Abstract: In selected examples, a hanger couples to an electrically-powered garment, to provide electrical energy to the garment to recharge the battery of the garment. The electrical energy may be transferred from the hanger to the garment using inductive coupling. The electrical energy may also or instead be transferred using contact coupling facilitated by magnet(s) in the interfaces of the hanger system and the garment. The garment may include biometric, environmental, and other sensors to collect data. The hanger system-garment interfaces may provide for data flow between the hanger and the garment. In selected examples, a smart garment may be controlled by a smartphone or another mobile device. The smartphone may control several smart garments, which may be connected in series and/or in parallel, with one of the smart garments being a master connected to the smartphone, and the other garments being slave garments connected to the smartphone through the master.

Abstract: In selected examples, a garment includes an article of clothing, a processor, memory storing instructions, biometric and/or environmental sensors configurable and readable by the processor, and a short range radio frequency (RF) transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth® transceiver). When the processor executes the instructions, it may configure the garment to establish an RF link with a communication device, enabling the processor to receive from the communication device sensor configuration information, and configure the sensors accordingly. The processor may also collect sensor data, and transmit the data over the RF link from the garment to the communication device. The communication device may be a mobile device, e.g., a smartphone/tablet. The garment may be a “master” coupled through wired/wireless links to “slave” garments, and allow the communication device to communicate with the slaves. The communication device may connect the master/slaves to various networks and other computing devices.

Abstract: In selected examples, a hanger couples to an electrically-powered garment, to provide electrical energy to the garment to recharge the battery of the garment. The electrical energy may be transferred from the hanger to the garment using inductive coupling. The electrical energy may also or instead be transferred using contact coupling facilitated by magnet(s) in the interfaces of the hanger system and the garment. The garment may include biometric, environmental, and other sensors to collect data. The hanger system-garment interfaces may provide for data flow between the hanger and the garment. In selected examples, a smart garment may be controlled by a smartphone or another mobile device. The smartphone may control several smart garments, which may be connected in series and/or in parallel, with one of the smart garments being a master connected to the smartphone, and the other garments being slave garments connected to the smartphone through the master.

Abstract: In selected examples, a clothes storage system includes a garment holder designed to receive and store at least one garment, an electromagnetic radiator attached to the garment holder, power circuitry configured to provide electrical drive to the electromagnetic radiator to cause the electromagnetic radiator to radiate radio frequency (RF) power, and a data interface configured to establish short range wireless communication links. The garment holder may be, e.g., a clothes hanger, a garment bag, a travel garment bag, or a walled enclosure such as a closet in a dwelling or an office. The data interface may be a short range RF transceiver, e.g., a Bluetooth® transceiver. The radiated RF power is received by the powered garments in/on the garment holder and converted into DC charging power used to recharge batteries of the powered garments. The data interface may allow the powered garments to communicate with external networks, e.g., the Internet.

Abstract: In selected examples, a hanger or a garment-storing enclosure couples to an electrically-powered garment, to provide electrical energy for recharging the garment's battery and operating the garment's electronics. The electrical energy may be transferred using low frequency inductive coupling or electromagnetic coupling in the radio frequency range of the spectrum. The hanger/enclosure may include a data interface to the garment, and another data interface to a Wide Area Network (WAN) or another network. Each of the data interfaces may be, e.g., a wireless RF data interface. The garment may include biometric, environmental, and other sensors for collecting data. Through the data interfaces, the hanger/enclosure may enable data flow between the garment and remote devices connected to the WAN. The garment-storing enclosure may be a portable enclosure, such as a garment travel bag. It may also be a relatively-fixed enclosure, such as a closet in an office or a dwelling.

Abstract: In selected examples, a hanger couples to an electrically-powered garment, to provide electrical energy to the garment to recharge the battery of the garment. The electrical energy may be transferred from the hanger to the garment using inductive coupling. The electrical energy may also or instead be transferred using contact coupling facilitated by magnet(s) in the interfaces of the hanger system and the garment. The garment may include biometric, environmental, and other sensors to collect data. The hanger system-garment interfaces may provide for data flow between the hanger and the garment. In selected examples, a smart garment may be controlled by a smartphone or another mobile device. The smartphone may control several smart garments, which may be connected in series and/or in parallel, with one of the smart garments being a master connected to the smartphone, and the other garments being slave garments connected to the smartphone through the master.

Abstract: In selected examples, a hanger or a garment-storing enclosure couples to an electrically-powered garment, to provide electrical energy for recharging the garment's battery and operating the garment's electronics. The electrical energy may be transferred using low frequency inductive coupling or electromagnetic coupling in the radio frequency range of the spectrum. The hanger/enclosure may include a data interface to the garment, and another data interface to a Wide Area Network (WAN) or another network. Each of the data interfaces may be, e.g., a wireless RF data interface. The garment may include biometric, environmental, and other sensors for collecting data. Through the data interfaces, the hanger/enclosure may enable data flow between the garment and remote devices connected to the WAN. The garment-storing enclosure may be a portable enclosure, such as a garment travel bag. It may also be a relatively-fixed enclosure, such as a closet in an office or a dwelling.

Abstract: In selected examples, a garment includes an article of clothing, a processor, memory storing instructions, biometric and/or environmental sensors configurable and readable by the processor, and a short range radio frequency (RF) transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth® transceiver). When the processor executes the instructions, it may configure the garment to establish an R link with a communication device, enabling the processor to receive from the communication device sensor configuration information, and configure the sensors accordingly. The processor may also collect sensor data, and transmit the data over the RF link from the garment to the communication device. The communication device may be a mobile device, e.g., a smartphone/tablet. The garment may be a “master” coupled through wired/wireless links to “slave” garments, and allow the communication device to communicate with the slaves. The communication device may connect the master/slaves to various networks and other computing devices.

Abstract: In selected examples, a clothes storage system includes a garment holder designed to receive and store at least one garment, an electromagnetic radiator attached to the garment holder, power circuitry configured to provide electrical drive to the electromagnetic radiator to cause the electromagnetic radiator to radiate radio frequency (RF) power, and a data interface configured to establish short range wireless communication links. The garment holder may be, e.g., a clothes hanger, a garment bag, a travel garment bag, or a walled enclosure such as a closet in a dwelling or an office. The data interface may be a short range RF transceiver, e.g., a Bluetooth® transceiver. The radiated RF power is received by the powered garments in/on the garment holder and converted into DC charging power used to recharge batteries of the powered garments. The data interface may allow the powered garments to communicate with external networks, e.g., the Internet.