Fiber computers for textile-based computing networks

Abstract

A fiber of electrically insulating fiber body material, has a plurality of electrical conductors within the fiber body along the fiber body length. An electrical component within the fiber body includes at least one electrical contact pad disposed on an electrical component first surface. An interposer at the electrical component site within the fiber body has a platform of mechanically flexible, electrically insulating material disposed over the electrical component first surface and extending over at least its second surface. An interposer inner electrical contact pad is connected to an electrical component contact pad. An electrically conducting path extends from an interposer inner electrical contact pad to a site on the interposer inner surface extending over the second surface of the electrical component. An interposer outer electrical contact pad is connected to an electrical conductor within the fiber body and to an interposer inner surface electrically conducting path.

Description

FIBER COMPUTERS FOR TEXTILE-BASED COMPUTING NETWORKSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 714,742, filed October 31 , 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] This invention was made with government support under W911 NF- 23-2-0121 , awarded by the United States Army Research Office, and under HDTRA1 -20-2, awarded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The government has certain rights in the invention.BACKGROUND

[0003] This invention relates generally to fibers, and more particularly relates to fiber-based microelectronic computing systems and networks.

[0004] The human body is continually broadcasting a variety of optical, thermal, acoustic, electrical, and biochemical data streams. The opportunity to tap these data streams to better understand an individual’s health and physiology has motivated the development of on-body computation. Indeed, as computers have become smaller and increasingly powerful, so has their mobility and proximity to the human body. In recent years, on-body monitoring systems, referred to colloquially as “wearables,” have gained traction, including watches, wristbands, rings, and chest-strapped devices. While generally producing useful data due to their proximity to the human body, wearables face adoption barriers due to additive weight, discomfort in use, rigid form factor, and fundamental accuracy limitations related to erroneous understanding of the state of a multimodal distributed system, which is the body inherently, from any single vantage point.

[0005] Fabrics present a form factor alternative to single-location on-body wearable monitoring systems by providing a generally extended, flexible surface area supporting distributed data collection. In principle, a surface-based paradigm enables access to physiological signals from multiple locations on the body. Worktoward this paradigm has shown textile fabrics to be amenable to construction including microelectronic-carrying fibers housing diodes, transistors, processors, and memory devices. However, while fibers with sensing capabilities and digital devices have been reported, the integration of comprehensive computational, power, and networking functions into fibers and textiles has proven to be elusive, and has limited progress toward fabric-based computation.SUMMARY

[0006] Herein is provided a fiber that address prior deficiencies, enabling an unobtrusive computational environment that is nearly imperceptible to the wearer, and that is flexible, elastic, and machine-washable, and well matched to the distributed, multi-modal nature of the signals emanating from the body. The fiber herein includes at least one electrically insulating fiber body material having a longitudinal axis along a fiber body length. A plurality of electrical conductors is disposed within the fiber body along at least a portion of the fiber body length, and are operative to transmit electrical signals along the fiber body length. At least one electrical component is disposed within the fiber body. The electrical component includes at least one electrical contact pad that is disposed on a first surface of the electrical component.

[0007] An interposer is disposed at an electrical component site within the fiber body. The interposer includes an interposer platform of mechanically flexible, electrically insulating material that is disposed over the first surface of the electrical component and that extends over at least a second surface of the electrical component that is different than the first surface. An inner surface of the interposer platform includes at least one interposer inner electrical contact pad that is in electrical connection with an electrical contact pad on the first surface of the electrical component. The inner surface of the interposer platform also includes at least one electrically conducting path extending on the interposer inner surface from an inner electrical contact pad to a site on the interposer inner surface extending over the second surface of the electrical component. A outer surface of the interposer platform includes at least one interposer outer electrical contact pad that is in electrical connection with an electrical conductor disposed within the fiberbody. The at interposer outer electrical contact pad is also in electrical connection with an electrically conducting path on the interposer inner surface.

[0008] The fiber arrangement and inclusion of electrical components with interposers within the fiber body enables any microelectronic chip or other componentry to be included in a three-dimensional fiber form of electrical conductors while accommodating the one-dimensional nature of conventional electrical contact pads. The resulting fiber can be configured as a fiber computer that enables ubiquitous integration with the environment, bringing digital computer processing to fabric and garment configurations, and enabling distributed network computer processing in fabrics and garments. Further features and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, and from the claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic view of the components of a fiber computer provided herein;

[0010] Figure 2 is a schematic view of a coiled length the fiber computer of Figure 1 ;

[0011] Figure 3A is a schematic view of a microelectronic component included in the fiber computer of Figure 1 ;

[0012] Figures 3B and 3C are schematic planar views of an inner surface and an outer surface, respectively, of an interposer platform to cover the microelectronic component of Figure 3A;

[0013] Figures 3D and 3E are schematic views of the placing and wrapping, respectively of the microelectronic component of Figure 3A with the interposer platform of Figures 3B and 3C;

[0014] Figure 3F is a schematic view of the microelectronic component of Figure 3A covered with the interposer platform of Figures 3B-3C;

[0015] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of the covered microelectronic component of Figure 3F with contact pads thereon;

[0016] Figure 4B is a schematic view of the covered microelectronic component of Figure 4A with bus wiring connected to interposer outer surface contact pads;

[0017] Figure 5 is a flow chart of steps for the thermal draw of a fiber computer provided herein;

[0018] Figure 6A is a schematic view of a nonlinear trajectory of fiber computer bus wiring along with a linear guidewire;

[0019] Figure 6B is a schematic view of the wired microelectronic component of Figure 4A with the nonlinear fiber computer bus wiring trajectory of Figure 6A;

[0020] Figure 7 is a schematic view of a preform assembly for the thermal draw of a fiber computer provided herein;

[0021] Figure 8 is a schematic view of the preform of Figure 7 being thermally drawn into a fiber computer provided herein;

[0022] Figure 9 is a schematic view of the drawn fiber computer of Figure 7 being covered with a yam pattern by a braiding machine;

[0023] Figure 10 is a view of the fiber computer of Figure 1 highlighting the functionality of the fiber computer in the fiber form factor;

[0024] Figure 11 A is a photograph of a knitted fabric extent including a fiber computer knit with other yam strands;

[0025] Figure 11 B is photograph of a woven fabric extent including three fiber computers and two optical waveguide busses all woven in the fabric as a fabric network computer system;

[0026] Figure 11 C is a photograph of a garment included fiber computers sewn into the garment;

[0027] Figure 12 is a schematic of a four-fiber computer network system including two optical waveguide busses in the network system;

[0028] Figure 13 is a schematic of a four-fiber computer network system including intra-network and output Bluetooth communication;

[0029] Figure 14 is a schematic view of a garment shirt and a garment pants configured with fabric computer network systems of fiber computers;

[0030] Figures 15A, 15B, and 15C are schematic views of an example garment shirt having a fabric computer network system integrated therein during wireless intra-network communication to a selected fiber computer in the network, during wireless intra-network communication from the selected fiber computer to a relay fiber computer, and during wireless communication from the relay fiber computer to an external device, respectively;

[0031] Figure 16A is a representation of five different physical activities that are analyzed and recognized in an example distributed inference application of a four-fiber computer fabric computer network system;

[0032] Figure 16B represent the accelerometer data employed in a fiber computer neural network provided herein to make a single fiber-computer inference regarding the physical activities of Figure 16A;

[0033] Figure 16C is a representation of an example distributed inference paradigm provided herein for a four-fiber computer network provided herein to make a network inference regarding the physical activities of Figure 16A; and

[0034] Figure 17 is a schematic representation of a two-fiber computer wireless computer network provided herein for measuring pulse rate with PPG sensors in the fiber computers of the network.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The fiber-based computing network provided herein employs a plurality of fibers each embodying microelectronic computing capabilities for fiberbased network operations. In embodiments herein, such computing capabilities are realized with microelectronic componentry that is disposed within each fiber of the network to provide each fiber as a single-fiber computer. The term “fiber computer” is used herein to refer to such a single-fiber computer, as taught in U.S. Patent No. 12,141 ,680, issued November 12, 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0036] Referring to Figure 1 , there is schematically shown one embodiment of a fiber computer 10 herein; the fiber computer is not shown to scale in this figurefor clarity of detail. The fiber computer 10 includes fiber body material 12 that is disposed along the length of the fiber body; in preferred embodiments, the fiber body material is disposed along the full fiber body length. The fiber body material 12 encapsulates one or more microelectronic components and other components 16, 22, 24, 26, 28, that are disposed within the fiber body. In one embodiment, there is disposed within the fiber body a computer bus 14, for power and data communication between fiber computer components and into / out of the fiber computer. One or more wireless I / O units 16, are included in the fiber computer for external communication 18 with other fiber computers in a fiber computer network and with other external componentry. One or more fiber computer input units 20 are included in the fiber computer and adapted to accept external inputs 22 into the fiber computer. Microelectronic computational componentry 24 is included in the fiber computer, including, e.g., discrete microelectronic processors, microcontrollers and / or memory modules. One or more fiber computer output units 26 are included in the fiber computer and adapted to produce output indications 28 for delivery of information out of the fiber. A power source 30 is included in various embodiments of the fiber computer, for powering the fiber computer componentry internal to the fiber body. Within the fiber body of the fiber computer 10, the fiber computer components are connected to the fiber computer bus 14 for power delivery and data communication all within the fiber body. In preferred embodiments, each of the computer components are disposed fully within the fiber body, encapsulated by the fiber body material 12.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1 , parameters 22 of the environment external to the fiber computer 10 are accepted by one or more fiber computer input units 20. The accepted external parameters are digital or analog inputs. At least one input unit or other fiber computer component digitizes analog inputs for processing by the fiber computer 10. The resulting in-fiber digital signal is communicated via the bus 14 within the fiber body to fiber computer processors, controllers, and / or memory modules 24, for digital computation and / or manipulation, such as combinatorial logic, digital analysis, neural network analysis, or for other digital function. Digital data resulting from the computation is communicated via the bus 14 within the fiber body to at least one output unit 26 and / or the wireless I / O unit 16. One or more output units 26 are operative to produce at least one of ananalog and digital output 28 that is delivered externally from the fiber computer, i.e. , that is provided to the fiber body exterior.

[0038] This fiber computer configuration provides fiber computer input, wireless I / O communication across a fiber computer network, in-fiber digital processing, fiber computer output, power, and in-fiber data and power bussing, for full computer functionality in the form factor of a fiber. In other words, a single strand of fiber provides all fiber computer functionality. The fiber computer interfaces with an analog environment, accepts analog input, digitizes the analog input, processes the resulting internal digital signals, and stores as well as delivers output resulting from the internal digital processing. External analog information is thereby collected, digitally processed, stored, and communicated, all within a single fiber strand. The computer fiber thereby communicates with the analog world and digitally processes information from the analog world in a shape and configuration that is so elegantly simple as to be easily integrated into and with the analog world. With the fiber computer provided herein, a single fiber strand can be integrated throughout the environment to provide digital computing. Digital processing of analog information is thereby made ubiquitous by the fiber computer. As explained in detail below, the each of the fiber computer units can be implemented in any of a wide range of alternatives for achieving a desired fiber computer functionality and application.

[0039] Referring to Figure 2, the fiber computer 10 is an elongated, macroscopic structure for which the longitudinal dimension is substantially larger than the other two fiber computer dimensions, defined as the axial cross-sectional dimensions. The fiber body length, I, of the fiber computer is on the order of meters, e.g., 10 m, 20 m, 50 m, 100 m, 1000 m or longer, while the largest axial cross sectional extent of the fiber computer is on the order of millimeters, resulting in a fiber computer longitudinal-to-cross-sectional ratio that is in embodiments herein above 1000. The fiber body cross-sectional geometry and the fiber body cross-sectional extent along the length of the fiber body is in embodiments herein substantially uniform, or alternatively, varies along the length of the fiber body. Circular, elliptical, rectangular, square, triangular, or other cross-sectional fiber body geometry is employed as-suited for given fiber computer configuration.

[0040] In embodiments herein, the fiber body material of the fiber computer encapsulates the fiber computer components, including microelectronic componentry and a power source, directly in a fiber computer body that is mechanically flexible and is not fixedly rigid. In embodiments herein, at least some of the in-fiber components of the fiber computer are mechanically rigid structures held within and encapsulated by flexible fiber body material. Even with rigid structures sited along at least a portion of the fiber computer length, or along substantially the entire fiber computer length, the fiber body maintains significant mechanical flexibility; the fiber computer is sufficiently flexible, e.g., to be coiled in the manner of Figure 2. Thus, the fiber computer is a mechanically flexible strand that transforms rigid digital computing components into a flexible, substantially one-dimensional digital computer.

[0041] As-described in detail below, the fiber computer body is thermally drawn from a fiber body preform into a fiber computer including the fiber body material, microelectronic componentry, I / O units, wireless networking connections, a power source, and a computer bus, in the manner described in detail below. The thermal drawing process produces a fiber computer spanning tens or hundreds of meters and includes input, sensing, output, digital processing, and wireless fiber computer network communication, all encapsulated within the fiber body. The fiber computer is operative for input, sensing, output, and digital processing and storage along at least a portion of the length of the fiber body, along with communication across a network of fiber computers and with componentry external to the fiber computer network.

