Abstract:
Both ends of an interface may each be configured by an interface device including a light emitting unit that emits light into a textile, a light diffusion unit that widely diffuses the emitted light onto the textile and extends a light receiving range of a light receiving unit, and a light receiving unit for receiving an optical signal of the other party unlike the existing method using electromagnetic inductive coupling in the wearable computing system and a method of performing communication by using light such as infrared rays, visible light, laser, or the like as a medium is provided.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application Serial Number 10-2009-0090564, filed on Sep. 24, 2009, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a textile-type interface device for optical communication in a wearable computing system and, more particularly, to a textile-type interface device that performs communication by using light in a wearable computing system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     With development of the computing technology, research activities for providing various types of personalized computing environments are in progress and in particular, wearable computing that researches a clothing-type wearable computer has been considered as a core field of the next-generation computing technology. As communication devices with various apparatuses that are distributed inside and outside of a system such as a clothing are required in the wearable computing field, research fields such as personal area network (PAN) and fabric area network (FAN) have been developed and various methods have been attempted. 
     The basic methods can be largely divided into a classic scheme in which a connection part in the clothing is configured as a removable socket type to connect external apparatuses and a wireless scheme using electromagnetic waves. In the removable socket scheme as the most commonly used scheme, a user needs to connect a socket installed in the clothing to the mobile apparatus manually, such that the user cannot easily attach and detach the mobile apparatus to and from the socket and should be watchful of waterproofing processing for a socket connector of the clothing. Since the wireless scheme using the electromagnetic waves designs a textile-type inductive antenna and implements the antenna in a clothing form uses the existing low-power near communication scheme such as radio frequency (RF), Zigbee, or Bluetooth or an electromagnetic inductive coupling scheme, the wireless scheme provides convenience in attaching and detaching the external apparatus, but it is defective in preventing the electromagnetic waves from affecting the human body and providing proper security. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is contrived to solve the above-mentioned problem and provides a new communication interfacing method using light and an apparatus thereof which can be conveniently connected with external apparatuses without being removed and can arbitrarily perform communication between an inner piece and an outer piece of a clothing. 
     The present invention relates to an optical communication interface device performing optical communication that includes a textile structure having a light emitting unit which can transmit optical data and a light diffusion unit which can be weaved together with a textile and connected with the light emitting unit to diffuse light at the time of transmitting the optical data by the light emitting unit. 
     Further, the textile structure further includes a light receiving unit that receives an external optical signal. 
     Further, the light diffusion unit is an optical fiber having a thin surface form. 
     In addition, the light diffusion unit is more widely distributed in the optical communication interface device than the light emitting unit so as to widely diffuse the optical signal. 
     Meanwhile, the light diffusion unit is constituted by at least one of a side emitting plastic optical fiber and an EL wire. 
     Further, the optical communication interface device further includes a signal generator that generates the optical signal which the light emitting unit transmits, wherein the signal generator includes an encoder that channel-encodes transmission data and a modulator that generates a modulation signal by modulating the encoded data and provides the generated signal to the light emitting unit. 
     Further, the optical communication interface device further includes a signal recovering unit that recovers the optical signal which the light receiving unit receives, wherein the signal recovering unit includes a demodulator that demodulates the inputted optical signal and generates the demodulated signal and a decoder that receives and channel-decodes the demodulated signal. 
     Meanwhile, the optical communication interface device includes two or more textile structures, and optical communication can be performed between the textile structures in the optical communication interface device. 
     In addition, the optical communication interface device is communicable with an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus includes the light emitting unit that transmits the optical data, a light diffusion unit that diffuses light at the time of transmitting the optical data by the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit that receives the external optical signal. 
     Meanwhile, the optical communication interface device performs optical communication with articles including the textile structure. 
     Further, a textile-type button generating a control signal for controlling an optical communication target is attached to the optical communication interface device. 
     In addition, the signal of the light emitting unit is any one of infrared rays, visible light, and laser. 
     Meanwhile, the present invention relates to an electronic apparatus performing optical communication with an optical communication interface device that includes a light emitting unit that transmits optical data; and a light diffusion unit that is connected to the light emitting unit to diffuse light at the time of transmitting the optical data using the light emitting unit. 
