US20070050880A1 - System and method for interpretive garments - Google Patents

Abstract

An interpretive garment marking system and method allows for one or more garments to be used to convey messages or information, or otherwise provide forms of interaction with a first group of humans. Conveyance and interaction with the first group is done without conveyance and interaction with a second different group of humans even though the humans of both groups have substantially similar access to visually perceive the garments. Implementations include encryption, keying, camouflage, authentication, masking, selection, signing, manipulation, and/or combination.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Description of the Related Art
• Some conventional garments are marked with text, which can be read by members of the general public and provide messages/information to all who care to read the text.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
• FIG. 1 is a substitution table containing an exemplary substitutional code used in an encryption based implementation of an interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 2 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating the exemplary substitutional code shown inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a keyed character table containing exemplary keyed characters used in a key based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 4 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating the exemplary keyed characters shown inFIG. 3.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an example message containing a camouflaged character based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 6 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating the exemplary camouflaged characters shown inFIG. 5.
• FIG. 7 a flowchart of an exemplary challenge-response authentication method for the interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 8 is a schematic of an associated first implementation of the authentication method ofFIG. 7.
• FIG. 9 is a schematic of an associated second implementation of the authentication method ofFIG. 7.
• FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an exemplary masking method for the interpretative garment marking system.
• FIG. 11 is a schematic of an associated first implementation of the masking method ofFIG. 10.
• FIG. 12 are front side and back side elevational views of a garment associated with a second implementation of the exemplary masking method ofFIG. 10.
• FIG. 13 is an elevational front side view of the garment ofFIG. 12 during execution of the second implementation of the exemplary masking method ofFIG. 10.
• FIG. 14 is an elevational front side view of a pair of garments associated with a third implementation of the exemplary masking method ofFIG. 10.
• FIG. 15 is an elevational front side view of the pair of garments ofFIG. 14 during execution of the third implementation of the exemplary masking method ofFIG. 10.
• FIG. 16 is a schematic depicting exemplary symbols used in selection based implementations of the interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 17 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating the exemplary symbols shown inFIG. 16 with a first selection based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system shown in use.
• FIG. 18 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating the exemplary symbols shown inFIG. 16 with a second selection based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 19 is an elevational front side view of the garment ofFIG. 18 shown in use.
• FIG. 20 is a depiction of a hand in an exemplary position to be used with a signing based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 21 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating position markers for the exemplary hand position ofFIG. 20 for use with the signing based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system.
• FIG. 22 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating a physical manipulation implementation of the interpretive garment marking system shown in three degrees of message covering.
• FIG. 23 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating a single garment combination implementation of the interpretive garment marking system shown in an uncombined mode.
• FIG. 24 is an elevational front side view of the garment ofFIG. 23 shown in a combined mode.
• FIG. 25 is an elevational front side view of a first garment used in a multiple garment combination implementation of the interpretive garment marking system shown in an uncombined mode.
• FIG. 26 is an elevational front side view of a second garment used in the multiple garment combination implementation of the interpretive garment marking system shown in an uncombined mode.
• FIG. 27 is an elevational front side view of the first garment ofFIG. 25 and the second garment ofFIG. 26 shown in a combined mode.
• FIG. 28 is an elevational front side view of a garment incorporating the exemplary camouflaged characters shown inFIG. 5 and incorporating other symbols on the garment.
• FIG. 29 is an elevational front side view of the garment ofFIG. 28 further showing a portion of an interior surface containing a base message.
• FIG. 30 is a schematic of a correspondence involving the base message shown inFIG. 29.
• FIG. 31 is a schematic of a correspondence involving a message involving the symbols ofFIG. 28.
• FIG. 32 is a schematic of a implementation using the garment ofFIG. 28 with a scenario involving inputting an decoded message from the symbols ofFIG. 28 into a computer.
• FIG. 33 is a table containing a floral code.
