WO2011092620A1

WO2011092620A1 - Electronic network and electronic textile comprising the electronic network

Info

Publication number: WO2011092620A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/050295
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guofu Zhou; Albericus Antonius Maria Hoevenaars; Frank Anton Van Abeelen; Liesbeth Van Pieterson; Eefje Janet Hornix
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2010-01-29
Filing date: 2011-01-24
Publication date: 2011-08-04
Also published as: TW201204889A

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic network comprising a row of two or more electronic components (121, 122, 123) each having an input terminal (131, 141) and an output terminal (132, 142). All input terminals are interconnected with a conductive input line (151), and all output terminals are interconnected with a conductive output line (152), the input and output lines having a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length. The input line is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each electronic component via the input terminal (131) of the first electronic component (121), and the output line is arranged to allow electric charge to flow away from each electronic component via the output terminal (142) of the last electronic component (123). The electronic network enables a uniform performance of the electronic components, particularly when the input and output lines have a relatively high electrical resistance. The electronic network is therefore particularly suitable for use in an electronic textile (100), wherein the input and output lines are electrically conductive yarns that are interwoven in a textile carrier (110) on which the electronic components are mounted.

Description

Electronic network and electronic textile comprising the electronic network

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an electronic network comprising a first row of two or more electronic components each having an input terminal and an output terminal, the first row having a first electronic component at a first end and a last electronic component at a second end, a conductive first input line interconnecting all input terminals in the first row, and a conductive first output line interconnecting all output terminals in the first row, wherein the first input line and the first output line have a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length.

The invention also relates to an electronic textile comprising the electronic network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A textile is a material comprised of a network of interlocked fibers known as yarns or threads, that can for instance be manufactured by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or pressing fibers together. Many types of textiles are used in our everyday life. When electronic components are mounted on a textile carrier new application fields emerge.

An electronic component is a device that works by controlling a flow of electric charge. An example of an electronic component is a light-emitting component, such as a component comprising a light-emitting diode, which can be attached to a textile carrier in a variety of ways. The resulting light-emitting textile could open up a wide range of new interior and apparel applications, ranging from illumination to atmosphere creation to messaging. Next to or instead of light-emitting components, other kinds of electronic components, such as for example sensors and actuators, may also be attached to a textile carrier to create an electronic textile.

When a textile carrier is an integral part of an electronic network comprising an electronic component, so that the electronic component is electrically addressable via the textile carrier, an electronic textile is obtained. An electronic network denotes an

interconnection of electronic components, and does not necessarily have a closed loop. An electronic network that has a closed loop is referred to as an electrical circuit. An electronic component is electrically addressable via the textile carrier when the flow of electrons by which it can be controlled is able to reach the component through an electrode comprised in the textile carrier. Examples are the supply of power and the transmission of data to the electronic component via the electrode comprised in the textile carrier.

Textile is skin familiar, breathable, lightweight and can easily conform to body shapes. It is the most suitable carrier on which various functional components may be integrated, if one wants to bring these components close to the body.

The simplest ways of connecting electronic components in an electronic network are series and parallel. When the electronic components are connected in series they are connected along the same path and the same electric current will flow through all of them. The total voltage applied across the electronic components is the sum of the voltages applied across each of the electronic components. This means that when the number of electronic components that are connected in series increases, the total voltage over the electronic components can become very high and therefore unsafe. Furthermore, if an electronic component or a connection is broken, the entire series will not work anymore.

When the electronic components are connected in parallel, the total electric current that will flow in the network is the sum of the electric currents flowing through all electronic components. If the number of electronic components is high, the total electric current can become very high, and possibly too high for certain (small) electronic

components.

It would also be possible to have an electronic network with a combination of series and parallel connections between the electronic components. The voltage required to drive the electronic components depends on the number of electronic components that are connected in series, and the total electric current depends on the number of electronic components that are connected in parallel.

