Patent Grant
10704966
The present invention generally relates to apparel having a sensor system and, more particularly, to an article of apparel having an extruded sensor system having a sensor member and a conductor connected to a communication port operably associated with the apparel.
Articles of apparel having sensor systems incorporated therein are known. Sensor systems track movement and collect performance data wherein the movements and performance data can be accessed for later use such as for analysis purposes. In certain systems, the sensor systems are complex or unreliable at times due to bending of the apparel at a wearer's joints. In addition, data can only be accessed or used with certain operating systems. Thus, uses for the collected data can be unnecessarily limited. Accordingly, while certain articles of apparel having sensor systems provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present invention seeks to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available.
The present invention relates generally to an article of apparel having a sensor system. Aspects of the invention relate to a sensor system that includes one or a plurality of sensors formed of a polymeric material having a conductive particulate material dispersed therein and conductive leads connected to the sensors. The leads may also be formed of a polymeric material having a conductive particulate material dispersed therein. The sensors and the leads may have the same or different polymeric materials and/or conductive particulate materials. In one embodiment, the conductive material is dispersed in the sensor(s) at a first dispersion density and the conductive material is dispersed in the leads at a second dispersion density that is higher than the first dispersion density. Each of the sensors is configured to increase in resistance when deformed under pressure, or in other words, the sensor has a first resistance in a non-deformed condition and a second resistance in a deformed condition, where the second resistance is higher than the first resistance. In a configuration where the leads include the dispersed conductive material, the second dispersion density is such that each of the leads has sufficient conductivity that the leads are configured to conduct an electronic signal between each sensor and the port in any state of deformation.
According to one aspect, the article of apparel further contains a communication port operably connected with the sensors, such that the leads connect the sensors to the port. In one embodiment, the communication port is configured for transmitting data regarding forces detected by each sensor in a universally readable format. The port may also be configured for connection to an electronic module to allow communication between the sensors and the module.
According to another aspect, the article of apparel contains an electronic module in communication with the sensors, which is configured for collecting data from the sensors. The module may be connected with the sensors through the communication port, and may be positioned within a cavity associated with the article of apparel. In one embodiment, the module is further configured for transmitting the data to an external device for further processing.
According to another aspect, the article of apparel may contain a housing that is configured for removably receiving the electronic module. The housing may include a well for receiving the module therein, and may have a communication port connected with the sensors and configured for communication with the module. The housing may further have retaining structure configured for retaining the module within the housing.
According to a further aspect, the polymeric material and the conductive particulate material of each sensor and each conductive lead are co-extruded.
According to an additional aspect, each lead includes an insulating coating disposed around a conductive core, with both the insulating coating and the conductive core being formed of the polymeric material. The insulating coating is substantially free of the conductive particulate material and the conductive core includes the conductive particulate material dispersed therein at the second dispersion density. Each sensor may additionally or alternately include an insulating coating disposed around a core, with both the insulating coating and the conductive core being formed of the polymeric material. The insulating coating is substantially free of the conductive particulate material and the core includes the conductive particulate material dispersed therein at the first dispersion density.
According to an additional aspect, at least one of the sensors includes a plurality of generally parallel branches having one or more bridges extending transverse to the branches to connect the branches together. Such sensor(s) may have three or more branches arranged in a zigzag pattern.
According to an additional aspect, the sensors may be formed by a first polymeric paint having the conductive particulate material dispersed therein at the first dispersion density, and the leads may be formed by a second polymeric paint having the conductive particulate material dispersed therein at the second dispersion density. The first polymeric paint and the second polymeric paint both may be silicone-based paints.
According to an additional aspect, the conductive particulate material includes at least one particulate material selected from a group consisting of: nickel, silver, carbon, and aluminum.
According to an additional aspect, at least one of the sensors includes a thinned segment having a width that is reduced relative to other portions of the sensor.
