the garment 200 (or a component of the garment 200) can be optimized. The mechanical coupling may be maintained using friction or using a positively engaging mechanism, for example.

Beneficially, the removable electronic module 100 may contain all of the components required for data transmission and processing such that the garment 200 only comprises the sensor components and communication pathways. In this way, manufacture of the garment 200 may be simplified. In addition, it may be easier to clean a garment 200 which has fewer electronic components attached thereto or incorporated therein. Furthermore, the removable electronic module 100 may be easier to maintain and/or troubleshoot than embedded electronics. The electronic module 100 may comprise flexible electronics such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The electronic module 100 may be configured to be electrically coupled to the garment 200.

It may be desirable to avoid direct contact of the electronic module 100 with the wearer's skin while the garment 200 is being worn. It may be desirable to avoid the electronic module 100 coming into contact with sweat or moisture on the wearer's skin or other sources of moisture such as from rain or a shower. It may further be desirable to provide an electronics module holder such as a pocket in the garment to contain the electronic module 100 in order to prevent chafing or rubbing and thereby improve comfort for the wearer. The pocket may be provided with a waterproof lining in order to prevent the electronic module 100 from coming into contact with moisture.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a sectional view of an assembly comprising a garment 200 and an electronics module 100 disposed within an electronics module holder 223 of the garment 200. The garment 200 is being worn by a user and is proximate to the skin surface 401 of the user.

The electronics module holder 223 in this example is an elasticated pocket 223 positioned on the outside surface of the garment 200. In other examples, the electronics module holder 223 may be provided within the garment 200 such as in the form of an inner pocket.

The pocket 223 allows the user to position the electronics module 100 in the pocket 223 and remove it therefrom. The pocket 223 applies a compressive force to help hold the electronics module 100 in a generally fixed position within the pocket 223. This is not required in all examples as gripping surfaces of the electronics module 100 and/or the garment 200/pocket 223 may be sufficient for limiting relative movement between the electronics module 100 and the garment 200. Additionally, or separately, the electronics module 100 and the garment 200 may comprise magnetic elements to help hold the electronics module 100 in a fixed position relative to the garment 200. The housing of the electronics module 100 may be constructed to enable a magnet to be retained therein. A recess may be provided in an inner surface of a bottom enclosure of an electronics module 100 sized to retain a magnet.

The pocket 223 comprises a layer of material 223 which is bonded, stitched, otherwise attached to or integrally formed with the garment 200. The pocket 223 has an inner surface 225 facing the electronics module 100. The pocket 223 has an outer surface 227.

The electronics module 100 comprises a housing 101 formed of a rigid material in this example. One or more electrical components are provided within the rigid housing 101. The housing 101 may comprise a (rigid) polymeric material. The polymeric material may be a rigid plastic material.

The rigid plastic material may be ABS or polycarbonate plastic but is not limited to these examples. The rigid plastic material may be glass reinforced. The rigid housing 101 may be injection moulded. The rigid housing 101 may be constructed using a twin-shot injection moulding approach.

A plurality (two in this example) of interface elements are provided for interfacing the electronics module 100 with sensing components of the garment 200. The interface elements in this example comprise contact pads 103, 104 provided on the outer surface of the housing 101. The contact pads 103, 104 are formed from a flexible material, but this is not required in all examples.

The contact pads 103, 104 are spaced apart from one another on the bottom surface of the rigid housing 101. "Rigid" will be understood as referring to a material which is stiffer and less able to bend than the contact pads 103, 104 formed of flexible material. The rigid housing 101 may still have some degree of flexibility but is less flexible than the flexible material of the contact pads 103, 104.

The contact pads 103, 104 comprise conductive material, and thus acts as conductive contact pads 103, 104 for the electronics module 100. The flexible conductors 103, 104 therefore provide the interface by which the electronics module 100 is able to receive signals from an external component such as the garment 200.

