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

It is desirable for electrodes of the wearable article to have a raised, three-dimensional profile. Such three-dimensional electrodes provide improved signal quality when measuring signals from the body of the wearer as the skin contact with the electrode is generally improved and is more robust against wearer motion than flat electrodes.

US Patent Application Publication No. <CIT> discloses a three-dimensional textile electrode. The electrode is knit using conducting thread while a base fabric is knit using nonconducting thread. The electrode is knit on a first needle bed and the base fabric is knit on a second needle bed opposite to and facing the first needle bed, the two needle beds being separated by a few millimetres. During the knitting process, the surface knit on the first needle bed and the surface knit on the second needle bed may be linked using an isolating thread network that is simply deposited, without forming a mesh, on the fabric, in order to provide the three-dimensional effect.

US Patent Application Publication No. <CIT> discloses a three-dimensional electrically conductive fabric that includes a resilient conductive tissue, a foundation tissue, and a support tissue. The support tissue is arranged between and connects the resilient conductive tissue and the foundation tissue. The resilient conductive tissue, the foundation tissue, and the support tissue are unitarily combined through knitting to form the structure of three-dimensional electrically conductive fabric.

International Patent Application Publication No. <CIT> discloses a contact sensor for incorporation within clothing to monitor activity at a body surface. The sensor includes a contact membrane having a body surface contacting area and one or more base layers of knitted fabric. The base layer(s) is thicker over an area congruent with the body surface contacting area of the contact membrane. As a result, the contact membrane is urged into the forming of a raised outer surface for projection against a body surface.

International Patent Application Publication No. <CIT> discloses a method of manufacturing an article of footwear that includes providing a textile and applying heat and/or pressure to the textile using a texturing device to form a textured area of the textile. The textured area is spaced apart from a substantially smooth area of the textile.

It is desirable to provide an improved approach for forming raised conductive regions on a textile.

According to the present disclosure there is provided an article and method as set forth in the appended claims.

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an article comprising a textile body, a conductive region that forms an electrode arranged to measure or apply signals to a further object, and an embossing material. The embossing material causes the conductive region to adopt and retain a raised, embossed, profile that projects outwardly from a surface of the textile body, and comprises a heat and/or pressure-activated adhesive material.

Advantageously, the present disclosure provides an article with a conductive region that forms a raised profile extending away from a surface of the textile body. This three-dimensional conductive region may form a raised electrode, for example. The conductive region is an embossed conductive region formed using embossing techniques. In particular an embossing material is used to cause the conductive region to adopt and (permanently or near permanently) retain the raised, embossed, profile even after repeated use and/or washing of the article. An embossing material will be understood as referring to a material which under the application of heat and/or pressure or similar stimulus will cause the conductive region to adopt and retain the raised, embossed, profile. The embossing material is a material that can be moulded to a desired shape and bonded to the textile body by the application of a stimulus and then maintains the moulded shape following the removal of the stimulus. Embossing materials are known in the art. The embossing material may refer to a material that is fusible, bondable, adhesive, or thermoformable. The embossing material may have a melting point of between <NUM> degrees Centigrade and <NUM> degrees Centigrade but is not limited to this particular melting point range.

The use of an embossing material means that an isolating thread network, filler yarn or other filler material are not required to be densely packed into the space between a conductive region and the textile body to cause the conductive region to adopt the raised profile. In addition, a variable thickness of the textile body is not required. The textile body can have a uniform thickness. The article of the present disclosure has a simpler, less specialised, manufacturing process while still providing the desired raised conductive region in the article. While a filler material is not required, a filler material may also still be used if desired by the skilled person. Established embossing techniques can be used to form the raised conductive profile.

The embossing material may form an embossing layer.

The embossing material may be applied to a surface of the textile body such as to form an embossing layer. The embossing material may be applied to a surface of the textile body which opposes a surface on which the conductive region is located. The embossing material and the textile body may thus be provided on opposing surfaces of the textile body. The embossing material may be aligned with the conductive region. The embossing material may be aligned with the conductive region but spatially separated from the conductive region by a portion of the textile body. The textile body may thus be provided between the conductive region and the embossing material. The embossing material may cover a larger area of the textile body than the conductive region. The embossing material may cover a smaller area of the textile body than the conductive region. The embossing material may be provided in a plurality of discrete regions such as to cover part of the area covered by the conductive region. Providing the embossing material in a limited number of discrete regions may beneficially provide the desired raised profile while still imparting a high-degree of flexibility to the article. The embossing material may be provided between the textile body and the conductive region.

The embossing material may comprise an embossing yarn. The embossing yarn may be knitted, woven, embroidered, braided, felted or otherwise attached to the textile body. The embossing yarn may be located between the textile body and the conductive region. The embossing yarn is a yarn that is able to be moulded to a desired shape and subsequently retain (permanently or near permanently) its desired shape. This means that the space between the textile body and the conductive yarn does not need to be densely packed with an isolating thread network to form the raised profile. Instead, the embossing yarn is provided which is moulded to form the desired shape. The embossing yarn may refer to a fusible bonding yarn. The fusible bonding yarn may be referred as an adhesive or thermoformable yarn. The embossing yarn may be a thermal fusion bonding (TFB) yarn. The embossing yarns may comprise nylon, polyester, or other suitable thermoformable yarn material. The embossing may be the GRILON (RTM) fusible bonding yarn marketed by DISTRICO, <NUM> rue Mayran, <NUM> Paris France. Advantageously, when using an embossing yarn, the textile body, conductive region, and embossing material can be formed from a single piece of (e.g. knitted or woven) fabric. That is, the different portions of the article can be integrally knit or woven together during a single knitting or weaving operation.

