# US 2014/0197697 A1 · Low powered activation arrangement and method thereof

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- Number: US 2014/0197697 A1
- Document ID: US20140197697A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/999,599
- Filed: 2014-03-11
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-11
- Inventors: Jack Chu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197697A1

## CPC

- H03K 17/96: Touch switches (specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08)
- A63H 3/02: made of fabrics or stuffed
- A63H 3/28: Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
- A63H 2200/00: Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS

## Abstract

A fabric product includes a body having a skin made by interweaving a plurality of textile fabrics and a low powered activation arrangement which includes an electronic unit and one or more conductive threads extended underneath the skin of the body. The electronic unit includes a power source, an activation circuit which is a low powered activation circuit, and an operator. Each of the conductive threads has a proximal end portion electrically coupled with the activation circuit and a distal end portion which is extended to an outer surface of the skin of the body at a predetermined location thereof and is arranged in such a manner that when the distal end portion of the conductive thread is being contacted, the activation circuit is activated to actuate the operator.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A low powered activation arrangement for a fabric product having a body and a skin thereof, comprising:
an electronic unit which comprises a power source, an activation circuit, which is a low powered activation circuit, electrically coupled with said power source; and an operator operatively linked to said activation circuit; and
one or more conductive threads extended underneath said skin of said body, wherein each of said conductive threads has a proximal end portion electrically coupled with said activation circuit and a distal end portion which is extended on an outer surface of said skin of said body at a predetermined location thereof and is arranged in such a manner that when said distal end portion of said conductive thread is being contacted, said activation circuit is activated to actuate said operator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said conductive thread comprises a plurality of conductive fibers intertwining with each other to form said conductive thread with a predetermined thickness.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a fabric layer for retaining said respective conductive thread in position, wherein said conductive thread is fastened on said fabric layer from said proximal end portion of said conductive thread towards said distal end portion thereof, such that said fabric layer forms a backing of said conductive thread to guide said conductive thread extending from said electronic unit to said predetermined location of said skin of said body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 3, wherein said fabric layer has an enlarged reinforcing portion for spacedly retaining said proximal end portions of said conductive threads to electrically couple with said activation circuit, and a plurality of elongated guiding portions extended from said reinforcing portion for guiding said conductive threads extending to said predetermined locations of said skin of said body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic unit further comprises a conductor panel electrically coupled with a terminal of said activation circuit, wherein said proximal end portions of said conductive threads are electrically contacted with said conductor panel to electrically link said conductive threads with said activation circuit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 4, wherein said electronic unit further comprises a conductor panel electrically coupled with a terminal of said activation circuit, wherein said proximal end portions of said conductive threads are electrically contacted with said conductor panel to electrically link said conductive threads with said activation circuit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 1, wherein said distal end portion of each of said conductive threads is arranged for protruding out of said skin of said body in a bifurcating manner to increase a contact area of said distal end portion of said conductive thread and to camouflage as a part of said outer surface of said skin.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 4, wherein said distal end portion of each of said conductive threads is arranged for protruding out of said skin of said body in a bifurcating manner to increase a contact area of said distal end portion of said conductive thread and to camouflage as a part of said outer surface of said skin.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 1, wherein said distal end portion of each of said conductive threads is arranged for protruding out of said skin of said body and stitching on said outer surface of said skin to increase a contact area of said distal end portion of said conductive thread and to camouflage as a part of said outer surface of said skin.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 4, wherein said distal end portion of each of said conductive threads is protruded out of said skin of said body and stitching on said outer surface of said skin to increase a contact area of said distal end portion of said conductive thread and to camouflage as a part of said outer surface of said skin.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 1, wherein said distal end portions of said conductive threads are adapted for extending to a first fastener and a second fastener provided at two opening edges of said body respectively and arranged when said first and second fasteners are fastened with each other to close said opening, said distal ends of said conductive threads are contacted with each other to activate said activation circuit, and when said first and second fasteners are detached from each other to open said opening, said distal ends of said conductive threads are separated from each other to deactivate said activation circuit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 4)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 4, wherein said distal end portions of said conductive threads are adapted for extending to a first fastener and a second fastener provided at two opening edges of said body respectively and arranged when said first and second fasteners are fastened with each other to close said opening, said distal ends of said conductive threads are contacted with each other to activate said activation circuit, and when said first and second fasteners are detached from each other to open said opening, said distal ends of said conductive threads are separated from each other to deactivate said activation circuit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The low powered activation arrangement, as recited in claim 1, wherein said conductive threads are metallic-treated threads having relatively high conductivity.

### Claim 14

A low powered activation method for a fabric product having a skin, comprising the steps of:
(a) locating one or more conductive threads extended underneath said skin of the fabric product, wherein each of said conductive threads has a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
(b) electrically coupling said proximal end portion of each of said conductive threads with an activation circuit of said low powered activation arrangement;
(c) guiding said distal end portion of each of said conductive threads to extend on an outer surface of said skin at a predetermined location thereof; and
(d) contacting said distal end portion of said respective conductive thread on said outer surface of said skin to activate said activation circuit so as to actuate an operator of said low powered activation arrangement.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method, as recited in claim 13, wherein the step (a) further comprises a step of intertwining a plurality of conductive fibers with each other to form said conductive thread with a predetermined thickness.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method, as recited in claim 15, wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of fastening said conductive threads on a fabric layer for retaining said conductive threads in position, wherein said fabric layer forms a backing of said conductive threads to guide said conductive threads extending from said electronic unit to said predetermined locations of said skin.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method, as recited in claim 16, wherein said proximal end portions of said conductive threads are spacedly stitched at an enlarged reinforcing portion of said fabric layer to electrically couple with said activation circuit, while said conductive threads are stitched at a plurality of elongated guiding portions of said fabric layer for guiding said conductive threads extending to said predetermined locations of said skin.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method, as recited in claim 17, wherein the step (b) further comprises a step of electrically contacting said proximal end portions of said conductive threads with a conductor panel which is electrically coupled with a terminal of said activation circuit, so as to electrically link said conductive threads with said activation circuit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method, as recited in claim 14, wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of guiding said distal end portion of each of said conductive threads being protruded out of said skin in a bifurcating manner to increase a contact area of said distal end portion of said conductive thread and to camouflage as a part of said outer surface of said skin.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method, as recited in claim 14, wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of stitching said distal end portion of each of said conductive threads on said outer surface of said skin to increase a contact area of said distal end portion of said conductive thread and to camouflage as a part of said outer surface of said skin.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The method, as recited in claim 14, wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of guiding said distal end portions of said conductive threads to first and second fasteners respectively, wherein when said first and second fasteners are fastened with each other to close an opening of said fabric product, said distal ends of said conductive threads are contacted with each other to activate said activation circuit, and when said first and second fasteners are detached from each other to open said opening, said distal ends of said conductive threads are separated from each other to deactivate said activation circuit.

### Claim 22 (depends on 14)

The method, as recited in claim 14, wherein said conductive threads are metallic-treated threads having relatively high conductivity.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method, as recited in claim 21, wherein said conductive threads are metallic-treated threads having relatively high conductivity.