• FIG. 34 is an implementation using the floral code from the table ofFIG. 33.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• An interpretive garment marking system and method allows for one or more garments to be used to convey messages or information, or otherwise provide forms of interaction with a first group of one or more humans (referred to herein as “the private group”). Conveyance and interaction with the-first group is done without conveyance and interaction with a second different group of humans (referred to herein as “the public group”) even though the humans of both the private group and the public group have substantially similar access to visually perceive the garments.
• The humans of the private and public groups differ in that the humans of the private group have an ability to acquire information through use of one or more marked garments of the system by interpretation including decryption, unlocking, decloaking, authentication, masking, selection, signing, manipulation, combining, and/or combinations thereof. Depending upon a particular implementation of the system, an ability to interpret the one or more garments used can be obtained through various ways including training, use of a reference, natural ability, and/or possession of a communication device along with visual access to the one or more garments.
• The system has many uses. For example, the system could be used in an educational setting where children are encouraged to learn forms of abstract thinking through one or more mechanisms of interpretation available for implementation with the system. This abstract thinking could be encouraged through use of the system since children are typically motivated to be included within a group-private group in this case. In this example, to belong to the private group, one must be able to communicate with other members of the private group by either providing a message or other information to others in the private group through use of the system and/or interpret messages provided through the system. Thus a motivation to belong to a private group also motivates to acquire skill in interpretation and abstract thinking involved with the system.
• In another example, adolescents tend to seek forms of privacy in communication with one another. The system offers many forms of communication that can be performed in a private manner even while communication occurs in a public setting. Consequently, the system may assist with desired communication in settings that are otherwise less conducive to such communication.
• An encryption based implementation of the system can use a substitution table100 such as that shown inFIG. 1 containing a substitutional code with sufficient mapping information for encryption using at least in part a substitutionary approach. By the substitutionary approach, anoriginal plaintext letter102 of a word is replaced by asubstitute ciphertext letter104 when the word is being marked onto a garment. For example, agarment106 depicted inFIG. 2 has been marked withciphertext words108 that are encrypted according to the substitution table100. Theciphertext words108 are encrypted on thegarment106 as “mlgsrmt gl srwv.” Through use of the substitution table100 or by other ways, information can be acquired by decrypting thewords108 on thegarment106 to form a plaintext message “nothing to hide”. Other plaintext messages, phrases, story elements, or other uses of an established language can be disguised or otherwise alternatively represented by marking ciphertext on a garment with encryption.
• In general, substitution involves transforming at least a portion of a plaintext message into something else. Another method of encryption involves permutation, which involves moving portions of plaintext around. For example, an exemplary permutation method could reverse pairs of plaintext letters such that ABCD would become BADC. Other implementations can combine substitution with permutation to enhance encryption.
• A keyed character table120 containing exemplarykeyed characters122 used in a key based implementation of the system is shown inFIG. 3. For eachkeyed character122, the keyed character table120 further includes akey location124 that shows location of akey126 in the depicted example, the concave side of the curved interior lines, and a resolvedcharacter128 that results when the key is utilized. In the depicted case, each of thekeys126 is utilized by covering of the key such as by with a digit of a hand to block a portion of the keyed character. Thekeys126 show a person where to place a finger to block the view of the lines in that area of thekeyed character122, thus producing for the viewing by the user the change of the resolvedcharacter128, which is readable as a letter. For example, thekeyed message132 ofFIG. 4, when thekeyed characters122 are all resolved, reads “NOTHING TO HIDE”.
• The depicted implementation of the keyedcharacters122 uses characters of a particular shape to be integrated with thekeys126 given the particular font of the keyed characters and placement and shape of the keys. Other fonts can be used for thekeyed characters122 and other shaping and placement of thekeys126 can also be used. Other implementations may use keyed signals and/or symbols, alone or in combination with the keyedcharacters122. Other rules regarding formation or creation of characters, symbols, or signals can be used to produce other forms of thekeys126.
• An example of acamouflaged message140 havingcamouflaged characters142 associated with a camouflaged character based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system is shown inFIG. 5. Thecamouflaged characters142 are positioned with respect to other elements displayed such asgraphic elements144 or other garment features so that the camouflaged characters are less apparent to an undiscerning eye. Agarment146 incorporating the exemplarycamouflaged characters142 is shown inFIG. 6. Other styles of camouflage are used with other implementations in which characters, signals, and/or symbols are hidden from undiscerning eyes within graphic elements of the garment or other garment features.