     Further, the electronic apparatus further includes a light receiving unit that receives an external optical signal. 
     Meanwhile, the light diffusion unit is more widely distributed than the light emitting unit so as to widely diffuse the optical signal. 
     In addition, the light diffusion unit is constituted by at least one of a side emitting plastic optical fiber and an EL wire. 
     Meanwhile, the electronic apparatus further includes a signal generator that generates the optical signal which the light emitting unit transmits, wherein the signal generator includes an encoder that channel-encodes transmission data and a modulator that generates a modulation signal by modulating the encoded data and provides the generated signal to the light emitting unit. 
     Further, the electronic apparatus further includes a signal recovering unit that recovers the optical signal which the light receiving unit receives, wherein the signal recovering unit includes a demodulator that demodulates the inputted optical signal and generates the demodulated signal and a decoder that receives and channel-decodes the demodulated signal. 
     Further, wherein two or more light receiving units, light emitting units, and light diffusion units are included. 
     In addition, the signal of the light emitting unit is any one of infrared rays, visible light, and laser. 
     A method and an apparatus according to the present invention can provide a conveniently removable user friendly interfacing method in which communication can be made between clothes such as an inner piece and an outer piece or an upper garment and a lower garment as well as internal and external apparatuses of the clothing by providing an interface that does not affect a human body of a user who uses the wearable computing system, and can be weaved in the textile type to implement the wearable system. 
     Further, the present invention can be applied to a bag, a cap, etc. which can be weaved in a textile form and can be applied to all textile merchandises. 
     Furthermore, even in spaces such as hospitals and airplanes where use of an RF is limited, it is possible to use the present invention and since the present invention is configured based on the textile, the present invention is easy to wash. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exemplary diagram for describing a wearable computing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary diagram for describing a wearable computing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary diagram for describing a wearable computing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram for describing an operation of a light emitting unit in a wearable computing system shown in  FIG. 1  according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram for describing an operation of a light receiving unit shown in  FIG. 2  according to a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram for describing an operation of a third embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram for describing an operation between a portable terminal and a clothing. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Herein, the detailed description of a related known function or configuration that may make the purpose of the present invention unnecessarily ambiguous in describing the present invention will be omitted. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided so that those skilled in the art may more completely understand the present invention. Accordingly, the shape, the size, etc., of elements in the figures may be exaggerated for explicit comprehension. 
     Further, a textile described in the specification includes a bag, a cap, a curtain, a table cover, etc. as well as a clothing. 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram for describing explaining a wearable computing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a block diagram for specifically describing a configuration of optical communication interface clothing in a wearable computing system. 
     The wearable computing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes textile-based optical interface clothing  100  (hereinafter, referred to as ‘clothing’) and a mobile apparatus (for optical communication)  190 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a receiving unit (i.e., pocket) is formed in the clothing  100  and a user&#39;s portable terminal  190  is received in the pocket  110 . A textile-type button  160  for controlling the mobile apparatus  190  is provided in an arm part of the clothing. Since the button  160  is weaved in the clothing  100  in a textile type, the button  160  can be easily washed. A textile structure for optical communication is formed in the pocket  110  of the clothing  100 . The textile structure serves to transfer a control signal generated in the textile-type button  160  to the mobile apparatus  190  by using the optical communication. The textile structure includes a light emitting unit  130  and a light diffusion unit  140 . The light emitting unit  130  as a part generating an optical signal may be provided as a means emitting light having a predetermined wavelength such as infrared rays, LED light, laser, etc. The light diffusion unit  140  may be provided as a means which can be weaved in the textile type by using a means widely transferring light emitted from a small light source such as an optical fiber such as a side emitting plastic optical fiber or a light diffuse plate or may be provided in a plane type such as thin paper. The light diffusion unit  140  can be distributed widely on the clothing  100  in a circular shape or a coiled shape or a zigzag bent shape in order to widely diffuse light with efficiency. By this method, it is possible to more effectively and efficiently transfer the optical signal. The textile  150  configuring the clothing  100  may be provided as a textile having low light transmittance to shield external natural light or artificial light for the optical communication and as a result, optical communication of lower power consumption is performed while external light interference is interrupted. The textile  150  may be weaved together with the light diffusion unit  140 . The pocket  110  of the clothing  100  may also be provided as a textile having low light transmittance in order to block an external light source. The mobile apparatus  190  can include the light emitting unit and the light diffusion unit and the electronic apparatus that may further include a light receiving unit  120  that receives an external optical signal and can be provided as various entertainment mobile apparatuses such as a cellular phone, an MP3, a PMP, etc. 
