WO2020031033A1

WO2020031033A1 - Automatic measuring bra

Info

Publication number: WO2020031033A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/056561
Authority: WO
Inventors: Simon Cooper; Michael Slobodkin
Original assignee: Like A Glove Ltd.
Priority date: 2018-08-06
Filing date: 2019-08-01
Publication date: 2020-02-13

Abstract

Measurement apparatus (20, 60, 90, 100) includes an elastic fabric (22), configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature. A plurality of conductive fibers (24, 26, 28, 29, 33, 64, 66, 68, 70, 74, 76, 78, 80, 92, 94, 96, 102, 104) are fixed to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber configured to extend across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body. A controller (30) is coupled to measure an electrical property of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured electrical property.

Description

AUTOMATIC MEASURING BRA

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claim the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/714,779, filed August 6, 2018; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/835,028, filed April 17, 2019; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/853,752, filed May 29, 2019. This application is a continuation- in-part of U.S. Patent Application 15/302,175, filed October 6, 2016, in the national phase of PCT Patent Application PCT/IB2015/053336, filed May 7, 2015 (and published as PCT International Publication WO 2015/181661), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application 14/538,909, filed November 12, 2014 (now U.S. Patent 9,858,611), and clai s the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/004,320, filed May 29, 2014, and of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/030,631, filed July 30, 2014. All of these related applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to fitting of clothing, and specifically to methods and apparatus for automatic measurement and fitting of clothing sizes.

BACKGROUND

When buying clothes or shoes in a store or, particularly, on line, it is often hard to know the right size or how well a given item will fit without trying it on first. Very often, the nominal size itself is not a sufficient indicator, since different garments of the same indicated size might have different contours and dimensions, which do not always match well the contours and dimensions of the body of the person for whom the garments are intended.

A number of solutions to this problem have been proposed in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Patent 7,162,441 explains the difficulties inherent in bra fitting, due to variations in size, shape and disposition of the breasts, by the amorphous nature of the breasts themselves, and by the fact that many women are never measured for bra size, either professionally or otherwise. Furthermore, changes occur to the size and shape of breasts at different times during the menstrual cycle and as the years progress, as well as during and after pregnancy. When choosing bras from mail-order catalogues or via the Internet, the option of trying a bra for fit is much more restricted since, if the bra does not fit, it must be returned to the provider, usually by mail, and another choice made. If the consumer is unsure of the size she requires, it could take several attempts and much time and frustration before an appropriate bra is found. The quest to find a correctly-fitting bra is further complicated by the problems that many women fall in between available standard sizes, and that the so-called standard sizes are not uniform among different makes and styles of bras.

In response to this problem, U.S. Patent 7,162,441 describes a method that involves establishing a database of bras containing bra characteristic data including bra size and bra cup size measured from a sample of actual bras. A wearer's breast and torso size are measured to obtain wearer characteristic data. The database is searched to find bra characteristic data within the database matching the wearer characteristic data, and any bras in the database whose characteristics match the wearer characteristic data are listed for selection by the wearer. The patent describes a bra measuring apparatus, which comprises support means for supporting a bra, at least one bladder expandable under internal fluid pressure within a cup of a bra thus supported, and measurement means for measuring the volume and/or pressure of the fluid within the bladder when the cup of the bra has been filled.

Another approach is described in the above-mentioned PCT International Publication WO 2015/181661. This publication describes measurement apparatus, which includes an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject. One or more conductive fibers are integrated with the elastic fabric to as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body. A controller is coupled to measure an electrical property of the one or more conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output an indication of a dimension of the part of the body based on the measured property.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention provide improved apparatus and methods for measuring body dimensions, as well as selecting appropriately-sized clothing based on such measurements.

There is therefore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, measurement apparatus, including an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature. A plurality of conductive fibers are fixed to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber configured to extend across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body. A controller is coupled to measure an electrical property of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured electrical property. In some embodiments, the conductive fibers are attached to the elastic fabric in a zigzag pattern, and the controller is configured to measure a change in an inductance of the one or more conductive fibers in response to the stretching of the elastic fabric. In a disclosed embodiment, a ribbon is attached to the elastic fabric, wherein the ribbon is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, and wherein the conductive fibers are sewn onto the ribbon in the zigzag pattern. Typically, the ribbon is attached to the elastic fabric by the conductive fibers sewn in the zigzag pattern.