• A challenge-response authentication method150 for the interpretive garment marking system is shown inFIG. 7 along with an associated first example160 shown inFIG. 8 and an associated second example180 shown inFIG. 9. Themethod150 receives a challenge (step152) generally from a communication device. The challenge typically contains instructions to assist in acquiring information somehow through the use of or otherwise association with a garment of the system.
• For instance in the first example160, acomputer162 displays a prompt164 asking for a word found on John's bike. A user or other would then research this issue through on-line access, such as the Internet, or local access, information concerning a garment (step154). In the first example160, agarment166 is entitled “John's bike”168 and is marked with arepresentation170 of a motorcycle having anindication172 of a coded word, as depicted, coded according to the character table120 ofFIG. 3 that when the coded word is decoded it reads “fit.” As a result of theresearch step164, the user would locate the garment and decode the word marked on the garment to read “fit.” In other implementations other alphanumeric text or other symbology can be used. According to themethod150, the user or other would then provide a response (step156) such as through use of the communication device. In the first example160, thecomputer162 is used to transmit aresponse174 in the form of the word “fit.”
• Themethod150 then involves having the user or other receive a reward (step158). In the first example160, thecomputer162 transmits amessage176, which can be a portion of a story or other type of information. In other implementations reward content can be presented through a phone, television, film, book, other garments, short messaging service, or other media, communication device, or information providing system and/or service.
• In the second example180 ofFIG. 9, agarment182 has a keyedmessage132 that is camouflaged bygraphic elements144. A user or other researches the garment182 (step154) to acquire information pertaining to a message “NOTHING TO HIDE” contained within thekeyed message132 as described above with respect toFIGS. 3 and 4. In the second example180, a short message service (SMS) of acell phone186 is then used to send a response (step156) in the form of the first word “nothing”188 of the message contained within thekeyed message132. Thecell phone186 is then used to receive a reward (step158) in the form of an SMS message containing a portion of a story.
• Anexemplary masking method200 for the interpretive garment marking system is shown inFIG. 10 in which a mask is obtained (step202). The mask has highlighting portions and non-highlighting portions that are aligned with emphasized portions and non-emphasized portions, respectively, of a garment (step204). The non-highlighting portions are used to de-emphasize portions of a garment so that some markings on the garment are ignored in favor of markings that are emphasized by the highlighting portions of the mask, thereby data contained in markings on the garment can be perceived (step206).
• In some implementations, the non-highlighting portions can cover or at least partially obscure the non-emphasized portions of the garment so that visual perception of the markings within the non-emphasized portions is at least reduced if not eliminated. In other implementations, the non-emphasized portions may be resolved from another sort of distinction between how the non-highlighting portions and the highlighting portions engage with their respective portions of the garment to cause a distinction in how the non-emphasized portions and emphasized portions are visually perceived.
• This distinction may be caused by a distinction in coloring, shading, framing, obscuring or other action on the non-emphasized and/or emphasized portions of the garment depending upon the action involved. In some implementations, the highlighting portions of the mask are generally some sort of framed areas, windows, voids, openings, colored transparencies or other features to distinguish the emphasized portions of the garment from the non-emphasized portions of the garment.
• A first example210 of themasking method200 is shown inFIG. 11 in which agarment212 has character basedmarkings214. Acomputer216 is used to retrieve a displayedmask218. A paper version of themask220 is printed having indications whereopenings222 are to be cut out from the paper to form the highlighting portions of the mask whereas remainingportions224 of the paper are used as the non-highlighting portions of the mask (step202). Themask220 is placed over thegarment212 to align theopenings222 with portions of themarkings214 to resolve the message “nothing to hide”.
• A second example230 of themasking method200 is shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 in which agarment232 has themarkings214 on afront side234. The garment has abackside236 that can be used as a mask. Thebackside236 hasseveral openings238 that are highlighting portions. When thegarment232 is viewed from thefront side234 with rays of light (not shown) striking thebackside236, theopenings238 allow the rays of light to distinguish those parts of themarkings214 in alignment with the openings as emphasizedportions242 as shown inFIG. 13. The garment is so fabricated to implement a predetermined alignment between theopenings238 and the emphasizedportions242 of themarkings214.
• A third example250 of themasking method200 is shown inFIGS. 14 and 15 in which afirst garment252 has themarkings214 on afront side254. Asecond garment256 has afront side258 withopenings260 to be used as highlighting portions of a mask. When thesecond garment256 is placed over thefirst garment252, such as when the first garment is firstly put on by a human and the second garment is secondly put on by the human, acombination262 is formed as shown inFIG. 15. Thecombination262 allows for alignment of theopenings260 with those portions of themarkings214 that result as emphasizedportions264 to resolve the message “nothing to hide”.