[0042] Referring back to Figure 1 , in embodiments herein the fiber computer elements 16, 20, 24, 26, 30 are disposed within the fiber body, interior to the surface of the fiber body, as shown in Figure 1 , rather than on the fiber body surface 32. Preferably the fiber body material 12 is at the fiber surface 32. As a result, the elements of the fiber computer are fully protected from the external environment of the fiber body, and the fiber computer can operate in a range of environments in which conventional computers cannot. The fiber body material 12 is therefore a protective fiber computer exterior, and can be considered as the external wall of the fiber computer. In various embodiments, the fiber bodymaterial includes a plurality of distinct fiber body materials, and the distinct materials are arranged in a selected configuration, such as radially circumferential, as described below. The fiber body material in preferred embodiments is the mechanical interface of interaction between the fiber computer and the external environment; the fiber body material is the physical, material fiber computer housing. In embodiments herein in which the fiber body material is a mechanically flexible material, and further a flexible polymeric material, the fiber computer is a computer in a flexible polymer strand. Digital computing power can be provided in an enormous range of applications with the flexible polymer fiber computer.

[0043] In one embodiment, at least one of the input units 20, and preferably a plurality of different input units, are provided for accepting, sensing, or otherwise detecting external inputs to the fiber computer, either analog or digital. In a further embodiment, a plurality of the same input unit is provided for accepting input to the fiber computer. In either case, the input units can be disposed at sites along a selected one or more sections, or portions, of the fiber computer length, e.g., in one or more sequences of input units. The fiber computer can be populated with input units that are disposed at selected sites along the fiber computer length, in a distributed fashion. Thus, in embodiments herein, input units are provided at both ends of the fiber computer, at one end of the fiber computer, and / or at selected sites along the length of the fiber computer.

[0044] In embodiments herein, an input unit is provided as one or more sensors, for, e.g., temperature sensing, humidity sensing, touch sensing, acoustic sensing, pressure sensing, chemical sensing, mechanical sensing, radiation sensing such as light-sensing, motion sensing, such as accelerometer-based sensing, photoplethysmographic (PPG) sensing, and other suitable sensing. In one embodiment, input sensory stimuli, from the environment around the fiber computer, is analog in nature. In this embodiment, the input unit accepts analog input and produces an analog signal indicative of the stimuli. This analog signal is converted to a digital signal either by an input unit itself or by an accompanying analog-to-digital converter unit. Such an analog-to-digital conversion unit is in embodiments herein either implicitly included in the signal generation function of the input unit or is implemented separate from the input unit. External digitalio information can also be delivered to and accepted as an input by the fiber computer. In some embodiments, input digital stimuli are accepted by input units of the fiber computer that are operative to intake digital signals. In alternative embodiments, external digital information is accepted not by input units but by other fiber computer components directly, without the need for processing by an input unit.

[0045] Referring back to Figure 1 , the fiber computer includes one or more digital processors, such as digital microcontrollers, and memory units that accept data via the bus 14 from the fiber computer input units and / or from other fiber computers in a fiber computer network. Digital processing algorithms, comparative or analytical data, digital addressing, neural network configurations, as explained below, and other information is provided by one or more memory modules to one or more microcontrollers. In embodiments herein, each microcontroller carries out microcontroller programs to process the inputs to the fiber computer, resulting in the production of output information such as information about the input stimuli, and / or output signals to be provided by the fiber computer. The microcontroller program instructions, stored, e.g., within the internal memory of each microcontroller, are run and operated by a microprocessor internal to the microcontroller. The microcontroller programs also provide instructions for conducting a digital communication sequence between the various units of the fiber computer. Each microcontroller can operate independently and asynchronously or synchronously, and can include extended memory space to operative for parallel processing operations, e.g., to enhance processing speed.

[0046] One or more memory modules are included in various embodiments of the fiber computer to store input sensory data, for communication via the bus within the fiber computer body to one or more microcontrollers, and for other purposes. In other embodiments herein, one or more memory modules store microcontroller program instructions for use by the fiber computer microcontrollers, by communication within the fiber computer body to one or more microcontrollers. In further embodiments herein, memory modules store neural network data. In further embodiments herein, one or more memory modules store data that resultsfrom microcontroller computations; such data can be then accessed by output units for output unit control, for digital data output, and / or for separate operation of other componentry within the fiber computer body.

[0047] The fiber computer output units include one or more devices, circuits, systems, transducers, and other elements for output from the fiber computer to the surrounding environment, to a fiber computer network, and to the computer user. In one embodiment, in-fiber digital signals are converted to analog signals for output as such or for control of an analog output device. In further embodiments, in-fiber digital signals are output as one or more digital outputs. The fiber computer output can include, e.g., light emittance, audible sound generation, transduction, actuation, or other output.

[0048] In embodiments herein, the in-fiber components of the fiber computer within the fiber body include microelectronic components, photonic components, opto-electronic devices, microelectromechanical devices, or other devices, such as sensing, actuating, or other devices, such as microphones and audio speakers. Computer components and devices included can be fully functional outside of the fiber; that is, they do not require the fiber configuration for operation and thus are conventional stand-alone componentry, such as a microfabricated microelectronic devices. Examples of microelectronic devices employed in the fiber computer are semiconductor microelectronic circuits, microelectronic devices, electrooptic devices, transistors, diodes, junction-based devices, such as semiconductor junction devices, acoustic devices, and other microelectronic devices that can be incorporated into the fiber. The devices can be formed including any suitable material, e.g., including ll-VI semiconductors, lll-V semiconductors, metals, glasses, polymers, and other materials. The devices are inclusive of electrically conducting, semiconducting, and insulating materials, including crystalline materials such as monocrystalline and polycrystalline materials, as well as amorphous materials. The devices are inclusive of two-terminal devices, three- terminal devices, four-or-more-terminal devices, or other device configurations.

[0049] One or more of such in-fiber computer components, as well as the devices described above, can be provided in the form of a microelectronic “chip” in a package or without a package, known as a ‘microchip.’ A term “microchip” isherein given to include a physical structure of a that can contain one microelectronic device, many microelectronic devices, one microelectronic integrated circuit, many microelectronic integrated circuits, transistors and other microelectronic circuit elements, input / output componentry, packaging material, electrical connections, electrical contact pads, and other features. A microchip can embody a digital microprocessor, a central digital processor, a digital graphics processor, analog and / or digital input / output and computational modules, digital combinatorial logic modules, a digital microcontroller, digital memory, clock signal generation circuity, input and output devices and circuits, communication receivers and transmitters, input / output control circuitry, sensors, actuators, transducers, input ports, output ports, and other elements of a computer system, each including and / or implemented as one or more microelectronic devices, microelectromechanical devices and / or systems, microelectronic integrated circuits, and other componentry.

[0050] Thus, an integrated circuit is herein given as a micro-scale, monolithic, microelectronic circuit that is microfabricated including one or more semiconducting materials. An integrated circuit often performs an electrical function like that of a macro-scale device or circuit that would be composed of corresponding macro-sized, discrete electrical components. A microchip is thereby given herein as embodying a microelectronic or microelectromechanical device, circuit, or system that is supported, embedded, or otherwise disposed on or in a structural material, such as a piece of microelectronic material, e.g., a semiconductor wafer die or other semiconducting platform, generally produced by semiconductor microfabrication processing technology. A package or other structural housing for supporting electrical contact pads is in various embodiments included with the microchip structure. In embodiments herein, the fiber computer includes microchips that are operative as sensors, input units, fiber computer network communication devices, microcontrollers, memory modules, clock generators, and / or output units and other computer componentry. The microchips included in the fiber computer can be custom -microfabricated for the fiber computer and / or can be commercially-available microchips.

[0051] In embodiments herein the fiber computer components are arranged in a linear sequence, i.e. , single file, along at least a portion of the fiber body length. No particular sequence order is required. There is spacing along the fiber body longitudinal axis between adjacent fiber computer components along the component sequence. The component-to-component spacing along the fiber body longitudinal axis can be uniform along the sequence, or can be non-uniform along the sequence. In embodiments herein there can be large extents of spacing between components and between sub-sequences of components. Fiber body material is disposed in the spacing between adjacent components. As a result, each component is physically separated from the other in-fiber components by the fiber body material. The components have discrete siting points along the fiber body; they are not a continuous material.

[0052] In other embodiments provided herein, one or more of the fiber computer units are formed of fiber materials themselves rather than being provided by a microchip, as taught in U.S. Patent No. 12,141 ,680, issued November 12, 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Fiber computer units that are formed integrally of fiber material in embodiments herein can provide any suitable sensing functionality, such as chemical sensing, piezoelectric sensing, acoustic sensing, thermal sensing, radiation sensing, pressure sensing, and other sensing; and provide outputs such as microphone output, piezoelectric output, and other device outputs. These input and output units are provided in the fiber computer in the manner taught in U.S. Patent No. 10,509,186, issued December 17, 2019; as described in U.S. Patent No.7,295,734, issued November 13, 2007; as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,292,758, issued November s, 2007; U.S. Patent No. 7,567,740, issued July 28, 2009; U.S. Patent No. 10,338,000, issued July 2, 2019; U.S. Patent No. 9,365,013, issued June 14, 2016; U.S. Patent No. 9,263,614, issued February 16, 2016; U.S. Patent No. 9,512,036, issued December s, 2016; U.S. Patent No. 10,112,321 , issued October 30, 2018; U.S. Patent No. 10,406,723, issued September 10, 2019; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0136413, published May 9, 2019; the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0053] Referring to Fig. 1 , in embodiments herein power is supplied to the components of the fiber computer by a power source 30 disposed within the fiber body. In other embodiments, power is supplied by a different fiber computer in a fiber computer network, or alternatively from an external power source; any suitable power source and power source connection can be employed, e.g., in which the fiber computer is operatively connected to communicate with external systems that can deliver power to the components of the fiber computer.

[0054] In preferred embodiments, an internal power source is provided in the fiber body as an electrolytic battery. In one preferred embodiment, a commercial lithium ion battery or other suitable battery is encapsulated in fiber body material. A plurality of batteries can be included in a single fiber computer to increase power capacity. Alternatively, the fiber computer battery is provided, in embodiments herein, as a thermally drawn electrolytic battery domain or thermally drawn electrolytic supercapacitor domain including a polymeric material that is a gel, and is implemented as taught in U.S. Application Publication No. 2020 / 0028198, published January 23, 2020, and in U.S. Application Publication No.2016 / 0155534, published June 2, 2016, the entirety of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Whatever in-fiber battery type is implemented, in this embodiment, there is provided a fully self-contained digital fiber computer and computer power source all together in a fiber form.

[0055] To enable this a self-contained fiber computer and power source to be formed by a thermal draw process as provided herein and in the manner historically applied to optical fiber manufacturing, the fiber computer includes a fiber body material, encapsulating he power source and other componentry, that can flow and permanently deform at the temperatures of a thermal drawing process provided herein for producing the fiber computer. In preferred embodiments, the fiber body material has a viscosity lower than about 108Poise at the selected fiber computer draw temperature. In more preferred embodiments, the fiber body material is a thermoplastic polymer that has a viscosity of between about 101Poise and about 108Poise, with a viscosity of between about 104Poise and about 107Poise more preferred, at the selected fiber computer draw temperature. All fiber body material preferably retains both its structural integrityand its chemical composition at the fiber computer draw temperature. Although the fiber body material elongates during the fiber computer draw, when the fiber body material cools and solidifies after the thermal draw, the elemental composition of the fiber body material in the drawn fiber computer is the same as the elemental composition of the fiber body material in the fiber computer preform.

[0056] The fiber body material can be amorphous, semi-crystalline, or crystalline. A necessary condition for any fiber body material is that there exists a fiber draw temperature at which the material can be drawn into a fiber at a reasonable speed, e.g., greater than about 1 mm / minute, without decomposition. Because the fiber body material encapsulates the fiber computer componentry and fiber computer bus, provided as electrical conductors along the length of the fiber computer, it can be preferred that the fiber body material be an electrically insulating material. The fiber body material is also in embodiments herein transparent to wavelengths of radiation of interest, e.g., for operation of photonic or opto-electronic sensors and / or input / output units of the fiber computer.

[0057] With these considerations, the fiber body material can be provided as, e.g., a thermoplastic polymer or other material that can flow during thermal fiber drawing. In embodiments herein, the fiber body material is provided as, e.g., Polycarbonate (PC), Poly-ethylene (PE), Cyclic Olefin copolymer (COC), elastomeric COC (ECOC), Poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) or any other acrylic, Polysulfone (PSU), Polyetherimide (PEI), Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene (PE), Poly-ether ether ketone (PEEK), poly-ether sulfone (PES), or other suitable material. Poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon™) and other fluorinated polymers or copolymers can also be employed as fiber body materials in configurations in which their characteristically poor surface adhesion properties can be accommodated. While amorphous polymer materials can be preferred for many applications, it is also recognized that some semicrystalline polymers, e.g., branched PTFE and PE can be employed as a fiber body material. The fiber body material can also be provided as silica or any glassy material such as borosilicate glass, chalcogenide glass, or other suitable glassy material.

[0058] In preferred embodiments, the fiber body material is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), which provides mechanical flexibility and stretchability as well asmelt processability. TPE materials are in general phase-separated systems, with a hard phase providing thermoreversible physical crosslinks between soft phases. The TPE polymer that constitutes the TPE soft phase has a glass transition temperature that is below room temperature, enabling the polymer to easily deform under stress at room temperature. Oppositely, the TPE polymer that constitutes the TPE hard phase has a glass transition temperature that is above room temperature, enabling it to remain stiff and operate as a physical cross-link that results in elastic recovery at room temperature. At thermal draw temperatures that are above the glass transition temperature of a selected TPE, the TPE can be melt-processed in a thermal draw and permanently formed in a manner similar to that employed for a conventional thermoplastic material.