In some embodiments, the garment includes a bra, and the at least one fiber is configured to extend across at least one breast of the subject, and the controller is configured to output indications of both a band size and a cup size of the subject based on the measured electrical property. In a disclosed embodiment, the at least one fiber includes multiple fibers configured to extend across the at least one breast at different, respective heights relative to a vertical axis of the body. Additionally or alternatively, the at least one fiber extends only across a front of the bra, traversing both breasts of the subject, and the plurality of the conductive fibers includes at least one further fiber extending around a back of the subject.

There is also provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, measurement apparatus, including an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature. A plurality of conductive fibers are attached to the elastic fabric in a zigzag pattern so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber in which the zigzag pattern extends across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body. A controller is coupled to measure an inductance of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, measurement apparatus, including a bra, which includes an elastic fabric configured to extend over breasts of a female subject and including a band configured to fit around a thorax of the subject below the breasts. A plurality of conductive fibers are fixed to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the thorax, including at least two upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend over an area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to a vertical axis of the thorax, and at least one lower fiber fixed in proximity to the band. A controller is coupled to measure an electrical property of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output indications of both a band size and a cup size of the subject based on the measured electrical property.

In a disclosed embodiment, the controller is configured to identify, responsively to the measured electrical property, one or more of the upper fibers that cross the breasts of the subject, and to generate an indication of the cup size based on the identified one or more of the upper fibers.

Additionally or alternatively, the controller is configured to measure the electrical property over a period during which the subject wearing the bra has taken one or more breaths, and generate an indication of at least the band size responsively to variations of the electrical property over the period.

Further additionally or alternatively, the plurality of the conductive fibers includes at least three upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend over the area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to the vertical axis of the thorax.

There is further provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, measurement apparatus, including an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject. A ribbon, which is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, is fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend at least partially around the part of the body when the garment is worn by the subject. At least one conductive fiber is attached to the ribbon in a zigzag pattern. A controller is coupled to measure an inductance of the at least one conductive fiber in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output an indication of a dimension of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

In a disclosed embodiment, the ribbon is attached to the elastic fabric by the conductive fibers sewn in the zigzag pattern.

In some embodiments, the ribbon includes at least two conductive fibers extending in parallel along the ribbon in respective zigzag patterns.

Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus includes an inelastic polymeric material applied in a wave pattern along the ribbon.

There is moreover provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method for measurement, which includes fixing a plurality of conductive fibers to an elastic fabric, which is configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature, so that the fibers stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber configured to extend across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body. An electrical property of each of the conductive fibers is measured in response to stretching of the elastic fabric. Indications are output of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured electrical property.

There is furthermore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method for measurement, which includes fixing a plurality of conductive fibers in a zigzag pattern to an elastic fabric, which is configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature, so that the fibers stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber in which the zigzag pattern extends across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body. An inductance of each of the conductive fibers is measured in response to stretching of the elastic fabric. Indications are output of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

There is also provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method for measurement, which includes providing a bra, including an elastic fabric configured to extend over breasts of a female subject and including a band configured to fit around a thorax of the subject below the breasts. A plurality of conductive fibers are fixed to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the thorax, including at least two upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend over an area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to a vertical axis of the thorax, and at least one lower fiber fixed in proximity to the band. An electrical property of each of the conductive fibers is measured in response to stretching of the elastic fabric. Indications are output of both a band size and a cup size of the subject based on the measured electrical property.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method for measurement, which includes attaching at least one conductive fiber in a zigzag pattern to a ribbon, which is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, and fixing the ribbon to an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject, so that the ribbon extends at least partially around the part of the body when the garment is worn by the subject. An inductance of the at least one conductive fiber is measured in response to stretching of the elastic fabric. An indication is output of a dimension of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figs. 1A and 1B are schematic pictorial illustrations of a self-measuring bra, in front and rear views, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic detail view of an inductive sensing strip, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a block diagram that schematically shows electrical components of a self measuring bra, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 4A and 4B are schematic front and review views of a self-measuring bra, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are schematic front view of self-measuring bras, in accordance with further embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention that are disclosed herein provide apparatus and methods for measuring a person’s body shape and size, as well as matching clothing to the measurements, without requiring that the person actually try on the clothing. The embodiments described below provide a garment, made of stretchable fabrics and electronics, that hugs a part of the person’s body, automatically measures the person’s body shape and/or size electronically, thus enabling better matching of clothing sizes to body dimensions. The disclosed embodiments are particularly beneficial in selecting hard-to-fit items, such as bras, but can be used in fitting substantially any sort of clothing, worn over any part of the body.