The first electrical contact 103 conductively connects with a first connection region 205 of the garment 200. The first connection region 211 enables the electronics module 100 to conductively connect to sensing regions of the garment 200 via first electrically conductive pathway 235 of the garment 200. The second electrical contact 104 conductively connects with a second connection region 205 of the garment 200. The second connection region 205 enables the electronics module 100 to conductively connect to sensing region of the garment 200 via second electrically conductive pathway 235 of the garment 200. The sensing regions may be one or more electrodes, but the present disclosure is not limited to sensing regions in the form of electrodes.

The electrically conductive pathways 235 and connection regions 205 may be formed from any form of conductive material such as conductive thread or wire. The conductive thread or wire may be woven or otherwise incorporated into a tape or fabric panel. The electrically conductive pathways 235 and connection regions 205 may be electrically conductive tracks or films. The electrically conductive pathways 235 and connection regions 205 may be conductive transfers. The conductive material may be formed from a fibre or yam of the textile. This may mean that an electrically conductive materials are incorporated into the fibre/yam. The conductive material may be a conductive rubber.

The use of flexible conductors 103, 104 is generally preferred as compared to rigid, metallic, conductors 103, 104 as this means that hard pieces of conductive metallic material such as poppers or studs are not required to electrically connect the electronics module 100 to the garment 200. This not only improves the look and feel of the garment 200 but also reduces manufacturing costs as it means that hardware features such as additional eyelets and studs do not need to be incorporated into the garment 200 to provide the required connectivity. An additional problem with rigid metallic conductors is that their hard, abrasive, surfaces may rub against conductive elements such as conductive thread of the garment and cause the conductive thread to fray.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown a schematic diagram for an example electronics module 100 according to aspects of the present disclosure.

The electronics module 100 comprises a processor 109 configured to process signals sensed by a sensing component of the electronics module 100 and/or the garment 200. The signals relate to the activity of a user wearing the garment 200.

The electronics module 100 comprises an electronics component 105. The electronics component 105 may comprise an output unit such as a light source or hapfic feedback unit. The light source may be arranged to emit light to indicate a status of the electronics module 100 or a property of a user wearing the wearable article, for example. The electronics component 105 may comprise a sensor. The sensor may be arranged to monitor a property of the user. The sensor may be, for example, a temperature sensor arranged to monitor a core body temperature or skin-surface temperature of the user. The sensor may be, for example, a humidity sensor arranged to monitor a hydration or sweat level of the user. The sensor may be a temperature sensor arranged to measure the skin temperature of the user wearing the garment. The temperature sensor may be a contact temperature sensor or a non-contact temperature sensor such as an infrared thermometer. Example contact temperature sensors include thermocouples and thermistors. The sensor may comprise an altitude sensor, presence sensor, or air quality sensor. The presence sensor may for detecting a touch input from a user. The presence sensor may comprise one or more of a capacitive sensor, inductive sensor, and ultrasonic sensor. Other examples of sensor are provided throughout this specification.

The electronics module 100 comprises a power source 113. The power source 113 is coupled to the processor 109 and is arranged to supply power to the processor 109. The power source 113 may comprise a plurality of power sources. The power source 113 may be a battery. The battery may be a rechargeable battery. The battery may be a rechargeable battery adapted to be charged wirelessly such as by inductive charging. The power source 113 may comprise an energy harvesting device. The energy harvesting device may be configured to generate electric power signals in response to kinetic events such as kinetic events performed by a wearer of the garment. The kinetic event could include walking, running, exercising or respiration of the wearer. The energy harvesting material may comprise a piezoelectric material which generates electricity in response to mechanical deformation of the converter. The energy harvesting device may harvest energy from body heat of a wearer of the garment. The energy harvesting device may be a thermoelectric energy harvesting device. The power source may be a super capacitor, or an energy cell.

The power source 113 in this example is a lithium polymer battery 113. The battery 113 is rechargeable and charged via a USB C input of the electronics module 100. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to recharging via USB and instead other forms of charging such as inductive of far field wireless charging are within the scope of the present disclosure. Additional battery management functionality is provided in terms of a charge controller, battery monitor and regulator. These components may be provided through use of a dedicated power management integrated circuit (PMIC). The processor 109 is communicatively connected to the battery monitor such that the processor 109 may obtain information about the state of charge of the battery 113.