     Hereinafter, referring to  FIG. 4 , an operation of the textile structure will be described. First, when a user presses the textile-type button  160  of the clothing  100  in order to control the mobile apparatus  190 , an input signal  410  is generated. An encoder  420  receives the signal  410  generated by pressing the button to channel-encode the signal data  410 . Thereafter, a modulator  430  modulates the channel-encoded data into the optical signal. The modulated optical signal is transferred to the textile structure and emitted by the light emitting unit  130  of the textile structure. When the optical signal is emitted by the light emitting unit  130 , the optical signal is widely diffused by the light diffusion unit  140 . The reason for this is that the light diffusion unit  140  is widely distributed on the clothing in a thin surface form. As a result, the mobile apparatus  190  can more effectively receive the optical signal. The light emitting unit  130 , the light diffusion unit  140 , and the light receiving unit  120  may further include an amplification means for amplifying a signal. Although the clothing is described in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to only the clothing and can be applied to all articles to which the textile structure can be attached, such as a bag, a cap, a table cover, a curtain, etc. 
     Since the wearable computing system performs communication by using the optical signal, the method and the apparatus according to the present invention can provide a conveniently removable user friendly interfacing method in which communication can be made between clothes such as an inner piece and an outer piece or an upper garment and a lower garment as well as internal and external apparatuses of the clothing by providing an interface that does not affect a human body of a user who uses the wearable computing system, and can be weaved in the textile type to implement the wearable system. 
     Further, even in spaces such as hospitals and airplanes where use of an RF is limited, it is possible to use the present invention and since the present invention is configured based on the textile, the present invention is easy to wash. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 2  is an exemplary diagram for describing a wearable computing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5  is a block diagram for describing operations in light receiving units  220  and  225  of  FIG. 2 . 
     The wearable computing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a textile structure (including  225 .  230 , and  240 ) attached to a textile-based optical communication interface clothing and a mobile apparatus  290 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the light receiving unit  225 , a light emitting unit  230 , and a light diffusion unit  240  are weaved together with a textile  250  and provided in a clothing. Unlike the first embodiment, the textile structure further includes the light receiving unit  225 . The textile structure serves to transfer a control signal generated in a textile-type button to the mobile apparatus  290  by using optical communication and receive a signal generated by the mobile apparatus  290  through the light receiving unit  225 . The light receiving unit  225  is configured by a kind of sensor. As a signal which the light receiving unit  225  can sense, all light beams having a predetermined wavelength such as infrared rays, LED light, laser, etc. can be used. The light emitting unit  230  serves to transfer signal generated in the clothing to the mobile apparatus  290 . In emitting light, light is more efficiently transferred to the mobile apparatus  290  through the light diffusion unit  240 . The light diffusion unit  240  may be provided as a means which can be weaved in the textile type by using a means widely transferring light emitted from a small light source such as an optical fiber such as a side emitting plastic optical fiber or a light diffuse plate or may be provided in a plane type such as thin paper. The light diffusion unit  240  can be widely distributed on the clothing  100  in a circular shape or a coiled shape in order to widely diffuse light with efficiency. By this method, it is possible to more effectively and efficiently transfer the optical signal. Meanwhile, the light receiving unit  225  is also widely distributed like the light diffusion unit  240  to be provided in order to more effectively and efficiently perform a sensing ability. 
     The mobile apparatus includes the light receiving unit  220 , the light emitting unit  235 , and the light diffusion unit  245  in order to perform optical communication with the textile structure. The light receiving unit  225 , the light emitting unit  230 , and the light diffusion unit  240  of the mobile apparatus can be provided to have the same function as the light receiving unit  225 , the light emitting unit  230 , and the light diffusion unit  240  installed in the textile structure. 