The embossing material comprises an adhesive material. The embossing material may be able to be adhered to the textile body such as upon the application of heat and/or pressure. The embossing material may be modulable such that it may adopt the shape of a mould or tool of an embossing machine that applies the heat and/or pressure to the article. The embossing material may be able to retain the shape of the tool/mould following the removal of the heat and/or pressure such that the conductive region permanently or near permanently retains the three-dimensional profile. The embossing material may have waterproof properties such that it is impervious or near impervious to water. This may beneficially help prevent the ingress of water into the textile body.

The adhesive material may comprise a heat-activated adhesive material which may also be referred to as a heat-sensitive adhesive material or a hot-melt adhesive material. A heat-activated adhesive material generally refers to a material that will not bond at normal temperatures (e.g. room temperature) but will bond under the application of heat. Such heat-activated adhesive materials can be used with heat presses and other forms of embossing machines to cause them to melt and bond with the textile body and cause the conductive region to adopt the raised, embossed, profile. Upon cessation of the application of heat, the heat-activated adhesive will harden can cause the conductive region to retain the raised, embossed, profile.

The adhesive material may comprise a pressure-activated adhesive material which may also be referred to as a pressure-sensitive adhesive material. A pressure-activated adhesive material generally refers to a material that will not bond at low pressures (e.g. atmospheric pressures) but will bond under the application of pressure. Such pressure-activated adhesive materials can be used with heat presses, rollers, and other forms of embossing machines to cause them to melt and bond with the textile body and cause the conductive region to adopt the raised, embossed, profile. Upon cessation of the application of pressure, the pressure-activated adhesive will harden can cause the conductive region to retain the raised, embossed, profile. The adhesive material may comprise a combination of heat-activated and pressure-activated adhesive material or may comprise adhesive materials which are both heat-activated and pressure-activated.

The embossing material may comprise silicone. The embossing material may comprise nylon or polyester and, in particular, low-melt nylon or polyester. The embossing material may be any form of thermoformable material.

The embossing material may be applied to a surface of the textile body in a liquid form such as in the form of an ink. The embossing material may thus be printed onto the textile body such as by screen printing, inkjet printing or other known printing methods. The ink may comprise a silicone ink. The ink may comprise a catalyst to activate the silicone. The ink may thus be a mixture of silicone ink and a catalyst. Such inks are known for use in embossing materials.

The embossing material may comprise a film of material that is applied to a surface of the textile body. The film of material may be referred to as an embossing film. The embossing film may be an adhesive film that may be adhered to the textile body such as following the application of heat and/or pressure. The embossing film may be heat bonded to the textile body. The embossing film may comprise silicone. The silicone embossing film is able to be heat bonded, is adhesive, mouldable and waterproof. The silicone embossing film is able to retain the shape of the tool/mould of an embossing machine used to apply the embossing film to the textile body.

Applying the embossing material to a surface of the textile body such as in the form of an ink or film beneficially means that specialist knitting techniques / yarns are not required to form the embossing region. Instead, established printing techniques or the simple act of positioning a film on the textile body are used. While these techniques are simpler, they do require a separate process to be performed which may increase the manufacture time. The use of an embossing yarn (e.g. a thermal fusion bonding yarn) is also in the scope of the present disclosure. The embossing yarn may be integrally knit or woven with the textile body/conductive region during a single knitting operation which means that multiple different processes are not required. It will be appreciated that both techniques achieve their own advantages and may be used in different situations depending on, for example, the equipment and personnel at the manufacturing location.

The textile body may be any form of textile body and is generally preferred to be non-conductive or a least comprise non-conductive regions. The textile body may be made using any textile construction techniques known in the art such as knitting, weaving or felting. The textile body may comprise one or more types of yarn preferably non-conductive yarn. The textile body may comprise a base yarn and one or more additional yarns may be provided so as to add stretch to the textile body. The one or more additional yarns may be elastomeric yarns. In preferred examples, the textile body is a knitted component and in particular a weft knitted component.

The conductive region may comprise a conductive material that is applied to the textile body. The conductive material may be in the form of a conductive ink that is printed onto the textile body such as by using screen printing or inkjet printing techniques. The conductive region may be provided in the form of a transfer that is adhered to the textile body. The transfer may comprise one or more cured conductive ink layers that may be separated by cured non-conductive ink layers. An adhesive layer of the transfer may enable the transfer to be adhered to the textile body such as under the application of heat and/or pressure.

In preferred examples, the conductive region comprises a conductive textile. The conductive textile may be a knitted, woven, felted or embroidered. The conductive region may comprise conductive yarn. The conductive region may be attached to the textile body such as by being stitched or adhered to the textile body. In preferred examples still, the conductive region is integrally formed with the textile body such as during a single knitting, weaving or felting operation. In most preferred examples, the conductive region is a knitted component and in particular a weft knitted component that is formed integrally with a corresponding weft knitted textile body. The conductive region may be knitted from a single length of conductive yarn.

The conductive region may form a connection region for forming a conductive connection with a further object. The conductive region forms an electrode and is able to measure or apply signals to a further object.

The article may comprise a plurality of embossed conductive regions. At least two embossed conductive regions may be provided on opposing surfaces of the textile body. This may mean that embossing material is applied to the opposing surfaces of the textile body.