In an electronic textile, the conductors that are used to interconnect and to electrically address the electronic components are usually conductive yarns that are interwoven in the textile carrier. These electrically conductive yarns, for example silver- coated copper litz wire, have an electrical resistance per unit length in the order of 1 Ω/m (or larger), which is significantly higher than that of conductors in conventional electronics. In addition, compared to conventional electronics, the typical path lengths in electronic textiles are larger, and usually in the order of 10 to 100 cm. In an electronic textile, a voltage loss along an electrically conductive yarn is unavoidable. As the electrically conductive yarns have a non-negligible resistance, electronic components located close to a power supply will receive a higher voltage than those far away from the power supply. If the electronic components are light-emitting components this will result in a gradual intensity decrease. Although intensity differences due to variations in characteristics of light-emitting components are often acceptable, as well as differences due to small variations in the quality of points where the light-emitting components are connected to the electrically conductive yarns, a gradual intensity decrease due to voltage loss in the electrically conductive yarns is not acceptable.

Although the aforementioned drawbacks have been described with respect to electronic textiles, they will in fact occur in any electronic devices wherein conductors with a relatively high electrical resistance are used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an electronic network that can be used in an electronic textile to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an electronic textile wherein the performance characteristics of the electronic components are more uniform.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the object is realized by an electronic network according to the opening paragraph, wherein the first input line is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each electronic component in the first row via the input terminal of the first electronic component of the first row, and the first output line is arranged to allow electric charge to flow from each electronic component in the first row via the output terminal of the last electronic component of the first row.

In the context of the invention, a row denotes a series of items placed in a row.

Such an arrangement may also be called a linear or a one-dimensional array.

Each electronic component has conductors that provide connection points to the electronic network. One of these connection points is the input terminal, through which electric charge can flow to the electronic component, and another is the output terminal, through which electric charge can flow from the electronic component. In the electronic network of the invention, the input terminals are all interconnected with an input line. The input line has a uniform electrical resistance per unit length, and may be an electrically conductive yarn. In the electronic network of the invention, the output terminals are all interconnected with an output line. The output line also has a uniform electrical resistance per unit length, and may be an electrically conductive yarn. The electrical resistance per unit length is about the same for the input and the output lines.

The input line is not just for interconnecting all input terminals within the row, but at the same time is for allowing electric charge to flow to each of the electronic components. Similarly, the output line is not just for interconnecting all output terminals within the row, but at the same time is for allowing electric charge to flow from each of the electronic components. In the electronic network of the invention, electric charge can only flow to an electronic component via the input terminal of the electronic component at one end of the row, and it can only flow from an electronic component via the output terminal of the electronic component at the opposite end of the row. In other words, each electron that has been provided to an electronic component in the row has travelled along a common line (the input line), and has always passed the input terminal of the same electronic component located at one end of the row, while each electron that is removed from an electronic component in the row has also travelled along a common line (the output line), and has always passed the output terminal of the same electronic component located at the opposite end of the row. Within the row, every path towards an electronic component and away from the same electronic component has the same length, and therefore the same electrical resistance. A relatively short path towards an electronic component is balanced by a relatively long path away from that electronic component, and vice versa.

A preferred way to ensure that the first input line and the first output line have a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length is by using a first input line and a first output line that have a substantially uniform thickness, comprise the same electrically conductive material, and have substantially the same cross-sectional area.

One may extended the electronic network by having more rows of two or more electronic components, each row being a row as described hereinbefore. The input lines of the rows may be interconnected by an input line interconnecting wire, while the output lines of the rows are interconnected by an output line interconnecting wire. If these input and output line interconnecting wires have an electrical resistance that is negligible compared to that of the input and output lines themselves, the extended electronic network will still be able to provide the aforementioned improved performance.

Alternatively, an extended electronic network may be obtained by having, in addition to the first row of two or more electronic components, a second row of two or more electronic components. The second row is comparable to the first row in that each electronic component in the second row has an input terminal and an output terminal, and in that the second row has a first electronic component at a first end and a last electronic component at a second end. The second row has conductive second input line interconnecting all input terminals in the second row, and a conductive second output line interconnecting all output terminals in the second row, wherein the second input line and the second output line have a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length. The second input line is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each electronic component in the second row via the input terminal of the first electronic component of the second row, and the second output line is arranged to allow electric charge to flow from each electronic component in the second row via the output terminal of the last electronic component of the second row.

