A Study on Smart Clothing Products Based on Smart Clothing Patent Application Technology

The importance of smart clothing as a product is increasingly emphasized as further growth in the potential of the smart market is expected. There is a high understanding and sympathy for the potential of smart clothing in the mass consumer market; therefore, commercialization is not actively carried out. This study enhances the understanding of the development direction of products with a focus on technical benefits, in order for smart clothing to gain access to customers as wearable devices. This study identifies major technologies used in smart clothing through an analysis of the patent technology status of smart clothing in Korea. Smart clothing is divided into three types: passive smart, active smart and advanced smart clothing based on a reaction mechanism and functional scope. We present the smart clothing and discuss the product features for three types. According to research, smart clothing products were equipped with passive, active, and advanced smart systems as well as provided new services by converging big data and AI technologies, rather than only using technologies such as sensors, controls, and actuators. Future directions for new smart clothing product development is also discussed in the conclusion.