In fitting some types of clothing, it is desirable to measure not only the circumference of the part of the body over which the clothing is to be worn, but also specific anatomical features of this part of the body. For example, to properly fit a bra, measurements should be taken at several locations in order to find the optimal band size (i.e., the circumference of the torso just below the breasts) and the cup size, as well as to find the styles that will best suit the body shape of the woman in question.

To address these needs, some embodiments of the present invention provide measurement apparatus comprising an elastic fabric, configured as a garment, such as a bra, to be worn over a part of the body. Conductive fibers are fixed to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including for example, at least one fiber configured to extend across an anatomical feature, such as one or both breasts, but not around the entire circumference of the part of the body. Alternatively, such a fiber or fibers may extend around the circumference of the body, but be attached to the elastic fabric in a zigzag pattern that extends across the anatomical feature but not around the entire circumference. In either case, a controller measures an electrical property, such as inductance, of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and outputs indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and the circumference of the part of the body based on the measured electrical property. For example, in the case of a bra, one or more of the fibers may extend only across the front of the bra, traversing the breasts for the purpose of measuring the cup size, while at least one other fiber extends around the back.

It is also desirable that the measuring garment be designed to accommodate and measure a large range of different sizes. For example, a measuring bra should be able to measure breasts of different sizes and at different heights relative to the shoulders. Thus, in some embodiments of the present invention, a measuring bra includes multiple upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric of the bra so as to extend of the area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to the vertical axis of the thorax. A different one of these fibers will cross the fullest part of the breasts of the woman wearing the bra, depending on her physique. At least one lower fiber is fixed to the elastic fabric at the band level so that it fits around the thorax below the breasts.

By measuring an electrical property (such as the inductance) of the fibers, the controller can provide an indication of how much each of the upper fibers, as well as the fiber at the band level, has stretched. A processor (either the controller itself or in an external device or computer with which the controller communicates) uses this information in measuring the breasts and torso shape, and can generate an indication of the cup size on this basis. The processor can thus adapt the measurements automatically to different heights and shapes of the breasts of different women. To accommodate a large range of anatomical variations, it is advantageous that there be at least two or even three upper fibers extending across the area of the breasts at different heights.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive fibers are attached to the measuring garment in a zigzag pattern, and the controller measures the inductance of the fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric. For ease and reliability of manufacturing, one or more of the fibers may be attached to an elastic ribbon, which is fixed to the elastic fabric of the measuring garment. For example, the conductive fibers can be attached to the elastic fabric of the garment by stitching the elastic ribbon to the garment using the conductive fiber as one of the sewing fibers and a nonconductive thread as another as another sewing fiber in a three-point zigzag pattern. It is advantageous for this purpose, that the ribbon be elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon (i.e., along the length of the ribbon) and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon (along the width). In the context of the present patent application and in the claims, the term“elastic” means that the material in question is capable of stretching by more than 50% and then recovering its dimension, while“inelastic” means that the material has no or very little stretch, for example, no more than 10%. The transverse inelasticity of the ribbon is useful in ensuring that the conductive fibers also stretch only along the measurement direction, so that the inductance is not affected by spurious transverse stretching, and the likelihood of breaking the fibers due to transverse stretching is reduced.

Figs. 1A and 1B are schematic pictorial illustrations of a self-measuring bra 20, in front and rear views, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Bra 20 comprises an elastic fabric 22, which is cut, shaped and sewn so as to extend over the breasts of a female subject, including a band 23 that fits around the thorax below the breasts. For example, bra 20 may use a Santoni knitted bra as a base, with the addition of conductive fibers 24, 26, 28, 29 fixed to elastic fabric 22, for example over an elastic ribbon, so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when a woman wears the bra. Upper fibers 24, 26 and 28 are fixed to fabric 22 along different, respective paths that extend over the area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to the vertical axis of the thorax, and will thus adapt to the wearer’s cup size and torso shape. Fiber 29 is fixed in proximity to the band (meaning on the band or adjacent to the band). Alternatively, bra 20 may comprise a greater or smaller number of conductive fibers, in these or other configurations, for example as shown in the figures that follow.