[0059] A particularly preferred fiber body material is poly(styrene-b-(ethylene- co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS) (available as Kraton G1657M, Kraton Corp, Houston, TX), which is an amorphous tri-block copolymer. For this system, the minority TPE hard phase of polystyrene separates into spherical domains that physically crosslink an amorphous TPE soft phase of ethylene-butylene. SEBS ha a glass transition temperature, Tg, of about 124° and a tensile modulus of about 2.4 MPa. A further particularly preferred fiber body material is elastomeric cyclic olefin block copolymer (ECOC) (available as TOPAS E-140, Polyplastics USA, Inc., Farmington Hills, Ml), which has a TPE hard phase that is crystalline and a TPE soft phase that is amorphous. ECOC has a melt temperature, Tm, of about 84°C and a tensile modulus of about 50 MPa. Both SEBS and ECOC are capable of over 500% stretch before failure, providing a high degree of fiber elasticity.

[0060] In all embodiments of the fiber computer, the fiber body material provides an axial cross section, along the fiber body length, in which are encapsulated the fiber componentry described above. In particular, the fiber body material encapsulates electrically conducting wires, or other elongated conducting structures, along the fiber body length, in implementation of the fiber computer bus. It is preferred that the electrically conducting bus wires be electrically isolated from each other along the fiber body length to prevent electrical shorts between wires. It is therefore preferred that the electrically conducting bus wires bepositioned at separated sites around the axial circumference of the fiber body, within the fiber body.

[0061] It is discovered by the inventors herein that this axial bus wire separation is not functionally achievable with the arrangement of electrical contact pads that is conventionally provided on a microelectronic chip component. Considering such, referring to Figure 3A, a commercial microelectronic chip component 40 conventionally provides an arrangement 42 of electrical contact pads 44; here an example microcontroller chip is shown with an arrangement 42 of sixteen contact pads. The arrangement of contact pads is entirely disposed on one single face 46 of the microchip 40. With this arrangement of contact pads on one single face of the microchip, any fiber computer wires connecting to one or more contact pads of the microchip are relegated to a single spatial plane corresponding to the plane of the microchip contact pads. As a result, enforcement of space between adjacent wires in a spatial plane of wires making contact to microchip contact pads is not guaranteed and may be impossible for some fiber computer installations.

[0062] In embodiments herein, fiber computer wires are disposed at preferred and circumferentially separated sites around the axial circumference of the fiber body, regardless of the arrangement of microchip contact pads to which the fiber computer wires are connected. This is achieved by physically mapping microchip contact pads from their arrangement on a single microchip face to an arrangement including sites separated around the axial circumference of the fiber body. This physical mapping of microchip contact pads is implemented herein for any microchip in general, and indeed for any device, module, unit, microelectronic component, or other structure for which electrical contact is required, within the fiber body, with wires or other elongated structures extending along the longitudinal fiber body length.

[0063] In various embodiments herein, referring to an example shown in Figure 3B, there is provided an interposer 50 for translating a two-dimensional array of electrical contact pads to a three-dimensional arrangement of electrical pads that extends around the axial circumference of a fiber body. In one example, the interposer comprises a two-sided electrically insulating platform having aninner surface 52 that is intended for positioning face-to-face adjacent to the microchip face 46 on which a contact pad array 42 is disposed. On the face of the interposer inner surface 52 is provided an arrangement 54 of inner contact pads that each align with a contact pad of the microchip contact pad array 42. Referring to Fig. 3C, on an outer surface 56 of the interposer 50, opposite to the interposer inner surface 52, there is provided an arrangement 57 of outer contact pads 58.

[0064] As shown in Figs. 3B-3C, there are disposed on the interposer inner surface 52 one or more electrically conducting traces 60 that each provide an electrical path between one of the interposer inner contact pads 62 and a shifted pad 64 that is distant from the corresponding inner contact pad 62. The electrically conducting traces 60 thereby have the effect of repositioning selected interposer inner contact pads 62 from first locations on the interposer inner surface 52 to second locations on the interposer inner surface that are laterally shifted from the first locations on the interposer inner surface. At each site of a shifted pad 64 an electrically conducting via 65 extends through the thickness of the interposer 50 from the inner surface 52 to the outer surface 56. On the interposer outer surface 56, each outer contact pad 58 is connected by way of an electrically conducting via 65 to one of the shifted pads, such as shifted pad 64, on the interposer inner surface 52. The path of each conducting trace on the inner surface of the interposer is selected to shift a contact pad of the microchip to a location that is a distance from the site of the microchip pad, either in the plane of the

[0065] Referring to Figure 3D, the microelectronic microchip 40 is placed on the inner surface 52 of the interposer with the contact pad arrangement 42 of the microchip 40 face-to-face with the interposer inner contact pads 62. Then as shown in Figure 3E in one embodiment the interposer 50 is wrapped around the microchip 40, so that the interposer outer contact pads 58 are facing outward. When the microchip 40 is wrapped by the interposer 50, as shown in Figure 3F, the interposer outer surface 56 provides electrical contact pads 58 that are sited on different planes around the circumference of the wrapped microchip and that make electrical connection to selected microchip contact pads. The interposer thereby translates the single-plane contact pad arrangement 42 of the microchip40 to two or more different planes of contact pads that are on two or more sides of the microchip 40.

[0066] Thus as shown in cross section in Figure 4A, in one embodiment, the wrapped microchip 40 is provided with interposer outer contact pads 58 that are disposed on different sides of the microchip, whereby the original one-plane arrangement of microchip contact pads is distributed to two or more planes that can be orthogonal to each other in cross section. Electrical connecting spots 60 can be provided on each outer contact pad 68. Then as shown in Figure 4B, elongated electrically conducting structures 62, such as wires, are electrically connected to each of the outer contact pads 68. The interposer 50 prescribes an arrangement for the elongated electrically conducting structures that are separated from each other and positioned at different circumferential points around the microchip 40. This achieves a circumferentially spatial separation of the electrically conducting structures in the axial cross section of a fiber body in which the conducting structures, such as wires, are placed to implement a fiber computer bus or other electrical connection to microelectronic componentry, power sources, I / O units, and other elements of the fiber computer to be included in and encapsulated by fiber body material along the length of the fiber body.

[0067] The electrical contact pad arrangement 42 of the microchip 40 shown in Figure 3A is not limiting. In embodiments herein, a microchip electrical contact pad arrangement can include one, two, three, four, or more electrical contact pads 44. The electrical contact pad arrangement can be a uniform array, such as that of Figure 3A, but in various embodiments is configured in any suitable pattern. In preferred embodiments, the interposer inner surface 52 includes an inner electrical contact pad arrangement 54 that substantially matches the microchip contact pad arrangement 42. In one embodiment, every electrical contact pad of the microchip is connected to a corresponding contact pad on the inner surface of the interposer in order to enhance mechanical strength and stability of the microchip position within the interposer layer wrapping.

[0068] In this scenario, not every contact pad on the inner surface of the interposer is connected to an electrically conducting trace. Some of the microchip contact pads remain un-connected to electrically conducting traces on theinterposer; some original contact pad connections are connected to an electrical ground contact, or other suitable arrangement. In various other embodiments, however, the inner contact pad arrangement 54 of the interposer 50 includes fewer contact pads than the contact pad arrangement 42 of the microchip 40. Thus, in embodiments herein, those contact pads of the microchip that are not needed for fiber computer operation are not connected to an electrically conducting trace.

[0069] In other embodiments, one or more electrical contact pads provided on the outer surface of the interposer are not connected to traces on the interposer inner surface and therefore are not electrically connected to contact pads of a microelectronic component. Such a no-contact interposer outer surface electrical contact pad can be employed for making other connections within the fiber computer. For example, in one embodiment, a no-contact interposer outer surface electrical contact pad is provided on the interposer for every microelectronic component of the fiber computer. With this arrangement, a metallic guidewire is soldered to each interposer’s no-contact outer surface contact pad to enable thermal drawing of the microelectronic componentry by absorbing extensional stress that is imposed by the thermal draw process.

[0070] The platform of the interposer 50 has a lateral extent corresponding to a selected extent of coverage around the exterior of the microchip. In the example of Figures 3A-3F, the interposer 50 has a lateral extent that wraps around four sides of the microchip, with one portion 65, Figure 3E, of the interposer being an ‘extra’ extent that is tucked under an overlapping extent 66 on one side of the microchip. In embodiments herein the “extra’ extent portion 65 can be cut away before wrapping of the microchip in the interposer. In other embodiments, the interposer wraps over more than four faces of a microchip; in one embodiment, the interposer envelops the entire microchip. In other embodiments, the interposer wraps over two faces, three faces, or four faces of a microchip. In other embodiments, the interposer covers only one face of a microchip. In some embodiments, the microchip includes sides that are exposed, i.e., not covered by the interposer, as in the front face of the microchip-interposer arrangement shown in Figure 3F. In other embodiments, the interposer platform comprises two or more separate platforms that each are mounted on one or more sides of themicrochip. For example, two interposer platforms, each arranged to cover two sides of the microchip, are employed in embodiments herein. The interposer platform or platforms do not need to be rectangular and can extend in any direction along a surface of a microchip.

[0071] In any of these interposer platform embodiments, the conductive trace or traces on the inner surface of the interposer platform provide a path or paths that shift the site of a microchip contact pad from a first position on the microchip to a distant site on an outer surface of the interposer. In embodiments herein, a contact pad on the interposer outer surface is in a different plane than the corresponding contact pad on the microchip; e.g., as shown in Figure 3E the side contact pad 58 on the interposer outer surface is in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the microchip contact pad arrangement 42 of Figure 3A. In embodiments herein, one, two, three or more electrical contact pads are disposed on each of one or more of the interposer outer surface portions that cover different sides of a microchip. In some embodiments, one or more interposer outer surface portions covering different sides of a microchip do not include any electrical contact pads; only a subset of the plurality of covered microchip surfaces here includes contact pads for connections to wires.

[0072] Thus, in embodiments provided herein, the fiber body of a fiber computer, or a fiber body in general, includes at least one microelectronic component having an interposer disposed over at least a portion of the total surface of the microelectronic component; in preferable embodiments the interposer extends from and over a component surface having electrical contact pads to and over a different component surface on which no contact pads are provided by the component. In other embodiments, the interposer extends to and over at least two different component surfaces, preferably which have no contact pads provided by the component.

[0073] In other embodiments, the fiber body includes a plurality of different microelectronic components each having a different interposer platform around that component. In other embodiments, the fiber body includes a plurality of microelectronic components that together are covered in one or more interposer platforms. In various embodiments, the fiber body includes one or moremicroelectronic components and one or more electrical components electrically connected to one or more of the microelectronic components and with covered with the microelectronic components by an interposer platform. In other embodiments, the fiber body includes a plurality of different microelectronic components each having a separate interposer covered over at least two sides of that component. In other embodiments, the fiber includes at least one component connected directly to electrical conductors in the fiber body, with no interposer provided there between. With these embodiments, it is shown that the interposer paradigm is applicable in general to translate an original single plane of electrical contact pads to a multi-plane, multi-surface, multi-dimensional configuration of contact pads for making electrical connections in a three dimensional system such as the fiber computer herein.

[0074] In an example of interposer implementation, an interposer platform is produced with a 118 pm stack thickness including a 25 pm-thick polyimide substrate and 18 pm-thick copper traces, finished with 1 pm-thick electro-less nickel immersion gold and 27.5 pm top / bottom coverlay soldermask layers. To ensure reliable solder connections, a Sn / Ag / Cu (SAC305) solder alloy SMD291SNLT5 (ChipQuik, Niagara Falls, NY), with a relatively high melting temperature of 217°C, or other solder having a melting temperature above the fiber draw temperature, is employed preferably to prevent reflow during the draw process and to minimize short circuits on fine-pitch ball grid array microelectronic components. It is preferred in all embodiments herein that the solder or other material employed to electrically connect microelectronic component contact pads with interposer contact pads have a melting temperature above the intended fiber draw temperature. With appropriate interposer designs, a microcontroller (MAX32660, Analog Devices, Wilmington, MA), a temperature sensor (MAX31875, Analog Devices), a light sensor (TSL2584TSV, AMS, Knoxville, TN), a light-emitting diode (IN-S63AT5UW, Inolux, Santa Clara, CA), an accelerometer (MXC4005XC, Memsic, Andover, MA), a photoplethysmography module (OB1203, Renesas, Milpitas, CA), a BLE system-on-chip (DA14531 , Renesas), and a linear voltage regulator (ADP165ACBZ, Analog Devices) are each arranged on interposer platforms, with interposer traces connected to selected contacts of the components. Once componentry contact pads are soldered onto the interposer contact pads, each interposer is folded, wrapped, sheathed, enveloped,encircled, or otherwise covered around at least two surfaces of the soldered component and the associated peripheral components and sealed using a cyanoacrylate adhesive (Ultra Gel Control, Loctite, Rocky Hill, CT).

[0075] In further embodiments herein, the interposer inner surface includes a plurality of inner contact pads that are employed for connection to contact pads of a microelectronic component to pre-program or otherwise start-up, initiate, calibrate, or otherwise operate the microelectronic component prior to the formation of the fiber computer with the microelectronic component. In one example of such, a microcontroller microchip or other microchip is initially programmed, e.g., with a bootloader application or other application, or otherwise programmed, prior to wrapping in an interposer. In one such embodiment, the interposer platform extent is larger than the extent intended for wrapping around the microchip; the interposer extent to be wrapped around the microchip includes inner surface and outer surface contact pad arrangements with conductive vias to shift the microchip contact pads in the manner of Figs. 3A-3F, and the added interposer platform extent includes electrically conductive traces for connecting selected of the microchip contact pads to preprogramming contact pads for preprogramming the microchip. With the microchip placed on the inner surface of the interposer, the microchip can be operated through contact to the preprogramming contact pads, without wrapping the interposer around the microchip. After preprogramming of the microchip is complete, the added interposer platform extent including preprogramming contact pads is cut off of the interposer, leaving the interposer platform extent to be wrapped around the microchip in the manner of Figs. 3A-3F.