A conductive pathway may extend between at least two of the embossed conductive regions. Embossing material may cover at least part of the conductive pathway. The conductive pathway may not have a three-dimensional profile. That is, the embossing material covering the at least part of the conductive pathway may not be moulded to form a three-dimensional shape. Advantageously, the embossing material can insulate/waterproof the conductive pathway. This step can be performed at the same time as applying the embossing material to a conductive region (e.g. the same embossing film can be used). This simplifies the manufacturing process and means that a separate insulating/waterproofing step may not be required. Embossing material may not cover at least part of the conductive pathway.

The article may form or may be part of a wearable article. The wearable article may form or be part of a garment.

According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of forming a raised profile in a conductive region of an article. The conductive region forms an electrode arranged to measure or apply signals to a further object.

The method comprises applying heat and/or pressure to an article to cause the article to adopt a raised, embossed, profile that projects outwardly from a surface of a textile body of the article. The raised, embossed, profile is retained upon release of the applied heat and/or pressure due to an embossing material of the article bonding to the textile body following the application of heat and/or pressure. The raised, embossed, profile is a conductive region of the article.

In some examples, the conductive material may be applied to the textile body following the application of heat and/or pressure to the article. That is, the conductive material may be applied to already formed embossed regions of the article. Generally, however, it is preferred to form the article comprising the textile body, conductive region, and embossing material first prior to applying the heat and/or pressure. The method may comprise providing an article comprising the textile body, conductive region, and embossing material. The heat and/or pressure may be applied to the article comprising the textile body, conductive region and embossing material.

The method may comprise providing an article comprising a textile body and optionally a conductive region. The method may comprise applying embossing material to the textile body of the article. The embossing material may be printed onto the textile body of the article. The embossing material may be provided as a film of embossing material that is positioned on the textile body of the article. Providing the article comprising the textile body and optionally conductive region may comprise knitting or weaving the textile body and optionally conductive region.

The method may comprise providing an article comprising a textile body, embossing material, and optionally a conductive region. The embossing material may comprise an embossing yarn. Providing the article may comprise knitting or weaving the textile body, embossing material and optionally conductive region.

Applying heat and/or pressure to the article may comprise providing a tool; and using the tool to apply pressure to the article to cause the article to adopt the raised, embossed, profile. Applying heat and/or pressure to the article may further comprise providing a mould component having a cavity and may comprise using the tool to apply pressure to the article to distort the article into the cavity of the mould component so as to adopt the raised profile.

The tool may have a structured surface. The structure surface may comprise a positive profile that corresponds to the raised profile to be formed in the article or a negative profile that is the inverse of the raised profile to be formed in the article.

According to a non-claimed aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a system comprising the article of the first aspect of the disclosure and an electronics module arranged to form a communicative coupling with the article.

The present disclosure is not limited to wearable articles. The articles may include upholstery, such as upholstery that may be positioned on pieces of furniture, vehicle seating, as wall or ceiling décor, among other examples.

Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the independent claims.

Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

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

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

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

Referring to <FIG>, there is shown a series of steps involved in forming a raised conductive region on an article <NUM>.

<FIG> shows that a component of the article <NUM> is provided. The component of the article <NUM> comprises a textile body <NUM> and a conductive region <NUM>. The conductive region <NUM> is provided on a first surface <NUM> of the textile body <NUM>. The conductive region <NUM> is substantially flat and does not substantially extend away from the surface of the textile body <NUM>. In some examples, the conductive region <NUM> may extend, to an extent, away from the textile body <NUM> but is generally not able to retain its shape. The conductive region <NUM> may be flush with or may be recessed within the first surface <NUM> of the textile body <NUM>.

The textile body <NUM> may be any form of textile, e.g. fabric, body <NUM>. The textile body <NUM> is generally knitted or woven from non-conductive yarn. In preferred examples, the textile body <NUM> is knitted from one or more types of non-conductive yarn using a weft knitting process.

The conductive region <NUM> may be any form of conductive region <NUM>. Preferably, the conductive region is conductive textile, e.g. a conductive fabric region <NUM>. The conductive region <NUM> may be knitted or woven from non-conductive yarn and may be formed with the textile body <NUM> during the same knitting/weaving procedure. In this example, the conductive region <NUM> is integrally knit with the textile body <NUM> using a weft knitting process.

<FIG> shows that an embossing material <NUM> is applied to a second surface <NUM> of the textile body <NUM> that opposes the first surface <NUM>. The embossing material <NUM> is aligned with / coincident with the conductive region <NUM> and spatially separated from the conductive region <NUM> by the textile body <NUM>. The textile body <NUM> is provided between the embossing material <NUM> and the conductive region <NUM>. The embossing material <NUM> covers an area of the second surface <NUM> that is greater than an area covered by the conductive region <NUM> on the first surface <NUM>. Providing an embossing material region <NUM> that is larger than the conductive region <NUM> is beneficial as the embossing material <NUM> typically has waterproofing properties. In this way, the embossing material <NUM> can be used to waterproof at least part of the textile body <NUM>.

The embossing material <NUM> in the example of <FIG> is provided in the form of a heat and/or pressure activated adhesive film comprising silicone. The embossing film <NUM> is positioned on the second surface <NUM> of the textile body <NUM>. Subsequent application of heat and/or pressure causes the embossing film <NUM> to bond to the textile body <NUM>.

<FIG> shows that the article <NUM> comprising the textile body <NUM>, conductive region <NUM>, and embossing material <NUM> is positioned within an embossing machine <NUM>. The embossing machine <NUM> in this example applies pressure and/or heat to cause the conductive region <NUM> to adopt a raised, embossed, profile. The pressure and/or heat activates the embossing material <NUM> and causes it to bond to the textile body <NUM> such that the conductive region <NUM> retains the embossed profile following the removal of the applied pressure and/or heat.