     Therefore, the mobile apparatus and the clothing can bi-directionally send and receive data signal to and from each other unlike the first embodiment. 
     Hereinafter, referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , operations of the textile structure and the mobile apparatus will be described. First, when a user presses a textile-type button of the clothing in order to control the mobile apparatus  290 , an input signal  410  is generated. An encoder  420  receives the signal  410  generated by pressing the button to channel-encode the signal data  410 . Thereafter, a modulator  430  modulates the channel-encoded data into the optical signal. The modulated optical signal is transferred to the textile structure and emitted by the light emitting unit  230  of the textile structure. When the optical signal is emitted by the light emitting unit  230 , the optical signal is widely diffused by the light diffusion unit  240 . The reason for this is that the light diffusion unit  240  is widely distributed on the clothing in a thin surface form. As a result, the mobile apparatus  290  can more effectively receive the optical signal. The light emitting unit  230  and the light diffusion unit  240  may further include an amplification means for amplifying a signal. An optical signal  510  transmitted as above is received by the light receiving unit  220  and  540  of the mobile apparatus  290 . The optical signal  510  received as above is demodulated by a demodulator  530 . A decoder  520  receives the signal demodulated by the demodulator  530  and channel-decodes the signal to recover data. Through the recovered data, the mobile apparatus  290  is controlled. Thereafter, data may be sent from the mobile apparatus to the clothing. For example, the condition of the mobile apparatus, etc. can be displayed on an LCD window of the clothing or an operation of the button can be controlled. For this, the mobile apparatus  290  includes the light emitting unit  235  and as shown in  FIG. 4 , the mobile apparatus  290  transmits the optical signal at the light emitting unit  235  through the encoder and the modulator. The transmitted optical signal is received by the light receiving unit  225  of the textile structure of the clothing and data can thus be transferred through the demodulator and the decoder of  FIG. 5 . The transferred data can be used to perform necessary jobs in the clothing. Further, another electronic apparatus is provided in the clothing, such that the electronic apparatus and the mobile apparatus  290  may communicate with each other. Although the clothing is described in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to only the clothing and can be applied to all articles to which the textile structure can be attached, such as a bag, a cap, a table cloth, a curtain, etc. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 3  is an exemplary diagram for describing a wearable computing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 6  is a block diagram for describing an operation of  FIG. 3  according to the present invention. 
     The wearable computing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes two or more textile structure attached to a textile-based optical communication interface clothing. The first and second embodiments illustrate communication between one textile structure and one electronic apparatus, while the third embodiment illustrates communication between the textile structures. 
     First, referring to  FIG. 3 , the textile structures are provided in an inner clothing  310  and an outer clothing  315 . Therefore, a general user wears a plurality of clothings with a device disclosed in the present invention and a signal to be transferred is transferred from the inner clothing to the outer clothing. The inner clothing may be generally constituted by sensors measuring bio-signals of a user. Further, an external signal may be transferred to the inner clothing. In this case, center frequencies of an optical communication method used at both ends are set differently from each other and an optical filter is used to thereby prevent disturbance caused due to mutual interference. Although the inner clothing  310  and the outer clothing  315  are described in the present embodiment, they also include an upper garment and a lower garment, a clothing and a cap, and articles of different structures. First, the inner clothing  310  includes a light receiving unit  320 , a light emitting unit  330 , and a light diffusion medium  340  and the outer clothing  315  includes a light receiving unit  325 , a light emitting unit  335 , and a light diffusion medium  345 . In the inner clothing  310  and the outer clothing  315 , functions of the light receiving units  320  and  325 , the light emitting units  330  and  335 , and the light diffusion media  340  and  345  can be configured as described in the first and second embodiments. Further, the light receiving unit, the light emitting unit, and the light diffusion medium may further include a control unit for controlling the functions. 
