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公开(公告)号：US20220107695A1
公开(公告)日：2022-04-07
申请号：US17554601
申请日：2021-12-17
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny , Kathryn P. Crews , Daniel D. Sunshine
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.
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公开(公告)号：US11204656B2
公开(公告)日：2021-12-21
申请号：US16926569
申请日：2020-07-10
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny , Kathryn P. Crews , Daniel D. Sunshine
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.
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公开(公告)号：US11180871B2
公开(公告)日：2021-11-23
申请号：US15941287
申请日：2018-03-30
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Steven J. Keating , Daniel D. Sunshine , Kathryn P. Crews , Daniel A. Podhajny , Nicholas G. L. Merz
IPC: D03D15/44 , G02F1/167 , D03D1/00 , G02F1/16757 , G02F1/1685 , D03D15/54 , D03D15/60 , D04B1/14
Abstract: A fabric-based item may include fabric formed from intertwined strands of material such as intertwined strands of tubing. The strands of material may include electrophoretic ink formed from charged nanoparticles of different colors in fluid. The electrophoretic ink may be contained within strands of tubing or may be enclosed within encapsulation structures such as encapsulation spheres. Encapsulation spheres or other encapsulation structures may be embedded in clear polymer binder within tubing or other strands. Electroluminescent particles may be included in the clear polymer binder. Electric fields can be applied to the electrophoretic ink in a given area of the fabric using conductive strands that overlap the area, using conductive electrodes such as transparent conductive electrodes on strands of tubing, using coaxial electrodes, or using other electrode structures.
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公开(公告)号：US11124904B2
公开(公告)日：2021-09-21
申请号：US16719770
申请日：2019-12-18
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny , Yohji Hamada , Kathryn P. Crews , Joseph B. Walker , Daniel D. Sunshine
Abstract: Weaving equipment may include strand positioning equipment that positions warp strands and that inserts weft strands among the warp strands to form fabric. The weaving equipment may include one or more guide arms that pushes warp strands in the weft direction during weaving. Fabrics having warp strands that extend in both the warp direction and the weft direction may be used in forming circuitry in fabrics such as touch sensor circuitry. For example, a touch sensor in a fabric may be formed using first conductive warp strands that form first touch sensor electrodes and second conductive warp strands that form second touch sensor electrodes that overlap with the first touch sensor electrodes. The second conductive warp strands may each have a first portion that extends in the warp direction and a second portion that extends in the weft direction across the first touch sensor electrodes.
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公开(公告)号：US10989868B1
公开(公告)日：2021-04-27
申请号：US16051354
申请日：2018-07-31
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Yi Zou , Hua Song , Liming Wang , Daniel A. Podhajny
IPC: G02B6/00 , G02B6/036 , F21V8/00 , C03C25/105 , D21H21/30
Abstract: An item such as a fabric-based item may have a layer of fabric such as a layer of woven fabric. The fabric layer may include warp and weft strands. The fabric may cover keys in a keyboard or may be used in forming other structures in the fabric-based item. Each key may have an illuminated key label. Portions of the fabric may be processed by pressing heated protrusions on a textured mold into polymer optical fibers in the fabric. The protrusions form corresponding light-scattering recesses in cladding portions of the optical fibers. Light-emitting diodes or other light sources may be coupled to respective end surfaces of the optical fibers. The light-emitting diodes emit light that is emitted from the thermally imprinted light-emitting regions formed by pressing the heated protrusions into the optical fibers.
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Patent Agency Ranking
公开(公告)号：US20210087719A1
公开(公告)日：2021-03-25
申请号：US16985042
申请日：2020-08-04
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Benjamin J. Grena , Didio V. Gomes , Joshua A. Hoover , Seul Bi Kim , David M. Kindlon , Kevin T. Pham , Daniel A. Podhajny , Robert J. Rose , Andrew L. Rosenberg , Miikka O. Tikander
IPC: D03D1/00 , B32B5/26 , B32B5/02 , B32B3/08 , D03D7/00 , D03D11/00 , D03D15/08 , D03D17/00 , H01B7/06
Abstract: A stretchable fabric signal path may include a conductive strand located between first and second outer fabric layers. The outer fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of elastic material. The conductive strand may have a wavy shape to accommodate stretching of the stretchable fabric signal path. First and second inner fabric layers may be located between the outer stretchable fabric layers. The inner fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of non-elastic material. The inner fabric layers may have strands that are intertwined with the outer fabric layers to serve as anchor points for maintaining the shape of the conductive strand as the stretchable fabric signal path expands and contracts. The outer fabric layers and inner fabric layers may be woven. The conductive strand may convey electrical signals such as audio signals, power signals, data signals, or other suitable signals.
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公开(公告)号：US20210079569A1
公开(公告)日：2021-03-18
申请号：US17094614
申请日：2020-11-10
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Daniel D. Sunshine , Daniel A. Podhajny , David M. Kindlon , Kathryn P. Crews , Joseph B. Walker
Abstract: An item may include fabric or other materials formed from intertwined strands of material. The item may include circuitry that produces signals. The strands of material may include non-conductive strands and conductive strands. The conductive strands may carry the signals produced by the circuitry. Each conductive strand may have a strand core, a conductive coating on the strand core, and an insulating layer on the conductive coating. The strand cores may be strands formed from polymer. The conductive coating may be formed from metal. Electrical connections may be made between intertwined conductive strands by selectively removing portions of the outer insulating layer to expose the conductive cores of overlapping conductive strands. A conductive material such as solder or conductive epoxy may be applied to the exposed portions of the conductive cores to electrically and mechanically connect the overlapping conductive strands.
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公开(公告)号：US10900154B2
公开(公告)日：2021-01-26
申请号：US16750281
申请日：2020-01-23
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny , Daniel D. Sunshine , Yohji Hamada
IPC: H05K1/03 , D04B21/14 , H05K3/02 , H05K3/34 , H05K1/18 , H05K1/11 , F21V23/06 , F21V19/00 , F21V33/00
Abstract: Conductive yarns in a knitted fabric may include insulating cores covered with metal layers that form signal paths. Open circuits may be formed in the yarns by removing metal from the insulating cores at selected locations within the yarns. The fabric may be formed from rows of interlocked loops of the yarn. The open circuits may be located on the loops so that each loop with an open circuit has a first segment of the metal layer that is separated from a second segment of the layer by a portion of the loop from which the metal layer has been removed. Each electrical component may have terminals that span a respective one of the open circuits and that are shorted respectively to the metal of the first and second segments.
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公开(公告)号：US10883203B2
公开(公告)日：2021-01-05
申请号：US16871531
申请日：2020-05-11
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny , Daniel D. Sunshine , Kathryn P. Crews
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.
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公开(公告)号：US20200341570A1
公开(公告)日：2020-10-29
申请号：US16926569
申请日：2020-07-10
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor： Daniel A. Podhajny , Kathryn P. Crews , Daniel D. Sunshine
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.
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