A controller 30 measures an electrical property, such as the inductance, of each of conductive fibers 24, 26, 28, 29 in response to stretching of elastic fabric 22, and thus outputs indications of both the band size and the cup size of the subject based on the measurements. (A possible arrangement of the fibers for the purposes of measurement of inductance is shown in Fig. 2, while details of a possible design of controller 30 are shown in Fig. 3.) These indications are typically in the form of numerical values, which are output to an external processor. In the pictured example, the woman wearing bra 20 has downloaded an application program (app) to a smartphone 31 , which communicates with controller 30 over a wireless link, such as a Bluetooth® link, and reads the measurements from the controller. An application running on smartphone 31 may process the measurements itself, or may convey the measurements over a network to a server 25, in order to derive the woman’s band and cup size, as well as other bra size parameters.

To operate bra 20, the woman turns on controller 30 and puts on the bra, possibly with her own best-fitting bra underneath. The woman positions bra 20 so that one of the conductive fibers, for example fiber 29, is located directly below her breasts and another one of the upper fibers, such as fiber 26 in the pictured example, crosses her cup over the fullest part of her bust. For example, the woman may adjust the positioning of bra 20 by pulling on the shoulder straps to position the bra higher or pulling on band 23 to position it lower. Additionally or alternatively, a processor (such as server 25) may automatically assess the degree of stretching of each of fibers 24, 26 and 28 in order to find the cup size by combining the measurements made over two or more of these fibers. Further additionally or alternatively, the app could ask the woman to indicate which of fibers 24, 26, 28 and 29 is positioned in proximity to her band location and which is at her cup.

After positioning the bra, the woman presses a“measure” button in the app on smartphone 31 and stands still, while the app links wirelessly to controller 30 and takes readings from fibers 24, 26, 28 and 29. Optionally, the app may instruct the woman to take several deep breaths while smartphone 31 receives readings form controller 30 in order to measure her minimum and maximum values of bust and band size. Once the measurements are complete, the woman can take off the measuring bra and browse the app on smartphone 31, which will present her with bra styles and sizes that fit her body. She could then proceed to purchase a bra via the app or use the information provided by the app to assist her in store purchases.

Fig. 2 is a schematic detail view of an inductive sensing strip 27, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Fibers 24, 26, 28 and 29 in Figs. 1A/B, for example, may all be produced and applied to elastic fabric 22 on strips of this sort, as may the fibers shown in the figures that follow. Strip 27 comprises a ribbon 32, which is elastic along its longitudinal dimension and inelastic along its transverse dimension, typically by interweaving elastic longitudinal threads with inelastic transverse threads. Ribbon 32 is sewn to the elastic fabric 22 in a zigzag pattern using a conductive fiber 33, while the second thread of the sewing stitch is a regular, nonconductive thread. For example, conductive fiber 33 may comprise a laminated copper wire, is attached to the ribbon in a zigzag pattern. Ribbon 32 is fixed to elastic fabric 22 of bra 20 along the paths of the fibers that are shown in Figs. 1 A/B, or along any other desired path or paths. Further details regarding the structure and production of strip 27 are shown and described in the above-mentioned PCT International Publication WO 2015/181661, particularly in Fig. 5B and on page 12, line 26 - page 13, line 20, in the specification.

The zigzag pattern of fiber 33 creates inductance, which is a function of the zigzag angle and width. When strip 27 stretches along the longitudinal dimension, the zigzag angle of the corresponding fibers will increase, and the inductance will decrease accordingly. Parameters such as the stitch pattern, density, and width may be varied, using techniques that are known in the art, in order to achieve the desired inductance through strip 27. Fig. 3 is a block diagram that schematically shows details of an example implementation of controller 30, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Controller 30 in this implementation comprises a printed circuit board (which may be flexible or rigid), on which one or more integrated circuit chips and associated components are mounted. The board and components are then encapsulated in a suitable package, which is sewn onto or otherwise fastened to bra 20. The package, for example, is protected by waterproof fabric or is otherwise sealed in order to protect the circuitry inside from damage due to laundering or spills.

