Abstract:
A system and method for displaying visual content on a piece of clothing. This is achieved by utilizing a flexible display attached to or forming a part of the clothing. The content displayed on the flexible display is provided by a video controller connected to a computer, both of which reside in the clothing. Content may be provided via wireless transmission or through a Universal Serial Bus. The computer communicates wirelessly through a network to a server which serves up content and tracks information on user location and types of content displayed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/060,615 filed Jun. 11, 2008 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to clothing that contains a high resolution flexible display connected to a computing device that allows for content to be shown on the display. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Embodiments as disclosed herein utilize a flexible display. One such display developed by Sony Inc. is a flexible full colour Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) built on organic thin-film transistor (TFT) technology on a flexible plastic substrate. Another such display is provided by E-ink, a company providing an Electronic Paper Display (EPD). E-ink has produced an extremely thin and flexible non distorting high resolution display. These qualities and the fact that this is a new medium for viewing information and media permit, many applications. The most obvious are in the form of thinner screens for video, cell phones, and personal computing devices. This new form of high resolution display will allow for more public displays of popular culture media by individuals. In the past nobody could reasonably wear plasma screens or LCD screens as a form of or as a part of clothing because the technology was still too bulky, heavy and would require a considerable power source. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    EPDs are reflective and can be easily read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments while being able to be seen at virtually any angle—just like paper. EPD&#39;s and OLED&#39;s hereinafter referred to as “flexible displays”, provide unique technology which results in a compact and lightweight form factor making them ideal for highly portable applications. 
         [0005]    The application is directed to a wearable piece of clothing comprising a flexible display, the flexible display connected to a display controller designed to provide content to be displayed, the display controller connected to a processor board designed to provide instructions to the display controller, and a power source such as a battery pack connected to the display controller and the processor board to provide power to each. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0006]    Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system according to an embodiment; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a piece of clothing comprising an embodiment of the system herein; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a main processor and associated components; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of a piece of clothing comprising an embodiment of the system herein; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of a piece of clothing comprising an embodiment of the system herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    Embodiments as disclosed herein involve the use of flexible displays in both monochromatic and colour formats. There may be one or more flexible displays and they may be utilized to display a single picture or utilized as a video display showing moving pictures such as streaming video. The flexible displays along with their supporting computer hardware are incorporated into the clothing in a manner that does not restrict the function of the garment as well as being shock proof and water proof by being contained in a sealed case, within a waterproof pocket. 
         [0013]    Referring first to  FIG. 1  a block diagram of a system according to an embodiment is shown generally as  10 . System  10  comprises a processor board  12  connected to a display controller  14 . Processor board  12  provides instructions to display controller  14  regarding the content to be displayed on flexible display  16 . Power source, or battery pack,  18  provides power for both display controller  14  and processor board  12 . Processor board  12  further comprises hardware to support a Global Positioning System in the form of GPS  20 . GPS  20  is utilized to determine the location of the wearer of the flexible display  16 . Processor board  12  also comprises a Universal Serial Bus in the form of USB  22 , to allow the importing of content such as streaming video from a device capable of storing and sending audio and video information. 
         [0014]    Processor board  12  also comprises a wireless antenna  24  for receiving and sending information to network  26 . Network  26  may be any form of wireless network. Server  28  tracks the content delivered to processor board  12  for display on flexible display  16  as well as the location of the user for the purpose of suggesting content. Processor board  12  is described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0015]    It is the intent of the inventors that the processor board  12 , the display controller  14 , the flexible display  16  and the power source, or battery pack,  18  be contained within the clothing. By doing so no external cables or devices are required. 
         [0016]    An example of suitable clothing would be a jacket or vest. Currently flexible displays cannot be stitched but can be glued with a flexible adhesive onto an appropriate fabric base that would allow for the incorporation of one main panel in a form of clothing or in order to provide a flexible seam when piecing together more than one panel. The technology used to link the panels while viewing streaming video would utilize the same type of technology used to link multiple computer screens to form one large screen, as known to one skilled in the art. 
