CONFIGURABLE PROTECTIVE GARMENT

Abstract

 Prior art protective equipment addresses primarily the upper body whilst in several sports, recreational activities the lower body is subjected to the most traumatic impacts which occur to the buttocks, coccyx, hips, shins, knees etc. Accordingly, there is a need for protective garments for the lower body tailored to the requirements of these sports. Embodiments of the invention address this whilst also providing garments which include integrated protective elements targetting specific body regions where subset of these protective elements are either configurable to the user by virtue of being inflatable or provide additional functionality such as heating. Further, the integration of sensors and electronics allows data acquisition, alarms, closed-loop feedback of the heating / inflation etc.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/960,873 filed January 14, 2020 entitled "Protective Undergarment for Skiing and Snowboarding", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This patent application relates to protective garments and more particularly to configurable protective garments which are configurable by the user and provide analytical data and performance feedback.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Protective equipment for contact sports such as ice hockey and American football has evolved over the years primarily through the advent of new materials and considerations of physiological impacts such as concussions. Accordingly, the protective equipment in these sports is well advanced whilst within others it has fundamentally been static, e.g. shin guards for soccer. In other sports, particularly skiing and snowboarding the industry has been unsuccessful in the development of protective gear for the lower body. Whilst helmets are now commonly worn, in order to avoid head injuries and concussions, the rest of the body remains quite exposed with only a thin suit covering the user's body.

[0004] However, whilst skiing or snowboarding, it is generally the lower body that is subject to the most traumatic impacts. In particular, these impacts occur especially to the buttocks, coccyx, hips, shins and knees. Whilst these impacts can occur from beginners to experienced enthusiasts with beginners these impacts can rapidly put them off the sport. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide skiers, snowboarders, and those with other recreational activities with protective garments for the lower body tailored to the requirements of these sports.

[0005] Further, within the prior art protective garments are typically discrete items, e.g. knee pads or shin pads, whilst those protecting the upper thigh, buttocks, etc. exploit removable pads which get lost, damaged, etc. or are ineffective due to the shifting of these separate pads and are uncomfortable for the user due to tight elastic bands that fail to hold the pads in place. Further, these systems are generic in that whilst sold in discrete sizes they do not conform to the user's specific body geometry or provide the user with the ability to adjust the level of padding etc. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide skiers, snowboarders, and those with other recreational activities with protective garments that overcome these issues.

[0006] Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to mitigate limitations within the prior art relating to protective garments and more particularly to configurable protective garments which are configurable by the user and provide analytical data and performance feedback.

[0008] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention there is provided a garment comprising:

a body formed from one or more pieces of one or more fabrics;

a plurality of protective elements disposed in predetermined positions with respect to the body; wherein

one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprises at least one of a re-inflatable balloon and a heating element.

[0009] Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:

Figure 1 depicts an exemplary electronic device forming part of an item of clothing according to embodiments of the invention and its associations with a network to support further embodiments of the invention;

Figure 2 depicts an exemplary association of protective garment elements with a central controller and an electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 depicts front and rear views of a user wearing a garment with protective elements according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 4 depicts rear views of a user with and without a removable protective element according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 depicts manual and gas inflation mechanisms together with electrical power options for integrated inflation pump(s) and heating element(s) within protective elements according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 6 depicts front, rear and side views of a user with a garment supporting protective elements according to embodiments of the invention; and

Figure 7 depicts exemplary side, buttocks and shin protective elements according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The present invention is directed to protective garments and more particularly to configurable protective garments which are configurable by the user and provide analytical data and performance feedback.

[0012] The ensuing description provides representative embodiment(s) only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the embodiment(s) will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an embodiment or embodiments of the invention. It being understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims. Accordingly, an embodiment is an example or implementation of the inventions and not the sole implementation. Various appearances of "one embodiment," "an embodiment" or "some embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments. Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention can also be implemented in a single embodiment or any combination of embodiments.

[0013] Reference in the specification to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "some embodiments" or "other embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the inventions. The phraseology and terminology employed herein is not to be construed as limiting but is for descriptive purpose only. It is to be understood that where the claims or specification refer to "a" or "an" element, such reference is not to be construed as there being only one of that element. It is to be understood that where the specification states that a component feature, structure, or characteristic "may", "might", "can" or "could" be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included.

[0014] Reference to terms such as "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "front" and "back" are intended for use in respect to the orientation of the particular feature, structure, or element within the figures depicting embodiments of the invention. It would be evident that such directional terminology with respect to the actual use of a device has no specific meaning as the device can be employed in a multiplicity of orientations by the user or users.

[0015] Reference to terms "including", "comprising", "consisting" and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps, integers or groups thereof and that the terms are not to be construed as specifying components, features, steps or integers. Likewise, the phrase "consisting essentially of", and grammatical variants thereof, when used herein is not to be construed as excluding additional components, steps, features integers or groups thereof but rather that the additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition, device or method. If the specification or claims refer to "an additional" element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.

[0016] A "wireless standard" as used herein and throughout this disclosure, refer to, but is not limited to, a standard for transmitting signals and / or data through electromagnetic radiation which may be optical, radio-frequency (RF) or microwave although typically RF wireless systems and techniques dominate. A wireless standard may be defined globally, nationally, or specific to an equipment manufacturer or set of equipment manufacturers. Dominant wireless standards at present include, but are not limited to IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, UMTS, GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GPRS, ITU-R 5.138, ITU-R 5.150, ITU-R 5.280, IMT-1000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ultra-Wideband and WiMAX. Some standards may be a conglomeration of sub-standards such as IEEE 802.11 which may refer to, but is not limited to, IEEE 802.1a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, or IEEE 802.11 n as well as others under the IEEE 802.11 umbrella.

[0017] A "wireless standard" as used herein and throughout this disclosure, refer to, but is not limited to, a standard for transmitting signals and / or data through electromagnetic radiation which may be optical, radio-frequency (RF) or microwave although typically RF wireless systems and techniques dominate. A wireless standard may be defined globally, nationally, or specific to an equipment manufacturer or set of equipment manufacturers. Dominant wireless standards at present include, but are not limited to IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, UMTS, GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GPRS, ITU-R 5.138, ITU-R 5.150, ITU-R 5.280, IMT-1000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ultra-Wideband and WiMAX. Some standards may be a conglomeration of sub-standards such as IEEE 802.11 which may refer to, but is not limited to, IEEE 802.1a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, or IEEE 802.11n as well as others under the IEEE 802.11 umbrella.

[0018] A "portable electronic device" or "portable electrical device" (PED) as used herein and throughout this disclosure, refers to a wireless and/or wired device used for communications and other applications that requires a battery or other independent form of energy for power. This includes devices, but is not limited to, such as a cellular telephone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable computer, pager, portable multimedia player, portable gaming console, laptop computer, tablet computer, a wearable device, an electronic reader, a lamp, a heater, and a portable beverage machine.

