Fabric control device

• US 10,156,029 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2018
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Podhajny, Daniel A., Sunshine, Daniel D., Crews, Kathryn P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US15/940,842
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/02 Layered materials characterised by special function or use A41D31/04
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/441 Yarns or threads with antistatic, conductive or radiation-shielding properties electroconductive, anti-static or radiation-shielding filaments D01F1/09, D01F1/106; anti-static fabrics D03D15/533; conducting, insulating or anti-static layers for floor coverings D06N7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0082 Fabrics for printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/18 including electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A fabric-based item may include a housing that is covered in fabric. Areas of the fabric may overlap input circuitry such as button switches, touch sensors, force sensors, proximity sensors, and other sensing circuitry and may overlap other components such as light-emitting components and haptic output devices. The fabric-based item may include control circuitry that gathers user input from the input circuitry and wireless communications circuitry that the control circuitry uses to transmit remote control commands and other wireless signals in response information from the input circuitry. The fabric-based item may have a weight that is located in the housing to orient the housing in a desired direction when the housing rests on a surface. A movable weight may tilt the housing in response to proximity sensor signals or other input. Portions of the fabric may overlap light-emitting components and optical fiber configured to emit light.

Claims

1. A fabric-covered remote control device configured to wirelessly control electronic equipment, comprising:

a housing structure;

a fabric layer covering a majority of the housing structure and having first and second areas with different appearances;

sensing circuitry in the first area;

wireless communications circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to transmit control commands to the electronic equipment with the wireless communications circuitry to in response to detecting user input in the first area with the sensing circuitry.

2. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing structure has a rounded base with a self-righting mass configured to hold the housing structure upright.

3. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the first area includes a button label.

4. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 further comprising a haptic output device in the first area, wherein the sensing circuitry comprises a touch sensor formed from conductive strands in the fabric layer.

5. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensing circuitry comprises a force sensor.

6. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing structure includes compressible material overlapped by the fabric layer and wherein the sensing circuitry is configured to detect inward deformation of the fabric layer in response to squeezing of the housing structure that compresses the compressible material.

7. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing structure has a rounded base, the fabric-covered remote control device further comprising:

a proximity sensor; and

an electrically adjustable movable mass system controlled by the control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to position a mass in the adjustable movable mass system to tilt the housing structure in response to information from the proximity sensor.

8. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 further comprising a light-emitting component configured to emit light through the first area.

9. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 8 further comprising an optical fiber in the fabric layer in the first area, wherein the light-emitting component is configured to emit the light through the first area by supplying the light to the optical fiber.

10. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the first area includes first strand portions in the fabric layer, wherein the second area includes second strand portions in the fabric layer that are less transmissive to light than the first strand portions, and wherein the fabric-covered remote control device further comprises a light-emitting component that emits light through the first strand portions.

11. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 10 wherein the first area is configured to form a key label that is illuminated by the light.

12. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing structure has a cylindrical surface, the fabric-covered remote control device further comprising a weight that is configured to rotate housing structure on the cylindrical surface into a predetermined orientation.

13. The fabric-covered remote control device defined in claim 1 wherein the fabric layer in the first area is configured to form a key label, wherein the sensing circuitry comprises a component selected from the group consisting of:

a force sensor, a proximity sensor, a button switch, and a touch sensor, and wherein the wireless communications circuitry comprises a radio-frequency transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the control commands.

14. A fabric-based item configured to rest on a surface, comprising:

an elongated housing that extends along a longitudinal axis;

a weight in the elongated housing that is configured to orient the elongated housing so that the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the surface;

input circuitry in the housing;

fabric on the elongated housing; and

wireless communications circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to transmit wireless signals with the wireless communications circuitry in response to information from the input circuitry.

15. The fabric-based item defined in claim 14 wherein the input circuitry is configured to gather user input and comprises an electrical component selected from the group consisting of:

a switch, a touch sensor, a force sensor, and a proximity sensor.

16. The fabric-based item defined in claim 15 wherein the input circuitry comprises touch sensor circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect grips using the touch sensor circuitry, and wherein the fabric has a first area with first strands and second area with second strands that are woven with a different pattern than the first strands.

17. A fabric-based item, comprising:

a housing that extends along a longitudinal axis and that has six sides;

fabric that overlaps first, second, and third sides of the six sides;

input circuitry on the first side;

wireless communications circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to transmit wireless signals with the wireless communications circuitry in response to information from the input circuitry.

18. The fabric-based item defined in claim 17 wherein the fabric overlaps fourth and fifth sides of the six sides, wherein the fabric on the first side has first and second areas of different appearances, and wherein the fabric-based item further comprises a light-emitting component configured to emit light through the first area.

19. The fabric-based item defined in claim 18 further comprising a button label in the first area that overlaps the input circuitry, wherein the wireless signals comprises remote control commands, and wherein the input circuitry is configured to gather user input and comprises an electrical component selected from the group consisting of:

a switch, a touch sensor, a force sensor, and a proximity sensor.

20. The fabric-base item defined in claim 17 wherein the housing includes compressible material overlapped by the fabric on the first and second sides, wherein the input circuitry includes input circuitry on the second side, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the input circuitry to detect deformation of the fabric on the first and second sides in response to squeezing of the housing structure.