The communicator 115 may be a mobile/cellular communicator operable to communicate the data wirelessly via one or more base stations. The communicator 115 may provide wireless communication capabilities for the garment 200 and enables the garment 200 to communicate via one or more wireless communication protocols such as used for communication over: a wireless wide area network (WAIAN), a wireless metroarea network (VVMAN), a wireless local area network (VVLAN), a wireless personal area network (VVPAN), Bluetooth ® Low Energy, Bluetooth ® Mesh, Bluetooth ® 5, Thread, Zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4, Ant, Ant+, a near field communication (NFC), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), a cellular communication network, or any other electromagnetic RF communication protocol. The cellular communication network may be a fourth generation (4G) LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), LTE Cat-M1, LTE Cat-M2, NB-IoT, fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), and/or any other present or future developed cellular wireless network. A plurality of communicators may be provided for communicating over a combination of different communication protocols.

The electronics module 100 may comprise a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) that enables the electronics module 100 to access services provided by a mobile network operator (MNO) or virtual mobile network operator (VMNO). The UICC may include at least a read-only memory (ROM) configured to store an MNONMNO profile that the wearable article can utilize to register and interact with an MNONMNO. The UICC may be in the form of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. The electronics module 100 may have a receiving section arranged to receive the SIM card. In other examples, the UICC is embedded directly into a controller of the electronics module 100. That is, the UICC may be an electronic/embedded UICC (eUICC). A eUICC is beneficial as it removes the need to store a number of MNO profiles, i.e. electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs). Moreover, eSIMs can be remotely provisioned to electronics modules 100. The electronics modules 100 may comprise a secure element that represents an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC).

The interface 111 is arranged to communicatively couple with a sensing component of the garment 200 (Figure 1) so as to receive a signal from the sensing component or may directly interface with a skin surface of the wearer to receive signals therefrom. The processor 109 is communicatively coupled to the interface 111 and is arranged to receive the signals from the interface 111.The interface 111 may form a conductive coupling or a wireless (e.g. inductive) communication coupling with the electronics components of the garment 200. The interface 111 may comprise the contact pads 103, 104 of Figure 2, for example.

The electronics module 100 is mounted on a garment 200 (Figure 1) and conductively connected to sensing components such as electrodes of the garment via electrically conductive pathways of the garment 200. In a particular example, the sensing components are electrodes used to measure electro potential signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG) signals The processor 109 may be a component of a controller such as a microcontroller. The controller may have an integral communicator such as a Bluetooth antenna. The controller may have an internal memory and may also be communicatively connected to an external memory of the electronics module such as a NAND Flash memory. The memory is used to for the storage of data when no wireless connection is available between the electronics module 100 a mobile device 300 (Figure 1). The processor 109 is connected to the interface 111, 103, 104 via an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) fronted end and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit. The ADC fronted end converts the raw analog signal received from sensing components of the garment 200 into a digital signal. The ADC frontend may also perform filtering operations on the received signals.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, there is shown an example electronics module 100 according to aspects of the present disclosure.

The electronics module 100 comprises a rigid housing 101 and a plurality (two in this example) of contact pads 103, 104 that are attached to an external surface of the rigid housing 101 and spaced apart from one another. The contact pads 103, 104 in this example are constructed from a flexible material, and in particular a flexible conductive material. The contact pads 103, 104 therefore form an outer layer of flexible material that covers a part of the rigid housing 101. Rigid contact pads 103, 104 such as those made from a rigid metallic material are also within the

scope of the present disclosure.

The rigid housing 101 comprises a top enclosure 125 and a bottom enclosure 127. The top and bottom enclosures 125 and 127 are snap fitted together. A sealant material such as bead of silicon may be applied to the lip of one or both of the top and bottom enclosures 125, 127 prior to joining them together so as to form a water-tight seal at the join between the top and bottom enclosure 127. This may beneficially protect against water ingress into the electronics module 100. The use of a two or more enclosures which are coupled together such as the top enclosure 125 and the bottom enclosure 127 is not required in all examples of the present disclosure. A single piece housing such as one which is overmoulded over the components of the module 100 is also within the scope of the present disclosure. Alternatively or additionally, the top enclosure 125 and the bottom enclosure 127 may be joined together by screws, sonic welding, glue or by any other means known to those skilled in the art.