• In other implementations of themasking method200, other combinations of garments are used such is a combination of a tie, a hat, and a shirt, etc. A garment may contain another kind of mask or other decoding key within itself such as a Rosetta stone hidden somewhere on the garment. Other forms such as Web, phone, TV, film, books, other garments, SMS, etc. may contain unlocking mechanisms for a code (cipher, print, etc.) on a garment containing a word, thought, or phrase.
• A collection ofsymbols270 used in exemplary selection based implementations of the interpretive garment marking system is shown inFIG. 16. In this example, thecollection270 includes ahappy face272, abored face274, and asad face276. Thecollection270 is shown inFIG. 17 as marking agarment278 with the symbols dispersed about the garment so that they are sufficiently separated from each other to allow for selection of a particular symbol out of the collection by pointing or otherwise gesturing to the area on the garment in which a particular symbol is located. By gesturing with respect to a particular symbol, a user can convey a message or other information represented in this case by one of the collection ofsymbols270. In other implementations, collections of other markings can be utilized. In the depicted example of thegarment278, ahand280 of a wearer of thegarment278 is gesturing toward thehappy face272, which may be done to convey to a viewer familiar with the interpretive garment marking system a feeling of the wearer associated with happiness.
• A portion of thecollection270 is shown inFIG. 18 as marking agarment282 with thehappy face272 and thesad face276 symbols dispersed about the garment. A portion of asentence284 is also marked on thegarment282 in which a selection of one of the symbols complements thesentence portion284 to complete a sentence in the present depicted case concerning feelings of a wearer of the garment based upon a selection between thehappy face272 symbol and thesad face276 symbol. A statement of these feelings is conveyed to others familiar with the interpretive garment marking system by covering all but one of the symbols.
• As depicted inFIG. 19, this covering is accomplished by thehand280 of the wearer of thegarment282 being placed over the symbol to be excluded from consideration by others (in this case thesad face276 symbol). As a result, thehappy face272 is the only symbol that remains uncovered so that the wearer of thegarment282 is able to undergo self-expression of happiness without having to vocalize such feelings.
• Other selection based implementations of the interpretive garment marking system use other markings (sometimes of a more complex and less intuitive nature) to involve gesturing language with garments. Implementations using other placement of signals, characters, or symbols on one or more garments that indicate one or more words, thoughts, or phrases based on location and/or orientation of the wearer's limbs or digits are also included within the system.
• A depiction of aright hand290 in anexemplary orientation291 to be used with a signing based implementation of the interpretive garment marking system is shown inFIG. 20. Theright hand290 is depicted as having a first digit (thumb)292, asecond digit294, athird digit296, afourth digit298, and afifth digit300. In the depictedorientation291 of theright hand290, thefirst digit292, thesecond digit294, and thefifth digit300 are extended whereas thethird digit296 and thefourth digit298 are retracted to convey a signing expression of “I love you.” Agarment302 is shown inFIG. 21 as havingmarkings304 with a first digitsigning placement indicator306, second digit signingplacement indicator308, and fifth digitsigning placement indicator310.
• Themarkings304 are intended to guide placement of the first digit, the second digit, and the fifth digit of the wearer's hand on to the first digitsigning placement indicator306, the second digit signingplacement indicator308, and the fifth digitsigning placement indicator310, respectively, to cause the wearer's hand to assume the depictedorientation291 ofFIG. 20 and thereby convey an expression by the wearer of the garment of “I love you” to a nearby visual observer without need of vocalization. The various signing placement indicators of themarkings304 can be further distinguished from one another by differences in shape, color, or other feature to additionally guide placement. Alternatively, themarkings304 could serve as a message to one or more trained observers independent of whether placement of thehand290 occurs thereon. Other signing based implementations use other signing placement indicators for other orientations of one or more digits, hands, and/or limbs to convey various expressions.
• Agarment312 having aleft sleeve314 utilizing a physical manipulation implementation of the interpretive garment marking system is shown in a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage of message covering inFIG. 22. As shown, thefirst stage316 involves thesleeve314 fully unrolled so that no message is shown. With thesecond stage318, the sleeve's end portion is rolled or flipped up a first degree to reveal a portion of its inner surface with a marking having a first message thereon (e.g. “Nothing” for the case depicted inFIG. 22). Care is used in rolling or flipping the sleeve so that the end portion of thesleeve314 is turned inside out with one fold so that the first message is not otherwise covered up in the rolling process.
• In thethird stage320, thesleeve314 is rolled or flipped up a second degree larger than the first degree to reveal a second marking positioned on the inner surface of the sleeve with a second message thereon (e.g. “to Hide” for the case depicted inFIG. 22) along with the first message. Again, the sleeve is further turned inside out with still one fold so that both the first message and the second message are visible. Other physical manipulation implementations can be used in which garments are physically manipulated in other ways to decode or reveal characters, symbols, or other sorts of information or messages through such operations as folding, rolling, pulling strings, turning portions of garments or turning whole garments inside-out to either wear or display, or other sorts of manipulation of garments. Of course, while the message “NOTHING TO HiDE” has been used as an example for several embodiments described, the messages and information may be used with the interpretive garment marking system.