The embossing machine <NUM> shown in <FIG> comprises a tool <NUM>. The tool <NUM> is moveable and is used to apply pressure to the article <NUM>. The tool <NUM> may also be heated to apply heat to the article <NUM>. The heat may also be applied by a source separate to the tool <NUM> such as a separate heater of the embossing machine <NUM>. The tool <NUM> has a structure surface <NUM>. The structure surface <NUM> has a positive profile that corresponds to the raised profile formed in the article <NUM> as a result of the embossing process. The embossing machine <NUM> further comprise a mould component <NUM> with a chamber <NUM>. The chamber <NUM> is a recessed or impressed portion of the mould component <NUM> that is shaped to be the negative of the raised profile to be formed in the article <NUM> as a result of the embossing process.

The article <NUM> is positioned in the embossing machine <NUM> such that the embossing material <NUM> is positioned proximate to the tool <NUM> and the conductive region <NUM> is positioned proximate to the mould component <NUM>. This means that the tool <NUM> applies pressure and optionally heat to the embossing material <NUM> which causes the article <NUM> to distort and urges the conductive region <NUM> into the chamber <NUM> of the mould component <NUM>.

The tool <NUM> may be a ram or piston. The embossing machine <NUM> may be a piston-and-chamber mould. The embossing machine <NUM> may be a heat press. The embossing machine <NUM> may be a roller embosser. The embossing machine <NUM> may be an ultrasonic embosser. Machines for embossing articles and especially textile articles are well-known to the skilled person. Such embossing machines <NUM> are commonly used to form raised graphical profiles on garments for decorative purposes. It will be apparent to the skilled person that any form of embossing machine <NUM> suitable for forming the articles <NUM> described herein will be suitable for implementing the claimed invention.

The tool <NUM> may have a structured surface <NUM> that has positive and negative regions. That is the structured surface <NUM> may include regions that project outwardly and regions that are recessed or impressed into the surface of the tool <NUM>. The mould component <NUM> may also comprise positive and negative regions. The use of positive and negative regions in the tool <NUM>/mould component <NUM> may result in raised and impressed regions being formed on a surface of the article <NUM>.

<FIG> shows that the tool <NUM> is moved towards the embossing material <NUM> in the direction of the arrow <NUM> so as to apply pressure and optionally heat to the article <NUM>.

<FIG> shows that the compressive force applied by the tool <NUM> causes the article <NUM> to distort. In particular, the tool <NUM> pushes the embossing material <NUM>, textile body <NUM> and conductive region <NUM> in the direction of the arrow <NUM>. This forces the conductive region <NUM> into the mould cavity <NUM>. The pressure and optionally heat applied by the tool <NUM> and optionally other components of the embossing machine <NUM> activates the embossing material <NUM> and causes the embossing material <NUM> to bond with the textile body <NUM>.

<FIG> shows that after the tool <NUM> is retracted away from the article <NUM> in the direction of arrow <NUM> the article <NUM> retains its distorted shape upon release of the applied pressure. That is, the embossing material <NUM> bonds to the article <NUM> so as to cause the article <NUM> to permanently retain its embossed profile.

<FIG> shows the article <NUM> after it has been removed from the embossing machine <NUM>. The conductive region <NUM> has a raised region <NUM> that extends away from the first surface <NUM> of the textile body <NUM>. The conductive region <NUM> has a raised, embossed, profile <NUM> and forms a three-dimensional conductive region1 <NUM>. Only a part of the conductive region <NUM> is raised in this example but the whole of the conductive region <NUM> may be raised if desired. In addition, parts of the textile body <NUM> may also be raised if desired. The size and shape of the raised profile formed in the conductive region <NUM>/textile body <NUM> can be varied by appropriately modifying the tool <NUM> and mould component <NUM>.

The embossing material <NUM> causes the conductive region <NUM> to permanently retain the raised, embossed, profile <NUM> and provides stability to the raised, embossed, profile <NUM>. The raised profile <NUM> may be considered as an embossed zone <NUM> in the textile article <NUM>. The embossed zone <NUM> comprises conductive material. A recess <NUM> that corresponds to and is aligned with the embossed region <NUM> is formed in the vicinity of the second surface <NUM> the textile body <NUM>.

Advantageously, the present disclosure provides an article <NUM> with a raised conductive region <NUM>, <NUM> that projects outwardly from a main surface <NUM> of the textile body <NUM>. The raised conductive region <NUM> is beneficial in enhancing signal contact with a skin surface such as when the conductive region <NUM> is used as an electrode. There are other beneficial applications for raised conductive regions <NUM> besides electrodes that form a signal coupling with a skin surface. The approach of the present disclosure means that the raised conductive region <NUM> is formed without requiring the dense packing of the space between the conductive region <NUM> and the textile body <NUM> using a filler yarn or other filler/support material. Instead, established embossing techniques which are commonly used to form raised decorative patterns on fabrics are used. To the inventor's knowledge embossing techniques have not previously been used to form raised conductive regions. The approach of the present disclosure simplifies manufacture of the article <NUM> as less complicated machinery and yarns are required. In addition, waterproofing properties are provided by the embossing material <NUM>. A separate process for waterproofing the article <NUM> is therefore not required.