According to an additional aspect, each sensor has two leads connecting the sensor to the port, and each sensor and the two leads connected thereto are integrally formed as a single extruded member having a sensor segment forming the sensor and conductor segments forming the leads. The sensor segment may be formed of the polymeric material having the conductive particulate material dispersed therein at the first dispersion density, and the conductor segments may be formed of the polymeric material having the conductive particulate material dispersed therein at the second dispersion density.
Additional aspects of the invention relate to an article of apparel that includes a sensor system as described above. The article of apparel may be a shirt, which may have sensors located at least in elbow regions, shoulder regions, and/or underarm regions of the shirt, and which may have the port located in the upper back region or the chest region. The article of apparel may be a pair of pants (including shorts), which may have sensors located at least in knee regions and the back region of the pants, and which may have the port located on the front or back region of the waist region of the pants. The article of apparel may further be a full bodysuit, having one or more sensors and a port located in one of the locations described above with respect to the shirt and pants. The article of apparel may further be a tracksuit or similar outfit having separate shirt and pants members. The sensor systems of the shirt and pants may share a single port, or may have separate ports that may communicate with each other and/or with a common external device. Other articles of apparel may be utilized as well.
Additional aspects of the invention relate to an article of apparel that includes a clothing member having a sensor system disposed thereon. The sensor system includes an extruded silicone member having a sensor segment and a conductor segment connected to the sensor segment and continuous with the sensor segment. The sensor segment has a conductive particulate material contained therein at a first concentration and the conductor segment having the conductive particulate material contained therein at a second concentration, the second concentration being greater than the first concentration. The sensor segments and conductor segments may form one or more sensors and leads, respectively, as described above.
Further aspects of the invention relate to a system that includes an article of apparel and/or a sensor system as described above, with an electronic module connected to the sensor system. The system may further have an external device configured for communication with the electronic module. The module is configured to receive data from the sensors and to transmit the data to the external device, and the external device is configured for further processing the data.
According to one aspect, the system also includes an accessory device connected to the external device, configured to enable communication between the electronic module and the external device. The accessory device may also be configured for connection to a second external device to enable communication between the electronic module and the second external device.
According to another aspect, the data communicated to the external device can be used in one or more different applications. Such applications can include using the data as control input for a program executed by the external device, such as a game program, or for athletic performance monitoring, among other applications. Athletic performance monitoring can include monitoring one or more performance metrics such as speed, distance, lateral movement, acceleration, jump height, weight transfer, foot strike pattern, balance, foot pronation or supination, loft time measurement during running, lateral cutting force, contact time, center of pressure, throwing arm speed/force, kicking leg speed/force, weight distribution, and/or impact force, among others.
Still further aspects of the invention relate to methods utilizing an article of apparel containing a sensor system as described above. Such methods can include receiving data from the sensors at the electronic module and transmitting the data from the module to a remote external device for further processing, which may include use in one or more applications. Such methods can also include removing or disconnecting a first electronic module from the sensor system and connecting a second module in its place, where the second module is configured for a different operation. Such methods can further include processing the data for use in one or more applications and/or using the data as control input for an external device. Still further, such methods can include an external device receiving the data and utilizing and/or further processing the data in a variety of manners, including as control input, for athletic monitoring or modeling, and other such uses. Aspects of the invention may also include computer-readable media containing instructions for use in performing one or more features of these methods and/or utilizing the footwear and systems described above.
Other aspects of the invention relate to a system that includes at least one article of apparel having a sensor system as described above, as well as at least one article of footwear having a sensor system that includes one or more sensors in communication with a port. Electronic modules can be connected to the sensor systems, and each electronic module is configured for communicating data received from the sensors to an external device. The data from the different sensor systems may be integrated and processed together, such as by the modules and/or the external device, and may be used in any of the applications described above. The system may use one of several different communication modes.
Still other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated and described.