• Agarment322 incorporating a single garment combination implementation of the interpretive garment marking system is shown in anuncombined mode323 inFIG. 23. Thegarment322 has atrunk324 havingfirst markings326 and aleft sleeve328 withsecond markings330. In theuncombined mode323, thefirst markings326 and thesecond markings330 are both fully visible. As shown inFIG. 24, when thegarment322 is positioned in a combinedmode332, theleft sleeve328 is folded to bring it across thetrunk324.
• In the combinedmode332, theleft sleeve328 blocks some of thefirst markings326 from view and thesecond markings330 remain visible to complement that portion of the first markings that also remains visible. In the depicted implementation of the combinedmode332, thesecond markings330 combine with the visible portion of thefirst markings326 to produce recognizable characters “edoc”334 and a symbol336 (a cross in a circle). In other implementations, other garments are used in particular physical configurations to uncover, reveal, or otherwise decode hidden messages. Thecombination mode332 may be achieved while wearing thegarment322 by crossing the left arm of the wearer over his chest to combine thesecond markings330 with thefirst markings326.
• Afirst garment338 havingfirst markings340 shown in an uncombined mode inFIG. 25 and asecond garment342 havingsecond markings344 shown in an uncombined mode inFIG. 26 are both used in a multiple garment combination implementation of the interpretive garment marking system. Thefirst garment338 and thesecond garment342 are shown inFIG. 27 being brought side by side with each other in a combinedmode346. In the combinedmode346, thefirst markings340 and thesecond markings344 combine to form a group of characters “edoc”348 and a symbol350 (a cross in a circle). In the depicted implementation and other multiple garment combination implementations, two or more people wearing associated garments decode or otherwise uncover the message by interacting with one another, being adjacent to, or being in proximity with one another. This can be accomplished by such circumstances as the persons standing next to each other or having one person's arm around another person to reveal an association between markings on their respective garments.
• Another exemplary implementation includes agarment352 shown ifFIG. 28 as having thecamouflaged characters142 and thegraphic elements144 as used in other implementations discussed above. Thegarment352 further hassymbols354 partially hidden within thecamouflaged characters142 and/or thegraphic elements144. In an exemplary scenario, a user locates thegarment352 and finds ahang tag356 withinstructions357 affixed to the garment.
• In the exemplary implementation, theinstructions357 reveal that a base message is located on thegarment352, such as on an interior surface of the garment, for instance, on an insidefront bottom surface358 as shown inFIG. 29. Theinstructions357 may reveal that the base message is somehow coded or otherwise concealed. Alternatively, the instructions may just indicate a general location of the base message and leave it to a user to discover the nature of the base message, which also include a series of symbols, characters and/or images.
• The instructions may also state what the content of the base message is by expressing the content in a predicted functional language of a likely user type. For instance, in the case of the present depicted implementation, for an likely user having English as the user's functional language, the instructions may indicate that message content may be “nothing to hide,” with the equivalent base message being thekeyed message132,. coded as shown inFIG. 29.
• A user knowing the that the base message is coded could then examine the base message to determine how it was coded by using the knowledge of the message content conveyed by theinstructions357. The depicted case of the base message involves thekeyed message132 having a message content of “nothing to hide” as the decoded message with the resolvedcharacters128 as shown inFIG. 30.
• A user may deduce a translation procedure using acorrespondence360 providing the corresponding keyedlocations124 of the keyedcharacters122 and offeringkeys126 to guide decoding of thekeyed message132. With this gained knowledge regarding coding of the base message as provided by thecorrespondence360, the user could then examine thesymbols354 on the garment to decode them. For the depicted case, acorrespondence368 for akeyed message370 is shown inFIG. 31 with an associated decoded message having the resolved characters379, “scream.”
• A user can then enter the decoded message, “scream,” into acomputer376, shown inFIG. 32, or other device, having amonitor378 displaying anentry screen380. Upon entry of the decoded message, “scream,” a reward, such as astory content382 can be supplied by thecomputer376.
• Some implementations use afloral code382 shown inFIG. 33 havingfloral symbols384 associated with analphabet386 and anumerical order388. An exemplaryfloral code implementation390 of the word “deified” having even letters of thefloral code382 is shown inFIG. 34 having a first floral symbol392-1 through a seventh floral symbol392-7 corresponding to a first of the seven letters394-1 of “deified” through a seventh of the seven letters394-7. Thefloral code implementation390 has a symmetrical configuration due to the symmetrical nature of the word “deified.” With other words the resultant floral code implementation would take on another configuration depending upon the word, phrase, sentence or other alphanumeric text to be coded.
• From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims (33)