The article <NUM> may form or be otherwise incorporated into a wearable article such as a garment although this is not required. The article <NUM> may form part of the fabric of the wearable article/garment. The article <NUM> may be a stand-alone article or may be incorporated into other forms of textiles/fabrics and furnishings such as textile/fabric covers and upholstery. The article <NUM> may comprise knitted, woven or felted material and generally comprise fabrics that are knitted or woven.

Referring to <FIG>, there is shown a process flow diagram for an example method of forming a raised profile in a conductive region of an article according to aspects of the present disclosure. Step S101 of the method comprises providing an article.

Step S102 of the method comprises applying heat and/or pressure to the article to cause the article to adopt a raised, embossed, profile that projects outwardly from a surface of a textile body of the article. The raised, embossed, profile is retained upon release of the applied heat and/or pressure due to an embossing material of the article bonding to the textile body due to the heat and/or pressure. The raised, embossed profile is a conductive region of the article.

Referring to <FIG>, there is shown a process flow diagram for an example method of forming a raised profile in a conductive region of an article according to aspects of the present disclosure. Step S201 of the method comprises providing an article comprising a textile body and a conductive region.

Step S202 of the method comprises applying an embossing material to the textile body.

Step S203 comprises applying heat and/or pressure to the article to cause the article to adopt a raised, embossed, profile that projects outwardly from a surface of a textile body of the article. The raised, embossed, profile is retained upon release of the applied heat and/or pressure due to an embossing material of the article bonding to the textile body due to the heat and/or pressure. The raised, embossed profile is a conductive region of the article.

Referring to <FIG>, there is shown a process flow diagram for an example method of forming a raised profile in a conductive region of an article according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Step S301 of the method comprises knitting or weaving a textile body and conductive region of an article.

Step S302 of the method comprises applying an embossing material to the textile body.

Step S303 comprises applying heat and/or pressure to the article to cause the article to adopt a raised, embossed, profile that projects outwardly from a surface of a textile body of the article. The raised, embossed, profile is retained upon release of the applied heat and/or pressure due to an embossing material of the article bonding to the textile body due to the heat and/or pressure. The raised, embossed profile is a conductive region of the article.

Step S401 of the method providing an article comprising a textile body and an embossing material.

Step S402 comprises applying heat and/or pressure to the article to cause the article to adopt a raised, embossed, profile that projects outwardly from a surface of a textile body of the article. The raised, embossed, profile is retained upon release of the applied heat and/or pressure due to an embossing material of the article bonding to the textile body due to the heat and/or pressure.

Step S403 comprises applying conductive material to the raised, embossed, profile of the article to form a raised conductive region. The conductive material may be printed, transferred, or otherwise deposited onto the textile body.

In the above example methods, the embossing material may be printed onto the textile body or applied as a film onto the textile body. Other methods of applying the embossing material to the textile body are within the scope of the present disclosure. The embossing material may be in the form of an embossing (thermoformable) yarn that is incorporated into the article.

In the above example methods, applying heat and/or pressure to the article may comprise providing a tool; and using the tool to apply pressure to the article to adopt the raised embossed, profile. Applying heat and/or pressure to the article may further comprise providing a mould component having a cavity and may comprise using the tool to apply pressure to the article may distort the conductive region into the cavity of the mould component so as to adopt the raised profile. The tool may have a structured surface. The structure surface may comprise a positive profile that corresponds to the raised profile to be formed in the conductive region or a negative profile that is the inverse of the raised profile to be formed in the conductive region. Referring to <FIG>, there is shown an example article <NUM> according to aspects of the present disclosure.

The article <NUM> is an elongate and narrow strip of material. The article <NUM> is able to be worn so as to obtain measurement signals from the wearer. The article <NUM> may be used to form a chest strap or wrist strap or may be integrated into a separate wearable article such as a garment. The article <NUM> may be adhesively bonded to an inner surface of a garment for example.

The article <NUM> comprises a continuous body of fabric. Here, continuous body of fabric, refers to a unitary fabric structure that may be integrally knit, woven or felted. Seams are not provided between different sections of the continuous body of fabric. In other words, the fabric is seamless. Although the fabric is seamless, different types of yarns such as conductive and non-conductive yarns are provided in the continuous body of fabric. The body of fabric in this example is a knitted fabric and, in particular, a weft knitted fabric.

The continuous body of fabric <NUM> comprises a double-knit non-conductive textile body <NUM>. The double-knit non-conductive textile body <NUM> comprises first and second interconnected knit layers. The first knit layer defines first surface and the second knit layer defines second surface opposing the first surface. The first surface and the second surface are parallel to one another and spaced apart along the Z axis. In use, the first surface faces towards the skin surface of the wearer of the article <NUM> and the second surface faces away from the skin surface of the wearer. The first surface may be referred to as the back/inner surface and the second surface may be referred to as the front/outer surface. The use of a double-knit structure is not required. The present disclosure is not limited to such examples. The textile body <NUM> may have a single bed structure, a links structure, or a ribbed structure for example.

The non-conductive textile body <NUM> is formed from a non-conductive base yarn. In this example, the non-conductive base yarn is a composite elastomeric yarn. In particular, a composite elastomeric yarn comprising <NUM>% nylon and <NUM>% elastane is used. Of course, other non-conductive yarns may be used as desired by the skilled person.

The non-conductive textile body <NUM> may comprise additional yarns which may be incorporated during the knitting of the textile body <NUM>. In this example, the textile body <NUM> further comprises additional elastomeric yarn to provide additional stretch in the textile body <NUM>. This may improve the comfort of the article <NUM> and help ensure that an electrode of the article <NUM> is help in contact with the skin surface. In this example, elastomeric yarn number <NUM> by Stretchline Limited is used. The additional elastomeric yarn may not be required if, for example, a high degree of stretch is not desired or the base textile yarn already as the desired degree of stretch.

