公开(公告)号：US20230239602A1

公开(公告)日：2023-07-27

申请号：US18295620

申请日：2023-04-04

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel D. Sunshine ,  Kathryn P. Crews ,  Tirshathah A. Hunter ,  Kathleen A. Bergeron ,  Mingjing Ha ,  Shubham A. Gandhi ,  Paul S. Drzaic ,  Yung-Yu Hsu ,  David W. Lum

IPC: H04R1/02 ,  G06F1/16 ,  G10L15/20 ,  H04R5/02 ,  G06F1/18

CPC classification number: H04R1/023 ,  G06F1/181 ,  G06F1/1605 ,  G10L15/20 ,  H04R5/02

Abstract: An electronic device such as a voice-controlled speaker device may have a housing characterized by a vertical longitudinal axis. A flexible substrate such as a flexible mesh substrate with component support regions coupled by flexible segments may be wrapped around the housing and the vertical axis. The housing may have surface regions with compound curvature. The flexible substrate may conform to the regions with compound curvature. A fabric spacer layer may be interposed between the flexible substrate and the housing. Electrical components such as input-output devices may be mounted to the component support regions. A display may be formed from an array of light-emitting devices that are mounted on respective component support regions. Light from the light-emitting devices may pass through the fabric spacer layer toward the housing and back out away from the housing. An outer fabric layer may cover the mesh.

公开(公告)号：US20220346228A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-27

申请号：US17860839

申请日：2022-07-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel D. Sunshine ,  David M. Kindlon ,  Michael B. Nussbaum ,  Andrew L. Rosenberg ,  Andrew Sterian ,  Breton M. Saunders ,  Christopher A. Schultz ,  David A. Bolt ,  Mark J. Beesley ,  Peter W. Mash ,  Steven Keating ,  Chang Liu ,  Lan Hoang

IPC: H05K1/03 ,  H05K1/18 ,  H05K1/11 ,  H01L23/31 ,  H01L23/498 ,  H05K1/02 ,  D03D1/00 ,  A41D1/00

Abstract: An item may include fabric having insulating and conductive yarns or other strands of material. The conductive strands may form signal paths. Electrical components can be mounted to the fabric. Each electrical component may have an electrical device such as a semiconductor die that is mounted on an interposer substrate. The interposer may have contacts that are soldered to the conductive strands. A protective cover may encapsulate portions of the electrical component. To create a robust connection between the electrical component and the fabric, the conductive strands may be threaded through recesses in the electrical component. The recesses may be formed in the interposer or may be formed in a protective cover on the interposer. Conductive material in the recess may be used to electrically and/or mechanically connect the conductive strand to a bond pad in the recess. Thermoplastic material may be used to seal the solder joint.

公开(公告)号：US20220164036A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-26

申请号：US17669989

申请日：2022-02-11

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Paul Xiaopeng Wang ,  Chia Chi Wu ,  Qiliang Xu ,  Zheng Gao ,  Daniel D. Sunshine ,  Aidan N. Zimmerman

IPC: G06F3/02 ,  G06F1/16 ,  H03K17/98 ,  H03K17/96

Abstract: A keyboard may be provided that has keys overlapped by a touch sensor. The keyboard may have key sensor circuitry for monitoring switching in the keys for key press input. The keyboard may also have touch sensor circuitry such as capacitive touch sensor circuitry that monitors capacitive electrodes in the touch sensor for touch sensor input such as multitouch gesture input. The keyboard may include an outer layer of fabric that overlaps the keys. The fabric may have openings that are arranged to form alphanumeric characters. Light sources may emit light that passes through the openings and illuminates the alphanumeric characters. The touch sensor may have signal lines that are not visible through the openings. The signal lines may be transparent, may be covered by a diffuser, or may circumvent the openings so that they do not overlap.

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

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

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：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

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

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：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.

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

IPC: D03D1/00 ,  D03D13/00 ,  D03D3/00 ,  G06F3/044

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.

公开(公告)号：US20210185808A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-17

申请号：US17184927

申请日：2021-02-25

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel D. Sunshine ,  David M. Kindlon ,  Michael B. Nussbaum ,  Andrew L. Rosenberg ,  Andrew Sterian ,  Breton M. Saunders ,  Christopher A. Schultz ,  David A. Bolt ,  Mark J. Beesley ,  Peter W. Mash ,  Steven Keating ,  Chang Liu ,  Lan Hoang

IPC: H05K1/03 ,  H05K1/18 ,  H05K1/11 ,  H01L23/31 ,  H01L23/498 ,  H05K1/02 ,  D03D1/00 ,  A41D1/00

Abstract: An item may include fabric having insulating and conductive yarns or other strands of material. The conductive strands may form signal paths. Electrical components can be mounted to the fabric. Each electrical component may have an electrical device such as a semiconductor die that is mounted on an interposer substrate. The interposer may have contacts that are soldered to the conductive strands. A protective cover may encapsulate portions of the electrical component. To create a robust connection between the electrical component and the fabric, the conductive strands may be threaded through recesses in the electrical component. The recesses may be formed in the interposer or may be formed in a protective cover on the interposer. Conductive material in the recess may be used to electrically and/or mechanically connect the conductive strand to a bond pad in the recess. Thermoplastic material may be used to seal the solder joint.

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

IPC: D03D15/00 ,  D03D1/00 ,  H05K1/03 ,  H05K1/09 ,  H05K1/11 ,  H05K3/10 ,  H05K3/00

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.

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.