Apparel articles including flexible personal device and information displays

Abstract

Apparel articles including flexible personal device and information displays provide a system and method for displaying text and graphical output of personal devices to the wearer of the apparel article or another person interacting with a personal device of the wearer. The apparel includes a display having enhanced flexibility that is visible in low ambient light conditions without requiring the use of a back-light. Hats, shirts and other apparel articles provide displays for programming by other persons via a wireless network interface and for displaying information such as Internet messages and pages, temperature, exercise data, stock quotes, computer monitor displays and other information to the wearer of the apparel. Control inputs of personal devices are also incorporated in the apparel via a touch-screen aligned with the display or other discrete controls integrated within the apparel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An article of apparel, comprising: 
 an apparel body of a form for wearing by a person or animal;    a flexible multipixel display array mounted on the apparel body for providing a visual display;    a driver circuit coupled to said display array for providing electronic signals controlling said visual display;    a processor coupled to said driver circuit for programming said electronic signals; and    at least one personal device coupled to said processor for providing an input to processor for providing said display programming in response to an output of said personal device.    
     
     
         2 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible display array is a light-emitting diode (LED) display.  
     
     
         3 . The article of apparel of  claim 2 , wherein said flexible display array is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.  
     
     
         4 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible display array is arranged in a position for viewing by a wearer of said article of apparel, whereby said wearer can conveniently view an output of said personal device.  
     
     
         5 . The article of apparel of  claim 4 , further comprising controls mounted on said apparel body and coupled to said processor for controlling said personal device, whereby said wearer may interact with said personal device and said visual display.  
     
     
         6 . The article of apparel of  claim 5 , wherein said controls comprise a touch-screen integrated with said flexible display array.  
     
     
         7 . The article of apparel of  claim 5 , wherein said controls comprise switches mounted adjacent to said flexible display array.  
     
     
         8 . The article of apparel of  claim 4 , wherein said apparel body is a shoe, and wherein said flexible display array is positioned on a top of said shoe near the toe whereby said flexible display array is visible to said wearer.  
     
     
         9 . The article of apparel of  claim 4 , wherein said apparel body is an article of clothing including a sleeve for covering an arm of said wearer and wherein said visual display is provided on an arm of said wearer for viewing by said wearer.  
     
     
         10 . The article  6 f apparel of  claim 4 , wherein said apparel body is an article of clothing including a pant leg for covering a leg of said wearer and wherein said visual display is provided on a top of the leg of said wearer for viewing by said wearer.  
     
     
         11 . The article of apparel of  claim 4 , wherein said apparel body is an article of clothing including a front shirt tail and wherein said visual display is provided on an outer surface of the shirt tail of said wearer for viewing by said wearer when said front shirt tail is not tucked into another article of clothing.  
     
     
         12 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein said visual display is generated in conformity with broadcast information received by said personal device.  
     
     
         13 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein said visual display is generated in conformity with information received by said personal device in response to a poll by said personal device.  
     
     
         14 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible display array comprises all of an exterior of said article of apparel, whereby said flexible display array forms said apparel body, and wherein said visual display is provided on at least a portion of said flexible display.  
     
     
         15 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein said personal device is a communications device for receiving a communication from a person other than the wearer, and wherein said visual display is programmed in response to a receipt of said communication, whereby said visual display is programmed to reflect an output of said communication.  
     
     
         16 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein said communications device is a device for receiving e-mail from said person other than the wearer and wherein said visual display is programmed to display at least a portion of said e-mail.  
     
     
         17 . An article of apparel, comprising: 
 an apparel body of a form for wearing by a person or animal;    a personal device; and    means for providing a display of an information output of said personal device on a surface of said article of apparel.    
     
     
         18 . A method for displaying text, graphics, color or light on a person or animal, comprising: 
 attaching a flexible multipixel array display to an apparel body;    receiving an output of a personal device; and    programming a state of pixels within said multipixel array display to generate a visual display in response to said output of said personal device and in conformity with information provided from said personal device.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said attaching attaches a light-emitting diode (LED) display.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said attaching attaches an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display to said apparel body.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said attaching attaches said multipixel array display in a location and orientation for view by a wearer of said apparel body, whereby said wearer may conveniently view said output of said personal device.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising receiving broadcast information, and wherein said programming programs said pixels to generate said visual display in conformity with said received broadcast information.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 sending a polling request from said personal device; and    receiving response information in response to said polling request, and wherein said programming programs said pixels to generate said visual display in conformity with said received response information.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said multipixel array display forms all of an exterior of said apparel body, whereby said attaching is performed implicitly.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising receiving a communication from a person other than a wearer of said apparel body, and wherein said programming is performed in conformity with said received communication, whereby another person may view a result of said receiving on said visual display.