[0076] As described, in embodiments herein two or more electrical components, microchips, devices, and / or structures can be covered by a single interposer platform or combination of interposer platforms. Specifically, in various embodiments, one or more microelectronic devices, microchips, and / or or other components are electrically connected to electronic circuit elements, such as capacitors and oscillators, by way of electrical traces on the inner surface of the interposer platform. The electrically conducting traces provided on the inner surface of the interposer can take on any selected circuit arrangement, with circuitelements included in the circuit. For example, a prescribed integrated circuit or circuits and respective supporting peripheral components, such as bypass capacitors and crystal oscillators, are in embodiments herein laid out on the interposer inner surface, to be wrapped, or covered with an external interposer, forming a closed microelectronic system having outer contact pads for external connection to wires in the manner of Figure 4B.

[0077] This approach is generalizable, and in embodiments herein is employed with any surface-mountable microchip form factor and electrical contact pad layout, of any physical dimensions, and for any microelectronic packaging constraints. In one embodiment, the electrical contact pad arrangements of eight different fiber computer microelectronic components are remapped from a singleplane arrangement to a multi-plane arrangement, including contact pad arrangements of a microcontroller (MCU), a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) system- on-chip (SoC), a low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulator, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, and light-emitting diodes (LED). In one embodiment, the contact pads of each of these microelectronic components are translated from a one dimensional, single plane of contact pads to a circumferential arrangement of contact pads around three or four sides of the microelectronic component. In response to specific operational requirements of each of the microelectronic components, peripheral components are in embodiments herein attached to the microelectronic components in the manner described above by attachment to interposer inner surface contact pads. In one such embodiment, a bypass capacitor is connected on an interposer for connection with the MCU, to accommodate periodic spikes in current during MCU operation. In another such embodiment, the BLE SoC requires a dedicated, precise clock source and such is provided, along with other required components, in contact with the BLE SoC, including a 32 MHz crystal oscillator, a chip antenna, a bypass capacitor, a resistor and an LED. All of these components are provided attached to contact pads on the inner surface of an interposer, with electrically conducting traces connecting the components to the corresponding contact pads of the BLE SoC. The interposer is wrapped around all of the components, thereby providing a complete BLE SoC system with external connections within the fiber body of a fiber computer.

[0078] Considering the materials of the interposer provided herein, in general, the interposer platform is a material that is compatible with the fiber body material at the temperature of the thermal draw of the fiber computer. In embodiments herein, the interposer platform is a flexible material, such as a high-temperature polyimide, and is of a thickness on the order of 0.1 mm. Preferably, in arranging electrically conducting traces and inner surface and outer surface contact pads of the interposer, the number of material layers is minimized to accommodate the generally small bend radii required for wrapping microchips. In one embodiment of such, only one top layer and one bottom layer of copper is employed for the traces and inner and outer surface contact pads. The electrically conducting traces formed on the inner surface of the interposer preferably extend perpendicularly across sites of the interposer platform to be bent around a microchip, to minimize stress on the electrically conducting traces in operation of the fiber computer. Further, to enhance mechanical reliability and decrease the likelihood of trace crack formation, curved electrically conducting trace paths are preferable over 45-degree or 90-degree jogs in trace paths near sites of the interposer platform to be bent around a microchip. In order to prevent fracturing, electrically conducting vias through the thickness of the interposer platform are preferably positioned away from sites of the interposer platform to be bent around a microchip, and openings for surface mount pads in the polyimide layer are preferably placed at a distance from sites of bending to reduce the risk of polyimide peeling or metal delamination. Interposer platforms can be designed with a commercial tool (Altium Designer, Altium Ltd., La Jolla, CA) to include inner surface and outer surface contact pads, conductive traces, and conductive vias specified in the design.

[0079] With this interposer platform configuration and design freedom, the electrical contact pads of substantially any component can be shifted from a single-plane arrangement to a multi-plane configuration around the internal circumference of a fiber. In general, in embodiments herein, whatever microchips are included within the fiber computer body, it can be preferable that most, if not all, components, regions, materials, and structures of the microchips do not flow during the thermal draw of the fiber preform into the fiber computer, and it is preferable that the entirety of each microchip withstand the temperature and mechanical stress of the thermal fiber draw process. Semiconducting, conducting,and insulating materials all can be included in the microchips. The microchips can include materials that are polycrystalline, monocrystalline, amorphous, or some combination of morphology or microstructure. But the microchips do not melt or change their dimensions to any substantially extent during the thermal fiber draw process. In one example, this condition requires that at least some or all microchip components and / or materials have a viscosity, at the selected fiber draw temperature, that is much greater than the viscosity of the fiber body materials at the selected fiber draw temperature; a viscosity that is greater than about 108Poise characterizes this high-viscosity condition of the microchips.

[0080] The extent of each microchip in the axial cross section of the fiber computer is less than the cross-sectional extent of the fiber computer; in other words, the microchips sited along the fiber computer length are completely encapsulated by the fiber body material and do not protrude from the fiber computer surface. Because the thermal draw conditions can be adjusted to control fiber body diameter, a wide range of microchip sizes can be accommodated to meet this requirement.

[0081] As a result, in embodiments herein commercial microelectronic componentry is included in the fiber computer, with little limitation on microchip parameters. Commercial microcontrollers such as a MAX32660 (Maxim Integrated, San Jose, CA) and a PSoC 4 Programmable System-On-Chip (Cypress Semiconductor, San Jose, CA) can be employed. Clock oscillators such as a SiT8021 Clock Oscillator, (S / Time, Santa Clara, CA) and a ASAKMPD8 Clock Oscillator, (Abracon, Spicewood, TX) can be employed. Linear voltage regulators such as ADP165ACBZ (Analog Devices) can be employed. Memory modules such as a 24CW640 or 24CW1280 EEPROM (Microchip Technology Inc., Chandler, AZ), a M24C64T, M24C64M, or M24128S EEPROM (STMicroelectronics, Burlington, MA), a CAT24S128, CAT24S64, or CAT24C64 EEPROM (ON Semiconductor, Phoenix, AZ), a CAT24C64BAC4 or N24S64 EEPROM (ON Semiconductor, Phoenix, AZ), and a CAV24C128 or CAV24C32 EEPROM (ON Semiconductor, Phoenix, AZ) can be employed.

[0082] Fiber computer input componentry such as a MAX31875 Digital Temperature Sensor (Maxim Integrated, San Jose, CA), a OPT3007 Digital LightSensor (Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX) or TSL2584TSV (AMS Sensors, Cupertino, CA), a VEML6075 Digital UV Sensor (Vishay Semiconductors, Shelton, CT), a NanEye Digital Camera (AMS Sensors, Cupertino, CA), a HDC2010 Digital Humidity Sensor (Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX), a IQS231A Digital Touch Sensor (Azoteq, Austin, TX), a MXC4005XC or MXC6255XC Digital Accelerometer (MEMSIC Semiconductor, San Jose, CA), a photoplethysmography module such as OB1203 (Renesas), a DA14531 Digital Bluetooth (Dialog Semiconductor, Santa Clara, CA), a ST25TA512B Digital Near Field Communication Unit (STMicroelectronics, El Paso, TX), and a NT3H2111 NearField Contactless Comm System (NXP Semiconductors, Woburn, MA) can be employed.

[0083] Fiber computer output componentry such as a DRV201 A Digital Motor Driver (Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX), a LC898302AXA Digital Linear Vibrator Driver (ON Semiconductor, Phoenix, AZ), a light emitting diode, such as IN- S63AT5UW (Inolux), FAN5646 Digital LED driver (ON Semiconductor, Phoenix, AZ), a LP5560 Digital LED driver (Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX), a DA14531 Digital Bluetooth system-on-chip (Dialog Semiconductor, Santa Clara, CA), a ST25TA512B Digital Near Field Communication Unit (STMicroelectronics, El Paso, TX), and a NT3H2111 Near-Field Contactless Comm. System (NXP Semiconductors, Woburn, MA) can be employed. These examples are not limiting but represent a range of microelectronic componentry that can be included in the fiber computer and electrically connected to wiring in the fiber computer with an interposer that shifts the single-plane arrangement of each component’s contact pads to a circumferential arrangement around at least a portion of the exterior of the interposer.

[0084] The wiring of the fiber computer is in embodiments herein implemented to provide power, ground, data, and control information to the fiber computer componentry. The term ‘bus’ is used herein, and shown in Figure 1 as a bus 14 along the length of a fiber body, to refer to the plurality of wires that together operate as a bus for such information. The fiber computer bus includes in embodiments herein any number of wires or other elongated electrically conducting structures needed for operation of the fiber computer. Differentcomponents within the fiber computer utilize different bus wires in embodiments herein; for example, all fiber computer components can be connected to four common bus wires with selected components, such as microcontrollers and LEDs, connected to an additional one or more wires.

[0085] In one embodiment, a digital bus protocol, such as the Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) protocol, (NXP Semiconductors, NV, Austin, TX), is employed in the fiber computer with the fiber computer bus for implementing fiber computer control and communication. With this protocol, the functionality of each microchip in the population of fiber computer microchips is separately controlled over time, and the fiber computer is controlled at sites along the fiber length. Hundreds of individually-identified digital microchips can be incorporated into the fiber computer, all accessible at a single data transmission line and connection point. Interconnected and disparate fiber computer functionalities are thereby addressable at any selected sites along the fiber body length. All of the fiber computer input units, microcontrollers, memory modules, and output units are thereby enabled to share the bus wires for selected functionality, such as power, ground, clock and data lines, with independent addressing and activating of each fiber computer component, at any location along the length of the fiber computer.

[0086] Using the I2C protocol, intra-f iber communication at speeds of at least about 100 kHz is enabled, and bus frequencies up to more than 3 MHz can be supported. Using the I2C protocol microelectronic components along the fiber computer length are individually address by means of unique 7-bit serial addresses, enabling the components to interface with the processor with a delay of less than about 1 ms between sequential read and write operations. The I2C protocol also enables the fiber computer microcontroller to be dynamically reprogrammed over the bus for different fiber computer applications. The I2C protocol is therefore preferred for many fiber computer embodiments. But the I2C protocol is not required herein. Other protocols, including, e.g., a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol, or a Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) protocol can be employed. The wiring bus of the fiber computer is not limited to the example four wires, and can include additional wires or additional specific component-to-component connections to enable a selected protocol.

[0087] In general, electrically conductive wires included in the fiber computer for bus and other connectivity preferably employ electrically conductive materials characterized by high conductivity, to minimize resistive loss along the fiber body length, which can lead to unwanted thermal heating of the fiber body or to unwanted voltage attenuation along the length of the fiber body. It is also preferable that the electrically conductive wires of the fiber computer have sufficient structural elasticity to retain mechanical integrity during fiber computer operation.

[0088] For any electrical wire material provided within the fiber computer, the electrical wires preferably exist along at least a portion of the fiber computer length, and more preferably exist along the entire length of the fiber computer, connected to the microchips and any continuous device extents along the fiber body length. To make the electrical connection from the electrical wiring within the fiber computer to elements that are external to the fiber computer, such as a power source, current source, sensing circuit, or computational element, the wires are exposed from the encapsulating fiber body material at an end of the fiber computer, in a manner similar to that employed conventionally for exposing electrical wires that are coated in outer insulation layer, or any method suitable for exposing wires in fibers or cables, e.g., by cutting, chemical dissolution and removal, plasma and laser etching, or other suitable method.

[0089] In preferred embodiments, electrical wires in the fiber computer are provided as materials that co-flow with the fiber body material at a common fiber draw temperature, or in other preferred embodiments, are provided as materials that do not flow at the fiber draw temperature. In either case, the conductors are electrical conductive connection media. For materials that do co-flow with the fiber body material, the electrical conductors are preferably formed of a material or materials that melt at the fiber draw temperature. Here, low melting-temperature metals such as Bi-Sn alloys, In-based alloys, Sn-Pb alloys, or any other suitable conducting materials, preferably that are liquid at a selected fiber draw temperature, can be employed.

[0090] For electrical conductor materials that do not flow during thermal fiber draw, the conductors can be fed into the fiber during the fiber draw. Theseconductors can be made of, for example, a metallic material, preferably in a wire form, ribbon form, or other suitable geometry. The wires that are fed into the fiber preferably do not melt during the fiber draw. Example suitable wire materials include W, Cu, Fe, Al, Ti, Cr, Ni, Au, Ag or any other alloys of these materials. In general, any conductive material, including metallic materials, but also including electrically conductive organic and inorganic materials, can be employed. For example, indium tin oxide, lanthanum-doped strontium titanate, yttrium-doped strontium titanate, polyaniline, polypyrrole, PEDOT:PSS, and other materials can be employed. In one preferred embodiment, the wires are formed of enameled copper wires, such as 44 AWG (Remington, Johnsburg, IL) coated with a layer of polyurethane insulation, if desired, to prohibit electrical shorting between wires in the fiber computer.