Controller 30 comprises an inductance-to-digital converter 34 (marked in the figure as an “LDC”), which is coupled to measure the inductance of fibers 24, 26, 28 and 29, and particularly to detect values of inductance. Measurements of the inductance may be repeated multiple times per second in order to sense changes due to breathing and other body movements. Additionally or alternatively, LDC 34 may be replaced or supplemented by a component that transmits short pulses over fibers 24, ..., 29 and analyzes the signals returned from the fibers in order to take measurements.

A processor 35 receives measurements from LDC 34 via a bus 39. Processor 35 typically comprises a central processing unit (CPU), which is driven by software or firmware to carry out the functions described herein. Measurement data may be stored temporarily in a random-access memory (RAM) 36, while a non-volatile memory 40 stores software or firmware code, and possibly also persistent data, such as calibration data, user identification and other personal information. (Although these and other components are shown in Fig. 3 as separate blocks, they may be implemented as parts of an integrated microcontroller unit.) Processor 35 typically outputs raw inductance values for conversion to physical dimensions by an external computing device, such as a local computer or smartphone, or a remote server.

A wireless communication link 37, such as a Bluetooth® or other short-range radio unit, transmits the data collected by processor 35 via an antenna 38 to a nearby computing device, such as smartphone 31, and may also receive operating instructions and/or code updates from the computing device. (Link 37 may similarly be part of the same microcontroller unit, while antenna 38 may be a part of the printed circuit.)

An integral or replaceable battery 44 provides electrical power to the components of controller 30. If battery 44 is of a rechargeable type, a battery charging circuit 46 may be provided, with electrical power input either via a connector 48 or a wireless charging coil 50, as is known in the art. The circuits of controller 30 may be actuated either by a switch 54 or by an automatic power-on circuit 52 or by the microcontroller unit. Controller 30 may optionally comprise other components (not shown in the figures), such as an inertial sensing chip (commonly referred to as a gyro sensor) to indicate the angle of body inclination, as well as acceleration. In other cases, one or more chips of this sort may be attached to garment 22 in different locations and coupled by wire or wirelessly to controller 30 or to smartphone 31.

Figs. 4A and 4B are schematic front and rear views of a self-measuring bra 60, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, fibers 64, 66 and 68 will extend across the breasts of the woman wearing the bra, between controller 30 and a junction patch 62. Fibers 74, 76 and 78 extend across the woman’s back in similar fashion. Fibers 70 and 80 may be connected together in series in junction patch 62 or may be integrally formed by the same stitch and thus provide a measurement of the woman’s band circumference. Although this figure shows a certain number and configuration of fibers by way of illustration, the principles of this embodiment may similarly be applied using a larger or smaller number of fibers, which may be applied to fabric 22 of bra 60 in any suitable pattern.

Junction patch 62 may connect fibers 64, 66, 68, 70, 74, 76, 78 and 80 together in any desired configuration, which can be either fixed or variable. For this purpose, junction patch 62 may include passive interconnect electronics or active interconnect electronics, controlled by controller 30 or wirelessly by an application running on smartphone 31. For example, junction patch 62 may loop fibers 64 and 68 together, so that controller 30 will measure the inductance of this looped-back path across the woman’s breasts and thus estimate the cup size. Fibers 74 and 78 may similarly be looped together to enable measurement of the width of the woman’s back. Fibers 66 and 76 may be connected together in series to give the full circumference of the bust (although in some cases this measurement may be redundant, since controller 30 can also find the circumference by adding together the separate front and back measurements provided by fibers 64 and 68 and by fibers 74 and 78). Alternatively, patch 62 may implement substantially any other desired interconnection scheme among the fibers.

Alternatively or additionally, junction patch 62 may contain switching circuitry (not shown) to enable measurements to be made over different combinations of fibers. For example, a switch might first connect fibers 64 and 66 together in a looped-back path for measurement of the cup size, and then connect fibers 66 and 76 together to measure the bust circumference. Different switching combinations may also be used to accommodate and measure different bust sizes, shapes and heights. The switching circuitry in patch 62 may be controlled for example by transmission of control signals from controller 30 to patch 62 over one or more of the fibers or over a wireless link either from smartphone 31 or controller 30.