Furthermore, the first output line (belonging to the first row) is the same as the second input line (belonging to the second row). In this embodiment, one does not have to interconnect the rows with wires that have an electrical resistance that is negligible compared to that of the input and output lines themselves to maintain the improved performance. Instead, one can now use, for example, electrically conductive yarns to interconnect multiple rows to make an extended electronic network.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the object is realized by an electronic textile comprising the electronic network according to the present invention. The electronic textile may be a light-emitting textile wherein the electronic components are light- emitting components, such as components comprising light-emitting diodes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a top view of a light-emitting textile comprising a first embodiment of the electronic network according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a top view of a light-emitting textile comprising a second embodiment of the electronic network according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows a top view of a light-emitting textile comprising a third embodiment of the electronic network according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows a top view of a light-emitting textile 100, comprising a textile carrier 110, and an electronic network comprising light-emitting components 121, 122, and 123 that are arranged in a row 120. The light-emitting components 121, 122 and 123 comprise light-emitting diodes, and they are mounted onto the textile carrier 110. The first light-emitting component 121 is located at a first end of the row 120, and the last light-emitting component 123 is located at a second end of the row 120. Each light-emitting component has an input terminal and an output terminal. The first light- emitting component has input terminal 131 and output terminal 132, and the last light- emitting component 123 has input terminal 141 and output terminal 142.

The input terminals in the row 120 are interconnected with a conductive first input line 151, being an electrically conductive yarn that is interwoven into the textile carrier 110. The output terminals in the row 120 are interconnected with a conductive first output line 152, also being an electrically conductive yarn that is interwoven into the textile carrier 110. The first input line 151 and the first output line 152 have a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length. This is because they have a substantially uniform thickness, comprise the same electrically conductive material, and have substantially the same cross-sectional area.

The first input line 151 is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each of the light-emitting components 121, 122 and 123 via the input terminal 131 of the first light- emitting component 121. The first output line 152 is arranged to allow electric charge to flow away from each of the light-emitting components 121, 122 and 123 via the output terminal 142 of the last light-emitting component 152.

The first input line 151 and the first output line 152 can be coupled to a power supply (not shown in Figure 1) to create an electronic circuit and to drive the light-emitting components 121, 122, and 123. Apart from any differences due to variations in the characteristics of the light-emitting components 121, 122, and 123, as well as any differences due to small variations in the quality of points where the light-emitting components 121, 122, and 123 are connected to the first input line 151 and the first output line 152, the

aforementioned electronic network ensures a substantially uniform performance of the light- emitting textile 100.

Figure 2 shows a top view of a light-emitting textile 200, comprising a textile carrier 210, and an electronic network comprising light-emitting components 221, 222, and 223 arranged in a first row 220, and light-emitting components 231, 232, and 233 arranged in a second row 230. All light-emitting components comprise light-emitting diodes, and they are mounted onto the textile carrier 210.

The first light-emitting component 221 of the first row 220 is located at a first end of the row 220, and the last light-emitting component 223 of the first row 220 is located at a second end of the row 220. The first light-emitting component 231 of the second row 230 is located at a first end of the row 230, and the last light-emitting component 233 of the second row 230 is located at a second end of the row 230.

Each light-emitting component has an input terminal and an output terminal. The first light-emitting component 221 of the first row 220 has input terminal 241 and output terminal 242, and the last light-emitting component 223 of the first row 220 has input terminal 251 and output terminal 252. The first light-emitting component 231 of the second row 230 has input terminal 261 and output terminal 262, and the last light-emitting component 233 of the second row 230 has input terminal 271 and output terminal 272.

The input terminals in the first row 220 are interconnected with a conductive first input line 281. The output terminals in the first row 220 are interconnected with a conductive first output line 291. The input terminals in the second row 230 are

interconnected with a conductive second input line 282. The output terminals in the second row 230 are interconnected with a conductive second output line 292. The first input line 281, the second input line 282, the first output line 291, and the second output line 292 are all electrically conductive yarns that are interwoven into the textile carrier 210. Furthermore, they all have a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length, because they have a substantially uniform thickness, comprise the same electrically conductive material, and have substantially the same cross-sectional area.