[0091] It is discovered by the inventors herein that structural elasticity can be imposed on wires to be employed in the fiber computer bus and / or other wires in the fiber computer. In one embodiment herein, wires to be employed in the fiber computer are plastically deformed to introduce elasticity along the length of the wires. The plastic deformation is imposed on the wires by bending the wires in a nonlinear trajectory; in one embodiment the nonlinear trajectory is a helical trajectory or other generally circular trajectory of bending along the wire length. If the cross-sectional dimension of the wire is significantly less than the bend radius of the wire along the wire length trajectory, the local strain in the wire material is relatively minimal compared to the failure strain of the wire material. This enables the wire material to withstand bending and stretching of the fiber computer in operation. In one example, wire to be employed in the fiber computer is wrapped around a generally circular mandrel to form a helix of wire, such as a helix having a diameter of about 300 microns. When copper wire is thusly plastically deformed into a helical trajectory, the wire retains the helical structure after the initial bending is imposed. As described below, robust and reproducible fiber computer operation in fabrics and other mechanically flexible environments is enabled herein with plastically deformed wire that follows a nonlinear trajectory along the fiber body length of the fiber computer.

[0092] Turning to fabrication of the fiber computer, any suitable methodology can be employed. In preferred embodiments, the fiber computer is thermally drawn from a fiber computer preform. Referring to the flow chart of Figure 5, in this method 100 for production of a fiber computer 10, in a first step 102 there is assembled a macroscopic fiber computer preform structure that includes fiber body material. In a next step 104 there are arranged in the preform computer microchips, with one or more input units, one or more microcontroller microchips, one or more memory modules, and one or more output units. As explained above, input units and output units can be formed in situ of fiber body materials that are arranged in the preform. The microchips have or are provided with electrical contact pads, and interposers as-needed to shift the location of electrical contact pads, and are arranged with fiber body material in the fiber preform structure. Electrical wires are in this step concurrently arranged in the fiber computer preform to provide the fiber computer bus lines and other wires needed for the fiber computer componentry. Alternatively, rather than arranging electrical bus wiring and microelectronic componentry in the preform, the wiring and microelectronic componentry is fed into the fiber computer as the fiber computer preform is thermally drawn into a fiber computer, as explained below.

[0093] In a next step 106, the fiber preform is thermally consolidated, if necessary, e.g., to form intimate material interfaces between materials arranged in the fiber preform. As explained below, this consolidation step can be conducted multiple times, e.g., after each of fiber body materials, microchips, and electrical conductors are introduced into the preform. Then in a final step 108, the fiber computer preform is thermally drawn into a fiber computer having a fiber body within which are disposed fiber computer microchips, other devices and components, and electrical wiring that is electrically connected to contact pads of the microchips. The thermal drawing process produces extended lengths of fiber computer along which are sited the rigid computer microchips, and along which are provided the electrically conducting wires for operating the fiber computer, all internal to the fiber body.

[0094] In one embodiment of this method, in preparation for the fiber computer thermal draw, the fiber computer components are first arranged, eachwith an interposer as needed, and then the outer electrical contact pads of the components’ interposers are electrically connected to the corresponding fiber computer bus wires and other wires. In one example of such, each of the fiber computer wires are soldered to the corresponding electrical contact pad on one of the planes of corresponding interposers, thereby producing a sequential connection between the fiber computer componentry. In one example, a wire extent of between about 10 cm and about 15 cm is provided between each component in the sequence of components. It is preferable to ensure that the electrical connections between the contact pads and wiring remain stable during the fiber draw and to that end, it is preferable to prevent melting of the intermetallic bond between wires and contact pads at the fiber computer draw temperature. In one embodiment this is achieved by employing a suitable high-temperature solder, like a SAC305 solder such as SMD2991 SNLT5 (ChipQuik), which has a melting point of about 217°C.

[0095] After electrical contact pads of interposers and other devices and componentry are connected to the fiber computer wiring, the bundle of wires with the microelectronic componentry connected, is plastically deformed into a nonlinear trajectory, such as a helix, in the manner described above. Then a strain-limiting guidewire of sufficient diameter, such as a 40 AWD 80 micron- diameter copper wire, is soldered to each no-contact pad on the outer surface of each interposer, to absorb extensional stresses imposed by the fiber computer thermal draw conditions.

[0096] Figure 16A is a representation of four wires 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d deformed together in a helical trajectory 112 along a portion of the wire lengths between the location of microelectronic components. The guidewire 114 is shown to extend alongside the helical trajectory of wires. Given a scenario in which the wires are sited adjacently in the trajectory as shown, each wire is preferably coated with an insulating layer as described above to prevent electrical shorting. Figure 16B is a representation of the trajectory and connections of the wires 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d at the site of a microelectronic component 115 on which an interposer is disposed. The wires extend from the sites of their connections on the interposer to a distance at which their elasticity allows them to be deformed intothe helical trajectory. It is therefore to be understood that the helical trajectory of the wires does not necessarily extend fully right up to the interposer connection sites. Nevertheless, the nonlinear trajectory of the wires for distances between the component sites significantly enhances the elasticity of the wires.

[0097] In embodiments herein, the fiber computer is produced to include a battery within a fiber body itself. In one embodiment, the battery is disposed in a battery fiber body that is mated with the fiber computer fiber body, thereby to provide a self-powered fiber computer system. In this embodiment, a selected battery, such as a pin-type lithium ion battery, e.g., a CG320 lithium ion battery (Panasonic) or other selected battery, is connected to electrical wiring prior to the fiber computer draw. In one example, each of the two terminals of the battery is connected to an enameled copper wire, such as 38 AWG, 0.0045” (Remington) using SAC 305 solder or other suitable solder. In a further embodiment, to ensure the long-axis of the battery remains aligned with the longitudinal axis of the fiber preform during the thermal fiber draw, when the wires are under tension, the ends of the battery can be filled with a heat resistant epoxy, such as EA 3336 (Loctite) to secure the wires and seal the package.

[0098] In embodiments herein the fiber computer is adapted for a given battery or other power source. For example, in one embodiment, the battery voltage is dropped for fiber computer bus characteristics, e.g., by including an infiber LDO voltage regulator and pull-up resisters, e.g., to achieve a 3.3 V power for I2C logic levels.

[0099] Considering the assembly of a fiber computer preform including fiber body material, it is discovered herein that for many fiber body materials and for many fiber computer configurations, it can be preferred to employ a fiber computer preform that includes a sacrificial outer cladding layer disposed radially outward of fiber body material in the preform. This is especially preferred for Theologically complex fiber body material. As the fiber body material is drawn through a high- temperature draw zone, the preform necks down and is elongated into the fiber computer; the properties of some fiber body materials, such as ECOC, can lead to unstable draw conditions and significant elastic recoil effects during this elongation, especially at the sites of microelectronic components. ECOC displayspredominantly elastic behavior at typical thermal draw temperatures, causing such elastic effects. Further, the high mechanical stress imposed on the fiber body material during the thermal draw can lead to molecular chain alignment in the fiber body material, reducing the elasticity of the fiber body material once quenched after the thermal draw. In addition, the transfer of tension from the fiber body material to wires encapsulated in the fiber body material can lead to an asymmetric, non-conformal encapsulation profile.

[0100] Referring to Figure 7, in embodiments herein, these conditions are prohibited by employing a cladding material around the fiber body material during the thermal fiber draw. In one example, shown in the figure, a preform 120 includes a generally rectangular block of a cladding material 122. Within the block of cladding material 122 is disposed an inner cylinder 124 of fiber body material having cylindrical cavity 126 through the cylinder 124 of fiber body material. These geometries are not limiting; any suitable preform geometry can be employed.

[0101] In one example of this arrangement, a 1”x 1” rectangular block of cladding material, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), encases an inner hollow thermoplastic cyclic olefin copolymer elastomer (ECOC) cylinder having an outer diameter of about %” and an inner diameter of about 3 / 8”. In one method for construction of this preform, computer numerical control milling (CNC milling) is employed to cut a 3 / 4" semi-cylindrical cavity into a bar of PMMA, into which ECOC pellets, such as Elastomer E-140 pellets (TOPAS) are hot pressed, e.g., at a pressure of about 1 psi and a temperature of about 95°C for about 10 minutes. CNC milling is employed further to cut a 3 / 8" semi-cylindrical cavity into the halfcylinder of ECOC. Two preform halves thusly produced are then consolidated together, e.g., in a hot press at a pressure of about 5 psi and a temperature of about 120°C for 1 hour, employing a spacer element, such as a 3 / 8" Teflon cylinder, placed in the cavity between the two halves during the consolidation step to prevent collapse during the consolidation.

[0102] In alternative embodiments herein, the preform is assembled with the fiber body material not coated with an outer stress-bearing cladding layer in the fiber preform. Instead the fiber body material surface is here maintained exposed for thermally drawinginto a fiber. In further embodiments, an outer stress-bearing cladding layer is applied to the fiber body material as-described above and after the fiber draw step, is maintained on the fiber body material as an auxiliary fiber body material surface. In either scenario, all materials in the preform are characterized as having the capacity to flow at a common thermal draw temperature. In other embodiments, one or more fiber computer jacket materials can be included in the preform as-desired for a given application.

[0103] In general, in the formation of a fiber computer preform, the fiber body material or materials are mechanically shaped, e.g., by milling, to produce cavities, channels, or other features for holding various components and wiring, if such are to be included in the preform, the microchips, and to produce channels for holding the in-fiber electrical conductors. In addition to fiber computer components, the fiber computer preform can include devices that are formed of preform materials during thermal drawing of the preform materials into the fiber computer. As explained above, by incorporating electrically conducting, electrically insulating, and / or electrically semiconducting materials in a selected arrangement in a fiber computer preform, there can be formed electronic, optical, and optoelectronic devices disposed through the cross section and continuously along at least a portion of the length of the fiber computer, during the thermal fiber draw. Such devices can be designed, arranged and formed by fiber drawing in the manner taught in U.S. No. 7,295,734, issued November 13, 2007; U.S. No. 8,863, 556, issued October 21 , 2014; and U.S. No. 7,292,758, issued November s, 2007; the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0104] The fiber computer preform, and resulting fiber computer, can include a solid core region or a hollow core region, and can include multiple cores, each with a different function and formed of different materials. The fiber computer can transmit optical and electrical signals separate from computer signals of the fiber computer, and can deliver optical and electrical signals. For example, optical transmission elements and / or electrical transmission elements can be included along the fiber length, within the fiber body. Given this wide range of functionality that can be achieved by the fiber computer body, the fiber computer preform can be arranged to include any suitable semiconducting, electrically insulating, and electrically conducting materials in a configuration of electrical and / or opticaldevices and / or transmission channels or in a configuration that forms electrical and / or optical devices during the fiber draw. The preform can have a circular, rectangular, or other thermally-drawable cross-sectional geometry.

[0105] In embodiments herein the preform is configured to include microelectronic componentry without corresponding electrical wiring, and then, during the thermal draw, electrical conductors are fed into open preform channels as the preform is fed through the fiber draw system. Spools of conductors can be employed to provide wires for introduction into the preform as the draw proceeds. This configuration is in embodiments herein implemented as taught in U.S. Patent No. 12,141 ,680, issued November 12, 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0106] In other embodiments herein, fiber computer componentry is electrically connected to wires outside of the fiber compute preform, providing the component-wire configuration described above and shown in Figure 6B. This component-wire configuration is fed into the fiber computer preform as the fiber computer preform is thermally drawn. In many applications, this scenario can be preferred for production of the fiber computer.

[0107] Referring to Figure 8, in one embodiment of the fiber drawing process, a draw tower is configured in a conventional three-zone draw setup, with, e.g., top zone temperature, middle-zone temperature, and bottom zone temperature each between about 50°C and about 500°C. The middle-zone temperature should be the highest of the three zone temperatures, and is considered to be a stated draw temperature. One or more drawing zones are sufficient if three are not available. The drawing temperature should be primarily selected based on the cladding material. The higher the glass transition temperature of the cladding material, the higher the required draw temperature. In order to start the bait-off process and successfully draw the preform into a fiber, the oven temperature must meet the glass transition temperature of the fiber body material. The drawing temperature is in general lower than the bait-off temperature; a middle zone bait-off temperature can be, e.g., about 230°C. A successful drawing temperature can depend on the preform dimensions as well as the room temperature. In preferred embodiments, the draw temperature is that which maintains the stress level of thedrawing fiber in the range of 50 grams / mm2-100 grams / mm2. For example, a drawing temperature between about 230°C and about 250°C can be preferred.

[0108] In Figure 8 there is generally represented the middle zone 135 of a fiber draw tower. In one method of draw tower operation, the preform 120 is in vertical draw tube furnace set at a top zone temperature of about 100°C, middle zone temperature of about 230°C, and a bottom zone temperature of about 75°C. As the preform 120 is drawn, the configuration 130 of wire-connected microelectronic componentry is fed into the open channel 126 of the fiber body material 124. It is preferred herein that, in order to maintain the structural elasticity of the wiring during the draw process, the nonlinear trajectory of bending of the wires has a bend diameter, such as a helix diameter, that is smaller than the fiber channel diameter, to minimize friction between the wires and the preform channel wall surface.

[0109] As the preform is pulled through the furnace zones, the dimensions of the fiber cladding and the fiber body are reduced to fiber dimensions by plastic deformation. An appropriate preform downfeed speed, of about 1 mm / min and a speed of about 0.200 m / min of a fiber capstan 138 enables this transformation for the furnace temperatures given. During this transformation, the fiber body material 124 collapses around the microelectronic componentry and the wires, encapsulating the componentry and wires within the fiber body extent. A laser micrometer can be employed to monitor the resulting fiber dimensions in the conventional manner. With a guidewire 114 (Figs. 6A-6B) included with the wire-connected componentry configuration 130 that is fed into the fiber preform during the draw, the helical structure of the wires 112 is preserved during the draw, thereby preserving the structural elasticity of the wires that was imbued by the nonlinear trajectory of the helical structure.