The contact pads 103, 104 are formed of two separate pieces of conductive elastomeric material 103, 104 that form first and second flexible conductors 103, 104. The conductive elastomeric material used in this example is a conductive silicone rubber material, but other forms of conductive elastomeric material may be used. Beneficially, elastomeric material such as conductive silicone rubber can have an attractive visual appearance and may easily be moulded or extruded to have branded or other visual elements.

The elastomeric material is made conductive by distributing a conductive material into the elastomeric material. Conductive particles such as carbon black and silica are commonly used to form conductive elastomeric materials but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples. The contact pads 103, 104 may also comprise a 2D electrically conductive material such as graphene or a mixture or composite of an elastomeric material and a 2D electrically conductive material.

The contact pads 103, 104 define an external surface 155 that faces away from the bottom enclosure 127. The surface 155 is arranged to interface with an external component so as to couple signals between the external component and a controller of the wearable article. The external component may be a conductive region of the wearable article or a skin surface of the wearer amongst other examples. The surface 155 is textured to provide additional grip when positioned on the garment 200 or the skin surface. The texture may be, for example, a ribbed or knurled texture. The elastomeric material 103, 104 shown in the Figures has a ribbed texture. The contact pads 103, 104 may be flat and are not required to have a textured surface.

The electronics module 100 further comprises an interface 15 for coupling the electronics module 100 to a further device so as to charge a battery of the electronics module 100 and/or transfer data between the electronics module 100 and the further device. The interface 15 is a USB-C interface.

Referring to Figures 6 to 9, there is shown an example wearable article 200 according to aspects

of the present disclosure.

The wearable article 200 comprises a plurality (two in this example) of sensing components 201. The sensing components 201 each comprise a sensing region 203 and connection region 205 spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces 207, 209 of a flexible base layer 211. The sensing regions 203 are provided on inner facing surfaces 207 of the base layers 211 that face the skin surface of the wearer in use. The connection regions 205 are provided on outer facing surfaces 209 of the base layers 211 that face away from the skin surface of the wearer in use. The sensing components 201 may be textile sensors.

The sensing components 201 further comprise conductive pathways 235 extending along the flexible base layer 211 and electrically connecting the connection region 205 to the sensing region 203 such that signals measured at the sensing region 203 may be conveyed to the connection region 205. The conductive pathways 235 extend along the same surface 209 as the connection region 205. In other examples, the conductive pathways 235 may be provided on the inner facing surfaces 207 or may be provided within the flexible base layer 211. Providing the conductive pathways 235 on the outer facing surfaces 209 or within the flexible base layer 211 is preferred as it reduces the likelihood of the conductive pathways 235 coming into electrical contact with the skin surface.

The wearable article 200 further comprises a first layer 217. The first layer 217 is in this example a textile layer 217 of the wearable article 200. The first layer 217 comprises a plurality (two in this example) of passageways 213, 215 that extend through the first layer 217. The passageways 213, 215 are apertures 213, 215 that extend from the inner surface 207 to the outer surface 209 of the first layer 217. In this example, the passageways 213, 215 are in the form of slots 213, 215. The passageways 213, 215 are parallel spaced slots 213, 215 that are arranged in a lengthwise direction of the textile layer 217 and help maintain the orientation of the sensing components 201 which similarly extend in the lengthwise direction.

The sensing components 201 are mutually spaced from one another along the lengthwise direction of the textile layer 217.

One of the sensing components 201 passes through the passageway 213 in the textile layer 217 of the wearable article 200 to position the sensing region 203 and the connection region 205 on opposing surfaces 219, 221 of the textile layer 217. The sensing region 203 is positioned on the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217. The connection region 205 is positioned on the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217. A part of the sensing component 201 between the connection region 205 and the sensing region 203 extends through the passageway 213. The sensing component 201 passes from the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217, through the first passageway 213, and across the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217. A first end 251 of the sensing component lies on the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217 and is positioned between the first and second passageways 213, 215. The second end 253 of the sensing component 201 lies on the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217. The base layer 211 in the vicinity of the connection region 205 is attached to the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217.