Aspects of the present invention may be used in connection with an article of apparel 100 that includes a clothing member, for example, an clothing member 10 in the form of a shirt, as shown in
The clothing member 10 is configured as a shirt to be worn on a user's upper body, and as illustrated in
One example embodiment of the sensor system 12 is illustrated in
The sensors 20 have a conductivity (and resistivity) that varies based on deformation and applied force, and may be considered to be a force-sensitive resistive material. The mechanism by which this occurs is that the deformation of the matrix material 23 causes the distance between the particles of the conductive material 24 to increase or decrease, which changes the resistance or conductivity of the material. For example, as shown in
In one embodiment, the sensors 20 may have multiple connected branches 46 that extend across a common pressure point (e.g. a flex point as described below). As shown in
The sensors 20 may also contain one or more thinned portions or segments 29 that have a width that is smaller than the widths of other portions of the sensors 20 and/or the widths of the leads 22. The sensors 20 as shown in
The sensor system 12 also includes sensor leads 22 connecting the sensors 20 to the port 14. In the embodiment illustrated in
In general, the leads 22 have greater conductivity than the sensors 20, and have sufficient conductivity to conduct an electronic signal between the sensor 20 and the port 14 in substantially any state of deformation (excluding extreme deformation, such as fracture). In the embodiment of
In one embodiment, as shown in
In one embodiment, the sensors 20 and the leads 22 may be formed and connected to the clothing member 10 by applying as a paint or similar substance that can be applied in a flowable form which then solidifies (such as through drying, curing, etc.). The sensors 20 and the leads 22 can be applied as different types of paints, such as a first paint with the conductive material at lower dispersion density to form the sensors 20 and a second paint with the conductive material at a higher dispersion density to form the leads 22. A primer, adhesive, or other bonding material may be used to enhance the connection between the paint and the clothing member in one embodiment. Additionally, the use of paint or a similar technique to apply the sensors 20 and leads 22 may facilitate customization of the article 100 for a particular user, enabling the sensors 20 and leads 22 to be quickly formed in a desired pattern or configuration.
In another embodiment, the sensors 20 and the leads 22 may be formed by extrusion. The sensor matrix material 23 may be doped with the sensor conductive material 24 at the appropriate distribution density, loaded into an extrusion device, and extruded to form the sensors 20. Similarly, the lead matrix material 25 may be doped with the lead conductive material 26 at the appropriate distribution density, loaded into an extrusion device, and extruded to form the leads 22. The extruded sensors 20 and leads 22 may be connected to the clothing member 10 by extruding the sensors 20 and the leads 22 directly onto the clothing member 10 in a desired pattern, in one embodiment. As similarly mentioned above, a primer, adhesive, or other bonding material may be used to enhance the connection between the extruded material and the clothing member in one embodiment. Other forming methods may be used in other embodiments.
In one embodiment, the sensors 20 and the leads 22 can be formed together in one embodiment as a continuous member formed of the matrix material 23, 25, with different segments having different concentrations of the conductive material to form the sensors 20 and leads 22. Co-extrusion, other extrusion techniques, or another effective method may be utilized to produce the continuous member. In one example embodiment, as shown in
In another embodiment, sensors 20 and/or leads 22 as described above may have an insulative coating 21, such as illustrated in
The port 14 is configured for connection to the leads 22 using a plurality of connectors or connection pins 13, which may be or include metallic (e.g. silver) threads or other conductors. The port 14 also includes an interface 18 configured for communication with an interface 17 of the module 16. Each of the interfaces 17, 18 may include a plurality of electrical contacts (not shown) or other connections. In one embodiment, the interfaces 17, 18 include separate electrical contacts corresponding to each of the leads 22. A harness member 11 supports the connection pins 13 in connection with the leads 22 and consolidates the pins 13 together to connect to the interface 18. The harness member 11 may be made from a sheet-like polymer material, with the pins 13 at least partially embedded therein. A frame member 19 may be positioned around the harness member 11, to support the harness member 11, provide a point for connection to the clothing member 10, and cover the connections between the leads 22 and the pins 13, among other functions. The frame member 19 may be formed of a polymer foam or other suitable material.