[0110] This preform formation process and fiber draw process is in embodiments herein adapted to separately draw a battery fiber that includes a power source such as a battery element. After draw of the fiber computer fiber and separate draw of the battery fiber, the two fibers are connected in the manner described below. The battery fiber preform generally takes the form of the fiber computer preform of Fig. 7, with a cladding block 122, e.g., of PMMA and a fiber body cylinder 124 of ECOC, with an open cylindrical channel 126. The channel126 here is provided as about 0.5 inches in diameter, or other suitable diameter, preferably to prevent lodging of a battery element in the necking, middle zone region of the fiber draw tower, which could increase residence time in the middle zone. In the draw of the battery fiber, a battery, having connections to wiring as described above, is fed into the battery fiber preform as the battery fiber preform is drawn through the draw tower. The battery fiber draw temperatures are preferably controlled to prevent temperatures that could cause degradation of the battery, e.g., by employing a reduced middle zone draw temperature, e.g., of no more than about 180°C. In other embodiments, the battery fiber draw process is tailored to the composition of the power source materials, as prescribed by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0028198, published January 23, 2020, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0111] Referring to Figure 8, after the drawn structure exits the capstan 138, the outer cladding 122 is in embodiments herein mechanically removed 140, resulting in a finished fiber computer 10. For the example of PMMA cladding covering over a fiber body material of ECOC, this is particularly enabled by the characteristically poor adhesion between ECOC and PMMA. The outer cladding material can be removed in any suitable manner, chemically and / or mechanically, or can be retained as auxiliary fiber body material.

[0112] In embodiments herein the properties of the surface of the drawn fiber body are changed after the fiber draw. In one embodiment, the mechanical robustness of the fiber computer surface is enhanced, e.g., by covering the surface of the fiber body. In various embodiments, the fiber body surface is optimized for integration of the fiber with textile fabric materials such as textile yarns, or with other yams such as Polylactic acid PLA, Kevlar, or cotton, such as 360 denier cotton yarn, or polyester, such as 540 denier polyester yarn.

[0113] Referring now to Figure 9, in one embodiment herein the fiber computer surface is partially or fully covered with elongated structures, such as textile yams or threads. The elongated structures are woven, interlaced, twisted, laced, crisscrossed, braided, knitted, looped, meshed, sewn, intertwined, or otherwise worked to cover at least a portion of the axial circumference of the fiber computer along at least a portion of the longitudinal fiber body length. In oneembodiment, the fiber computer 10 is fed through a capstan 150 to a braiding machine 155 for braiding yams on the surface of the fiber computer. The braiding machine 155 includes a number of carriers 158 that each provide a store of a yam 160 to be applied to the fiber computer. The braiding machine diagonally interlaces yams from the carriers 158 onto the fiber computer to produce a covered fiber computer 162 that is taken up into a spool 164. The elasticity of the fiber computer is maintained during the braiding process by imposing tensioned core loading between the capstan 150 and the spool 164. This process is particularly versatile for accommodating a wide range of yam types, braid configurations, number of yam carriers, and helix pitch. This enables independent design of the mechanical and surface properties of the fiber computer.

[0114] In embodiments herein, a fiber computer cover is applied to the fiber computer to enhance the tensile strength of the fiber computer; and / or in other embodiments a fiber computer cover is applied to reduce the frictional characteristic of the fiber computer surface. For example, a 360-denier cotton yam braid on an example ECOC fiber body provides a fiber computer tensile strength of about 49 N, while a 540-denier polyester yam braid on an example ECOC fiber body provides a fiber computer tensile strength of about 146 N. Considering surface stiction, the covering of a fiber body with a generally low- friction yam material, such as polyester, reduces stiction compared to that of a bare-surface ECOC fiber body, and substantially prevents stiction to surfaces such as knitting needles, thereby to safeguard against fiber body stretching beyond the limit of failure strain.

[0115] The fiber computer cover is in embodiments herein selected to render the fiber computer as a strand that is mechanically compatible with yam material to be formed into a fabric matrix with the fiber computer. The fiber computer cover further is selected herein to enhance environmental resilience and aesthetic visual characteristics of the fiber computer when integrated with yam material. The fiber computer cover material is not limited to yam materials. Any compatible elongated structure, including electrically conducting wires, electrically insulating strands, optically conducting transmitters, optically emitting structures, and other structures all are candidates for covering the fiber computer. Braiding and the braidingprocess described here are not limiting and any suitable cover can be applied to the fiber computer, including pre-made covers that are slid over the surface of the fiber computer.

[0116] In other embodiments herein the fiber computer cover is implemented to enhance a sensing capability of the fiber computer; here the fiber computer cover includes one or more sensing strands. One example herein is the enhancement of radiation sensitivity of the fiber computer. Here, a high-Z material, such as tungsten, which interacts strongly with gamma radiation, is incorporated into the fiber computer covering. A fiber computer covering such as a braid provides a structural platform to support strands of selected sensing materials, such as radiation-sensitive tungsten strands. In one embodiment, sensing strands such as tungsten wires are braided onto the fiber computer surface along with textile yarns, such as wool or cotton yarns. The sensing strands can be braided with the textile yams and / or twisted with textile yarns for braiding of twisted composite strands. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the amount of tungsten incorporated in the covering braid can be controlled by setting the number of braid machine carriers with tungsten or by controlling the twisting of tungsten and textile yam. This example demonstrates that the fiber computer covering is in embodiments herein an active component with fiber computer functionality. The fiber computer cover thereby includes sensing strands, electrically conducting strands, optically conductive strands, radiation-conductive strands, and other functional strands in embodiments herein, which strands can be arranged with a range of different strands such as textile yams or other functional strands.

[0117] Like the fiber body of the fiber computer, the fiber body of the battery fiber is also in embodiments herein covered with a selected covering of yams or other structures in the manner just described. Then with the battery fiber and fiber computer bodies thereby formed, the fiber computer fiber body is mated with the fiber body of the battery fiber. In one embodiment, each of the fiber bodies is terminated with a connector, such as a 2.5 mm TRRS audio connector; here the fiber computer is terminated with a four-conductor TRRS female audio connector, such as CUI SJ2-25964C, which can accommodate the I2C wires, and the batteryfiber is terminated with a TRRS male audio connector, such as CUI SP-2541 . This connection scenario enables disconnection of the fiber body of the battery fiber from the fiber computer for recharging of the battery fiber after extended fiber computer operation.

[0118] Referring to Figure 10, the mating of the two fiber bodies produces a fully contained fiber computer 10, optionally including a surface cover 166, such as a braided cover, under which is provided sensing, processing and storage, communications, and power systems, arranged in the form factor of an elongated strand that provides hermetic encapsulation of microelectronic componentry and wiring with elastomeric properties that enable isotropic flexibility and elasticity over very extended lengths. This enables the integration of the fiber computer and its digital computation into fabrics, woven and non-woven textiles, cloth, and other such materials, and presents enormous opportunity to address a wide range of fiber-based applications. Of particular importance is the high mechanical flexibility and the long lengths achieved by the thermally drawn fiber computer. Even with planar, rigid microchips disposed along a fiber computer length, the fiber computer maintains significant mechanical flexibility and thus is a weavable or knittable yarn or textile fiber, meaning that the fiber can be employed in textile fabrication processes, like weaving, that are designed to employ conventional yarns, fibers, filaments, or thread. “Wearable” computers thus are truly wearable with the infiber digital computer achieved herein.

[0119] The fiber computer can be arranged in any convenient configuration for operation and for bi-directional communication with the environment and with data in the vicinity of the fiber computer. In embodiments herein this scenario is extended to a distributed fiber computer network and to a distributed fabric network computer system; in particular embodiments herein the distributed fiber computer network is arranged, configured, or otherwise incorporated and / or integrated with an extent of fabric. In the manner of textile yams, the fiber computers are integrated into fabrics with common fabric construction techniques, including knitting, sewing, and weaving. Of particular advantage, in any fabric construction process, the positions of the computer fibers within a fabric areunconstrained by the distributed fiber computer network topology, as explained below, whereby a distributed network topology is enabled in a conventional fabric structure.

[0120] In embodiments herein, a distributed network of fiber computers is woven, knitted, sewn, or otherwise incorporated into an extent of fabric, configured for an intended use, e.g., as a garment, as shown in the photographs of Figures 11A, 11 B, and 11 C. Here a plurality of fiber computers is, e.g., woven, knit, or sewn, with filaments, yarn, thread, or other fibers, to form a textile matrix that includes fiber computers distributed across the garment. As shown in Figure 11 A, each fiber computer in the network can be integrally knit with textile fibers. Figure 11 B shows a section of a distributed fabric computer system in which three fiber computers are woven in the weft direction, with communication buses A and B woven in the warp direction for network communication in the manner described below. Figure 11 C shows fiber computers sewn into the seams of a pre-existing garment. Any applicable integration technique, even including fusible bonding (Stitch Witchery) can be employed, e.g., to create channels for fiber computers to be integrated with seams of a pre-existing garment. With these arrangements, a distributed fiber computer network is embodied in the fabric and garment.

[0121] In preferred embodiments, the yams of the textile or other fabric in which the distributed fiber computer system is implemented are mechanically flexible, and preferably are ultra-flexible, enabling them to be machine woven into fabrics, grids, cloth, textiles, and other arrangements in the manner of thread and yarn. The thermal drawing process provided herein produces such fiber computers having sufficient flexibility to enable such. Even with planar, rigid microchips disposed along a fiber computer length, the thermally drawn fiber computer maintains significant mechanical flexibility and thereby is a weavable or knittable yam or textile fiber computer, meaning that the fiber can be employed in textile fabrication processes, like weaving, that are designed to employ conventional yams, fibers, filaments, or thread, and are entirely compatible with conventional fabric manufacturing methods. The distributed fiber computer network thereby is provided in both woven and non-woven textiles, cloth, and other such materials.

[0122] The non-fiber computer strands in such a fabric can be any suitable material, such cotton, and alternatively the fiber computers can be attached to combined within the matrix of a fabric, such as Endumax fabric, a fabric having a weft and warp, such as Edumax weft and Twaron warp, a Twaron region of a more complex fabric of Twaron warp and weft and Cotton weft, as well as a pure Cotton fabric or other suitable fabric. Other fabric materials include Mylar, Twaron, Endumax, UHMWPE, Kevlar, and other suitable fabric materials. The distributed fabric network computer system therefore is in embodiments herein a fabric that includes a plurality of fiber computers along with non-fiber-computer strands integrated in an arrangement of a selected fabric pattern, and optionally including strands for sewing or interconnecting edges of fabric to render the fabric as a garment. The fabric network computer system is therefore a matrix of fibers with digital computer microchip units and other computer componentry as given above. The resulting fabric, arranged in one embodiment as a garment, includes a computer environment with sensing, processing, internal communication, storage, output, and power capabilities.

[0123] In embodiments herein, the matrix of fibers arranged as a fabric computer includes one or more functional fibers having a range of functionality, such as piezoelectric sensitivity, chemical sensitivity, or other functionality, e.g., for fiber computer input or output. Such functional fibers are preferably mechanically flexible and thermally drawn. Example functional fibers as embodied herein as described in U.S. Patent No. 10,509,186, issued December 17, 2019; as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,295,734, issued November 13, 2007; as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,292,758, issued November s, 2007; U.S. Patent No. 7,567,740, issued July 28, 2009; U.S. Patent No. 10,338,000, issued July 2, 2019; and U.S. Patent No. 9,365,013, issued June 14, 2016; the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0124] In further embodiments herein, the matrix of strands arranged in a fabric with the distributed fabric network computer system includes one or more strands that provide features for fashion and aesthetics as well as providing a range of functionality. Example functional fibers as embodied herein as described in U.S. Patent No. 9,263,614, issued February 16, 2016; U.S. Patent No.9,512,036, issued December s, 2016; U.S. Patent No. 10,112,321 , issued October 30, 2018; U.S. Patent No. 10,406,723, issued September 10, 2019; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0136413, published May 9, 2019; the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0125] The distributed fiber computer network, as a distributed fabric network computer system, achieves networking capabilities with wireless communication between fiber computers in the network of fiber computers. Optical communication, radio-frequency communication, or other communication methodology is employed herein for contact-less communication between fiber computers in the network. Referring to Fig. 12, in one embodiment herein, an optical intra-network system 175 is provided with a plurality of optical waveguides 176, 178 as bidirectional links between fiber computer fibers 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d. Each fiber computer includes one or more of a photodetector (PD) and one or more of a light emitting diode (LED) for communication with other fiber computers in the network across the optical fiber computer network 175.

[0126] In the example optical fiber computer network 175 shown in Fig. 12, two or more waveguides 176, 178 provide optical buses for intra-network communication. In one communication method, there is employed on-off keying modulation of fiber computer LEDs with Manchester encoding. This modulation / encoding can be preferred to eliminate the need for a separate clock signal, as well as to provide noise tolerance. This methodology enables optical fiber computer network communication speeds that can be 10 kHz or more, with communication speed dependent on the photodetector bandwidth.

[0127] In embodiments herein an optical-based addressable message protocol is employed. In one example, the message protocol is implemented in the microcontroller of each fiber computer in the network, e.g., to convert addressable messages to Manchester Encoding, for transmission across the optical busses by on- off keying modulation of the fiber computers’ LEDs. The structure of the addressable messages includes, e.g., the ID of the original sender fiber computer, the IDS of the current fiber, the ID of the intended recipient fiber, the command type, the message length, and the message. Preferably, each fiber computer microcontroller is programmed to constantly query the light sensors of that fiber computer to monitorreceived light intensity, for accepting and decoding received messages. For fiber computer pairs whose LEDs are aligned on the same waveguide bus, or if the distance between two particular fibers in the network is too large for detection, then communication is controlled to occur by transmission from a sending fiber computer to an intermediary waveguide bus, which repeats the communication to an intended receiving fiber computer. If a given fiber is the intended recipient of a message, that fiber computer processes the information provided in the received messaged and operates and responds appropriately based on the programmed application of that fiber computer.

