Apple Inc.

Google Inc.

Siddhartha Hegde

Samuel Gilkison Smith

Melody L Kuna

Benjamin Adair Cousins

Daniel J Coster

Sean S Corbin

Robert Sean Murphy

Benjamin A Cousins

Benjamin Andrew Shaffer

Zheng Gao

Paul Xiaopeng Wang

Kurt R Stiehl

Yohji Hamada

Kirk M Mayer

Rimple Bhatia

Adam Duckworth Mittleman

Daniel D Sunshine

Edward Siahaan

Dhaval N Shah

Joseph Benjamin Walker

Joel N Ruscher

Zhengyu Li

Peter F Coxeter

Javier Mendez

Donald L Olmstead

Zebinah P Masse

Darren Torrie

Myrrhia Rae Resneck

Christopher T Lebedeff

Laura Charlotte Shumaker

Amit S Barve

Aditya Narayanan

Anuja Gunwant Bagul

A fabric strap may be configured to attach an electronic device to a user's body. Some of the strands in the fabric strap may be stretchable strands. A stretchable strand may include an elastic core covered by one or more layers of material. The elastic core may be formed from a single elastic strand or may be formed from multiple elastic strands. The first layer of material on the elastic core may be a strand that is twisted around the elastic core. The second layer of material on the elastic core may be a strand that is braided around the first layer of material and the elastic core. The first layer may have a thickness that is greater than that of the elastic core and the second layer of material. The first and second layers of material may be formed from non-stretchable or stretchable materials.

Stretchable strands for fabric items

This document describes textile assemblies for speakers, including textile assemblies with inlaid tensioning yarns, and associated apparatuses and methods. The textile assembly includes a textile body () with inlaid tensioning yarns (). The textile assembly () may be a fully-fashioned textile swatch. The tensioning yarns are inlaid at intervals in the textile body but can slide within or be pulled through the textile body. Further, the tensioning yarns have ends () that are accessible near the edges of the textile body for various reasons. First, pulling on them while the textile assembly is on an acoustic device () tensions the tensioning yarns such that they limit movement of the textile assembly and break up vibration modes. Second, their ends can be tied directly to, formed into loops to hook over, or wound around, features () on the acoustic device to removably secure the textile assembly to the acoustic device.

Textile assemblies for speakers, including textile assemblies with inlaid tensioning yarns, and associated apparatuses and methods

An item such as a fabric-based item may have a layer of fabric with openings that are illuminated by a light source. The openings may form symbols or other shapes and may serve as labels for keyboard keys or other components. The fabric may be formed from transparent strands of material that are coated with opaque material or may be formed from opaque strands of material in which openings are formed by laser drilling. The openings may be covered with a transparent coating layer such as a translucent polymer coating. Translucent material on the fabric may be patterned to form parts of the labels or other shapes created by the illuminated openings.

Illumination systems within fabric-based devices

An item such as a fabric-based item may have one or more input devices. The input devices may have terminals that are electrically coupled to control circuitry. The control circuitry may make resistance measurements, capacitance measurements, and other measurements on the input devices to determine whether the input devices have been pressed by a user's finger or have otherwise received input. The input devices may be used to form an array of switches for a keyboard, may form buttons on an electronic device housing or case, may be part of an item of clothing, or may be incorporated into other items such as fabric-based items. The input devices may have collapsible fabric structures such as collapsible fabric domes. The terminals of the input devices may be formed from conductive strands of material in the fabric domes or may be supported by other structures that buckle under applied pressure.

Items with fabric domes

Electronic equipment may include seamless spacer fabric. Seamless spacer fabric may be used as a protective case or cosmetic cover for an electronic device such as a speaker. A seamless spacer fabric may include a seamless fabric outer layer, a spacer fabric inner layer, and an adhesive layer that bonds the seamless outer layer to the spacer fabric inner layer. The spacer fabric layer may have a seam region where one portion of the spacer fabric layer is joined with another portion of the fabric layer. The seamless fabric outer layer may cover the seam region to hide it from view. One or more additional seam hiding layers or strips may be formed on opposing sides of the spacer fabric layer to cover the seam. The seamless spacer fabric may have an array of openings that extends uniformly around the perimeter of the seamless spacer fabric.

Seamless spacer fabrics for electronic devices

An accessory device suitable for use with an electronic device is disclosed and may be designed to provide a protective cover and dissipate heat from the device. Regarding the latter, the accessory device may include a thermally conductive layer disposed in the accessory device. The thermally conductive layer may extend from a first end of the accessory device proximate to a heat-generating component in the electronic device, to a second end away from the heat-generating component. The thermally conductive layer is designed to navigate heat away from the heat-generating component to the second end where the heat escapes the accessory device. The second end may include one or more openings to facilitate heat transfer from the accessory device. In other embodiments, the accessory device includes a phase change material that absorbs heat and changes to a liquid, then passes the heat to another location in the accessory device.

Heat dissipation case and methods for navigating heat from an electronic device

An electronic device such as a cover for a portable device may be provided with a body having hinge portions. The hinge portions may allow the body to bend about one or more bend axes. The cover may have electrical components such as a keyboard. A keyboard may be mounted at one end of the cover and a connector may be mounted at an opposing end of the cover. A flexible fabric signal path structure may be formed from metal traces on a flexible fabric substrate. At one end of the cover, the flexible fabric signal path structure may be coupled to a printed circuit in the keyboard using conductive adhesive. At the opposing end of the cover, the metal traces on the flexible fabric substrate may be coupled to the connector.

Fabric signal path structures for flexible devices

An accessory device for use with an electronic device is disclosed. The accessory device may include a cover configured to overlay an electronic device (or device) or fold to form a support structure for the electronic device. The cover may include an attachment feature that electrically couples with the device, and a keyboard foldable with respect to the cover. Further, the keyboard may include a retention feature designed to receive the attachment feature in a folded configuration of the cover. The accessory device may further include an electrically conductive fabric that folds with the cover. The accessory device may include an array of magnets throughout the attachment feature, the cover, and the keyboard. The magnets may be used to magnetically couple together 1) segments of the cover, 2) the cover and the keyboard assembly, 3) and/or the device with the cover.

Flexible keyboard accessory for a portable electronic device

An electronic device such as a cover for a portable device or other electronic equipment may have circuitry mounted in a housing. The housing may be formed from layers of material such as fabric and polymer layers. The fabric may be formed from woven polymer yarn. The fabric may be treated with chemicals to improve stain resistance and wear resistance, may be provided with a polymer backing layer, and may receive molded plastic structures. Patterned areas may be woven into the fabric, may be formed by placing coatings on selected portions of the fabric, or may be formed by embroidering or otherwise locally processing the fabric. The patterned areas may form labels for keyboard keys, logos, key trim patterns, and other features for an electronic device. Patterned areas may have locally enhanced light transmission characteristics and may be backlit.

Fabric electronic device housings

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Siddhartha Hegde