[0019] A "fixed electronic device" or "fixed electrical device" (FED) as used herein and throughout this disclosure, refers to a wireless and /or wired device used for communications and other applications that requires connection to a fixed interface to obtain power. This includes, but is not limited to, a laptop computer, a personal computer, a computer server, a kiosk, a gaming console, a digital set-top box, an analog set-top box, an Internet enabled appliance, an Internet enabled television, a multimedia player, a television, a heater, a light, a beverage machine, a food dispenser, a microwave, an oven, and a refrigerator.

[0020] A "wearable device" relates to a refers to a wireless and/or wired device used for communications and other applications that requires a battery or other independent form of energy for power which is worn by the user including those under, attached to, within, with or on top of an item of clothing and/or a user and are part of a broader general class of wearable technology which includes "wearable computers" which in contrast are directed to general or special purpose information technologies and media development. A wearable device thereby forming a subset of PEDs. Such wearable devices and / or wearable sensors may include, but not be limited to, smartphones, smart watches, e-textiles, smart shirts, activity trackers, smart glasses, environmental sensors, medical sensors, biological sensors, physiological sensors, chemical sensors, ambient environment sensors, position sensors, neurological sensors, drug delivery systems, medical testing and diagnosis devices, and motion sensors.

[0021] A "server" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to one or more physical computers co-located and / or geographically distributed running one or more services as a host to users of other computers, PEDs, FEDs, etc. to serve the client needs of these other users. This includes, but is not limited to, a database server, file server, mail server, print server, web server, gaming server, or virtual environment server.

[0022] An "application" (commonly referred to as an "app") as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, a "software application", an element of a "software suite", a computer program designed to allow an individual to perform an activity, a computer program designed to allow an electronic device to perform an activity, and a computer program designed to communicate with local and / or remote electronic devices. An application thus differs from an operating system (which runs a computer), a utility (which performs maintenance or general-purpose chores), and a programming tools (with which computer programs are created). Generally, within the following description with respect to embodiments of the invention an application is generally presented in respect of software permanently and / or temporarily installed upon a PED and / or FED.

[0023] An "enterprise" as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, a provider of a service and / or a product to a user, customer, or consumer. This includes, but is not limited to, a retail outlet, a store, a market, an online marketplace, a manufacturer, an online retailer, a charity, a utility, and a service provider. Such enterprises may be directly owned and controlled by a company or may be owned and operated by a franchisee under the direction and management of a franchiser.

[0024] A "service provider" as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, a third party provider of a service and / or a product to an enterprise and / or individual and / or group of individuals and / or a device comprising a microprocessor. This includes, but is not limited to, a retail outlet, a store, a market, an online marketplace, a manufacturer, an online retailer, a utility, an own brand provider, and a service provider wherein the service and / or product is at least one of marketed, sold, offered, and distributed by the enterprise solely or in addition to the service provider.

[0025] A "third party" or "third party provider" as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, a so-called "arm's length" provider of a service and / or a product to an enterprise and / or individual and / or group of individuals and / or a device comprising a microprocessor wherein the consumer and / or customer engages the third party but the actual service and / or product that they are interested in and / or purchase and / or receive is provided through an enterprise and / or service provider.

[0026] A "user" as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, an individual or group of individuals. This includes, but is not limited to, private individuals, employees of organizations and / or enterprises, members of community organizations, members of charity organizations, men and women. In its broadest sense the user may further include, but not be limited to, software systems, mechanical systems, robotic systems, android systems, etc. that may be characterised by an ability to exploit one or more embodiments of the invention. A user may be associated with biometric data which may be, but not limited to, monitored, acquired, stored, transmitted, processed and analysed either locally or remotely to the user. A user may also be associated through one or more accounts and / or profiles with one or more of a service provider, third party provider, enterprise, social network, social media etc. via a dashboard, web service, website, software plug-in, software application, and graphical user interface.

[0027] "Biometric" information as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, data relating to a user characterised by data relating to a subset of conditions including, but not limited to, their environment, medical condition, biological condition, physiological condition, chemical condition, ambient environment condition, position condition, neurological condition, drug condition, and one or more specific aspects of one or more of these said conditions. Accordingly, such biometric information may include, but not be limited, blood oxygenation, blood pressure, blood flow rate, heart rate, temperate, fluidic pH, viscosity, particulate content, solids content, altitude, vibration, motion, perspiration, EEG, ECG, energy level, etc. In addition, biometric information may include data relating to physiological characteristics related to the shape and / or condition of the body wherein examples may include, but are not limited to, fingerprint, facial geometry, baldness, DNA, hand geometry, odour, and scent. Biometric information may also include data relating to behavioral characteristics, including but not limited to, typing rhythm, gait, and voice.

[0028] "Electronic content" (also referred to as "content" or "digital content") as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, any type of content that exists in the form of digital data as stored, transmitted, received and / or converted wherein one or more of these steps may be analog although generally these steps will be digital. Forms of digital content include, but are not limited to, information that is digitally broadcast, streamed or contained in discrete files. Viewed narrowly, types of digital content include popular media types such as MP3, JPG, AVI, TIFF, AAC, TXT, RTF, HTML, XHTML, PDF, XLS, SVG, WMA, MP4, FLV, and PPT, for example as well as other file formats. Within a broader approach digital content mat include any type of digital information, e.g. digitally updated weather forecast, a GPS map, an eBook, a photograph, a video, a Vine™, a blog posting, a Facebook™ posting, a Twitter™ tweet, online TV, etc. The digital content may be any digital data that is at least one of generated, selected, created, modified, and transmitted in response to a user request, said request may be a query, a search, a trigger, an alarm, and a message for example.

[0029] A "profile" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a computer and/or microprocessor readable data file comprising data relating to settings and/or limits of a device according to an embodiment of the invention or a user. Such profiles may be established by a manufacturer / supplier / provider of a device, service, etc. or they may be established by a user through a user interface for a device, a service or a PED/FED in communication with a device, another device, a server or a service provider etc.

[0030] "User information" as used herein may refer to, but is not limited to, user behavior information and / or user profile information. It may also include a user's biometric information, an estimation of the user's biometric information, or a projection / prediction of a user's biometric information derived from current and / or historical biometric information.

[0031] "Metadata" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to information stored as data that provides information about other data. Many distinct types of metadata exist, including but not limited to, descriptive metadata, structural metadata, administrative metadata, reference metadata and statistical metadata. Descriptive metadata may describe a resource for purposes such as discovery and identification and may include, but not be limited to, elements such as title, abstract, author, and keywords. Structural metadata relates to containers of data and indicates how compound objects are assembled and may include, but not be limited to, how pages are ordered to form chapters, and typically describes the types, versions, relationships and other characteristics of digital materials. Administrative metadata may provide information employed in managing a resource and may include, but not be limited to, when and how it was created, file type, technical information, and who can access it. Reference metadata may describe the contents and quality of statistical data whereas statistical metadata may also describe processes that collect, process, or produce statistical data. Statistical metadata may also be referred to as process data.