[0128] In one embodiment, the optical waveguides 176, 178 are provided as optical waveguides formed of PMMA or other suitable waveguide material in any suitable cross-sectional geometry, such as generally rectangular or square. The waveguide material is preferably selected based on the fiber body material of the fiber computers in the network and the selected arrangement for waveguide coupling and confinement. In one coupling arrangement, a fiber computer body surface is compressed directly against the surface of an optical waveguide. In the case of ECOC fiber body material, because ECOC has a similar refractive index to PMMA, if light passes directly through the ECOC-PMMA interface without escaping into air, certain of the passing optical rays can access the guided modes of the waveguide. It is recognized that this condition requires sufficient interfacial contact area between the surface of the fiber body and a waveguide, and it is found that such can be achieved by deforming the surface of an ECOC fiber body with compression of a PMMA waveguide onto the ECOC fiber body surface at the site of an LED or PD along the fiber computer length. It is found herein that relatively larger compressive boundary force between the waveguide and fiber computer body material increases the width of contact between the optical waveguide and the fiber computer body material and correspondingly decreases the depth of an LED or PD within the fiber body, thereby improving the transmission of information out of / into a fiber computer and across the fiber computer network.

[0129] In other embodiments herein, grating couplers or other selected optical coupler can be employed in the optical fiber computer network. Such a grating coupler is herein implemented, e.g., as a Polycarbonate (PC) or other materialthat is a separate element with a selected grating geometry that is positioned between a fiber computer body and an optical waveguide. Alternatively, a coupling grating is produced directly on the surface of a fiber computer fiber body material, or is produced directly on the surface of an optical waveguide. In all of these scenarios, the grating parameters are preferably tuned to customize and optimize the input and output efficiencies across the fiber computer network.

[0130] Alternatively, reflective or refractive prism couplers are employed to couple light into and out of fiber computer network optical waveguide busses. Aside from such coupling arrangements, there is included herein directional light emitters, custom optical fiber cladding arrangements, and other techniques and arrangements for optical intra-network communication. In all of these embodiments, no electrical wiring is employed for connecting fiber computers within the network.

[0131] Referring back to the image of Fig. 11 B, an example of intra-network optical communication capabilities is shown with three fiber computers woven in the weft direction of a fabric, with two optical waveguide busses woven in the warp direction of the fabric and sited to interface with the fiber computers. In one embodiment of such, one, two, or more waveguides can be employed for each waveguide bus. For example, a bundle of three waveguides are employed as a bus herein. For any waveguide configuration, each waveguide bus preferably is orthogonally sited at the location of fiber computer light sensor and LED positions along each fiber computer.

[0132] This orthogonality of the bus network naturally lends itself to a weave structure of a fabric. Fabric yarns that are adjacent to fiber computers integrated into the fabric are herein arranged to provide a compressive force of the optical waveguides on the fiber computers as well as bending around the interface to enhance conformality of optical bus waveguides on the surfaces of the fiber computers. As a result, the interfacial contact area between the optical waveguides and the fiber computer fiber bodies can be controlled by the woven fabric characteristics, including the density of the weave structure and the size of the yarns neighboring the waveguide bus-fiber body interfaces. In one embodiment of such, an 8-harness Wolf Loom (Schacht Spindle) is employed to weave waveguide busses in the warp direction ofa woven fabric garment and to weave fiber computers in the weft direction of a woven fabric garment, with LEDs and light sensors of the fiber computers aligned in sections of the warp containing the optical waveguides. In one example, in the warp direction, cotton yarns are integrated at about 14 ends per inch, with each warp line consisting of two cotton threads. Warp lines each composed of a bundle of three 250 m PMMA waveguides provides the optical busses.

[0133] It is found herein that generally, relatively tighter weaving with a relatively denser packing of yams is beneficial to aid in conforming and compressing of optical waveguides onto fiber computers in the fiber computer network. Also, relatively larger-diameter yams are found herein to impart a higher tension on warp-direction waveguides and push the waveguides more firmly onto weft-direction fiber computers, thereby enhancing the interfacial contact area. In general, in embodiments herein, different kinds of yams and different diameters of yams are employed across a fabric network computer system to optimize a selected intra-network communication protocol.

[0134] Referring to Figure 13, in a further embodiment, a Bluetooth-enabled distributed fiber computer network 180 is employed, with inter-network communication enabled by in-fiber Bluetooth modules (BLE) of fiber computers 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d; for intra-network communication and optionally, for communication with external devices 182, that are optionally networked with the fiber computers. In one embodiment, each BLE module includes a BLE SoC, a chip antenna, a bypass capacitor, a resistor, an LED, and a crystal oscillator. As described above, all of these components are preferably arranged together on a single interposer platform with corresponding electrical connections there between, and together wrapped in the interposer, residing at a site along the fiber body length of a fiber computer.

[0135] In one example, the BLE SoC is equipped with a 2.4 GHz RF transceiver capable of broadcasting data at a standard rate of 1 Mbps, and contains one-time-programmable application memory which is loaded onto the microelectronic component in the manner described above prior to wrapping within the interposer platform arrangement. The I2C bus protocol enables the fiber computer microcontroller to direct the BLE SoC to control scanning, advertising, and data transmissioncharacteristics, along with sending and receiving data packets over the wireless BLE network. Therefore, despite the BLE SoC’s one- time-programmable memory, this allows for customizability in transmission timing and power consumption properties for different applications of the distributed fiber computer network.

[0136] The wireless RF Bluetooth arrangement lends itself to a mesh network topology, in which each fiber computer in the network can bidirectionally and wirelessly communicate directly with any other fiber computer in the network without a central point of communication and thereby without a centralized point of failure. The free-space RF transmission and receive strengths are sufficient for any fiber computer to connect to another fiber computer across the network on the scale of a fabric garment or garments. For example, a signal strength of about -90dBm is achieved across a fabric distance of about 3.5 meters and a receiver sensitivity of about - 93dBm. In a fabric garment worn on a user’s body, it is found that two fiber computers can communicate over a distance of at least about 0.5 m from the upper arm of a wearer’s shirt to the upper leg of a wearer’s pants. In one embodiment, the BLE SoC supports three or more concurrent communications, as a function of fiber computer memory size. If necessary, a sub-network can be implemented, e.g., with three connections per fiber computer, and with two or more sub-networks then interconnected into a larger distributed fiber computer network.

[0137] The distributed fiber computer network enables a distributed fabric network computer system that adapts to a wide range of applications. Referring to Fig. 14, in a distributed fabric network computer system 190 provided herein, each fiber computer 10a-1 Oi in a plurality of fiber computers of the fiber computer network 190 is arranged at a different site in a fabric or garment such as a shirt 192 and pants 194, to acquire site-specific information from the environment. In various embodiments, each fiber computer 10a-1 Oi is self-powered, with a power source, and includes the fiber computer microelectronic componentry described above, including input and output units, microcontroller(s), memory, and wireless communication componentry. If the communication methodology is based on optical bussing, then optical busses 196, 198 are included.

[0138] Each of the fiber computers 10a-1 Oi includes a sensing input module that is the same as the sensing input module of one or more of the other fibercomputers in the plurality, or that is different than the sensing input module of each of the other fiber computers in the plurality. This flexibility and distribution of sensing input modules across the fiber computer network enables each fiber computer in the network to independently analyze inputs, compare inputs from fiber computers across the network, and make determinations based on all or a subset of the sensing inputs from across the network. In the garment embodiment of Fig. 14, fiber computers 10a, 10c, in a garment sleeve location, can independently characterize limb sensing information while fiber computers 10b, 10d in the body of a garment 192 can independently characterize torso sensing information. In one example, each fiber computer senses and analyzes biomechanical signals local to the site of that fiber computer, enabling detailed motion tracking for injury rehabilitation, gait analysis, early detection of movement disorders, and other conditions. In other embodiments, each fiber computer provides local temperature sensing, which supports the detection and tracking of localized inflammation or poor circulation, offering early warning signs of infection or vascular conditions.

[0139] Thus in embodiments herein a fabric network computer system monitors one or more physiological characteristics of the body of a wearer of a fabric network computer system garment. Temperature, movement, heart rate, and other physiological characteristic are determined by the fabric network computer system. The distributed fabric network computer system transforms a traditional textile garment into a fiber computer network system that captures, analyzes, and contextualizes physiological signals, enabling personalized care for the garment wearer via analysis of whole-body sensor data, e.g., to uncover health patterns, derive health insights, and produce user information for taking responsive action. Indeed, a key functionality enabled by the fiber computer network is the ability to close the loop between sensing and actuation. The fiber computer network can sense physiological inputs, analyze the inputs to determine an appropriate response, and trigger actuation to deliver an appropriate therapy. For instance, a thermal heater integrated with a textile garment can be activated to regulate body temperature in response to a notification from the garment’s fiber computer network that body temperature is out of range. In other examples, the fiber computer network detects abnormal biomarker levels and in response triggers theadministration of appropriate therapeutics. Any suitable sensors and actuators, including biochemical sensors, drug delivery fibers, and heating elements, are included in the fiber computer network to enable such applications as-appropriate.

[0140] In embodiments herein the fiber computer network is programmed to make determinations with the totality of acquired site-specific information from fiber computers at different sites across the network, to provide analysis and conditional output information. In the application of the fiber computer network to physiological this arrangement provides more accurate insights into the state of a fabric network computer system garment wearer than a conventional single-node sensing approach. The fiber computer network thereby transforms a passive textile fabric and garment into a ubiquitous platform for distributed computation and system wide- input and output.

[0141] In one embodiment, the fabric network computer system is programmed to implement distributed inference for making determinations and predictions based on inputs acquired across the network from different sites of the network across a fabric or garment. A conventional single-location inference method is limited in accuracy because input from acquisition sites away from a centralized measurement location are generally damped by the time they reach the measurement location. The fabric network computer system provided here overcomes this limitation and does so without the use of rigid electrical interconnections in the fiber computer network.

[0142] Referring to Figs. 15A-15C, in an example of this embodiment, a garment 192 supports a distributed fiber computer network 190, including fiber computers 10a, 10c, 10e, and 10f each sited at a different location. In operation, each fiber computer acquires site-specific input from the particular location of that fiber computer in the garment. Each fiber computer accepts, processes, stores, classifies, or otherwise conducts operations on the acquired input. Then one or more of the fiber computers 10a, 10c, 10f , in the network send information 202, 204, 206, based on the acquired site-specific input, to a selected fiber computer 10e in the fiber computer network. The selected fiber computer 10e accepts and processes the information from the other fiber computers 10a, 10c, 10f and provides output 208 based on the information processing. As shown in Figure15B, the output 208 is optionally sent from the selected fiber computer 10e to a different fiber computer 10f , for any considerations such as network siting. Then as shown in Figure 15C, the different fiber computer 10f , or other selected fiber computer in the fiber computer network, relays the output 208 to an external BLE device 200 for signaling to a user, by e.g., optical display or audio.

[0143] Referring to Figure 16A-16D, in an example of a garment with such a fabric network computer system of fiber computers, there is provided a fabric network computer system for whole-body physiological monitoring to identify physical activity. Fiber computers of the network are integrated in garments at selected sites such as shown in Figure 14. In this example, a 3-axis accelerometer is provided in each fiber computer in the fiber computer network to sense site-specific motion. Each fiber computer’s microcontroller makes inferences based on that fiber computer’s motion sensing and forwards the result to a selected one of the fiber computers.

[0144] Referring to Fig. 16A, in one example of collection of a training dataset, a single wearer performs bodyweight physical exercises, including squats, lunges, planks, arm circles, and right leg donkey kicks while wearing a top and pants each incorporated with fiber computers, with one fiber computer on each limb. The training data, consisting of tri-axial, time-series acceleration data, e.g., sampled at 50 Hz, is collected over multiple sessions where the garment is donned and doffed by the wearer, such that the dataset intrinsically contains positional variation for each fiber computer.

[0145] Referring to Figure 16B, each fiber computer in the fiber computer network is programmed based on the training set of motion sensing, such that an in-fiber computer neural network is implemented with the microcontroller of that fiber computer. The neural network of the MCU produces an inference on the activity of the wearer based on the acceleration data acquired by that fiber computer at its location in the garment. Each fiber computer in the fiber computer network is configured with an individual neural network trained to classify the exercises using localized data from that limb at which the fiber computer is sited. This approach, unlike one involving a centralized neural network trained with data from all limbs, avoids the need for continuous biometric data transmission, helping to preserve wearer privacy, reducedependence on external networking infrastructure, and minimize energy consumption. The training of the neural networks can use any suitable system, such as an Adaptive Moment Estimation (Adam) optimizer.

[0146] After training, the neural network weights of each fiber computer are deployed to each of the corresponding limb’s in-fiber microcontroller. Any suitable platform, such as the Edge Impulse platform can be used to package the trained neural network weights and output a software library package containing, e.g., TensorFlow Lite that can run on a selected MCU. Additionally, an array of confidence weights, G, is stored in each fiber computer to quantify the prediction accuracy of each fiber computerfor different activities, with / being the index of the fiber computer in the network of fiber computers. To find appropriate confidence weights for each fiber computer, a given fiber computer’s precision is calculated for each activity of the validation dataset, and this array p is used as a proxy for the confidence level of each fiber computer’s prediction for each activity. In this way, anatomical behavioral awareness is pre-encoded into the fabric network inference algorithm. For example, donkey kicks mainly involve motion of the right leg, so there is expected to be a higher confidence level in the right leg’s fiber computer predictive capability for donkey kicks.

