公开(公告)号：US20170249033A1

公开(公告)日：2017-08-31

申请号：US15514452

申请日：2015-09-16

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Daniel D. Sunshine

IPC: G06F3/044 ,  G06F3/041

CPC classification number: G06F3/044 ,  G06F3/0416 ,  G06F3/0443 ,  G06F3/0445 ,  G06F3/045

Abstract: A touch-sensitive textile device that is configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of a touch, and/or the force of a touch on the touch-sensitive textile device. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive textile device includes a first set of conductive threads oriented along a first direction, and a second set of conductive threads interwoven with the first set of conductive threads and oriented along a second direction. The device may also include a sensing circuit that is operatively coupled to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may be configured to apply a drive signal to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may also be configured to detect a touch or near touch based on a variation in an electrical measurement using the first or second set of conductive threads.

公开(公告)号：US12232270B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-18

申请号：US18188273

申请日：2023-03-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel D. Sunshine ,  Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Yohji Hamada

IPC: H05K1/18 ,  D03D1/00 ,  D03D15/533 ,  D03J1/00 ,  H01L23/13 ,  H01L23/31 ,  H01L23/498 ,  H01L25/075 ,  H05K1/03 ,  H05K3/34

Abstract: Electrical components may have plastic packages. Contacts may be formed on exterior surfaces of the plastic packages. A plastic package for an electrical component may have an elongated shape that extends along a longitudinal axis. A first groove may run parallel to the longitudinal axis on a lower surface of the plastic package. A second groove may run perpendicular to the first groove on an opposing upper surface of the plastic package. The electrical components may be coupled to fibers in a fabric such as a woven fabric. A first solder connection may be formed between the first groove and a first fiber such as a weft fiber. A second solder connection may be formed between the second groove and a second fiber such as a warp fiber.

公开(公告)号：US20240417898A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-19

申请号：US18734475

申请日：2024-06-05

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Andrew L. Rosenberg ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Didio V. Gomes ,  Benjamin J. Grena ,  Maurice P. May ,  Daniel A. Podhajny

IPC: D04C1/02 ,  D04C3/14

Abstract: Knitting equipment may be used to form warp knit fabric. The warp knit fabric may be a spacer fabric having a spacer strand that travels back and forth between outer warp knit layers. The spacer fabric may include a pocket for receiving an electrical component. The electrical component may be mounted to an inlaid conductive strand that floats between the outer warp knit layers and that is held in place by the spacer strand. The pocket may be one of multiple pockets in the spacer fabric that are separated from one another by the spacer strand. Braiding equipment may include carriers that braid strands around an electrical component while a tool holds the electrical component in place. A ring may be used to isolate the braiding angle from the carriers to accommodate component insertion. The electrical component may be mounted to an inlaid conductive strand in the braid.

公开(公告)号：US12139827B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-12

申请号：US18407154

申请日：2024-01-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Daniel D. Sunshine ,  Kathryn P. Crews

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  A41D1/00 ,  A41D31/02 ,  D03D1/00 ,  G06F3/042 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G06F3/04883 ,  D02G3/44

Abstract: A fabric-based item may include a housing that is covered in fabric. Areas of the fabric may overlap input circuitry such as button switches, touch sensors, force sensors, proximity sensors, and other sensing circuitry and may overlap other components such as light-emitting components and haptic output devices. The fabric-based item may include control circuitry that gathers user input from the input circuitry and wireless communications circuitry that the control circuitry uses to transmit remote control commands and other wireless signals in response to information from the input circuitry. The fabric-based item may have a weight that is located in the housing to orient the housing in a desired direction when the housing rests on a surface. A movable weight may tilt the housing in response to proximity sensor signals or other input. Portions of the fabric may overlap light-emitting components and optical fiber configured to emit light.

公开(公告)号：US20240370110A1

公开(公告)日：2024-11-07

申请号：US18778807

申请日：2024-07-19

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Daniel D. Sunshine

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  D03D15/00 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G06F3/045

Abstract: A touch-sensitive textile device that is configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of a touch, and/or the force of a touch on the touch-sensitive textile device. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive textile device includes a first set of conductive threads oriented along a first direction, and a second set of conductive threads interwoven with the first set of conductive threads and oriented along a second direction. The device may also include a sensing circuit that is operatively coupled to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may be configured to apply a drive signal to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may also be configured to detect a touch or near touch based on a variation in an electrical measurement using the first or second set of conductive threads.

公开(公告)号：US12067178B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-20

申请号：US18296882

申请日：2023-04-06

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Daniel D. Sunshine

IPC: G06F3/045 ,  D03D15/00 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/044

CPC classification number: G06F3/041 ,  D03D15/00 ,  G06F3/0416 ,  G06F3/04166 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G06F3/0443 ,  G06F3/0445 ,  G06F3/0446 ,  G06F3/045

Abstract: A touch-sensitive textile device that is configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of a touch, and/or the force of a touch on the touch-sensitive textile device. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive textile device includes a first set of conductive threads oriented along a first direction, and a second set of conductive threads interwoven with the first set of conductive threads and oriented along a second direction. The device may also include a sensing circuit that is operatively coupled to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may be configured to apply a drive signal to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may also be configured to detect a touch or near touch based on a variation in an electrical measurement using the first or second set of conductive threads.