[0032] A "re-inflatable balloon" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to an element intended to adjust its physical geometry upon the injection of a fluid and/or gas within it. Such re-inflatable balloons can be formed from a variety of elastic and non-elastic materials and be of varying non-inflated and inflated profiles, including for example spherical, elongated, wide, thin, etc.

[0033] A "scaffold" or "scaffolds" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a structure that is used to hold up, interface with, or support another material or element(s). This includes, but is not limited to, such two-dimensional (2D) structures such as substrates and films, three-dimensional (3D) structures such as geometrical objects, non-geometrical objects, combinations of geometrical and non-geometrical objects, naturally occurring structural configurations, and manmade structural configurations. A scaffold may be solid, hollow, and porous or a combination thereof. A scaffold may contain recesses, pores, openings, holes, vias, and channels or a combination thereof. A scaffold may be smooth, textured, have predetermined surface profiles and / or features. A scaffold may be intended to support one or more other materials, one or more films, a multilayer film, one type of particle, multiple types of particles etc. A scaffold may include, but not be limited to, a spine of a device and / or a framework, for example, which also supports a shell and / or a casing.

[0034] A "shell" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a structure that is used to contain and / or surround a scaffold and / or casing, within devices according to embodiments of the invention. A shell may include, but not limited to, a part or parts that are mounted to a scaffold or scaffolds that support elements within a device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0035] A "casing" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a structure surrounding a scaffold and / or shell. This includes structures typically formed from an elastomer and / or silicone to provide a desired combination of physical tactile surface properties to the device it forms part of and other properties including, but not limited to, hermeticity, liquid ingress barrier, solid particulate ingress barrier, surface sheen, antimicrobial, antifungal and colour. A casing may include, but not limited to, a part or parts that are mounted to a scaffold or scaffolds and / or a casing or casings forming part of a device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0036] A "polyester" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in their main chain. This includes, but is not limited to polyesters which are naturally occurring chemicals as well as synthetics through step-growth polymerization, for example. Polyesters may be biodegradable or not. Polyesters may be a thermoplastic or thermoset or resins cured by hardeners. Polyesters may be aliphatic, semi-aromatic or aromatic. Polyesters may include, but not be limited to, those exploiting polyglycolide, polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyethylene adipate (PEA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

[0037] A "thermoplastic" or "thermosoftening plastic" as used herein and throughout this disclosure, refers to a category of polymers that become pliable or moldable above a specific temperature and solidify upon cooling. Thermoplastics may include, but not be limited, polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulfone (PES), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), poly vinyl chloride (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyimide (PI), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polychlorotrifluoroethene (PCTFE or PTFCE), florinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA).

[0038] A "metal" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a material that has good electrical and thermal conductivity. Such materials may be malleable and / or fusible and / or ductile. Metals may include, but not be limited to, aluminum, nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, silver, gold, platinum, iron, zinc, titanium, and alloys thereof such as bronze, stainless steel, stainless stainless steel, brass, and phosphor bronze.

[0039] An "aramid" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to an aromatic polyamide. Aramids are a class of materials fibers in which the chain molecules are highly oriented along the fiber axis, so the strength of the chemical bond can be exploited. Examples, include, but are not limited to fibers distributed under brand names such as Kevlar™, Technora™, Twaron™, Heracron™, Nomex™, Innegra S™ and Vectran™ as well as nylon and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

[0040] A "silicone" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a polymer that includes any inert, synthetic compound made up of repeating units of siloxane.

[0041] An "elastomeric" material or "elastomer" as used herein, and throughout this disclosure, refers to a material, generally a polymer, with viscoelasticity. Elastomers may include, but not be limited to, unsaturated rubbers such as polyisoprene, butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomers, perfluoroelastomers, and thermoplastic elastomers.

[0042] The term "flexible," as used herein, refers to the ability of a body that is capable of being bent or flexed. Something that is flexible can be, for example, resilient or malleable. The term "resilient," as used herein, refers to the ability of a body that has been subjected to an external force to recover, or substantially recover, its original size and/or shape, following deformation. The term "malleable," as used herein, refers to the ability of a body that has been subjected to an external force to deform and maintain, or substantially maintain, the deformed size and/or shape. The term "flexible," as used herein, refers to the ability of a body that has been subjected to an external force to return to its original size and/or shape once the external force has been removed or reduced to below a particular level.

[0043] Within the following descriptions and depictions of embodiments of the invention the garments described are an undergarment for protecting the abdominal portions and legs of a user it would be evident that embodiments of the invention may be applied to other portions of the user's body including, but not limited to, torso, thorax, neck, arm(s), hand(s), ankle(s), wrist(s), elbow(s), shoulder(s), foot or feet and head. Further, within the following descriptions and depictions of embodiments of the invention the garments are described with respect to a skier or snowboarder although it would be evident that the embodiments of the invention may equally be applied to protective garments and/or protective equipment for other sports, recreational activities, etc.

[0044] Considering initially the abdomen and thighs of a user then there are available a variety of shorts with padding where if the user wishes to extend protection to their legs there are separate knee and shin protectors on the market. These protective elements are typically made of a thick fabric and are not amenable to warmer weather conditions, being worn under another garment such as a ski suit for example, and lack breathability for the user's body. They are held in place by restrictive elastic straps either integrally attached to the protective elements or fitting through apertures within the protective elements further inhibiting circulation and creating additional pressure points and discomfort. These can be complicated to slip on and can easily move either with trying to put on another garment over them or during use thereby rendering them ineffective. Further, these protective elements are typically rigid elements designed to limit point damage to the user distributing the force of an impact over a localized area of the user's body. They do not cushion or absorb the impact.

[0045] Further these discrete separate prior art protective elements in addition to being restrictive, uncomfortable and only available in a limited number of sizes are easily lost, forgotten and damaged thereby providing inefficient and insufficient protection.

[0046] Considering the lower body then a user skiing or snowboarding can suffer injury to the lower body, to the hips, coccyx, buttocks, knees and shins resulting from falls and impacts that can often occur not only to enthusiasts of skiing and snowboarding but also beginners etc. Whilst performing these sports, the individual often falls causing various levels of injury that may precipitate the cessation of the sport or will decrease the participation in the sport. A significant issue is the lack of protective lower body garments targeted at these regions in a garment or under garment that is convenient, easy to use, maintains the protective elements in situ etc.

[0047] Accordingly, as evident from the description below in respect of Figures 3 to 8 the inventor has sought to address the limitations in the prior art for protective garments intended to reduce risk of trauma. Accordingly, the inventor's garments / under garments provide a novel approach for solving all of the challenges related to impacts to the buttocks, coccyx, hips, knees and shins of the wearer. It also provides additional features to improve the comfort of the user. Features of embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to:

• Manually inflatable protective pads configurable by the user;
• Automatically inflatable protective pads configurable by the user with wireless interface to allow remote setting / adjust / control etc.;
• Heating to improve user comfort; and
• Integrated sensors for monitoring user's body allowing alarm triggering, dynamic adjustment of protective pads, user performance feedback etc.