The base layer 211 in the vicinity of the sensing region 203 is attached to the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217. The base layer 211 may be attached by stitching, bonding, or other attachment means as known in the art.

Another of the sensing components 201 passes through the passageway 215 in the textile layer 217 of the wearable article 200 to position the sensing region 203 and the connection region 205 on opposing surfaces 219, 221 of the textile layer 217. The sensing region 203 is positioned on the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217. The connection region 205 is positioned on the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217. A part of the sensing component 201 between the connection region 205 and the sensing region 203 extends through the passageway 215. The sensing component 201 passes from the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217, through the second passageway 215, and across the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217. A first end 251 of the sensing component lies on the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217 and is positioned between the first and second passageways 213, 215. The second end 253 of the sensing component 201 lies on the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217. The base layer 211 in the vicinity of the connection region 205 is attached to the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217. The base layer 211 in the vicinity of the sensing region 203 is attached to the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217. The base layer 211 may be attached by stitching, bonding, or other attachment means as known in the art.

The first ends 251 of the sensing components may, in some examples, be tapered. This can help reduce the electronics module 100 catching on the ends 251 of the sensing components 201 and can reduce the visible appearance of the sensing components 201 externally.

The plurality of connection regions 205 are arranged proximate to one another. The plurality of connection regions 205 are not electrically connected to one another. The plurality of connection regions 205 are provided between the first passageway 213 and the second passageway 215. The spacing between the plurality of connection regions 205 corresponds to the spacing between the contact pads 103, 104 of the electronics module 100. This means that when the electronics module 100 is positioned on the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217, each of the contact pads 103, 104 of the electronics module 100 is brought into communication with one of the connection regions 205. Figure 9 shows an example of this arrangement, where contact pad 103 of the electronics module 100 is brought into electrical contact with one of the connection regions 205 and contact pad 104 of the electronics module 100 is brought into electrical contact with another of the connection regions 205. This enables the electronics module 100 to receive signals from the sensing regions 203 via the electrical connection between the connection regions 205 and the contact pads 103, 104.

The plurality of sensing regions 203 are spaced apart from one another. The plurality of sensing regions 203 are arranged to measure signals at a desired location. The desired location will depend on the property to be measured.

Figure 9 shows an example where the wearable article 200 further comprises a mounting arrangement 223 for receiving the electronics module 100. The mounting arrangement 223 comprises an outer pocket layer 223 that forms a pocket space between the outer pocket layer 223 and the textile layer 217. The connection regions 205 are provided in the pocket space and are covered by the outer pocket layer 223. The pocket space is sized to receive the electronics module 100. The outer pocket layer 223 is attached or integrally formed with the textile layer 217.

An opening such as a region where the outer pocket layer 223 is not attached to the textile layer 217 enables the pocket space to be accessed. In this way, the electronics module 100 can be inserted into and removed from the pocket space. The opening may be an upper opening. The pocket space may have an upper opening with closed side and bottom edges. The opening may be accessible from the outside surface of the wearable article 200.

When positioned in the pocket space, the electronics module 100 is brought into communication with the connection region 205. This enables the electronics module 100 to send/receive signals from the sensing components 201, process signals received from the sensing components 201 and communicate said processed signals to an external device. Other forms of mounting arrangements 223 such as magnetic couplings, clips, holders, and other forms of fastener are within the scope of the present disclosure. The pocket space may be a hidden pocket space and may not be easily externally.

In preferred example, the mounting arrangement 223 is provided in a central area of the wearable article 200 so that the mounting arrangement 223 is arranged in a central torso region of the wearer when worn. This is particularly beneficial for wearable articles 200 incorporating sensing components 201 as it reduces the required length of conductive pathways 235 extending from sensing regions 203 in the wearable article 200 to the mounting arrangement 223. Of course, the mounting arrangement 223 may be provided in a different location if desired. The outer pocket layer 223 may acts as an attachment mechanism that applies pressure to the electronics module 100 to urge the electronics module 100 towards the connection regions 205.