Fig. 5 is a schematic front view of a self-measuring bra 90, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. Bra 90 comprises fibers 92, 94 and 96 extending across the front of the bra, in similar fashion to the fibers in the preceding embodiment. Fiber 96 loops back through patch 62 to controller 30, while fibers 92 and 94 continue around the back side of the bra (not shown). To ensure correct relative positioning between fibers 94 and 96, an inelastic polymeric material 98 is applied in a wave pattern or other pattern over the ribbons containing the fibers. Polymeric material 98 may comprise a heat-applied polyurethane film or tape, for example. The wave pattern of material 98 allows fibers 94 and 96 to stretch longitudinally, while inhibiting transverse stretching.

Fig. 6 is a schematic front view of a self-measuring bra 100, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, fibers 102 and 104 are looped together over the front of bra 100. As shown in the inset, fibers 102 and 104 comprise a pair of fibers 33, which are sewn in parallel onto the same wide ribbon 32 in a zigzag pattern. The wide ribbon in this case can ensure that fibers 102 and 104 stretch and contract together in a fixed positional relation. In other embodiments, fibers may be applied along other paths or around the body using the same sort of wide ribbon 32.

Although the embodiments described above and shown in the figures relate, for the sake of concreteness and clarity, to particular types and configurations of self-measuring bras, the principles of the present invention may similarly be applied in producing self-measuring garments of other types and configurations, to be worn over substantially any part of the body. Such garments may use not only the principles of inductive measurements that are explained above, but also measurement of other electrical properties of the conductive fibers, such as resistance and capacitance. All such alternative implementations of the principles and techniques described herein are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

It will thus be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art.

Claims

1. Measurement apparatus, comprising:

an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature;

a plurality of conductive fibers, fixed to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber configured to extend across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body; and a controller, which is coupled to measure an electrical property of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured electrical property.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive fibers are attached to the elastic fabric in a zigzag pattern, and wherein the controller is configured to measure a change in an inductance of the one or more conductive fibers in response to the stretching of the elastic fabric.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, and comprising a ribbon attached to the elastic fabric, wherein the ribbon is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, and wherein the conductive fibers are sewn onto the ribbon in the zigzag pattern.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ribbon is attached to the elastic fabric by the conductive fibers sewn in the zigzag pattern.

5. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the garment comprises a bra, and the at least one fiber is configured to extend across at least one breast of the subject, and the controller is configured to output indications of both a band size and a cup size of the subject based on the measured electrical property.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one fiber comprises multiple fibers configured to extend across the at least one breast at different, respective heights relative to a vertical axis of the body.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one fiber extends only across a front of the bra, traversing both breasts of the subject, and the plurality of the conductive fibers comprises at least one further fiber extending around a back of the subject.

8. Measurement apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of conductive fibers, attached to the elastic fabric in a zigzag pattern so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber in which the zigzag pattern extends across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body; and

a controller, which is coupled to measure an inductance of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, and comprising a ribbon attached to the elastic fabric, wherein the ribbon is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, and wherein the conductive fibers are sewn onto the ribbon in the zigzag pattern.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the ribbon is attached to the elastic fabric by the conductive fibers sewn in the zigzag pattern.

11. Measurement apparatus, comprising:

a bra, comprising an elastic fabric configured to extend over breasts of a female subject and comprising a band configured to fit around a thorax of the subject below the breasts;

a plurality of conductive fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the thorax, including at least two upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend over an area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to a vertical axis of the thorax, and at least one lower fiber fixed in proximity to the band; and

a controller, which is coupled to measure an electrical property of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output indications of both a band size and a cup size of the subject based on the measured electrical property.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to identify, responsively to the measured electrical property, one or more of the upper fibers that cross the breasts of the subject, and to generate an indication of the cup size based on the identified one or more of the upper fibers.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to measure the electrical property over a period during which the subject wearing the bra has taken one or more breaths, and generate an indication of at least the band size responsively to variations of the electrical property over the period.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the plurality of the conductive fibers includes at least three upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend over the area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to the vertical axis of the thorax.