[0048] Now referring to Figure 1 there is depicted a schematic 100 of an Electronic Device 101 supporting Protective Clothing (PC) Systems, Applications and Platforms (SAPs) and PC-SAP features according to embodiments of the invention. Electronic Device 101 may, for example, be a PED, a FED, or a Wearable Device and may include additional elements above and beyond those described and depicted. Electronic Device 101 may be associated with an item of clothing specifically or it may interface with a controller for an item or items of clothing, not shown for clarity. Such a controller interfaced to the Electronic Device 101 via wired and/or wireless interfaces may be discretely powered independent of the Electronic Device 101 or it may be powered by the Electronic Device 101. Whilst not specifically described or depicted it would be evident that such a controller associated with an item or items of clothing may exploit internal and external elements representing a subset of those described with respect to Electronic Device 101. It would also be evident that whilst Electronic Device 101 may be a single PED, FED, or Wearable Device it may also be multiple PEDs, FEDs, and Wearable Devices which are associated to each other via wired and/or wireless interfaces. Similarly, a controller may be a single PED, FED, or Wearable Device it may also be multiple PEDs, FEDs, and Wearable Devices which are associated to each other via wired and/or wireless interfaces. A wired interface operating according to a wired standard whilst a wireless interface operates according to a wireless standard.

[0049] Also depicted in conjunction with the Electronic Device 101 are exemplary internal and/or external elements forming part of a simplified functional diagram of an Electronic Device 101 within an overall simplified schematic of a system supporting PC-SAP features according to embodiments of the invention which include an Access Point (AP) 106, such as a Wi-Fi AP for example, a Network Device 107, such as a communication server, streaming media server, and a router, which support interfacing of the Electronic Device 101 to a Network 102. The Network Device 107 may be coupled to the AP 106 via any combination of networks, wired, wireless and/or optical communication links. Also connected to the Network 102 are Social Media Networks (SOCNETS) 165; a remote system 170A; an enterprise 170B; a website 175A ; a 3rd party service provider 175B; a service provider 175C; and servers 190 respectively.

[0050] The Electronic device 101 includes one or more Processors 110 and a Memory 112 coupled to Processor(s) 110. AP 106 also includes one or more Processors 111 and a Memory 113 coupled to Processor(s) 210. A non-exhaustive list of examples for any of Processors 110 and 111 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a reduced instruction set computer (RISC), a complex instruction set computer (CISC), a graphics processing unit (GPU) and the like. Furthermore, any of Processors 110 and 111 may be part of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or may be a part of application specific standard products (ASSPs). A non-exhaustive list of examples for Memories 112 and 113 includes any combination of the following semiconductor devices such as registers, latches, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory devices, non-volatile random access memory devices (NVRAM), SDRAM, DRAM, double data rate (DDR) memory devices, SRAM, universal serial bus (USB) removable memory, and the like.

[0051] Electronic Device 101 may include an audio input element 214, for example a microphone, and an Audio Output Element 116, for example, a speaker, coupled to any of Processor(s) 110. Electronic Device 101 may include an Optical Input Element 218, for example, a video camera or camera, and an Optical Output Element 220, for example one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), a liquid crystal display (LCD), coupled to any of Processor(s) 110. Electronic Device 101 also includes a Keyboard 115 and Touchpad 117 which may for example be a physical keyboard and touchpad allowing the user to enter content or select functions within one of more Applications 122. Alternatively, the Keyboard 115 and Touchpad 117 may be predetermined regions of a touch sensitive element forming part of the display within the Electronic Device 101. The one or more Applications 122 that are typically stored in Memory 112 and are executable by any combination of Processor(s) 110. Electronic Device 101 also includes Accelerometer 160 providing three-dimensional motion input to the Processor(s) 110 and GPS 162 which provides geographical location information to Processor(s) 110.

[0052] Electronic Device 101 includes a Protocol Stack 124 and AP 106 includes an AP Stack 125. Within Protocol Stack 124 is shown an IEEE 802.11 protocol stack but alternatively may exploit other protocol stacks such as an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) multimedia protocol stack for example or another protocol stack. Likewise, AP Stack 125 exploits a protocol stack but is not expanded for clarity. Elements of Protocol Stack 124 and AP Stack 125 may be implemented in any combination of software, firmware and/or hardware. Protocol Stack 124 includes a presentation layer Call Control and Media Negotiation module 150, one or more audio codecs and one or more video codecs. Applications 122 may be able to create maintain and/or terminate communication sessions with the Network Device 107 by way of AP 106 and therein via the Network 102 to one or more of Social Media Networks (SOCNETS) 165; a remote system 170A; an enterprise 170B; a website 175A ; a 3rd party service provider 175B; a service provider 175C; and servers 190 respectively.

[0053] Typically, Applications 122 may activate the Call Control & Media Negotiation 150 module or other modules within the Protocol Stack 124. It would be apparent to one skilled in the art that elements of the Electronic Device 101 may also be implemented within the AP 106 including but not limited to one or more elements of the Protocol Stack 124Portable electronic devices (PEDs) and fixed electronic devices (FEDs) represented by Electronic Device 101 may include one or more additional wireless or wired interfaces in addition to or in replacement of the depicted IEEE 802.11 interface which may be selected from the group comprising IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, UMTS, GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GPRS, ITU-R 5.138, ITU-R 5.150, ITU-R 5.280, IMT-1010, DSL, Dial-Up, DOCSIS, Ethernet, G.hn, ISDN, MoCA, PON, and Power line communication (PLC).

[0054] The Front End Tx/Rx & Antenna 128A wirelessly connects the Electronic Device 101 with the Antenna 128B on Access Point 206, wherein the Electronic Device 101 may support, for example, a national wireless standard such as GSM together with one or more local and / or personal area wireless protocols such as IEEE 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.16 WiMAX, and IEEE 802.15 Bluetooth for example. Accordingly, it would be evident to one skilled the art that the Electronic Device 101 may accordingly download original software and / or revisions for a variety of functions. In some embodiments of the invention the functions may not be implemented within the original as sold Electronic Device 101 and are only activated through a software / firmware revision and / or upgrade either discretely or in combination with a subscription or subscription upgrade for example. Accordingly, as will become evident in respect of the description below the Electronic Device 101 may provide a user with access to one or more RC-SAPs including, but not limited to, software installed upon the Electronic Device 101 or software installed upon one or more remote systems such as those associated with Social Media Networks (SOCNETS) 165; a remote system 170A; an enterprise 170B; a website 175A ; a 3rd party service provider 175B; a service provider 175C; and servers 190 respectively.