In the embodiment illustrated in
The housing 40 may have a well 41 that is configured to receive at least a portion of the module 16 therein, and may further include a retaining structure to retain the module 16. This retaining structure may be complementary with retaining structure on the module 16. For example, in the embodiment shown in
The port 14 is configured for communication of data collected by the sensors 20 to an outside source, in one or more known manners. In one embodiment, as shown in
The port 14 is adapted for connection to a variety of different electronic modules 16, which may be as simple as a memory component (e.g., a flash drive) or which may contain more complex features. It is understood that the module 16 could be as complex a component as a personal computer, mobile device, server, etc. The port 14 is configured for transmitting data gathered by the sensors 20 to the module 16 for storage and/or processing. Although the port 14 is illustrated with electronic contacts forming an interface 18 for connection to a module, in other embodiments, the port 14 may contain one or more additional or alternate communication interfaces. For example, the port 14 may contain or comprise a USB port, a Firewire port, 16-pin port, or other type of physical contact-based connection, or may include a wireless or contactless communication interface, such as an interface for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near-field communication, RFID, Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, or other wireless communication technique, or an interface for infrared or other optical communication technique.
The module 16 may additionally have one or multiple communication interfaces for connecting to one or more external devices 110 to transmit the data for processing, as described below and shown in
In the example of
Connection to the one or more sensors can be accomplished through TX-RX element 106, but additional sensors (not shown) may be provided to sense or provide data or information relating to a wide variety of different types of parameters, such as physical or physiological data associated with use of the article 100, et seq., or the user, including pedometer type speed and/or distance information, other speed and/or distance data sensor information, temperature, altitude, barometric pressure, humidity, GPS data, accelerometer output or data, heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, body temperature, EKG data, EEG data, data regarding angular orientation and changes in angular orientation (such as a gyroscope-based sensor), etc., and this data may be stored in memory 204 and/or made available, for example, for transmission by the transmission/reception system 106 to some remote location or system. The additional sensor(s), if present, may also include an accelerometer (e.g., for sensing direction changes during steps, such as for pedometer type speed and/or distance information, for sensing jump height, changes of direction, etc.).
An electronic module 16 as shown in
The module 16 may further be configured for communication with an external device 110, as described above, which may be an external computer or computer system, mobile device, gaming system, or other type of electronic device, as shown in
The operation and use of the sensor system 12 is described below with respect to the sensor system 12 shown in
In different embodiments, the sensor system 12 may be configured to collect different types of data. In one embodiment (described above), the sensor(s) 20 can collect data reflecting movement of the body at the points around the sensors 20, e.g. at the user's joints in one embodiment. For example, the sensors 20 may gradually increase in resistance as the deformation of the sensor 20 changes due to different degrees of flexing or other movement. From this data, information about the user's movements can be gathered, such as the number, sequence, and/or frequency of movement, as well as the degree of movement, the speed of movement, and other information. In another embodiment, the sensors 20 may be binary on/off type sensors, rather than qualitative sensors. Such data may not permit the degree of the user's movement to be detected, but other aspects of the user's movement can be detected, such as number, sequence, frequency, etc. In further embodiments, the sensor(s) 20 may be able to measure rates of changes in flexing, bending, or other deformation, and/or other temporally-dependent parameters. It is understood that, in any embodiment, the sensors 20 may require a certain threshold force or deformation before registering data.
As described above, the data is provided through the universal port 14 to the module 16 in a universally readable format, so that the number of applications, users, and programs that can use the data is nearly unlimited. Thus, the port 14 and module 16 are configured and/or programmed as desired by a user, and the port 14 and module 16 receive input data from the sensor system 12, which data can be used in any manner desired for different applications. In many applications, the data is further processed by the module 16 and/or the external device 110 prior to use. In configurations where the external device 110 further processes the data, the module 16 may transmit the data to the external device 110. This transmitted data may be transmitted in the same universally-readable format, or may be transmitted in another format, and the module 16 may be configured to change the format of the data. Additionally, the module 16 can be configured and/or programmed to gather, utilize, and/or process data from the sensors 20 for one or more specific applications. In one embodiment, the module 16 is configured for gathering, utilizing, and/or processing data for use in a plurality of applications. Examples of such uses and applications are given below. As used herein, the term “application” refers generally to a particular use, and does not necessarily refer to use in a computer program application, as that term is used in the computer arts. Nevertheless, a particular application may be embodied wholly or partially in a computer program application.
