Fabric-encapsulated light arrays and systems for displaying video on clothing

An article of clothing, comprising:

• one or more sheets of flexible material configured and sewn or bonded to cover at least a part of a human body;
• one or more light array pockets fixed, connected, or sewn into the one or more sheets of flexible material, each of the one or more light array pockets including a first layer of pocket material, and a second layer of pocket material disposed atop the first layer of material and secured to the first layer of material to form a pocket;
• at least one light array disposed in each of the one or more light array pockets, the at least one light array including
• a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having at least one metallization layer and at least one covering layer,
• one or more substantially sinusoidal contact traces defined on the at least one metallization layer and extending from a control circuit area to traverse a length of the flexible PCB,
• a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) attached to the PCB along the one or more substantially sinusoidal contact traces such that each of the LEDs is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal line drawn through a length of the respective contact trace to which the LED is attached to minimize stresses in one or more expected directions of bending, and electrical and physical contact between each LED and one of the substantially sinusoidal contact traces is made in a rigidified area defined by a footprint of the LED,
• control circuitry mounted associated with the PCB such that it is in electrical communication with the substantially sinusoidal contact traces and the LEDs.

A system for local and wide-area control of light arrays embedded in articles, comprising:

• at least one flexible article, including
• one or more light array pockets including a first layer of pocket fabric, and
• a second layer of pocket fabric disposed atop the first layer of fabric and secured to the first layer of fabric to form a pocket;
• at least one light array disposed in each of the one or more light array pockets, the at least one light array including
• a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having at least one metallization layer and at least one covering layer,
• one or more substantially sinusoidal contact traces defined on the at least one metallization layer and extending from a control circuit area to traverse substantially the entirety of a length of the flexible PCB,
• a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) attached to the PCB along the one or more substantially sinusoidal contact traces such that each of the LEDs is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal line drawn through a length of the respective contact trace to which the LED is attached to minimize stresses in one or more expected directions of bending, and electrical and physical contact between each LED and one of the substantially sinusoidal contact traces is made in a rigidified area defined by a footprint of the LED, and
• control circuitry associated with the PCB such that it is in electrical communication with the substantially sinusoidal contact traces and the LEDs;
• and
• a local controller in communication with the at least one light array through the control circuitry, the local controller being adapted to communicate words, images, and video for display on the at least one light array substantially in real time.