[0055] Now referring to Figure 2 there is depicted a schematic 200 of distributed monitoring and/or control and/or adjustment and/or features relating to a Garment 240 according to an embodiment of the invention. Accordingly, as depicted an Electronic Device 250, such as Electronic Device 101 in Figure 1 communicates to a Controller 210 associated with the Garment 240, where this communication would typically be via a wireless link according to a first predetermined wireless protocol. The Controller 210 then communicates to first to fourth Sub-Controllers 220, 225, 230 and 235 respectively. These communications being via wireless links according to a second wireless protocol such as Bluetooth or others aimed at Personal Area Networks (PANs). As depicted:

• first Sub-Controller 220 is associated with a protective element, not identified for clarity, on the right hip of the user;
• second Sub-Controller 225 is associated with a protective element, not identified for clarity, on the left hip of the user;
• third Sub-Controller 230 is associated with a protective element, not identified for clarity, on the right shin of the user;
• fourth Sub-Controller 235 is associated with a protective element, not identified for clarity, on the left shin of the user.

[0056] As noted above the Controller 210 may have a predetermined subset of the functionality and interfaces of an Electronic Device 250, such as Electronic Device 101 in Figure 1. Accordingly, each first to fourth Sub-Controllers 220, 225, 230 and 235 respectively may within an embodiment of the invention comprise:

• a wireless interface to communicate to the Controller 210;
• a wired interface to provide control signals to an integral element of the protective element it is associated with, e.g. a heater, a pump etc.;
• an accelerometer for measuring motion in three dimensions;
• one or more temperature sensors;
• one or more pressure sensors; and
• a microprocessor with a memory for managing the communications to and from the Controller 210 plus the integral element of the protective element.

[0057] Accordingly, the Controller 210 can provide specific control data to each of the first to fourth Sub-Controllers 220, 225, 230 and 235 respectively to control a heater, pump, or other active element within the protective element which the respective one of the first to fourth Sub-Controllers 220, 225, 230 and 235 respectively is associated with as part of the Garment 240. Additionally, the Controller 210 may receive from each of the first to fourth Sub-Controllers 220, 225, 230 and 235 respectively data such as temperature, pressure (of an inflatable pad within protective element or pressure applied externally to the inflatable pad), temperature (of a heating element within the protective element or the ambient environment), and acceleration data. The Controller 210 may process the temperature data to adjust a setting of the heating element, process the pressure data to adjust setting of the inflatable pad, and process the acceleration data to generate relative motion data of the respective first to fourth Sub-Controllers 220, 225, 230 and 235 respectively to the Controller 210 which may also include an accelerometer.

[0058] Accordingly, within an embodiment of the invention a user and the controller can execute a process comprising the steps:

• User configures the pressure within an inflatable pad to a level acceptable;
• Controller stores the acceptable pressure level;
• User subsequently removes the garment wherein the inflatable pad is deflated;
• User puts the garment back on;
• Controller controls a pump within the inflatable pad to automatically reinflate the inflatable pad to the stored acceptable pressure level.

[0059] Accordingly, within an embodiment of the invention a user and the controller can execute a process comprising the steps:

• User configures the temperature of a heater within a protective element to a level acceptable;
• Controller stores the acceptable temperature level;
• User subsequently removes the garment wherein the heater is turned off or the heater is turned off based upon another condition, e.g. ambient temperature indicates user is indoors rather than outside on a cold snowy mountain;
• User puts the garment back on or the controller determines the user is now back outside for example;
• Controller controls the heater within the protective element so the stored acceptable temperature is achieved.

[0060] Within embodiments of the invention the Controller 210 may be triggered to control an element or elements associated with a protective element or protective elements based upon communications from the Electronic Device 250. These communications being generated by an application in execution upon the Electronic Device 250. Accordingly, within other embodiments of the invention the Garment 240 may be configured to different users or different requirements based upon different settings being communicated to the Controller 210.

[0061] Within embodiments of the invention the accelerometer data may be transmitted to the Electronic Device 250 and therein to another system such as described in respect of Figure 1. This accelerometer data may be analysed, for example, to determine instance of events whilst a user wore the Garment 240 such as a fall, impact, etc. This data may be analysed to seek to improve the user's performance at a sport, for example.

[0062] The configuration data (e.g. pressure and temperature set by the user) and dynamic monitored data (e.g. pressure, temperature, accelerometer etc.) may be provided to one or more of a service provider, third party service provider, or an enterprise to provide feedback to them such as typical configurations, typical usage environments, etc. Alternatively, it may be used to trigger specific responses, e.g. a severe impact followed by relative stillness, might trigger an emergency service response etc. If the Controller 210 included a GPS or was in communication with an Electronic Device 250 associated with the user with a GPS then the emergency services could be routed directly to the user.

[0063] It would be evident that the configuration settings of the protective elements of the Garment 240 may be stored as part of a user profile stored upon the Electronic Device 250 and/or a remote server. Accordingly, if the user were to don another garment this could be automatically configured based upon the user's stored profile for that type of garment.

[0064] Additionally, the first to fourth Sub-Controllers 220, 225, 230 and 235 respectively and Controller 210 may be interfaced to other sensors such that in addition to data provided relating the Garment 240 by the Controller 210 to external devices such as Electronic Device 250 data relating to user biometrics may be provided. Alternatively, the Electronic Device 250 may acquire user biometrics from other sensors and store these / process these in conjunction with the data from the Garment 240 to trigger actions including those with respect to the configuration of the protective elements within the Garment 240. For example, the biometrics may indicate the temperature of the protective elements should be adjusted or that the user is experiencing pain and the pressure of the protective elements increased. Similarly, accelerometers may indicate the user is experiencing a higher number of impacts, e.g. they are a beginner or trying to learn a new trick or skill, wherein this data can be employed in closed loop feedback of protective elements which are inflatable either providing an indication to the user that they should increase the inflation level or automatically inflating them further where an electric pump or electrically controlled switch coupled to a compressed gas cylinder etc. forms part of the system.

[0065] Within embodiments of the invention different garments, even of the same type as well as those of different types, may have different numbers of protective elements with sensors, different numbers and/or placement of protective elements with heating, different numbers and/or placement of protective elements with inflation, with or without electric pumps, with or without electrically controlled fluid and/or gas switches, etc. Accordingly, the Controller 210 may instigate a discovery phase when it is not part of the garment. Alternatively, a Contoller 210 integrated within a garment may also seek to associate protective elements within another garment so that an overall single point of control exists. Equally an independent Controller 210, e.g. a wearable device, may associate with the protective elements of all garments to provide single point of control. In other embodiments of the invention different garments may each have their own controller which controls only those protective elements associated with that garment.

[0066] Now referring to Figure 3 there are depicted front view 300A and rear view 300B of a user wearing a garment with protective elements according to embodiments of the invention. The form fitting characteristics of the garment according to an embodiment of the invention are evident which is achieved by employing a stretch fabric for the construction of the overall garment within which the protective elements are integrated and/or inserted. Where the protective elements are inserted then this is achieved through the use of "pockets" such that the protective element is retained within the pocket and retained in the appropriate position relative to the user's body. Within the following description the references to left and right for the placement of protective elements are made relative to the user.