公开(公告)号：US20240068135A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-29

申请号：US18504549

申请日：2023-11-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Kyle L. Chatham ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Didio V. Gomes ,  Benjamin J. Grena ,  Storrs T. Hoen ,  Steven J. Keating ,  David M. Kindlon ,  Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Andrew L. Rosenberg ,  Daniel D. Sunshine ,  Lia M. Uesato ,  Joseph B. Walker ,  Felix Binder ,  Bertram Wendisch ,  Martin Latta ,  Ulrich Schläpfer ,  Franck Robin ,  Michael Baumann ,  Helen Wächter Fischer

IPC: D03D1/00 ,  B23K1/00 ,  D03D41/00 ,  D03J1/00 ,  H05K1/03

CPC classification number: D03D1/0088 ,  B23K1/0008 ,  D03D41/00 ,  D03J1/00 ,  H05K1/038 ,  D10B2401/16 ,  D10B2401/18

Abstract: Interlacing equipment may be used to form fabric and to create a gap in the fabric. The fabric may include one or more conductive strands. An insertion tool may be used to align an electrical component with the conductive strands during interlacing operations. A soldering tool may be used to remove insulation from the conductive strands to expose conductive segments on the conductive strands. The soldering tool may be used to solder the conductive segments to the electrical component. The solder connections may be located in grooves in the electrical component. An encapsulation tool may dispense encapsulation material in the grooves to encapsulate the solder connections. After the electrical component is electrically connected to the conductive strands, the insertion tool may position and release the electrical component in the gap. A component retention tool may temporarily be used to retain the electrical component in the gap as interlacing operations continue.

公开(公告)号：US11913143B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-27

申请号：US16809445

申请日：2020-03-04

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Kyle L Chatham ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Didio V. Gomes ,  Benjamin J. Grena ,  Storrs T. Hoen ,  Steven J. Keating ,  David M. Kindlon ,  Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Andrew L. Rosenberg ,  Daniel D. Sunshine ,  Lia M. Uesato ,  Joseph B. Walker ,  Felix Binder ,  Bertram Wendisch ,  Martin Latta ,  Ulrich Schläpfer ,  Franck Robin ,  Michael Baumann ,  Helen Wächter Fischer

IPC: D03D1/00 ,  H05K1/03 ,  B23K1/00 ,  D03J1/00 ,  D03D41/00

CPC classification number: D03D1/0088 ,  B23K1/0008 ,  D03D41/00 ,  D03J1/00 ,  H05K1/038 ,  D10B2401/16 ,  D10B2401/18

Abstract: Interlacing equipment may be used to form fabric and to create a gap in the fabric. The fabric may include one or more conductive strands. An insertion tool may be used to align an electrical component with the conductive strands during interlacing operations. A soldering tool may be used to remove insulation from the conductive strands to expose conductive segments on the conductive strands. The soldering tool may be used to solder the conductive segments to the electrical component. The solder connections may be located in grooves in the electrical component. An encapsulation tool may dispense encapsulation material in the grooves to encapsulate the solder connections. After the electrical component is electrically connected to the conductive strands, the insertion tool may position and release the electrical component in the gap. A component retention tool may temporarily be used to retain the electrical component in the gap as interlacing operations continue.

公开(公告)号：US11905629B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-20

申请号：US17570191

申请日：2022-01-06

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Daniel D. Sunshine ,  Kathryn P. Crews

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  D03D1/00 ,  A41D1/00 ,  A41D31/02 ,  G06F3/04883 ,  G06F3/042 ,  G06F3/044 ,  D02G3/44

CPC classification number: D03D1/0088 ,  A41D1/005 ,  A41D31/02 ,  D03D1/0082 ,  G06F3/042 ,  G06F3/0445 ,  G06F3/0446 ,  G06F3/04883 ,  D02G3/441 ,  D10B2401/16 ,  D10B2401/18 ,  G06F2203/04102

Abstract: A fabric-based item may include a housing that is covered in fabric. Areas of the fabric may overlap input circuitry such as button switches, touch sensors, force sensors, proximity sensors, and other sensing circuitry and may overlap other components such as light-emitting components and haptic output devices. The fabric-based item may include control circuitry that gathers user input from the input circuitry and wireless communications circuitry that the control circuitry uses to transmit remote control commands and other wireless signals in response information from the input circuitry. The fabric-based item may have a weight that is located in the housing to orient the housing in a desired direction when the housing rests on a surface. A movable weight may tilt the housing in response to proximity sensor signals or other input. Portions of the fabric may overlap light-emitting components and optical fiber configured to emit light.

公开(公告)号：US11716567B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-01

申请号：US17383260

申请日：2021-07-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny ,  Joshua A. Hoover ,  Nicholas R. Trincia ,  Yue Chen ,  Seul Bi Kim ,  Chad J. Miller ,  Kristen L. Cretella ,  Yi Zou ,  William Leith

IPC: H04R3/12 ,  H04R1/40 ,  G10L25/78 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R1/02

CPC classification number: H04R3/12 ,  G10L25/78 ,  H04R1/023 ,  H04R1/403 ,  H04R1/406 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R2201/025 ,  H04R2201/401 ,  H04R2420/07

Abstract: A wearable device can provide an audio module that is operable to provide audio output from a distance away from the ears of the user. For example, the wearable device can be worn on clothing of the user and direct audio waves to the ears of the user. Such audio waves can be focused by a parametric array of speakers that limit audibility by others. Thus, the privacy of the audio directed to the user can be maintained without requiring the user to wear audio headsets on, over, or in the ears of the user. The wearable device can further include microphones and/or connections to other devices that facilitate calibration of the audio module of the wearable device. The wearable device can further include user sensors that are configured to detect, measure, and/or track one or more properties of the user.