Apple Inc.

Other

Michael A Damianakis

Robert L Coish

John A Porcella

John Schooley Camp

Kyle J Nekimken

Patrick Kessler

Matthew B Frazer

An item such as a fabric-based item or other item may have one or more actuators. An actuator may have a conductive strand of material. A control circuit may supply a current to the conductive strand that induces a length change in the conductive strand due to ohmic heating and associated thermal expansion effects. The control circuit may be used to activate the actuator in response to user input that is supplied to an associated input device such as a switch, capacitive sensor, force sensor, light-based sensor, or other input component. The fabric-based item may include fabric such as woven fabric or knit fabric. Strands of conductive material may serve as signals paths for supplying current to conductive strands in actuators. Magnetic-field-based actuators may be formed by coiling conductive strands around tubular support structures such as piping in fabric-based items.

Items with wire actuators

A feedback or a user-perceived feedback of an input device is modified using one or more output devices. The output devices include one or more speakers and/or one or more actuators. The output (e.g., acoustic and/or haptic) produced using the output device may enhance, amplify, mask, obscure, or cancel an inherent sound or tactile feedback produced by the input device.

Modification of user-perceived feedback of an input device using acoustic or haptic output

An assembly includes a first structure, a second structure, a hinge that connects the first structure to the second structure for rotation of the first structure relative to the second structure around an axis, and a motion control component. The motion control component applies a feedback force to the hinge in response to an external force that is applied to the first structure. A magnitude of the feedback force is determined based on a current angular position of the first structure relative to the second structure.

Hinge with feedback

This application relates to computing devices that can incorporate thermal haptic feedback devices for providing feedback in the form of a temperature change. The thermal haptic feedback device can be incorporated into a watch, and a portion of the watch can change temperature when a notification is to be provided to a user. The thermal haptic feedback device can also be incorporated into a surface of a mobile phone and allow a user to receive notifications regarding incoming calls and messages using a temperature change of the surface. The thermal haptic feedback device can also change temperature based on information received from external computing devices.

Thermal haptic alert notification

A test apparatus configured to test connectors is provided. The test apparatus may include a fixture that holds a first connector and an actuator that holds a mating second connector. The actuator may axially displace the second connector in and out of engagement with the first connector. A compliance mechanism, which may be coupled to the fixture or the actuator, may provide one of the connectors with compliance in order to facilitate alignment of the connectors during engagement and disengagement thereof. The compliance mechanism may allow movement of one of the connectors perpendicularly to the actuation axis and/or angular movement about the actuation axis while preventing axial movement within the compliance mechanism. Accordingly, forces associated with engagement and disengagement of the connectors measured by a load cell may more closely resemble actual forces experienced by a user during use of the connectors.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Michael A Damianakis