Further, the module 16 can be removed from the clothing member and replaced with a second module 16 configured for operating differently than the first module 16. In the embodiment of
One use contemplated for the data collected by the system 12 is in detecting and/or measuring movement by flexing of the user's joints, including joints used in a wide variety of athletic activities, such as elbows, shoulders, knees, and hips. As described above, information about the user's movements that can be gathered from the data include the number, sequence, and/or frequency of movement, the degree of movement, the speed of movement, and other information. It is understood that more or less expensive and complex sensor systems 12 may be designed, based on the intended use of the data collected thereby. The data collected by the system 12 can be used in measurement of a variety of other athletic performance characteristics. For example, speed and distance monitoring can be performed, which may include pedometer-based measurements. As another example, movement information can be used to model the user's movements (such as by an external device 110). Such movements that can be modeled include, without limitation, running form, throwing form (e.g., baseball, football, softball, cricket, etc.), basketball shooting form, swing form (e.g., baseball, golf, tennis, hockey, etc.), kicking form (e.g. soccer or football), ice skating or roller skating form, jumping form, climbing form, weightlifting or other stationary exercise form, posture, and other such movements.
The data, or the measurements derived therefrom, may be useful for athletic training purposes, including improving speed, power, quickness, consistency, technique, etc. The port 14, module 16, and/or external device 110 can be configured to give the user active, real-time feedback. In one example, the port 14 and/or module 16 can be placed in communication with a computer, mobile device, etc., in order to convey results in real time. Additionally, the data can be used to compare athletic movements, such as comparing a movement with a user's past movements to show consistency, improvement, or the lack thereof, or comparing a user's movement with the same movement of another, such as a professional golfer's swing. Further, the system 12 may be used to record biomechanical data for a “signature” athletic movement of an athlete. This data could be provided to others for use in duplicating or simulating the movement, such as for use in gaming applications or in a shadow application that overlays a movement over a user's similar movement.
The system 12 can also be configured for “all day activity” tracking, to record the various activities a user engages in over the course of a day. The system 12 may include a special algorithm for this purpose, such as in the module 16, the external device 110, and/or the sensors 20.
The system 12 may also be used for control applications, rather than data collection and processing applications. In other words, the system 12 could be incorporated into apparel, or another clothing member that encounters bodily contact, for use in controlling an external device 110, such as a computer, television, video game, etc., based on movements by the user detected by the sensors 20. In effect, the apparel with the incorporated sensors 20 and leads 22 extending to a universal port 14 allows the apparel to act as an input system, and the electronic module 16 can be configured, programmed, and adapted to accept the input from the sensors 20 and use this input data in any desired manner, e.g., as a control input for a remote system. For example, a shoe with sensor controls could be used as a control or input device for a computer, or for a program being executed by the computer, similarly to a mouse, where certain movements, gestures, etc. (e.g., a horizontal or vertical hand or arm wave, a kick, etc.) can control a pre-designated operation on a computer (e.g., page down, page up, undo, copy, cut, paste, save, close, etc.). Software can be provided to assign various gestures to different computer function controls for this purpose. It is contemplated that an operating system could be configured to receive and recognize control input from the sensor system 12. Televisions or other external electronic devices can be controlled in this manner. Articles 100, 500, 600, 700 incorporating the system 12 can also be used in gaming applications and game programs, similarly to the Nintendo Wii controller, where specific movements can be assigned certain functions and/or can be used to produce a virtual representation of the user's motion on a display screen. The system 12 can be used as an exclusive controller for a game or other computer system, or as a complementary controller.