In particular, the outer pocket layer 223 comprises an elastomeric material that applies pressure to the electronics module 100. Beneficially, the outer pocket layer 223 helps restrict movement of the electronics module 100 away from the connection regions 205. This helps prevent the contact pads 103, 104 from moving out of contact with the connection regions 205.

The wearable article 200, in some examples, further comprises a second layer (not shown). The second layer is a textile layer that overlaps the first textile 217 in an overlapping region. Part of the sensing components 201 are disposed in the overlapping region. That is, the parts of the sensing components 201 that are provided on the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217 are provided in the overlapping region. The second layer comprises an opening to expose at least part of the sensing component 201. In particular, the opening exposes at least part of the sensing region 203.

The second layer covers the conductive pathways 235 of the sensing components 201. The second layer insulates the conductive pathways 235 and prevents them from contacting a skin surface of the wearer. Advantageously, the wearable article 200 construction sandwiches the sensing components 201 between inner and outer fabric layers to shield parts of the sensing components 201 from contact with the wearer's skin. Separate insulating layers are not required and instead the fabric layers of the wearable article perform the shielding function. An insulating layer does not need to be applied to a skin facing surface of the second layer for example.

Moreover, the second layer is constructed to enabled part of the sensing component 201 and, in particular, the sensing regions 203 to be exposed to perform their measurement function.

The example of Figures 6 to 9 shows two separate sensing components 201. This is not required in all aspects of the present disclosure. The two separate sensing components 201 shown in Figures 6 to 9 may be connected together and share a common base layer 211. That is, the present disclosure may provide a sensing component 201 that comprises a plurality of sensing regions 203, and a plurality of connection regions 205. The sensing regions 203 and the connection regions 205 are provided on opposing surfaces 219, 221 of the textile layer 217.

In this example, the sensing component 201 passes through the first passageway 213 and the second passageway 215 in the textile layer 217 to provide the plurality of sensing regions 203 and the plurality of connection regions 203 on opposing surfaces 219, 221 of the textile layer 217. In other words, the sensing component 201 is woven through the first and second passageways 213, 215 to provide the connection regions 205 on the outer surface 221 and the sensing regions 203 on the inner surface 219.The sensing component 201 passes from the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217, through the first passageway 213, and across the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217, through the second passageway 215, and across the inner surface 219.

Additional passageways may be provided such as to enhance the attachment of the sensing component 201 to the textile layer 217. For example, a third passageway (not shown) and a fourth passageway (not shown) may additionally be provided in the textile layer 217. The first to fourth passageways may be arranged in a line. The sensing component 201 may be woven through the first to fourth passageways to provide the plurality of sensing regions 203 and the plurality of connection regions 205 on opposing surfaces 219, 211 of the textile layer 217. The sensing component 201 passes from the inner surface 219 of the textile layer 217, through the first passageway 213, across the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217, through the second passageway 215, across the inner surface 219, through the third passageway, across the outer surface 221 of the textile layer 217, through the fourth passageway, and across the inner surface 219. The sensing regions 203 are provided on the inner surface 219. The connection regions 205 are provided on the outer surface 221. A first of the connection regions 205 is provided between the first and second passageways 213, 215. A second of the connection regions 205 is provided between the third and fourth passageways.

Referring to Figures 10 to 12, there is shown an example sensing component 201 useable in the wearable articles 200 according to aspects of the present disclosure, such as the wearable articles 200 shown in Figures 6 to 9.

The sensing components 201 comprise a base component 211. The base component 211 is a non-conductive fabric layer. The base component 211 may be knitted or woven from nonconductive yarn. The base component 211 has an inner surface 207 and an outer surface 209 opposing the inner surface 207.

The sensing components 201 comprise conductive regions 203, 205, 235 formed of conductive yarn which is integrally knit or woven with the base component 211 to form a sensing component 201 of an integral construction. That is the sensing component 201 is formed from a continuous body of fabric. In this example, Circuitex TM conductive yarn from Noble Biomaterials Limited is used to form the conductive regions. Of course, other conductive yarns may be used. The conductive yarn may comprise a non-conductive or less conductive base yarn which is coated or embedded with conductive material such as carbon, copper, and silver.