15. Measurement apparatus, comprising:

an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject;

a ribbon, which is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, and which is fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend at least partially around the part of the body when the garment is worn by the subject;

at least one conductive fiber, which is attached to the ribbon in a zigzag pattern; and a controller, which is coupled to measure an inductance of the at least one conductive fiber in response to stretching of the elastic fabric, and to output an indication of a dimension of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the ribbon is attached to the elastic fabric by the conductive fibers sewn in the zigzag pattern.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the ribbon comprises at least two conductive fibers extending in parallel along the ribbon in respective zigzag patterns.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, and comprising an inelastic polymeric material applied in a wave pattern along the ribbon.

19. A method for measurement, comprising:

fixing a plurality of conductive fibers to an elastic fabric, which is configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature, so that the fibers stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber configured to extend across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body;

measuring an electrical property of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric; and outputting indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured electrical property.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein fixing the plurality of the conductive fibers comprises attaching the conductive fibers to the elastic fabric in a zigzag pattern, and wherein measuring the electrical property comprises measuring a change in an inductance of the one or more conductive fibers in response to the stretching of the elastic fabric.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein attaching the conductive fibers comprises sewing the conductive fibers in the zigzag pattern onto a ribbon, which is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, so as to attach the ribbon to the elastic fabric.

22. The method according to any of claims 19-21, wherein the garment comprises a bra, and the at least one fiber is configured to extend across at least one breast of the subject, and outputting the indications comprises indicating both a band size and a cup size of the subject based on the measured electrical property.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least one fiber comprises multiple fibers configured to extend across the at least one breast at different, respective heights relative to a vertical axis of the body.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least one fiber extends only across a front of the bra, traversing both breasts of the subject, and the plurality of the conductive fibers comprises at least one further fiber extending around a back of the subject.

25. A method for measurement, comprising:

fixing a plurality of conductive fibers in a zigzag pattern to an elastic fabric, which is configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject having an anatomical feature, so that the fibers stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the part of the body, including at least one fiber in which the zigzag pattern extends across the anatomical feature but not around an entire circumference of the part of the body;

measuring an inductance of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric; and

outputting indications of both a dimension of the anatomical feature and a circumference of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein fixing the conductive fibers comprises sewing the conductive fibers in the zigzag pattern onto a ribbon, which is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, so as to attach the ribbon to the elastic fabric.

27. A method for measurement, comprising:

providing a bra, comprising an elastic fabric configured to extend over breasts of a female subject and comprising a band configured to fit around a thorax of the subject below the breasts; fixing a plurality of conductive fibers to the elastic fabric so as to stretch together with the elastic fabric when worn over the thorax, including at least two upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend over an area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to a vertical axis of the thorax, and at least one lower fiber fixed in proximity to the band;

measuring an electrical property of each of the conductive fibers in response to stretching of the elastic fabric; and

outputting indications of both a band size and a cup size of the subject based on the measured electrical property.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein measuring the electrical property comprises identifying, responsively to the measured electrical property, one or more of the upper fibers that cross the breasts of the subject, and wherein outputting the indications comprises generating an indication of the cup size based on the identified one or more of the upper fibers.

29. The method according to claim 27 or 28, wherein measuring the electrical property comprises making measurements over a period during which the subject wearing the bra has taken one or more breaths, and wherein outputting the indications comprises generating an indication of at least the band size responsively to variations of the electrical property over the period.

30. The method according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the plurality of the conductive fibers includes at least three upper fibers fixed to the elastic fabric so as to extend over the area of the breasts at different, respective heights relative to the vertical axis of the thorax.

31. A method for measurement, comprising:

attaching at least one conductive fiber in a zigzag pattern to a ribbon, which is elastic along a longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and inelastic along a transverse dimension of the ribbon, and fixing the ribbon to an elastic fabric, configured as a garment to be worn over a part of a body of a human subject, so that the ribbon extends at least partially around the part of the body when the garment is worn by the subject;

measuring an inductance of the at least one conductive fiber in response to stretching of the elastic fabric; and

outputting an indication of a dimension of the part of the body based on the measured inductance.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein attaching the at least one conductive fiber comprises sewing the at least one conductive fiber to the ribbon in the zigzag pattern so that the ribbon is fixed to the elastic fabric by the at least one conductive fiber.

33. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein attaching the at least one conductive fiber comprises extending at least two conductive fibers in parallel along the ribbon in respective zigzag patterns.

34. The method according to claim 31 or 32, and comprising applying an inelastic polymeric material in a wave pattern along the ribbon.