Additionally, the system 12 may be configured to communicate directly with the external device 110 and/or with a controller for the external device. As described above,
An external device 110, such as a computer/gaming system, can be provided with other types of software to interact with the system 12. For example, a gaming program may be configured to alter the attributes of an in-game character based on a user's real-life activities, which can encourage exercise or greater activity by the user. In another example, a program may be configured to display an avatar of the user that acts in relation or proportion to the user activity collected by the sensing system of the shoe. In such a configuration, the avatar may appear excited, energetic, etc., if the user has been active, and the avatar may appear sleepy, lazy, etc., if the user has been inactive. The sensor system 12 could also be configured for more elaborate sensing to record data describing a “signature move” of an athlete, which could then be utilized for various purposes, such as in a gaming system or modeling system.
A single article 100, et seq., containing the sensor system 12 as described herein can be used alone or in combination with a second article 100, et seq., having its own sensor system 12, such as the articles 100, 500 in the track suit 70 illustrated in
Various modes of communication may be used to integrate the data from multiple sensor systems 12, 82, including any modes of communication described in the aforementioned patent applications may be used as well. As illustrated in
As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art upon reading the present disclosure, various aspects described herein may be embodied as a method, a data processing system, or a computer program product. Accordingly, those aspects may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, such aspects may take the form of a computer program product stored by one or more tangible computer-readable storage media or storage devices having computer-readable program code, or instructions, embodied in or on the storage media. Any suitable tangible computer readable storage media may be utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, and/or any combination thereof. In addition, various intangible signals representing data or events as described herein may be transferred between a source and a destination in the form of electromagnetic waves traveling through signal-conducting media such as metal wires, optical fibers, and/or wireless transmission media (e.g., air and/or space).
As described above, aspects of the present invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer and/or a processor thereof. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Such a program module may be contained in a tangible computer-readable medium, as described above. Aspects of the present invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. Program modules may be located in a memory, such as the memory 204 of the module 16 or memory 304 of the external device 110, or an external medium, such as game media 307, which may include both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices. It is understood that the module 16, the external device 110, and/or external media may include complementary program modules for use together, such as in a particular application. It is also understood that a single processor 202, 302 and single memory 204, 304 are shown and described in the module 16 and the external device 110 for sake of simplicity, and that the processor 202, 302 and memory 204, 304 may include a plurality of processors and/or memories respectively, and may comprise a system of processors and/or memories.
The various embodiments of the sensor system described herein, as well as the articles of apparel and other structures incorporating the sensor system, provide benefits and advantages over existing technology. For example, many of the sensor embodiments described herein provide relatively low cost and durable options for sensor systems, so that a sensor system can be incorporated into articles of apparel with little added cost and good reliability. As a result, apparel can be manufactured with integral sensor systems regardless of whether the sensor systems are ultimately desired to be used by the consumer, without appreciably affecting price. Additionally, the article(s) of apparel may be manufactured as thin and lightweight garments to be worn underneath a user's normal apparel, providing performance tracking without affecting the user's external appearance and style. As another example, the sensor system provides a wide range of functionality for a wide variety of applications, including gaming, fitness, athletic training and improvement, practical controls for computers and other devices, and many others described herein and recognizable to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, third-party software developers can develop software configured to run using input from the sensor systems, including games and other programs. The ability of the sensor system to provide data in a universally readable format greatly expands the range of third party software and other applications for which the sensor system can be used.
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. The terms “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” etc., as used herein, are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Additionally, the term “plurality,” as used herein, indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Further, “Providing” an article or apparatus, as used herein, refers broadly to making the article available or accessible for future actions to be performed on the article, and does not connote that the party providing the article has manufactured, produced, or supplied the article or that the party providing the article has ownership or control of the article. Accordingly, while specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/824,593, filed Nov. 28, 2017, which a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/702,299, filed May 1, 2015, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,841,330 on Dec. 12, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/713,967, filed Dec. 13, 2012, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,043,004 on May 26, 2015, all of which prior applications are incorporated herein by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15824593 | Nov 2017 | US |
| Child | 16195109 | US | |
| Parent | 14702299 | May 2015 | US |
| Child | 15824593 | US | |
| Parent | 13713967 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Child | 14702299 | US |