1. A system comprising:

a garment having markings, the markings including encrypted symbols.

2. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the encrypted symbols are encrypted at least in part in association with a substitution table.

3. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the encrypted symbols include encrypted characters.

4. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the garment is a shirt.

5. A system comprising:

a garment having markings, the markings including keyed characters, each keyed character having a portion indicating a placement.

6. The system ofclaim 5 wherein the placement is a placement of a digit of a hand on the portion to observe the portion and reveal a resolved character.

7. A system comprising:

a garment having markings, the markings having symbols and graphic elements, the graphic elements shaped and arranged with respect to the symbols to at least partially conceal the symbols from ready perception by a human.

8. The system ofclaim 7 wherein the symbols are characters.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a challenge;

researching a garment to determine a response to the challenge;

providing the response; and

receiving a reward based upon the response.

10. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the reward is associated with content presented by a mobile device.

11. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the mobile device presents audio content.

12. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the mobile device presents content through a display.

13. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the mobile device is a cell phone.

14. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the reward is associated with online content.

15. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the researching a garment includes accessing at least one of the following: an on-line network or a local storage.

16. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the researching a garment includes one of the following: decrypting symbols on the garment, unlocking symbols on the garment, decloaking symbols on the garment, masking symbols on the garment, manipulating the garment, combining a first portion of the garment with a second portion of the garment, or combining a portion of a first garment with a portion of a second garment.

17. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the receiving is done with a communication device.

18. A method comprising:

acquiring a mask;

aligning a mask with markings on a garment; and

perceiving information from a portion of the markings on the garment emphasized by the mask when the mask is positioned relative to the garment.

19. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the mask is a sheet of paper.

20. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the mask is another garment.

21. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the mask is a portion of the garment.

22. A method comprising:

marking a garment with a plurality of symbols each representing different information; and

indicating a selected one of the symbols.

23. The method ofclaim 22 wherein the indicating includes gesturing toward the selected one of the symbols.

24. The method ofclaim 22 wherein the indicating includes covering all but the selected one of the symbols.

25. The method ofclaim 24 wherein the covering includes covering with a hand.

26. A method comprising:

marking a garment with signing placement indicators; and

placing portions of a human body on each of the signing placement indicators.

27. The method ofclaim 26 wherein the portions of the human body are digits of a hand and the signing placement indicators cause the digits of the hand to assume the position of a hand sign.

28. A method comprising:

positioning a marking on a garment to hide the marking while wearing the garment in a first stage; and

manipulating a portion of the garment to be worn in a second stage to uncover the marking to be visible by someone other than the wearer.

29. The method ofclaim 28 wherein the garment has a sleeve with an inner surface and the positioning places the marking on the inside surface of the sleeve.

30. A garment comprising:

a first portion having a first marking;

a second portion having a second marking, the first marking and the second marking configured to visibly display a combined symbol when the first portion is placed over the second portion.

31. The garment ofclaim 30 wherein the combined symbol includes at least one character.

32. A system comprising:

a first garment having a first portion with a first marking;

a second garment having a second portion with a second marking, the first marking and second marking configured to visibly display a combined symbol when the first portion is placed in an orientation with respect to the second portion.

33. The system ofclaim 32 wherein the orientation includes placement of the first and second garments adjacent one another.

Images