Flexible electronically functional fibers are described that allow for the placement of electronic functionality in traditional fabrics. The fibers can be interwoven with natural fibers to produce electrically functional fabrics and devices that can retain their original appearance.

A fabric-based item may include fabric formed from intertwined strands of material. The fabric may include first and second fabric layers that at least partially surround a pocket. Initially, the pocket may be completely enclosed by the first and second layers of fabric. A shim may be placed in the pocket before the pocket is closed. An opening may be formed in the first layer of fabric to expose a conductive strand in the pocket. The shim may prevent the cutting tool from cutting all the way through to the second layer of fabric. After cutting the hole in the first layer of fabric, the shim may be removed and an electrical component may be soldered to the conductive strand in the pocket. A polymer material may be injected into the pocket to encapsulate the electrical component. The polymer material may interlock with the surrounding pocket walls.

An electronically functional yarn comprises a plurality of carrier fibres (6) forming a core with a series of electronic devices (2) mounted on the core with conductive interconnects (8) extending along the core. A plurality of packing fibres (10) are disposed around the core, the devices and the interconnects, and a retaining sleeve (12) is disposed around the packing fibres. The core, the devices and the interconnects are confined within the plurality of packing fibres retained in the sleeve. In the manufacture of the yarn the electronic devices with interconnects coupled thereto in sequence are mounted on the core; the carrier fibres with the mounted devices and interconnects are fed centrally through a channel with packing fibres around the sides thereof to form a fibre assembly around the core, which is fed into a sleeve forming unit in which a sleeve is formed around the assembly to form the composite yarn.

Three-dimensional weaving, knitting, or braiding tools may be used to create three-dimensional fabric (24) with internal pockets (56). The pockets (56) may be shaped to receive electrical components such as switch electrodes (46A, 46B) for a switch (18). The fabric (24) may have adjacent first and second layers that are interposed between the switch electrodes (46A, 46B). The switch electrodes (46A, 46B) may be biased apart using magnets (46A-1, 46B-1) or other biasing structure. In a region of the fabric (24) that overlaps the first and second switch electrodes (46A, 46B), the first and second layers of fabric may be disconnected from each other. This allows the first and second layers to pull away from each other so that the electrodes (46A, 46B) are separated by the biasing force from the biasing structure. The switch (18) can be closed by pressing the electrodes (46A, 46B) together.

Apparatus, comprising fabric (62) formed from fibers (74); and an electrical component (20) having first and second perpendicular fiber guiding structures, wherein a first of the fibers is soldered in the first fiber guiding structure and a second of the fibers is soldered in the second fiber guiding structure.

A touch-sensitive textile device that is configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of a touch, and/or the force of a touch on the touch-sensitive textile device. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive textile device includes a first set of conductive threads oriented along a first direction, and a second set of conductive threads interwoven with the first set of conductive threads and oriented along a second direction. The device may also include a sensing circuit that is operatively coupled to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may be configured to apply a drive signal to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may also be configured to detect a touch or near touch based on a variation in an electrical measurement using the first or second set of conductive threads.

It is disclosed a capacitive touch sensor (10) comprising a support layer (1) and a plurality of sensing elongated elements (2) coupled to said support layer (1), said plurality of sensing elongated elements (2) comprising a plurality of electrically resistive elongated elements (2r), wherein said plurality of electrically resistive elongated elements (2r) comprises a first set (2rx) of electrically resistive elongated elements (2r) electrically connected to a first common node (Nx) configured to be electrically connected to a first input (INx) of a detection device (5), said detection device (5) being configured to provide an output signal (S_OUT) comprising a first output value (OUTx) that is a function of the capacitance value (CRx) of said first set (2rx) of electrically resistive elongated elements (2r). An article comprising the capacitive touch sensor (10) and a method for detecting a touch event on a support layer (1) are also disclosed.

A tampering detection system for a dispensing nozzle of a dispensing system in which the dispensing nozzle is inserted into a connecting piece of the dispensing system comprises a flat, tactile sensor comprising at least two pressure sensitive and individually evaluable sensor segments. The sensor is arranged between the connecting piece and the dispensing nozzle and extends along an inner circumference of the connecting piece in a connecting region for the dispensing nozzle. The tamper detection system further comprises an evaluation unit connected to the sensor segments to detect a pressure acting on each of the sensor segments.

A smart patch including multi-component strands integrated into clothing or other textiles where the strands of the smart patch include sensory elements that can simultaneously measure tactile forces, moisture/wetness, and other signals, such as biopotentials. A sensing system comprising: a first set of strands including a plurality of first multi-component strands, each of the first multi-component strands including a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion; and a second set of strands including a plurality of second multi-component strands, each of the second multicomponent strands including a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion, and a plurality of third multi-component strands, each of the third multicomponent strands including a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion, the third multi-component strands being different than the first multi-component strands and the second multi-component strands.

Computing systems and related methods are provided for discovery of undefined user movements. Sensor data associated with one or more sensors of a wearable device can be obtained and input into one or more machine-learned models that have been trained to learn a continuous embedding space based at least in part on one or more target criteria. Data indicative of a position of the sensor data within the continuous embedding space can be obtained as an output of the one or more machine-learned models. A functionality associated with the position of the sensor data within the continuous embedding space can be determined. The functionality associated with the position of the sensor data within the continuous embedding space can be initiated.