[0067] Within front view 300A there are depicted fitting atop an underlying stretch fabric body 360:

• Hand Pump 310;
• Right Hip Protective Element 320;
• Left Hip Protective Element 325;
• Right Knee Protective Element 330;
• Left Knee Protective Element 335;
• Right Shin Protective Element 340; and
• Left Shin Protective Element 345.

[0068] Within rear view 300B there are depicted fitting atop an underlying stretch fabric body 360:

• Posterior protective element 350;
• Left Hip Protective Element 325;
• Right Knee Protective Element 330; and
• Left Knee Protective Element 335.

[0069] Figure 4 depicts first and second rear views 400A and 400B of a user with and without a removable protective element fitted to an underlying stretch fabric body according to an embodiment of the invention. Within first rear view 400A the user has the posterior protective element 350 in place whilst in second rear view 400B it has been removed. As discussed above the posterior protective element 350 may fit within a pocket upon the posterior of the garment so that it is retained in position. Such a pocket may include a closing mechanism, such as a zip, hook-and-loop fastenings, one or more snap fasteners or other fasteners as known in the art.

[0070] Within embodiments of the invention a protective element, such as a posterior protective element such as posterior protective element 350 in Figures 3 and 4; a hip protective element such as Left or Right Hip Protective Elements 320 or 325 in Figure 3 and 4; a knee protective element such as Left or Right Knee Protective Elements 330 or 335 in Figures 3 and 4;or shin protective element such as Left or Right Shin Protective Elements 340 or 345 in Figures 3 and 4; may include one or more inflatable chambers and/or re-inflatable balloons. As depicted in Figure 3 in front view 300A there is provided a Hand Pump 310 which is also depicted in Figure 5 as Hand Pump 510 in conjunction with a Roller Clamp 520. Within embodiments of the invention different configurations may be provided according to the number of protective elements with inflatable region(s).

[0071] For example, if only the Posterior Protective Element 350 in Figures 3 and 4 is inflatable then the Hand Pump 510 may be coupled to this and retained after use through fittings on the Hand Pump 510 and/or garment such as hook-and-loop fasteners for example, via a mechanical fitting (e.g. a spring clip) or via a magnetic coupling. As will be evident from the discussion below the Hand Pump 510 can be replaced with other pumping solutions including, but not limited, compressed gas, e.g. carbon dioxide (CO2), electrically power mechanical pump, etc.

[0072] If, for example, the Left and Right Hip Protective Elements 320 and 325 in Figure 3 are each inflatable then these may within embodiments of the invention be coupled directly together to a common pump and inflated equally from the pump or directly together with on/off switches, e.g. Roller Clamps 520 or mechanically locking switches, such that they can be independently inflated.

[0073] Within another embodiment of the invention if protective elements on the user's lower body such as Knee Protective Elements 330/335 and Shin Protective Elements 340/345 these may be coupled to a pump or pumps at the waist of the user for eased of use and connected via tubing and on/off switches. Accordingly, a single pump may be used with all protective elements via appropriate fluid and/or gasic connections / switches etc. or multiple pumps may be used with subsets of the protective elements via the appropriate fluid and/or gasic connections / switches etc. For example, a first pump on the left side of the user may allow one or more of Left Hip Protective Element 325, Left Knee Protective Element 335 and Left Shin Protective Element 345 to be inflated whilst a second pump of the right side of the user may allow one or more of Right Hip Protective Element 320, Right Knee Protective Element 330 and Right Shin Protective Element 340 to be inflated.

[0074] A protective element may be connected to the pump via a non-return valve to limit deflation subsequent to inflation.

[0075] A protective element may include a pressure relief valve to avoid over inflation and/or bursting under a severe impact.

[0076] Optionally, non-return valves are not employed but a Roller Clamp 520 or similar device limits / stops deflation during use until released wherein rolling up of the garment would allow the inflated elements within the protective elements to be deflated allowing a more compact storage of the garment if required. In a generic context each inflatable protective element may be coupled to a pump via an on/off switch wherein opening the switches allows the inflated protective elements to be deflated by rolling, folding, or squashing the garment. Optionally, where these on/off switches are controlled via a controller, such as Controller 210, then turning off the Controller 210 or the garment opens all the electrically controlled switches.

[0077] Also depicted in Figure 5 is a compressed gas inflation system comprising a Fitting 550, for connecting to the tubing of the protective element(s), a Control Lever 540 allowing the gas inflation system to connect the Pressurised Cylinder 530 to the protective elements, and a Casing 535 intended to house the Pressurised Cylinder 530 and protect it during the user's activities. For example, Pressurised Cylinder 530 may be a pressurised container designed for another application, such as a drink dispensing system etc. or the Pressurised Cylinder 530 may be a pressurized container designed to the garment specification so that it is for example, similar to a hip flask providing a lower projection from the user's body and shaped to fit the user's body. The Pressurised Cylinder 530 may be pressurized with an inert gas such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or nitrogen. However, the Pressurised Cylinder 530 may be filled with a liquid. Optionally, within other embodiments of the invention the Control Lever 540 may be replaced with an electrically controlled valve allowing automatic control of the inflation process where a power supply is also present as part of the garment, protective element(s) etc. or attached to the garment / protective element(s) via an electrical socket or electrical plug. Optionally, just as multiple hand pumps can be provided each connected to a subset of the protective elements then multiple Fittings 550 may be provided each connected to a subset of the protective elements.

[0078] Also depicted in Figure 5 is Electrical Pump 560 which allows for automatic inflation of a protective element(s) with air where a power supply is also present as part of the garment, protective element(s) etc. or attached to the garment / protective element(s) via an electrical socket or electrical plug.

[0079] A discrete Power Supply 570 is depicted in Figure 5 which supports an industry standard USB socket allowing connection of a cable with USB plug to provide power to a pump, electrically controlled switches or valves, heater, controller etc. forming part of the garment and/or protective elements. For example, Power Supply 570 may be standard commercial USB power pack or other secondary battery based power supply allowing the Power Supply 570 to be recharged for subsequent use. Such commercial power supplies can provide capacities such as 4,000mAh, 10,000mAh etc. Optionally, Power Supply 570 may employ primary batteries. Optionally multiple Power Sources 570 may be employed each coupled to a predetermined subset of the inflatable protective elements and/or a predetermined subset of the protective elements with heating elements / heaters.

[0080] Also depicted in Figure 5 are first Flexible Battery 580 and second Flexible Battery 590. Accordingly, such rechargeable flexible batteries may be integrated within the garment and/or the protective elements as well as within other items of clothing associated with the garment or worn discretely such as a belt, for example. First Flexible Battery 580 comprises:

• A stretchable current collector anode 580A;
• A silicone frame and sealing element 580B, e.g. polydimethylsiloxane;
• A hydrogel electrolyte 580C; and
• A stretchable current collector cathode 580D.