In this example, the textile body <NUM> further comprises a sealing/bonding yarn to seal the edges of the article <NUM> to reduce and even prevent fraying of the textile article. An example sealing/bonding yarn is the Porte yarn from Nittobo Group of Japan. The present disclosure is not limited to this example, and other sealing/bonding yarns are within the scope of the present disclosure.

The article <NUM> further comprises a sensing component that comprises a first conductive region <NUM>, second conductive region <NUM> and conductive pathway <NUM> extending between the first and second conductive regions <NUM>, <NUM>. The sensing component is integrally formed with the textile body <NUM>. The sensing component is formed from conductive yarn, and in particularly is a unitary knitted structure formed from a single length of conductive yarn. This means that separate wires, connectors or other hardware elements are not required to electrically connect the different parts of the sensing component together. In this example, Circuitex ™ conductive yarn from Noble Biomaterials Limited is used to form the sensing component. Of course, other conductive yarns may be used. The conductive yarn may comprise a non-conductive or less conductive base yarn which is coated or embedded with conductive material such as carbon, copper and silver.

The sensing component comprises a first conductive region <NUM>. The first conductive region <NUM> is provided on the first surface and extends along part of the length of the article <NUM> in the direction of the Y-axis. The first conductive region <NUM> is a three-dimensional conductive region <NUM> that extends away from the first surface along the Z-axis. This three-dimensional/raised conductive region <NUM> forms a three-dimensional/raised electrode <NUM> for contacting the skin surface of the wearer to measure signals from the wearer and/or introduce signals into the wearer. The first conductive region <NUM> comprises a plurality of courses of conductive yarn. Opposing end courses of the conductive yarn are interconnected with the knit layer defining the first surface of textile body <NUM>. The remaining courses of conductive yarn extend away from the first surface of the textile body <NUM> to form the raised conductive region. The raised profile <NUM> of the conductive region <NUM> is maintained as a result of the embossing material <NUM> provided on the second surface of the textile body <NUM>. Having a raised conductive region <NUM> is beneficial for improving electrode contact with the skin surface particularly when the wearer is moving.

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

The sensing component further comprises a second conductive region <NUM>. The second conductive region <NUM> is provided on the second surface of the textile body <NUM> and extends along part of the length of the article <NUM> along the Y-axis. The second conductive region <NUM> is a three-dimensional conductive region <NUM> that extends away from the second surface along the Z axis. The second conductive region <NUM> forms a connectional terminal <NUM> for electrically connecting with an electronics module as explained in greater detail below. The second conductive region <NUM> comprises a plurality of courses of conductive yarn. Opposing end courses of the conductive yarn are interconnected with the knit layer defining the second surface of the base textile body <NUM>. The remaining courses of conductive yarn extend away from the second surface of the textile body <NUM> to form the raised conductive region <NUM>. The raised profile of the conductive region <NUM> is maintained as a result of the embossing material <NUM> provided on the first surface of the textile body <NUM>. Having a raised connection terminal <NUM> is beneficial in terms of improving the electrical connection between the connection terminal <NUM> and the electronics module.

The first conductive region <NUM> and the second conductive region <NUM> are spaced apart from one another along the length of the article <NUM>. That is, they are spaced apart along the Y-axis.

The sensing component further comprises a conductive pathway <NUM>. The conductive pathway <NUM> extends along the length of the article <NUM> between the first conductive region <NUM> and the second conductive region <NUM> to electrically connect the first conductive region <NUM> to the second conductive region <NUM>. The conductive pathway <NUM> is substantially flush with the second surface of the textile body <NUM> and is formed from one or more (two in this example) of courses of conductive yarn extending between adjacent courses of non-conductive yarn in the textile body <NUM>. Proximate to the first conductive region <NUM>, part of the conductive yarn extends through the textile body <NUM> so as enable the conductive pathway <NUM> to be formed on the second surface of textile body <NUM> while still being electrically connected to the first conductive region <NUM>. The conductive pathway <NUM> does not form a raised region and is substantially flush with the textile body <NUM>. An embossing material is not provided in the vicinity of the conductive pathway <NUM> in this example and the conductive pathway <NUM> does not thus form an embossed zone in the article. An embossing material may still be provided to overlap the conductive pathway <NUM> but may not be moulded to form an embossed zone. In some examples, the embossing material <NUM> may cover all or part of the conductive pathway so as to protect the conductive pathway and provide waterproofing properties.

The textile body and sensing component can be manufactured integrally in a single knitting operation. This means that discrete electronic components do not need to be integrated into an already formed textile body but instead the sensing component is formed of conductive yarn as the textile body is being knitted. The resultant article has a singular textile/fabric structure which handles, feels, behaves and looks like a fabric while providing the desired sensing functionality.

The textile body <NUM> and conductive regions <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are made using a flat-bed knitting machine that has a front bed of needles and a back bed of needles. Additional beds of needles may be provided and used in the knitting process. Other knitting machines capable such as circular knitting machines may also be used to manufacture the article <NUM> generally the knitting machines are required to have at least first and second beds of needles.

