Output devices for fabric-based electronic equipment

• US 9,830,783 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kessler, Patrick, Podhajny, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US14/861,371
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/06 Electric connectors, e.g. conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724095 Worn on the wrist, hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724097 Worn on the head

Abstract

A fabric-based electronic device may include an electronic device housing coupled to fabric. Control circuitry may be mounted in the electronic device housing and may control the movement of an output device in the fabric that provides tactile output to a user. For example, the output device may include a wire enclosed within a flexible tube. The flexible tube may be intertwined with fibers in the fabric. The wire may include a kink or other irregularity that presses against the inner surface of the flexible tube. When the wire is rotated or moved into an appropriate position, the kink may press against the inner surface of the tube, which in turn forms a protrusion on the fabric. The protrusion may press against the user'"'"'s body and may therefore be used to obtain the attention of a user that is wearing or holding the fabric-based electronic device.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

fabric having a surface;

a wire incorporated into the fabric, wherein the wire has a longitudinal axis; and

control circuitry coupled to the wire that rotates the wire about the longitudinal axis to form a bump on the surface of the fabric.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising an electronic device coupled to the fabric, wherein the control circuitry is mounted in the electronic device.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the control circuitry comprises a rotary actuator.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the wire has smooth portions and at least one protruding portion that protrudes from the smooth portions and wherein the bump on the surface of the fabric is aligned with the protruding portion of the wire.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a tube having opposing interior and exterior surfaces, wherein the interior surface defines an opening in the tube, wherein the wire is located in the opening, and wherein the protruding portion of the wire presses against the interior surface of the tube.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein the tube comprises flexible polymer.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the fabric comprises fibers and wherein the tube is intertwined with the fibers.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the fabric forms a wrist band and wherein the surface of the fabric forms an interior surface of the wrist band.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the wire comprises nitinol.

5. The apparatus defined in 4 wherein the wire is rotated between first and second positions, wherein the protruding portion of the wire faces away from the surface in the first position so that the surface of the fabric is flat over the protruding portion when the wire is in the first position, and wherein the protruding portion of the wire faces towards the surface in the second position so that the bump is formed on the surface of the fabric over the protruding portion when the wire is in the second position.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

control circuitry mounted in a housing;

fabric coupled to the housing; and

a moveable structure in the fabric that moves in response to control signals from the control circuitry to produce at least one protrusion on a surface of the fabric, wherein the moveable structure has an irregularity that raises a localized portion of the surface of the fabric to produce the at least one protrusion.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the control circuitry comprises an electromechanical rotary actuator.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the moveable structure comprises shape memory material and wherein the control circuitry controls a temperature of the shape memory material.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the moveable structure is moveable between first and second positions, wherein the surface of the fabric is smooth when the moveable structure is in the first position, and wherein the at least one protrusion is produced on the surface of the fabric when the moveable structure is in the second position.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the fabric comprises fibers and wherein the moveable structure is intertwined with the fibers.

16. Apparatus, comprising:

an electromechanical actuator mounted in an electronic device housing;

fabric coupled to the electronic device housing; and

a wire embedded in the fabric and coupled to the electromechanical actuator, wherein the electromechanical actuator adjusts a position of the wire to form a protrusion on the fabric, wherein the wire has a kink interposed between smooth portions of the wire and wherein the protrusion on the fabric overlaps the kink in the wire.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein the electromechanical actuator comprises an electromechanical rotary actuator that adjusts the position of the wire by rotating the wire.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein the wire is enclosed within a flexible polymer tube.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein the fabric comprises threads and wherein the tube is intertwined with the threads.