[0081] Second Flexible Battery590 being a flexible lithium ceramic battery offering no leakage, no flammability, continued operation after puncture, in formats as thin as 0.4mm. For example, a 180x230x0.4mm (approximately 7" x 9" x 0.016") can provide 1400mAh sufficient for powering an electric pump and/or short term heating etc. as well as extended operation of electronics. Other flexible battery technologies exploitable within embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited, to lithium-ion polymer (LIPO), nitrogen doped lithium phosphate, zinc manganese, lithium -manganese, and silver-zinc.

[0082] Figure 6 depicts front, rear and side views 600A to 600C respectively of a user with a garment supporting protective elements according to embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, in front view 600A there are depicted

• Right Hip Protective Element 610;
• Left Hip Protective Element 615;
• Right Integrated Knee-Shin Protective Element 620; and
• Left Integrated Knee-Shin Protective Element 625.

[0083] In rear view 600B the right Hip Protective Element 610 and left Hip Protective Element 615 are visible together with Posterior Protective Element 630 whilst in side view 600C the right Integrated Knee-Shin Protective Element 620, right Hip Protective Element 610 and Posterior Protective Element 630 are visible.

[0084] Optionally, all of these protective elements may be integrated within the Garment 650.

[0085] Optionally, the right Integrated Knee-Shin Protective Element 620 and left Integrated Knee-Shin Protective Element 625 are integrated into the Garment 650.

[0086] Optionally, the right Hip Protective Element 610 and left Hip Protective Element 615 are provided as a separate element in conjunction with a belt, not identified for clarity where the Posterior Protective Element 630 may be demountably attachable to the belt.

[0087] Optionally, the right Hip Protective Element 610 and left Hip Protective Element 615 are provided as a separate element in conjunction with the Posterior Protective Element 630 which are all attached to a belt, not identified for clarity.

[0088] Referring to Figure 7 there are depicted first to fourth Image 700A to 700D respectively of exemplary side, buttocks and shin protective elements according to embodiments of the invention. First Image 700A depicts a right hip protective element such as right Hip Protective Element 610 in Figure 6 which comprises a pad approximately 180mm (approximately 7") high, 180mm (approximately 7") long at the upper hip and 150mm (approximately 6") long at the lower hip such that the protective element is shorter towards the front. The left hip protective element, such as left Hip Protective Element 615 in Figure 6, being a mirror image. It would be evident that other geometries, dimensions, configurations etc. may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0089] Second and third Images 700B and 700C depict a photograph and schematic of a posterior protective element such as Posterior Protective Element 630 in Figure 6. The posterior Protective Element may be, for example, 390mm (approximately 15.5") wide by 360mm (approximately 14.5") high with 7 "ring" shaped inflatable regions. It would be evident that other geometries, dimensions, configurations etc. may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention as well as number of inflatable elements, their geometries, dimensions etc.

[0090] Fourth Image 700D of an integrated knee-shin protective element such as right Knee-Shin Protective Element 620 in Figure 6. As depicted the integrated knee-shin protective element is 330mm (approximately 13.2") long and 150mm wide (approximately 6"). It would be evident that other geometries, dimensions, configurations etc. may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0091] Accordingly, it would be evident from Figures 3, 4 and 6 that an embodiment of the invention is a garment (e.g. leggings) formed from a protective, breathable, stretch fabric, which can be manufactured and sized to fit a wide range of users.

[0092] Within embodiments of the invention the garment is equipped with a number of strategically placed protective elements, passive protective elements which do not inflate and/or heat.

[0093] Within embodiments of the invention the garment is equipped with a number of strategically placed protective elements, passive protective elements which do not inflate and/or heat as well as a protective element which is inflatable and/or heatable which is demountably attachable to or permanently attached to the garment. The inflatable portion being through one or more chambers and/or re-inflatable balloons formed with the protective element whilst the heating system is integrated into a covering, e.g. fabric, of the protective element.

[0094] Within embodiments of the invention the garment is equipped with a number of strategically placed protective elements, passive protective elements which do not inflate and/or heat as well as active protective elements which are inflatable and/or heatable. The active protective elements being demountably attachable to or permanently attached to the garment. The inflatable portion of each active protective element being through one or more chambers and/or re-inflatable balloons formed with the protective element whilst the heating system within each active protective element is integrated into a covering, e.g. fabric, of the protective element.

[0095] The number of pads, their dimensions, which are active and which are passive may be varied within different designs of the garment. Each pad may be contoured according to the region of the user it is designed to cover.

[0096] Optionally, a protective element may have a profiled exterior surface.

[0097] Optionally, a protective element may include aramid fibers within a scaffold, shell and/or or casing.

[0098] Optionally, a protective element may be formed from a scaffold only. For example, a scaffold may be formed from a polyester or thermoplastic foam.

[0099] Optionally, a protective element may be formed from a scaffold around which a shell is formed to encase all or predetermined regions of the scaffold. For example, a scaffold may be formed from a polyester or thermoplastic may be encased with rigid portions formed from another polyester or thermoplastic. Alternatively, a scaffold may be surrounded by a silicone or elastomeric material to form a compliant deformable shell around a porous polyester or thermoplastic foam.

[0100] Optionally, a protective element may be formed from a scaffold around which a casing is formed to encase all or predetermined regions of the scaffold. For example, a scaffold of a polyester or thermoplastic foam may be surrounded by a silicone or elastomeric material to form a compliant deformable shell which is then surrounded by a casing to provide a liquid ingress barrier or antimicrobial protection.

[0101] Whilst the embodiments of the invention have been described and depicted with respect to leggings it would be evident that within other embodiments of the invention the garment may include, but not be limited to, shorts, a bra, a t-shirt, a shirt, a sleeveless shirt, a sleeve, a balaclava, socks, and gloves.

[0102] Optionally, the garment may be formed from a single piece of fabric. Optionally, the garment may be formed from multiple pieces of a single fabric. Optionally, the garment may be formed from multiple pieces of two or more fabrics.

[0103] The protective elements are positioned and shaped to minimize restriction of movement of the wearer's lower torso and legs. The protective elements are sufficiently thick to provide protection although for adults the thickness may limited by a concern for aesthetics and agility which is not as significant a factor with children or youth versions. Where the protective element is inflatable then the user may control the thickness of the removable or permanently installed protective element through the user of an inflation mechanism, such as a hand pump, electrical pump, or compressed fluid and/or gas for example.

[0104] Within Figures 3, 4, and 6 the protective elements overlay the buttocks, hip, upper leg portions, knees and shins of the wearer. At least some of the protective elements are relatively longer and extend from the rear of the wearer's leg to the lower end of the leg portion of the garment at the side or front of the leg. Others of the protective elements are of relatively shorter length and are disposed substantially entirely in the rear portion of the garment in the vicinity of the buttocks. The remainder of the protective elements are relatively shorter in length and are disposed in the vicinity of the hip, shin and knees of the wearer.