The sensing component 201 comprises a first conductive region 203 provided on the inner surface 207 of the base component 211. The first conductive region 203 forms a raised section of conductive material 203 that extends away from the inner surface 207. This raised section of conductive material 203 forms a raised electrode 203 for contacting the skin surface of the wearer to measure signals from the wearer and/or introduce signals into the wearer. Having a raised electrode 203 is beneficial in improving electrode contact with the skin surface particularly when the wearer is moving.

The electrode 203 may be arranged to measure one or more biosignals of a user wearing the article 200. Here, "biosignal" may refer to any signal in a living being that can be measured and monitored. The electrode 203 is generally for performing bioelectrical or bioimpedance measurements. Bioelectrical measurements include electrocardiograms (ECG), electrogastrograms (EGG), electroencephalograms (EEG), and electromyography (EMG). Bioimpedance measurements include plethysmography (e.g., for respiration), body composition (e.g., hydration, fat, etc.), and electroimpedance tomography (EIT). The electrode 203 may additionally or separately be used to apply an electrical signal to the wearer. This may be used in medical treatment or therapy applications.

The sensing component 201 further comprises a second conductive region 205 provided on the outer surface 209 of the base component 211. The second conductive region 205 forms a connection terminal 205 for electrically connecting with an electronics module 100. The second conductive region 205 forms a raised conductive region 205 that extends away from the outer surface 209. Having a raised connection terminal 205 is beneficial in terms of improving the electrical connection between the connection terminal 205 and the electronics module 100.

The sensing component 201 further comprises a conductive pathway 235 of conductive material extending from the raised electrode 203 to the connection terminal 205. The conductive pathway 235 electrically connects the raised electrode 203 to the connection terminal 205. The conductive pathway 235 is formed of conductive yarn which is knitted or woven into the base component 201 The conductive pathway 235 is incorporated into the base component 211 and is thus flush with the base component 211. In some examples, the conductive pathway 235 extends along the inner or outer surface 207, 209. Having a conductive pathway 235 which is flush with or minimally extends from a surface 207, 209 of the base component 211 is beneficial in terms of improving comfort and minimising the visual appearance of the sensing component 201 on the wearable article 200.

The sensing component 201 may further comprise a gripper component 249. The gripper component 249 is arranged to grip the sensing component 201 to the skin surface and hold it in place even when the wearer is moving. The gripper component 249 may be formed of a silicone material. The gripper component 249 may be formed of silicone yarn.

Referring to Figure 13, there is shown an example method of assembling a wearable article according to aspects of the present disclosure. Step 8101 comprises providing a sensing component comprising a sensing region and a connection region spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer. Step S102 comprises passing the sensing component through a passageway in a first layer of the wearable article to position the sensing region and the connection region on opposing surfaces of the first layer.

The present disclosure is not limited to any particular number of sensing components, sensing regions, and connection regions. VVhile the examples described above refer to the use of two connection regions, two sensing regions, and two contact pads on the electronics modules, other arrangements may be provided. For example, one connection region, one sensing region and one contact pad may be provided. For example, one connection region and one contact pad may be provided, along with a plurality of sensing regions. The plurality of sensing regions may be electrically connected to the same connection region. For example, a number P of connection regions, Q of sensing regions, and R of contact pads may be provided. P, Q, and R may be any integer greater than or equal to 1. Preferably, P, Q, and R are between 2 and 20, preferably still between 2 and 10, and preferably still between 2 and 5. In preferred examples, P=Q=R. That is, each sensing region is electrically connected to one connection region, and each connection region is arranged to interface with one contact pad. But this is not required in all examples.

In the present disclosure, the electronics module may also be referred to as an electronics device or unit. These terms may be used interchangeably.