The electrode <NUM> is wider along the X axis than the conductive pathway <NUM>. Having a wider electrode <NUM> is beneficial in providing increased surface area of electrode <NUM> contact with the skin surface. Having a narrower conductive pathway <NUM> is beneficial in terms of improving comfort for the wearer and minimising the visual appearance of the sensing component on the article <NUM>. The connection terminal <NUM> is also wider along the X axis than the conductive pathway <NUM>. Having a wider connection terminal <NUM> is beneficial in terms of improving the electrical connection between the connection terminal <NUM> and the electronics module.

The construction of article <NUM> in <FIG> provides the electrode <NUM> and connection terminal <NUM> on opposed surfaces of the textile body <NUM>. This is not required in all examples of the present disclosure as, in some examples, the electrode <NUM> and the connection terminal <NUM> may be provided on the same surface of the textile body <NUM>. However, the arrangement of <FIG> is preferred as it enables an electronics module to be connected to the electrode <NUM> from the second, outer surface without additional modification to the article <NUM>.

If the connection terminal and the electrode were both located on a first surface then additional manufacturing steps may be required to enable an electronics module located on the second surface to extend through the hole to connect with the connection terminal. For example, a hole may have to be formed in the article. Forming the hole may require additional manufacturing steps which may increase the time and cost of manufacturing the textile article. Moreover, the hole may weaken the structural integrity of the article. In another example, a conductive fastener such as a conductive metal stud may be inserted into the textile body to allow the interface element to connect with the connection terminal on the first surface. Incorporating additional hardware into the textile article may increase the manufacturing costs and reduce the comfort and visual appearance of the textile article.

In this example, the textile body <NUM> and conductive regions <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are integrally knit during a knitting operation. The embossing materials <NUM>, <NUM> are then applied to the textile body <NUM>. The article <NUM> is then positioned in an embossing machine <NUM> to cause the raised profiles to be permanently formed in the article <NUM>. This approach means that an isolating thread network/filler yarn does not need to be deposited in a space formed between the textile body <NUM> and the conductive regions <NUM>, <NUM>. This simplifies the knitting operations and means that complicated knitting techniques and specialist yarns are not required to form the article <NUM>. Instead, known embossing techniques which are established techniques used in textile processing can be used to form the raised conductive profiles <NUM>, <NUM>.

The article <NUM> may be attached to a wearable article such as a garment. The article <NUM> may be integrally knit with the wearable article. Such as by integrally knitting a garment comprising the article <NUM>.

The present disclosure is not limited to any particular dimension of the electrode <NUM>, conductive pathway <NUM>, and connection terminal <NUM>. Generally, however, the electrode <NUM>, the conductive pathway <NUM>, and connection terminal <NUM> extend for a height of between <NUM> and <NUM> along the Z-axis.

The electrode <NUM>, conductive pathway <NUM>, and connection terminal <NUM> extend for a width of at least <NUM> along the X axis. The electrode <NUM> and/or connection terminal <NUM> and/or conductive pathway <NUM> may extend for a width of at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, or at least <NUM>. The electrode <NUM> and/or connection terminal <NUM> may have a width of at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, or at least <NUM>. The electrode <NUM> and/or connection terminal <NUM> may have a width between <NUM> and <NUM>.

The electrode <NUM>, conductive pathway <NUM>, and connection terminal <NUM> extend for a length of at least <NUM> along the Y axis. The electrode <NUM> may have a length of at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, or at least <NUM>. The electrode <NUM> may have a length of between <NUM> and <NUM>. The connection terminal <NUM> may have a length of at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, or at least <NUM>. The connection terminal <NUM> may have a length of between <NUM> and <NUM>. The conductive pathway <NUM> may extend for a least of at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>, at least <NUM>. The conductive pathway <NUM> may extend for a length of the between <NUM> and <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, there is shown how an electronics module <NUM> may be positioned on an article <NUM> so that the electronics module <NUM> may form a communicative connection with the conductive regions <NUM>, <NUM> of the article <NUM>.

The article <NUM> in this example comprises a textile body <NUM>. A pair of conductive regions <NUM> forming electrodes are provided on a first surface of the textile body <NUM>. The conductive regions <NUM> have raised, embossed, profiles. A pair of conductive regions <NUM> are provided on a second surface of the textile body <NUM>. The conductive regions <NUM> form connection regions <NUM> that contact with the electronics module <NUM> when in use. Conductive pathways <NUM> extend from and connect each of the connection regions <NUM> to a respective one of the electrodes <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the electronics module <NUM> comprises interface elements <NUM> in the form of contact pads <NUM>. The electronics module <NUM> is positioned on a surface of the textile body <NUM> such that the contact pads <NUM> contact and electrically connect with the connection regions <NUM>. In this way, the electronics module <NUM> is able to receive measurement signals from the electrodes <NUM> via the conductive pathways <NUM>. The signals are typically biosignals obtained when the electrodes <NUM> are placed in contact with a skin surface of a wearer.

The electronics module <NUM> comprises a housing formed of a rigid material in this example. One or more electrical components are provided within the rigid housing. The housing may comprise a (rigid) polymeric material. The polymeric material may be a rigid plastic material. The rigid plastic material may be ABS or polycarbonate plastic but is not limited to these examples. The rigid plastic material may be glass reinforced. The rigid housing may be injection moulded. The rigid housing may be constructed using a twin-shot injection moulding approach.

A plurality (two in this example) of contact pads <NUM> are provided on the outer surface of the housing. The contact pads <NUM> are formed from a flexible material, but this is not required in all examples. The contact pads <NUM> are spaced apart from one another on the bottom surface of the housing. "Rigid" will be understood as referring to a material which is stiffer and less able to bend than the contact pads <NUM> formed of flexible material. The rigid housing may still have some degree of flexibility but is less flexible than the flexible material of the contact pads <NUM>.