The first input line 281 is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each of the light-emitting components 221, 222 and 223 via the input terminal 241 of the first light- emitting component 221 of the first row 220. The second input line 282 is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each of the light-emitting components 231, 232 and 233 via the input terminal 261 of the first light-emitting component 231 of the second row 230. The first output line 291 is arranged to allow electric charge to flow away from each of the light- emitting components 221, 222 and 223 via the output terminal 252 of the last light-emitting component 223 of the first row 220. The second output line 292 is arranged to allow electric charge to flow away from each of the light-emitting components 231, 232 and 233 via the output terminal 272 of the last light-emitting component 233 of the second row 230.

The first input line 281 and the second input line 282 are both connected to the input line interconnecting wire 283. The first output line 291 and the second output line 292 are both connected to the output line interconnecting wire 293. The input line interconnecting wire 283 and the output line interconnecting wire 293 can be coupled to a power supply (not shown in Figure 2) to create an electronic circuit and to drive the light-emitting components 221, 222, 223, 231, 232, and 233. The input line interconnecting wire 283 and the output line interconnecting wire 293 have an electrical resistance that is negligible compared to that of the input lines 281 and 282, and the output lines 291 and 292 themselves, so that the extended electronic network of Figure 2 will still be able to provide an improved performance similar to the electronic network of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a top view of a light-emitting textile 300, which is similar to the light-emitting textile 200, except for the way in which the first row 220 and the second row 230 are interconnected. Constituents of the light-emitting textile 300 that are similar to corresponding constituents of the light-emitting textile 200 have been labeled with the same reference number.

In the light-emitting textile 300, the first output line 291 is the same as the second input line 282. The first input line 281 and the second output line 292 can be coupled to a power supply (not shown in Figure 3) to create an electronic circuit and to drive the light-emitting components 221, 222, 223, 231, 232, and 233. In the light-emitting textile 300 one does not have to use input and output line interconnecting wires that have an electrical resistance that is negligible compared to that of the input and output lines themselves to maintain an improved performance.

The skilled person will understand that instead of a light-emitting textile, any other electronic textile may be constructed as described hereinbefore, as the electronic network will always ensure a substantially uniform performance of any kind of electronic components that are comprised in an electronic textile.

The terms "first", "second", and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "to comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim, nor does it exclude embodiments wherein the verb means "to consists of. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An electronic network comprising:

a first row (120) of two or more electronic components (121, 122, 123) each having an input terminal (131, 141) and an output terminal (132, 142), the first row (120) having a first electronic component (121) at a first end and a last electronic component (123) at a second end,

a conductive first input line (151) interconnecting all input terminals (131,

141) in the first row (120), and

a conductive first output line (152) interconnecting all output terminals (132,

142) in the first row (120),

wherein the first input line (151) and the first output line (152) have a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length,

and wherein the first input line (151) is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each electronic component (121, 122, 123) in the first row (120) via the input terminal (131) of the first electronic component (121) of the first row (120), and the first output line (152) is arranged to allow electric charge to flow from each electronic component

(121, 122, 123) in the first row (120) via the output terminal (142) of the last electronic component (123) of the first row (120).

2. The electronic network of claim 1, further comprising:

- a second row (230) of two or more electronic components (231 , 232, 233) each having an input terminal (261, 271) and an output terminal (262, 272), the second row (230) having a first electronic component (231) at a first end and a last electronic component (233) at a second end,

a conductive second input line (282) interconnecting all input terminals (261, 271) in the second row (230), and

a conductive second output line (292) interconnecting all output terminals (262, 272) in the second row (230),

wherein the second input line (282) and the second output line (292) have a uniform and substantially the same electrical resistance per unit length, and wherein the second input line (282) is arranged to allow electric charge to flow to each electronic component (231, 232, 233) in the second row (230) via the input terminal (261) of the first electronic component (231) of the second row (230), and the second output line (292) is arranged to allow electric charge to flow from each electronic component (231 , 232, 233) in the second row (230) via the output terminal (272) of the last electronic component (233) of the second row (230),

the first output line (291) being the same as the second input line (282).

3. An electronic textile (100, 200, 300) comprising a textile carrier (110, 210) and the electronic network of claim 1 or 2, wherein the input lines (151, 281, 282) and the output lines (152, 291, 292) are interwoven in the textile carrier (110, 210).

4. The electronic textile of claim 3, being a light-emitting textile, wherein the electronic components are light-emitting components.