Apple Inc.

William Leith

Seul Bi Kim

Daniel A Podhajny

Yi Zou

Nicholas R Trincia

Joshua A Hoover

Yue Chen

Kristen L Cretella

Chad J Miller

Camille I Henrot

Osamu Yabe

John Schooley Camp

Joseph Benjamin Walker

Yoji Hamada

Timothy S Lui

Jessica J Lu

Rimple Bhatia

Donald L Olmstead

Travis C Pedley

Le Zhao

Mark W Townsend

Daniel W Labove

Charlotte M Baravian

Austin S Glover

Nicholas R Trinica

Bands for electronic devices, including wearable devices, are designed to dynamically alter their shape (e.g., lengthen) in response to an external force. A band may include one or more interior structures disposed in an exterior structure. The interior structure(s) is/are pulled in tension by the exterior structure. When the interior structure(s) is/are pulled in tension, an additional force (e.g., by a user) that applies tension to the interior structure(s) may cause a relatively small change in tension to the interior structure(s). As a result, the band may appear to provide the same amount to users, despite users having a different wrist size/diameter. A similar phenomenon may occur to a single user when the user's wrist changes in size. Accordingly, based on the interior structure(s) being placed in tension by the exterior structure(s), the force provided by the band may appear constant to users.

Dynamically adjustable bands for wearable devices

An assembly with multiple structures, each having different tensile strengths, is integrated into a band used with various electronic devices. The assembly may include a low-tensile structure designed to elongate under an initial tension, thus allowing the band to stretch and lengthen. However, additional tension applied to the band is transferred to other structures of the assembly. Further, when the applied tension causes the structure with the highest tensile strength in the assembly to straighten (or substantially straighten), the high-tensile strength structure prevents the band from further elongation. The low-tensile strength structure allows the band to conform to a user, while the high-tensile strength structure protects the low-tensile strength structure from damage or unwanted deformation.

Multi-tensile assembly for a band used with electronic devices

Characteristics of a watch band can change when placed in different configurations, and each of these characteristics can be correlated with each of the various configurations. The characteristics can be measured to detect in which of the various configurations the watch band is in. For example, the watch band can include an adjustable capacitor that changes it capacitance when the watch band changes its configuration. For example, the capacitance can change based on stretching of the watch band, bending of the watch band, and/or securement and release of an engagement element. The watch or another device can perform one or more operations based on the detected characteristic and configuration of the watch band.

Watch band with fit detection

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.

Wearable device with directional audio

Wireless earbuds may be provided with adjustable-shape housings. The housings may have bendable portions. Bendable metal members, hinges, or other flexible structures may be used in forming bendable structures for the earbuds. Electrical components may be covered by a layer of molded foam. A cover such as a fabric cover may be used to cover the molded foam. Spacer fabric or other soft material may be interposed between the fabric cover and the foam. The housing may be bent or otherwise adjusted between two or more states such as a normal, non-sleep, walking state in which the housing is expanded for normal operation while a user is sitting or walking and a sleep state in which the housing is bent to enhance comfort while sleeping. The wireless earbuds may have illumination systems, sensors, and other components.

Earbuds

A cover for an electronic device may be formed from fabric. The cover may include a front cover portion and a rear cover portion that rotate relative to one another about a first bend axis. The front cover portion may have first and second panels that rotate relative to one another about a second bend axis. The cover may have flexible hinge regions along the first and second bend axes. The flexible hinge regions may include spacer fabric having first and second warp knit fabric layers and spacer strands coupled between the first and second warp knit fabric layers. Stiffeners may be used to stiffen portions of the cover between the flexible hinge regions. An inlay strand may be located in the flexible hinge region in the front cover portion to restrict the range of motion of the first panel relative to the second panel.

Fabric covers for electronic devices

An electronic device may be formed from acoustically permeable textile layers and voice coil layers. The voice coil layers may output sound through the textile layers. The textile layers and voice coil layers may be foldable or bent in one or more directions to allow the electronic device to be placed in expanded, collapsed, or folded configurations to allow for improved portability. Additionally, the textile layers and voice coil layers may be folded or bent to place the electronic device in cylindrical, conical, and other configurations to allow for improved sound output from the voice coil layers. The electronic device may also include light-emitting components between the textile layers that emit light through one of the textile layers to form indicators or images for a user of the device. The electronic device may have a plurality of sensors to allow user interactions to control the output of the electronic device.

Electronic device with flexible housings

An accessory for wireless earbuds can include a first receiving portion defining a first cavity sized to receive and retain a first earbud and a second receiving portion defining a second cavity sized to receive and retain a second earbud. Each receiving portion can include a charging component to electrically couple with the respective earbud. The accessory can include a flexible portion connected to the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion, the flexible portion at least partially defining an internal volume, and a battery disposed in the internal volume and electrically coupled with the charging components.

Wireless headphone accessory

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

William Leith