[0147] Then in operation of the fiber computer network, while a wearer of the garment is exercising, each fiber computer accelerometer collects and transmits data to that fiber computer’s MCU, which performs inference with the trained neural network weights to produce an array of inference probabilities, given by pz. Then an inference probability array is weighted by the pre-encoded confidence array via element-wise multiplication, as described by fi = (Dpi, where f / is the array containing the weighted inference probabilities for each activity for the / th fiber computer in the computer network. For each class, this approach gives more weight to fiber computers with higher prediction accuracies. Given a network of four fiber computers, and referring to Figure 16C, all but one of the fiber computers then transmit their weighted inference probability arrays to a central fiber computer (fiber 4 in the figure), which aggregates the arrays received from the other fiber computers according to

[0148] net— i (c 0 pi) where net is the fiber computer network s array of weighted inference probabilities. Finally,zthe activity, / net, with the highest weighted inference probability in the fabric network computer array is chosen as the fabric network’s inference prediction, as given by jnet=arg maxj Zi (c Op / ), where j represents the index of the activity in the array. This produces a final federated consensus on the predicted activity of the wearer, and is sent out of the fiber computer network.

[0149] Considering the results of this approach for producing a single fiber computer network output based on different site-specific inputs to different fiber computers in the fiber computer network, it is first recognized that the accuracy achieved by each individual fiber computer is limited by the analysis of only local, site specific input. For example, fiber computer neural networks of fiber computers in a garment’s arms cannot distinguish between different activities that do not involve arm movement, such as planks and donkey kicks; accuracies of the individual limb fiber computer here might be below about 77%, with higher imbalanced f scores between classes. But when the outputs from fiber computers across the fiber computer network are aggregated, the fabric network computer system achieves significantly higher inference accuracy, demonstrating the ability of the fiber computer network to more effectively differentiate between activities than a single fiber alone. For an individual on which the neural networks are trained, the accuracy can be 100%. Foran arbitrary user, the accuracy can be 95% or more. In general, for any neural network architecture, the fabric network computer system achieves a prediction accuracy higher than that achievable by individual fiber computers. The distributed, multi-site, fabricbased fiber computer network approach provided herein thereby achieves superior sensing and processing, and is implemented as taught in “A single-fibre computer enables textile networks and distributed inference,” Nature, Vol. 639, pp. 79-86, March 2025.

[0150] In a further example application of the fiber computer network provided herein, blood pressure of a garment wearer is continuously monitored. Pulse transit time is a method of continuous, noninvasive blood pressure measurement; the pulse transit time (PTT) indicates the duration of time during which a pressure wave generated by a heartbeat travels from one arterial site on a body to anothersite. This PTT measurement technique is enabled in the fabric network computer system by, e.g., two fiber computers are placed on different positions of a garment worn on the body, such as a wrist and an ankle. Here, a PPG input sensor in each of the two fiber computers of the two-fiber computer network collects the pulse waveform using optical reflectometry with the PPG’s LED emitting light onto the subject’s skin, and the reflected light being detected by the PPG’s photodiode. Changes in capillary blood volume during a heartbeat impacts the amount of light reflected, enabling tracking of the progression of a pulse. Because PPG sensors are sensitive to motion artifacts, it is preferred to apply compression of a fiber computer PPG sensor on the skin to render a more stable interface.

[0151] Referring to Figure 17, the resulting raw pulse waveform is processed by that fiber computer’s MCU, which filters and recognizes pulses in real-time. In one embodiment herein, the fiber computer network intra-network communication is optical, and the timing of detected pulses is signaled optically between the network fiber computers byway of the optical network. A fiber computer MCU computes the time difference between the pulse detected on its own fiber and the pulse detected on the other fiber to find the PTT. For real-time blood pressure estimation, this PTT is converted into the wearer’s blood pressure using a calibration curve. Then, the wearer’s blood pressure is output in real-time to any BLE-enabled display device using the fiber computers BLE output. This demonstrates that both optical intra- network communication and RF communication are herein implemented in a single fiber computer network as-needed for a given application.

[0152] As a result, the fiber computer network provides information and analysis of human activity both in real time and as data for future analysis. The distributed fabric network computer system thereby embodies a digital fabric assistant for a range of applications, including, e.g., personalized health monitoring, human activity recognition, and autonomous physiological feedback. In personalized health monitoring, the fiber computer network, configured within the construction of a garment’s fabric, remembers the garment wearer’s body sensory inputs. Due to the mechanical flexibility, water-resilience and high signal- to-noise ratio of the fiber computer, the fabric computer is highly suited as a skin- interfaced computer for extracting and analyzing useful body information such astemperature. For example, core body temperature can be stably collected from placement of the fiber computer at garment sites at which it is conventionally inconvenient for temperature monitoring, such as under the armpits, which constantly experience high mechanical strains such as cyclic movements from walking and running, and chemical agitation such as sweat.

[0153] Physiological data in-take, data recording, and data processing by each fiber computer in the fiber computer network is untethered and can be employed in any environment without intruding upon daily activities. In addition, as data is collected and memorized, e.g., continuously from the same fiber computer, over extended durations of time, the fiber computer network enables healthcare applications where patients and users are required to track, e.g. core temperature, outside of hospital settings, to prevent conditions such as infection, fever, and inflammation. Moreover, this collected data details markers such as cooling from sweating during running, a useful indicator for sports and military applications where users need to ensure that body sweating occurs to prevent heatstroke. All such biometric data are stored locally within the user’s clothing.

[0154] With the description above and the accompanying figures it is demonstrated that the fiber computers and distributed fabric computer networks provided herein enable digital logic capability in the form of a fiber, as well as a functional fabric shape, such as a garment. Due to the high signal-to-noise ratio, high mechanical flexibility, and high degree of water-resilience of the fiber computer and the fibers of the fabric computer, the fiber and fabric computers can be configured into a garment, such as a shirt, to provide computational functionality for any in a wide range of applications. Further, the fiber computer and distributed fabric computer network provide advanced logic capabilities with in-fiber computer neural networks that operate synergistically to produce a network inference that can predict and recognize, in real-time, human activity. As a result, the fiber computer and distributed fiber computer network operates autonomously and as an integral, inherent element of a user’s environment.

[0155] The fabric-based fiber computer network independently performs sensing, storage, computation, and inference tasks even when braided, woven, knitted, seam-sewn or otherwise integrated into textile or fabric matrices, such asgarments, remaining nearly imperceptible to the wearer during extended use. The open architecture of the fiber computer and the universality of the assembly process allows for many additional functions to be added with simple modifications, including a rechargeable in-fiber battery or other power source for the fiber computer network.

[0156] The fiber computer network enables distributed inference capabilities to achieve highly-accurate network output that surpasses the output accuracy of individual fiber computers in the fiber computer network.

[0157] The planar, single-sided contact pad arrangement of microelectronic components is geometrically mismatched with thermally drawn fiber such as the fiber computer, which is generally cylindrical in the longitudinal direction of the fiber body length. The interposer paradigm provided herein is universally applied to any I / O modules, commercial microchips, electromechanical componentry, electronic componentry, and arbitrary devices and components to be included infiber with the fiber computer or indeed, in any thermally drawn fiber, regardless of the electrical contact pad layout of the component.

[0158] It is recognized that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and additions to the embodiments described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present contribution to the art. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the protection sought to be afforded hereby should be deemed to extend to the subject matter claims and all equivalents thereof fairly within the scope of the invention.We claim:

Claims

1. A fiber comprising: a fiber body including at least one electrically insulating fiber body material and having a longitudinal axis along a fiber body length; a plurality of electrical conductors disposed within the fiber body along at least a portion of the fiber body length, operative to transmit electrical signals along the fiber body length; at least one electrical component disposed within the fiber body, the electrical component including at least one electrical contact pad disposed on a first surface of the electrical component; and an interposer disposed at an electrical component site within the fiber body, the interposer comprising: an interposer platform of mechanically flexible, electrically insulating material disposed over said first surface of the electrical component and extending over at least a second surface of the electrical component different than said first surface; an interposer platform inner surface of the mechanically flexible, electrically insulating material including at least one interposer inner electrical contact pad in electrical connection with an electrical contact pad on the first surface of the electrical component, and including at least one electrically conducting path extending on the interposer inner surface from an inner electrical contact pad to a site on the interposer inner surface extending over the second surface of the electrical component; an interposer platform outer surface of the mechanically flexible, electrically insulating material including at least one interposer outer electrical contact pad in electrical connection with an electrical conductor disposed within the fiber body; and an electrical connection between an interposer electrically conducting path and an interposer outer electrical contact pad.

2. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrical component includes at least four different surfaces, and wherein the interposer platform layer ofmechanically flexible, electrically insulating material is disposed over said four different surfaces of the electrical component.

3. The fiber of claim 1 wherein: the second surface of the electrical component is substantially orthogonal to the first surface of the electrical component; and an interposer outer electrical contact pad is sited at said orthogonal second surface, in a plane substantially orthogonal to an electrical conducting pad of the electrical component.

4. The fiber of claim 1 wherein: the at least one electrical contact pad disposed on a first surface of the electrical component comprises a plurality of electrical contact pads disposed on a first surface of the electrical component; and the at least one interposer inner electrical contact pad in connection with an electrical contact pad on the first surface of the electrical component comprises a plurality of inner electrical contact pads, each electrical contact pad of the electrical component in connection with an interposer inner contact pad.

5. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrically conducting path comprises a plurality of electrically conducting paths, each electrically conducting path extending on the interposer inner surface from a corresponding interposer inner electrical contact pad to a corresponding site on the interposer inner surface extending over a surface of the electrical component different than surfaces of sites corresponding to other electrically conducting paths in the plurality of electrically conducting paths.

6. The fiber of claim 5 wherein at least one electrically conducting path extends on the interposer inner surface from a corresponding interposer inner surface electrical contact pad to a corresponding site on the interposer inner surface disposed over the electrical component first surface.

7. The fiber of claim 1 wherein: the at least one electrical component disposed within the fiber body comprises a plurality of different electrical components disposed within the fiber body; and the interposer platform inner surface of one interposer disposed within the fiber includes an interposer inner contact pad in electrical connection with an electrical contact pad on the first surface of each of the different electrical components, with the interposer platform extending over a second surface of each of the different electrical components.

8. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrical component disposed within the fiber body comprises at least one electrical component selected from a microelectronic microcontroller, a microelectronic memory module, a microelectronic audio sensor, a microelectronic temperature sensor, a microelectronic light sensor, a microelectronic light-emitting diode, a microelectronic accelerometer, a microelectronic photoplethysmography module, a microelectronic Bluetooth system-on-chip, a microelectronic voltage regulator, a microelectronic audio speaker, and a battery.

9. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulating fiber body material includes at least one material selected from a thermoplastic material, a thermoplastic elastomer material, a polyimide material, a thermoset material, a glass material, a polysulfone material, a polycarbonate material, a polymethyl methacrylate material, a polyethylene material, a polyether sulfone material, a polyether ether ketone material, a cyclic olefin copolymer material, and a fluorinated polymer material.

10. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the interposer platform of mechanically flexible, electrically insulating material comprises polyimide.11 . The fiber of claim 1 wherein:the at least one electrical component disposed within the fiber body comprises a plurality of different electrical components including at least one microelectronic microchip and at least one circuit element selected from electrical resistor and electrical capacitor; and the interposer platform inner surface includes an interposer inner contact pad in electrical connection with an electrical contact pad on the first surface of the microelectronic microchip and includes an interposer inner contact pad in electrical connection with at least one circuit element, the interposer platform extending over a second surface of the microchip and extending over the at least one circuit element.

12. The fiber of claim 1 further comprising a battery operatively connected to deliver electrical power to electrical conductors disposed within the fiber body.

13. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrical connection of interposer inner contact pads with electrical contact pads on the first surface of the electrical component and the electrical connection of interposer outer electrical contact pads with electrical conductors disposed within the fiber body all comprise a solder connection with a solder material having a melting temperature that is higher than a temperature at which the fiber body material flows.

14. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrical component disposed within the fiber body comprises a plurality of different electrical components including a fiber computer microelectronic microcontroller module, a fiber computer microelectronic input module, and a fiber computer microelectronic output module.

15. The fiber of claim 14 wherein the plurality of electrical conductors disposed within the fiber body includes at least four electrical conductors operatively configured as a fiber computer bus for intra-f iber communication between the fiber computer microelectronic input module, the fibercomputer microelectronic microcontroller module, and the fiber computer microelectronic output module.

16. The fiber of claim 14 wherein the fiber computer microelectronic output module comprises at least one of a Bluetooth system-on-chip and a microelectronic photodetector module-light emitting diode module pair.

17. The fiber of claim 1 further comprising an arrangement of textile yarns on the fiber body along the fiber body length for integrating the fiber with strands in an extent of fabric.

18. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductors within the fiber body each have a nonlinear path of bending along the fiber length for structural elasticity of the electrical conductors.

19. The fiber computer of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrically insulating fiber body material includes one of elastomeric cyclic olefin block copolymer and poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene), encapsulating the at least one electrical component and interposer, and includes a layer of poly-methyl methacrylate encasing along the fiber body length.

20. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the fiber body has an axial cross- sectional extent and wherein a ratio of fiber body length to axial fiber body cross-sectional extent is greater than about 1000.

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