Structure of fabric and electronic components

Abstract

A structure comprises a fabric with electronic components mounted thereon. The fabric comprises a warp and weft of fibres, each of the warp and weft comprising a combination of electrically conducting fibres and electrically non-conducting fibres. The electronic components are connected to at least one electrically conducting fibre. The electronic components, in a preferred embodiment comprise a plurality of end of line elements and a corresponding plurality of groups of line elements, each group of line elements connected to an end of line element.

1 . A method of operating a structure, the structure comprising a fabric and electronic components mounted thereon, the fabric comprising a warp and weft of fibres, each of the warp and weft comprising a combination of electrically conducting fibres and electrically non-conducting fibres, each electronic component connected to at least one electrically conducting fibre, the method comprising powering the electronic components via the electrically conducting fibres and communicating between the electronic components via the electrically conducting fibres. 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the structure further comprises at least one electrically conductive bridge component connecting a pair of electrically conducting fibres. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic components comprise a plurality of end of line elements and a corresponding plurality of groups of line elements, each group of line elements connected to an end of line element. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein each end of line element is connected to an adjacent end of line element. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein a group of line elements are connected in parallel to the respective end of line element. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 3 , and further comprising querying each line element from each end of line element to which it is directly connected.