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

The contact pads <NUM> conductively connect with connection regions <NUM> of the article <NUM>. Each of the contact pads <NUM> is conductively connected with a different one of the connection regions <NUM>.

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

Referring to <FIG>, there is shown an example system <NUM> according to aspects of the present disclosure. The system <NUM> comprises an electronics module <NUM>, and a garment <NUM>. The garment <NUM> is formed from or incorporates the article <NUM> according to aspects of the present disclosure. The system <NUM> further comprises a mobile device <NUM>. The garment <NUM> is worn by a user. The electronics module <NUM> is attached to the garment <NUM>. The electronics module <NUM> is shown positioned on a textile body of the garment <NUM> in <FIG>. The electronics module <NUM> may be positioned within a pocket or similar mounting arrangement of the garment <NUM>.

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

The electronics module <NUM> is removable from the garment <NUM>. The mechanical coupling of the electronic module <NUM> to the garment <NUM> may be provided by a mechanical interface such as a clip, a plug and socket arrangement, pocket etc. The mechanical interface may be referred to as an electronics module holder of the garment <NUM>. The electronics module holder may be an elasticated pocket that applies pressure to hold the electronics module <NUM> in place.

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

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

Referring to <FIG>, there is shown a schematic diagram for an example electronics module <NUM> according to aspects of the present disclosure.

The electronics module comprises an interface <NUM>. The interface <NUM> is arranged to communicatively couple with a sensing component of the garment <NUM> so as to receive a signal from the sensing component or may directly interface with a skin surface of the wearer to receive signals therefrom. The interface <NUM> may form a conductive coupling or a wireless (e.g. inductive) communication coupling with the electronics components of the garment <NUM>. The interface <NUM> may comprise the contact pads <NUM>.

The electronics module <NUM> comprises a processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> is communicatively coupled to the interface <NUM> and is arranged to receive the signals from the interface <NUM>. The processor <NUM> is configured to process signals sensed by a sensing component of the electronics module <NUM> and/or the garment <NUM>. The signals relate to the activity of a user wearing the garment <NUM>.

The electronics module <NUM> comprises a motion sensor <NUM> such as an inertial measurement unit <NUM>. The inertial measurement unit <NUM> may comprise an accelerometer and optionally one or both of a gyroscope and a magnetometer. A gyroscope/magnetometer is not required in all examples, and instead only an accelerometer may be provided or a gyroscope/magnetometer may be present but put into a low power state. A processor of the sensor <NUM> may perform processing tasks to classify different types of detected motion. The processor of the sensor <NUM> may, in particular, perform machine-learning functions so as to perform this classification. Performing the processing operations on the sensor <NUM> rather than the processor <NUM> is beneficial as it reduces power consumption and leaves the processor <NUM> free to perform other tasks. In addition, it allows for motion events to be detected even when the processor <NUM> is operating in a low power mode. The sensor <NUM> communicates with the processor <NUM> over a serial protocol such as the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), Controller Area Network (CAN), and Recommended Standard <NUM> (RS-<NUM>). Other serial protocols are within the scope of the present disclosure.

The electronics module <NUM> comprises a communicator <NUM>. The communicator <NUM> may be a mobile/cellular communicator operable to communicate the data wirelessly via one or more base stations. The communicator <NUM> may provide wireless communication capabilities for the garment <NUM> and enables the garment <NUM> to communicate via one or more wireless communication protocols such as used for communication over: a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless metroarea network (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), Bluetooth ® Low Energy, Bluetooth ® Mesh, Bluetooth ® <NUM>, Thread, Zigbee, IEEE <NUM>. <NUM>, Ant, a near field communication (NFC), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), a cellular communication network, or any other electromagnetic RF communication protocol. The cellular communication network may be a fourth generation (<NUM>) LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), LTE Cat-M1, LTE Cat-M2, NB-loT, fifth generation (<NUM>), sixth generation (<NUM>), and/or any other present or future developed cellular wireless network. A plurality of communicators may be provided for communicating over a combination of different communication protocols.

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

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

The electronics module <NUM> is mounted on a garment <NUM> and conductively connected to sensing components such as electrodes of the garment via electrically conductive pathways of the garment <NUM>. In a particular example, the sensing components are electrodes used to measure electro potential signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG) signals.

In summary, there is provided an article and a method of making the same. The article <NUM> comprises a textile body <NUM>, a conductive region <NUM> and an embossing material <NUM>. The embossing material <NUM> causes the conductive region <NUM> to adopt and retain a raised, embossed, profile <NUM> that projects outwardly from a surface <NUM> of the textile body <NUM>. The method comprises applying heat and/or pressure to the article <NUM> to cause the article <NUM> to adopt the embossed profile <NUM>. The raised, embossed, profile <NUM> is retained upon release of the applied heat and/or pressure as the embossing material <NUM> has bonded to the textile body <NUM> due to the application of heat and/or pressure.

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

Claim 1:
An article (<NUM>) comprising a textile body (<NUM>), a conductive region (<NUM>, <NUM>) that forms an electrode arranged to measure or apply signals to a further object, and an embossing material (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the embossing material (<NUM>, <NUM>) causes the conductive region (<NUM>, <NUM>) to adopt and retain a raised, embossed, profile (<NUM>) that projects outwardly from a surface of the textile body (<NUM>), characterised in that the embossing material (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprises a heat and/or pressure-activated adhesive material.