Wearable material designed to maintain characteristic impedance levels within desired range, and systems and methods of use thereof
A wearable material is described. The wearable material includes a stretchable material including a biopotential-signal-sensing component for sensing a biopotential signal from a portion of a wearer's body on which the wearable material is being worn. The stretchable material includes a ground layer. The biopotential-signal-sensing component is separated from the ground layer by a height (H). The biopotential-signal-sensing component has a width (W) and a thickness (T). And the stretchable material is configured to maintain a substantially consistent stretch ratio between the width (W), the thickness (T), and the height (H) such that a substantially consistent characteristic impedance value (Z o ) is maintained by the biopotential-signal-sensing component.
1 . A wearable material comprising:
a stretchable material including a biopotential-signal-sensing component for sensing a biopotential signal from a skin-contacting location of a wearer's body on which the wearable material is being worn, wherein:
the stretchable material includes a ground layer, the biopotential-signal-sensing component is separated from the ground layer by a height (H), the biopotential-signal-sensing component has a width (W) and a thickness (T), and
the stretchable material is configured to maintain a substantially consistent stretch ratio between the width (W), the thickness (T), and the height (H) such that a substantially consistent characteristic impedance value Z o is maintained by the biopotential-signal-sensing component while being deformed when used.
2 . The wearable material device of claim 1 , wherein the stretchable material is further configured to transmit high-speed digital signals.
3 . The wearable material of claim 1 , wherein:
the stretchable material further includes a dielectric layer, and
the dielectric layer is positioned between the ground layer and the biopotential-signal-sensing component.
4 . The wearable material of claim 3 , wherein the dielectric layer is configured and arranged to substantially enclose the biopotential-signal-sensing component, such that the biopotential-signal-sensing component is insulated from the ground layer.
5 . The wearable material of claim 3 , wherein:
the stretchable material includes another layer that is one of (i) a power layer or (ii) a second ground layer;
the dielectric layer is positioned between the ground layer and the other layer; and
the biopotential-signal-sensing component is located in the dielectric layer such that the biopotential-signal-sensing component is positioned between the ground layer and the other layer.
6 . The wearable material of claim 3 , wherein:
the substantially consistent characteristic impedance value (Z o ) is defined by:
Z
o
(
Ω
)
=
6
0
ε
r
ln
[
1.9
H
2
0
.
8
W
+
T
]
,
and
ε r is a constant value related to a respective physical characteristic of a particular dielectric material comprising the dielectric layer.
7 . The wearable material of claim 5 , wherein:
a dielectric layer height (H2) of the dielectric layer is a sum of:
a first distance (D1) between a first surf ace of the biopotential-signal-sensing component and the ground layer,
the thickness (T) of the biopotential-signal-sensing component, and
a second distance (D2) between a second surface of the biopotential-signal-sensing component and the other layer, and
the substantially consistent stretch ratio is defined by:
Z
o
(
Ω
)
=
8
7
ε
r
+
1.41
ln
[
5.98
H
0
.
8
W
+
T
]
,
8 . The wearable material of claim 6 , wherein:
a first surface and a second surface of the biopotential-signal-sensing component are substantially opposite, and
planes defined by the first and second surfaces of the biopotential-signal-sensing component are substantially horizontal.
9 . The wearable material of claim 1 , wherein the biopotential-signal-sensing component is arranged in one or more respective configurations in relation to the stretchable material:
within respective outer layers of the stretchable material,
at least partially exposed outside of the respective outer layers of the stretchable material, and/or located closer to a first outer edge of the stretchable material than a second outer edge of the stretchable material.
10 . The wearable material of claim 1 , wherein:
the stretchable material comprises a mesh composed of one or more of copper,
zinc, and/or rubber, and
one or more properties of the mesh are configured to control stretching of the stretchable material to maintain the substantially consistent stretch ratio.
11 . The wearable material of claim 1 , wherein:
the ground layer occupies a portion of the stretchable material, and
another portion of the stretchable material does not include the ground layer.
12 . The wearable material of claim 1 , wherein the stretchable material comprises one of:
a band portion of a wrist-wearable device, a strap of an artificial-reality headset, and
a skin-contacting portion of a wearable glove device.
13 . A wearable electronic device, comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
a wearable material comprising a stretchable material including a biopotential-signal-sensing component for sensing a biopotential signal from a skin-contacting location of a wearer's body on which the wearable material is being worn, wherein:
the stretchable material includes a ground layer, the biopotential-signal-sensing component is separated from the ground layer by a height (H), the biopotential-signal-sensing component has a width (W) and a thickness (T), and
stretchable material is configured to maintain a substantially consistent stretch ratio between the width (W), the thickness (T), and the height (H) such that a substantially consistent characteristic impedance value (Z o ) is maintained by the biopotential-signal-sensing component while being deformed when used.
14 . The wearable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:
the stretchable material further includes a dielectric layer, and
the dielectric layer is positioned between the ground layer and the biopotential-signal-sensing component.
15 . The wearable electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the dielectric layer is configured and arranged to substantially enclose the biopotential-signal-sensing component, such that the biopotential-signal-sensing component is insulated from the ground layer.
16 . The wearable electronic device of claim 14 , wherein:
the stretchable material includes another layer that is one of (i) a power layer or (ii) a second ground layer;
the dielectric layer is positioned between the ground layer and the other layer; and
the biopotential-signal-sensing component is located in the dielectric layer such that the biopotential-signal-sensing component is positioned between the ground layer and the other layer.
17 . The wearable electronic device of claim 14 , wherein:
the substantially consistent characteristic impedance value (Z o ) is defined by:
Z
o
(
Ω
)
=
8
7
ε
r
+
1.41
ln
[
5.98
H
0
.
8
W
+
T
]
,
and
ε r is a constant value related to a respective physical characteristic of a particular dielectric material comprising the dielectric layer.
18 . The wearable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein:
a dielectric layer height (H2) of the dielectric layer is a sum of:
a first distance (D1) between a first surface of the biopotential-signal-sensing component and the ground layer,
the thickness (T) of the biopotential-signal-sensing component, and a second distance (D2) between a second surface of the biopotential-signal-sensing component and the other layer, and
the substantially consistent stretch ratio is defined by:
Z
o
(
Ω
)
=
6
0
ε
r
ln
[
1.9
H
2
0
.
8
W
+
T
]
.
19 . The wearable electronic device of claim 18 , wherein:
the first surface and the second surface of the biopotential-signal-sensing component are substantially opposite, and
planes defined by the first and second surfaces of the biopotential-signal-sensing component are substantially horizontal.
20 . A method of manufacturing a wearable electronic device, comprising:
providing a wearable material that comprises a stretchable material including a biopotential-signal-sensing component for sensing a biopotential signal from a skin-contacting location of a wearer's body on which the wearable material is being worn,
wherein:
the stretchable material includes a ground layer,
the biopotential-signal-sensing component is separated from the ground layer by a height (H), the biopotential-signal-sensing component has a width (W) and a thickness (T), and
the stretchable material is configured to maintain a substantially consistent stretch ratio between the width (W), the thickness (T), and the height (H) such that a substantially consistent characteristic impedance value (Z o ) is maintained by the biopotential-signal-sensing component while being deformed when used.