[0105] Removable protective elements may be inserted within a pocket made of an elastic material the same or different to that of the garment. For example, a polyether-polyurea copolymer such as those known as Spandex™, Lycra™ or elastane, for example, where the pocket is closed with a fastening means such as a hook-and-loop fastener, Velcro™ for example,

[0106] Within embodiments of the invention the protective element may employ an inner foam scaffold which has a low elastic modulus so that the scaffold is elastic to promote the absorption of collision related energy. The protective elements may also provide the wearer with protection from the impact and abrasion of a fall through casing(s) and/or shell(s) formed from materials such as hard thermoplastics, aramid fiber fabric, etc. These shell(s) and/or casing(s) may be affixed onto the outer surface of the garment either mechanically, with adhesive, thermocompression, fusion, etc. For example, within an embodiment of the invention the protective elements may be placed in the appropriate position on the garment, fastened thereto with a suitable adhesive or by "tacking" with thread and thereafter, an additional layer or layers of similar or contrasting colour fabric and a wear surface are sewn to the garment immediately around the edges of the protective elements, heating elements and along the edges of the similarly shaped inner piece of fabric which forms the garment.

[0107] Within embodiments of the invention a heating element or heating elements may be integrated within the scaffold, casing and/or shell. Such a heating element may exploit metallic elements or it may exploit other conductive elements such as carbon fibers for example. A power source for the heating elements may be a rechargeable battery pack, such as discrete Power Supply 570 in Figure 5, which may fitted within the garment or may be carried within a pocket of the garment so that the rechargeable battery pack may be removed and charged separate to the garment. Optionally, rather than remote control through an electronic device, such as Electronic Device 250 in Figure 2, a controller, e.g. Controller 210 in Figure 2, may provide local manual controls for the user to interact with. Optionally, a single temperature control setting may be applied to all heated protective elements or each protective element may have independent temperature control settings.

[0108] Within embodiments of the invention a casing, scaffold, or shell may include one or more metallic or aramid elements to provide improved rigidity. Optionally, such an element may be a thin sheet, ribbon, rod, or tube.

[0109] Within embodiments of the invention inflatable protective pads may be inflated by the user blowing air into a tube with their mouth and controlled with an air valve.

[0110] Within embodiments of the invention described the posterior protective element has been described with respect to the buttocks of the user. However, it would be evident that the posterior protective element may be specifically for the coccyx or the buttocks and coccyx.

[0111] Within embodiments of the invention a protective element may be disposed relative to the groin.

[0112] Within embodiments of the invention a hand pump may positioned to be used by the user through a pocket or other opening within another garment worn over the garment with the protective elements. Optionally, the tubing connecting a hand pump may be long enough to allow the hand pump to be positioned within an opening, e.g. an opening on the inside of a pocket, of another item, e.g. a jacket worn over leggings or a shirt.

[0113] Within embodiments of the invention an inflatable protective element may be formed from a single re-inflatable balloon, multiple re-inflatable balloons or from a single re-inflatable balloon segmented through thermocompression bonding of the re-inflatable balloon to form multiple segments. Within embodiments of the invention the re-inflatable balloons may be designed to provide expansion substantially in all directions or in a single direction, e.g. away from the user. Within embodiments of the invention the re-inflatable balloons or segments of a re-inflatable balloon may provide a continuous surface to the user / away from the user or they have structure. Optionally, the re-inflatable balloons may be disposed upon a thin membrane or sheet which is disposed towards the user. Optionally, the re-inflatable balloons may be disposed with a thin membrane or sheet away from the user so that as the re-inflatable balloon(s) are inflated the aesthetic look of the garment is not substantially different.

[0114] Optionally, to support cleaning a battery pack may be removable or it may be appropriately sealed for immersion in water. Within embodiments of the invention such sealing for moisture / water may be appropriate for the garment anyway, e.g. skiing, snowboarding etc.

[0115] Specific details are given in the above description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it is understood that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits may be shown in block diagrams in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0116] The foregoing disclosure of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.

[0117] Further, in describing representative embodiments of the present invention, the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A garment comprising:

a body formed from one or more pieces of one or more fabrics;

a plurality of protective elements disposed in predetermined positions with respect to the body; wherein

one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprises at least one of a re-inflatable balloon and a heating element.

2. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
each protective element of the plurality of protective elements is disposed in a predetermined position relative to a portion of a body of a user wearing the garment.

3. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
each protective element of the plurality of protective elements is disposed in a predetermined position relative to a portion of a body of a user wearing the garment; and
the portion of the body of the user is selected from the group comprising buttocks, coccyx, a hip, an ankle, a knee, a shin, and a foot.

4. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
each protective element of the plurality of protective elements is disposed in a predetermined position relative to a portion of a body of a user wearing the garment; and
the portion of the body of the user is selected from the group comprising a wrist, a hand, an elbow, a shoulder, and a mammary gland.

5. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
the garment includes a controller with a wireless interface operating according to a first wireless standard;
each protective element of the plurality of protective elements includes an accelerometer and a wireless interface operating according to the first wireless interface; and
the controller provides control data to each protective element of the protective elements comprising at least one of a re-inflatable balloon and a heating element; and
the controller receives accelerometer data from each accelerometer within each protective element of the plurality of protective elements.

6. The garment according to claim 1, further comprising
one or more pumps, each pump coupled to a predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon.

7. The garment according to claim 1, further comprising
one or more fittings, each fitting coupled to a predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon; and
the fitting couples to a pressurized cylinder filled with a predetermined fluid and/or gas under pressure allowing the predetermined fluid and/or gas to be employed to fill the re-inflatable balloons of the predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon.

8. The garment according to claim 1, further comprising
one or more pumps, each pump coupled to a first predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon; and
one or more batteries, each battery coupled to a second predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon and a third predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a heating element.

9. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
each battery of the one or more batteries are demountable from the garment via an electrical connector or integrated within the garment.

10. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
each battery is a rechargeable flexible battery integrated within the garment.

11. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
a first subset of the plurality of protective elements are integrated into the garment; and a second subset of the plurality of protective elements are removable from the garment.

12. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
the second subset of the plurality of protective elements are inserted into one or more pockets forming part of the garment; and
each pocket of the one or more pockets retains the protective elements inserted into it through a fastening mechanism.

13. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
the plurality of protective elements disposed in predetermined positions with respect to the body are arranged in two mirror-image sets; and
each set is disposed, respectively on the right hand side or the left hand side of a wearer of the garnent; and
the two-mirror image sets are symmetrical with respect to a central vertical axis lying along a spine of the wearer.

14. The garment according to claim 1, wherein
each protective element of one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon is coupled to a pump via an on/off switch; and
each protective element of one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon is deflated by rolling, folding, or squashing the garment with the on/off switches in the open position.

15. The garment according to claim 1, further comprising
one or more pumps, each pump coupled to a first predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon;
a controller;
one or more switches, each switch coupled to the controller and disposed between a pump of the one or more pumps and a protective element of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon; wherein
upon powering off the controller the one or more switches are opened; and
each protective element of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon is deflated by rolling, folding, or squashing the garment after powering off the controller.

Drawing