         [0017]    The processor board  12 , display controller  14  and power source, or battery pack,  18  are enclosed in a shock resistant case and are sewn or otherwise attached to the piece of clothing in a neoprene (or other waterproof material) pocket with some form of access, such as zipper, Velcro or dome snaps. This pocket would protect where the display controller  14  connects directly to the flexible display  16 . 
         [0018]    Similarly the cables connecting the various components would be sewn or otherwise attached to the piece of clothing. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 2  a front view of a piece of clothing comprising an embodiment of a system herein is shown. A piece of clothing  40  comprises a pocket pouch  42  to house a shock resistant container  44  in which are contained processor board  12 , power source, or battery pack,  18 , and display controller  14 , as down in  FIG. 1 . Pocket pouch  42  is sealed by velcro strip  46  or another means such as a zipper, or buttons. Cable  48  connects display controller  14  to clothing flexible display  16 . Cable  50  provides power to clothing flexible display  16 , via power source, or battery pack,  18 . 
         [0020]    Although  FIG. 2  illustrates a long sleeved jacket or shirt, it is not the intent of the inventors to restrict embodiments of this invention to a specific style of clothing. In addition, pocket pouch  42  may be located anywhere in the piece of clothing  40 . Pocket pouch  42  is shown as being centrally located, but could certainly be laterally located in the traditional pocket position. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 3  a schematic diagram of a main processor and associated components is shown. Processor board  12  in one embodiment utilizes the Gumstix single-board computer, which combines a 400 MHz Intel Xscale PXA255 processor with a Bluetooth transceiver, Universal Serial Bus (USB  22 ), a serial port and a Multimedia Card (MMC). Power source, or battery pack,  18  provides power to display controller  14  via connection  50  and to processor board  12  via connection  52 . Processor board  12  is connected to display controller  14  by cable  54 . Display controller  14  is further connected to flexible display  16  via cable  48 . A speaker or headphone jack  60  may optionally be connected to processor board  12 . 
         [0022]    GPS  20  in one embodiment utilizes a patch antenna manufactured by SiRF Technology Inc. as their Start II chip set. Positioning data is reported via USB (wired) or Bluetooth (wireless) communication using the National Marine Electronics Association 0183 standard (NMEA0183). 
         [0023]    Wireless data communication will be sent using Antenna  24  over networks using protocols such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The protocol selected would typically be based upon the most cost effective gateway. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of a piece of clothing comprising an embodiment of the system herein. The features shown in  FIG. 4  are generally identical to those described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of a piece of clothing comprising an embodiment of the system herein.  FIG. 5  is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , save that flexible display  16  comprises multiple panels. 
         [0026]    Although flexible display  16  has been illustrated as a rectangular shape. It is not the intent of the inventors to restrict embodiments of flexible display  16  to that shape. Oval, circular, triangular and other geometric forms have also been considered. 
         [0027]    In more restrictive items of clothing such as baby-Ts and snug shirts the GPS  20 , and antenna  24  can be separated into a standalone Bluetooth device to be stored elsewhere such as a purse or pocket. The content and GPS tracking information will be beamed from this secondary unit over the Bluetooth protocol to the processor  12  for direct display. 
         [0028]    Software on the processor board  12  will contact server  28  via network  26  at pre-defined intervals to check for new video content to download. This content can be dictated by the company administrating the server  28  or optionally allow users to upload their own content from a home computer for display on their article of clothing. Software captures NMEA data from the GPS  20  and reports what content was displayed, the unit ID, the duration and where the person travelled while it was displayed. This data will be sent in bursts at predefined intervals to the server  28  for reporting. 
         [0029]    Utilizing GPS data, the server  28  can determine the general geographical area of the person wearing a display and provide targeted advertising relative to near by businesses. This provides a number of marketing opportunities, for example, an advertising rate for both the company being advertised and the person wearing the display clothing can be established based on various factors such as the population density of the area. 
         [0030]    The addition of sound to the hardware in the clothing is also a feature of an embodiment of the system wherein the sound may be transmitted directly from a speaker on processor board  12  or via headphones to the wearer of the clothing (see feature  60  of  FIG. 3 ).