At least some of the example embodiments described herein may be constructed, partially or wholly, using dedicated special-purpose hardware. Terms such as 'component', 'module' or 'unit' used herein may include, but are not limited to, a hardware device, such as circuitry in the form of discrete or integrated components, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), programmable System on Chip (pSoC), or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which performs certain tasks or provides the associated functionality. In some embodiments, the described elements may be configured to reside on a tangible, persistent, addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute on one or more processors. These functional elements may in some embodiments include, by way of example, components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. Although the example embodiments have been described with reference to the components, modules and units discussed herein, such functional elements may be combined into fewer elements or separated into additional elements. Various combinations of optional features have been described herein, and it will be appreciated that described features may be combined in any suitable combination.

In particular, the features of any one example embodiment may be combined with features of any other embodiment, as appropriate, except where such combinations are mutually exclusive. Throughout this specification, the term "comprising" or "comprises" means including the component(s) specified but not to the exclusion of the presence of others.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Claims

22 CLAIMS A wearable article comprising a sensing component comprising a sensing region and a connection region spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer, wherein the sensing component passes through a passageway in a first layer of the wearable article to position the sensing region and the connection region on opposing surfaces of the first layer.A wearable article as claimed in claim 1, wherein sensing region is positioned on an inner surface of the first layer and the connection region is positioned on an outer surface of the first layer A wearable article as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base layer in the vicinity of the connection region is attached to the outer surface of the first layer A wearable article as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the base layer in the vicinity of the sensing region is attached to the inner surface of the first layer.A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensing component further comprises a conductive pathway extending along the flexible base layer and electrically connecting the connection region to the sensing region.A wearable article as claimed in claim 5, wherein the conductive pathway extends along the same surface of the flexible base layer as the connection region.A wearable article as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the conductive pathway is narrower than the sensing region and/or the connection region.A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensing component is a first sensing component, and wherein the wearable article further comprises a second sensing component, the second sensing component comprises a sensing region and a connection region spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer, wherein the second sensing component passes through a second passageway in the first layer to position the sensing region and the connection region on opposing surfaces of the first layer.9. A wearable article as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sensing component comprises a plurality of connection regions and a plurality of sensing regions, wherein the plurality of sensing regions and the plurality of connection regions are provided on opposing surfaces of the first layer 10. Awearable article as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensing component passes through a first passageway and a second passageway in the first layer to provide the plurality of sensing regions and the plurality of connection regions on opposing surfaces of the first layer.11. A wearable article as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensing component is woven through a first passageway, a second passageway, a third passageway and a fourth passageway to provide the plurality of sensing regions and the plurality of connection regions on opposing surfaces of the first layer.12. A wearable article as claimed in in any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the plurality of connection regions are arranged proximate to one another.13. A wearable article as claimed in any of claims 8 to 12, wherein the plurality of sensing regions are spaced apart from one another.14. A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wearable article further comprises a mounting arrangement for receiving an electronics module, wherein when the electronics module is received in the mounting arrangement, the electronics module is brought into communication with the connection region.15. A wearable article as claimed in claim 14, wherein the mounting arrangement comprises a pocket space formed between the first layer and a pocket layer, wherein the electronics module is able to be removably positioned in the pocket space.16. A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wearable article further comprises a second layer that overlaps the first layer in an overlapping region, wherein part of the sensing component is disposed in the overlapping region, and wherein the second layer comprises an opening to expose at least part of the sensing component.17. A wearable article as claimed in claim 16, wherein the opening exposes at least part of the sensing region.18. A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensing region comprises an electrode.19. A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base layer is a fabric base layer, optionally the base layer is a woven or knitted component.20. A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensing component is formed from conductive yarn.21. A wearable article as claimed in claim 20, wherein the sensing component is a knitted or woven component.22. A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the connection region and sensing region are integrally formed with the base layer so as to form an article of a unitary construction that comprises the base component and the sensing component.23. A wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensing region and/or the connection region extend away from the base layer to form a raised region.24. A wearable assembly comprising a wearable article as claimed in any preceding claim and an electronics module. 20 25. A method of assembling a wearable article, the method comprising: providing a sensing component comprising a sensing region and a connection region spaced apart from one another and provided on opposing surfaces of a flexible base layer; and passing the sensing component through a passageway in a first layer of the wearable article to position the sensing region and the connection region on opposing surfaces of the first layer.