     Through  FIG. 6 , the operation of the third embodiment by  FIG. 3  will be described. The operation of transferring the data from the inner clothing  310  to the outer clothing  315  will be first described. First, data (an input signal generated in the textile button unit, etc.) to be transmitted is converted into the optical signal through the encoder and the modulator. The converted optical signal emits light through the light emitting unit  330  of the inner clothing  310  and the emitted light is diffused through the light diffusion medium  340 . The emitted optical signal  610  is received in the light receiving unit  325  and  620  of the outer clothing  315 . The light receiving unit  325  is generally constituted by the optical sensor and since the received optical signal becomes weak while passing through the clothing, the light receiving unit  325  may further include an optical signal amplifier. The optical signal received through the light receiving unit  325  again emits light through the light emitting unit  335  and  630  and the light diffusion medium  345  and may be transmitted to another textile structure or transmitted to the electronic apparatus. At this time, in the textile structure of the outer clothing, a step of modulating or demodulating the signal may be further included or a data processing step such as error correction, etc. may be further included in order to reduce a signal error. 
     The above-mentioned step can be similarly applied even in case of transmitting the data to the inner clothing  310  from the outer clothing  315 . That is, the signal emitted from the light emitting unit  335  and the light diffusion medium  345  of the outer clothing is received in the light receiving unit  320  of the inner clothing  310  so as to transmit the data. 
     As such, a cloth thick clothing including several textile structures in one clothing or a cloth divided into the upper garment and the lower garment can communicate with each other. Further, all textile-type articles can communicate by using the textile structure. 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram simply configuring data communication between a portable terminal (or electronic apparatus) and a clothing. In case when data is transferred from the portable terminal  700  to the clothing  710 , input data  701  is transferred through a signal generator  703  including the encoder and the modulator to generate the optical signal and emit light through a light emitting unit  705 . The emitted signal is received in a light receiving unit  711  of the clothing  710  and recovered to the data through a signal recovering unit  713 . 
     Meanwhile, in case when the data is transferred from the clothing  710  to the portable terminal  700 , a signal generating unit  717  of the clothing  710  is generated to emit light in the light emitting unit  715  of the clothing  710  and the emitted light is received in the light receiving unit  709  of the portable terminal  700  to recover the data through the signal recovering unit  708 , such that a terminal controller  707  controls the portable terminal  700 . 
     The portable terminal  700  includes the light receiving unit, the light emitting unit, and the light diffusion unit and two or more components can be installed on both surfaces of the portable terminal. By this configuration, even in case when the portable terminal is turned over in the pocket of the clothing, the portable terminal can easily perform optical communication with the clothing. 
     Further, the light diffusion unit installed in the electronic apparatus may be installed in the electronic apparatus or outside of the electronic apparatus. In case when the light diffusion unit is installed in the electronic apparatus, the surface of the electronic apparatus may be made of a transparent material so as to perform the optical communication. Further, the light diffusion unit may be constituted by a side emitting plastic optical fiber or an EL wire in a thin surface similarly as above and may be widely distributed in a spiral form or a zigzag form in order to widely diffuse the light. Further, as another form of the light diffusion unit, the light diffusion unit may be configured by disposing LED or IR emitter devices on a fabric in a matrix form. 
     Although the clothing is described in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to only the clothing and can be applied to all articles to which the textile structure can be attached, such as a bag, a cap, a table cover, a curtain, etc. 
     Since the optical communication interface clothing in the wearable computing system according to the present invention performs communication with the portable terminal or the inner piece and the outer piece of the clothing by using the optical signal, the optical communication interface clothing can be implemented without using a wireless communication module using an RF so as to prevent electromagnetic waves from affecting a human body. Further, since the wearable computing system of the present invention can be applied even to any part in the clothing and the clothing and the portable terminal perform near optical communication, the communication security is excellent. 
     Some steps of the present invention can be implemented as a computer-readable code in a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording media includes all types of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording media include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an HDD, an optical disk, an optical magnetic storage device, etc. and in addition, include a recording medium implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission through the Internet). Further, the computer-readable recording media are distributed on computer systems connected through the network, and thus the computer-readable recording media may be stored and executed as the computer-readable code by a distribution scheme. 
     As described above, the preferred embodiments have been described and illustrated in the drawings and the description. Herein, specific terms have been used, but are just used for the purpose of describing the present invention and are not used for defining the meaning or limiting the scope of the present invention, which is disclosed in the appended claims. Therefore, it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that various modifications are made and other equivalent embodiments are available. Accordingly, the actual technical protection scope of the present invention must be determined by the spirit of the appended claims.