High tactility glove system

• US 7,874,021 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sunder, Ashwin, Hotelling, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MORAN, KATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US11/823,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 216/3, 2 1/6, 2 2/0, 2 2/1, 211/5, 224/4
• US Class Current: 2/163
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/01547 with grip improving means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

This invention is directed to a glove system for operating an electronic device. The glove system may include an inner liner and an outer shell. The liner may be formed from any suitable material, including a material that is thin, electrically conductive, has low thermal conductivity, and/or has an “anti-sticky” finish. The outer shell may include at least one aperture through which the inner liner may extend to operate the input mechanism of an electronic device (e.g., on at least one finger tip). In some embodiments, the aperture may be at a finger tip of the outer shell. In some embodiments, a closing mechanism may be used to maintain the aperture closed when the user is not operating the electronic device. For example, an elastic ring may surround the aperture such that, in its non-deformed state, the aperture is substantially closed. The user may elastically deform the ring to allow the liner to pass through the outer shell.

Claims

1. A multi-fingered glove for use with an electronic multi-touch sensitive device, comprising:

an inner liner configured for individually covering a plurality of fingertips; and

an outer shell including an aperture formed at each of a plurality of individual fingertip locations on the outer shell, the apertures operative to allow a plurality of inner liner-covered fingertips to protrude from the outer shell and contact and operate the multi-touch sensitive device;

wherein the liner comprises at least a portion of electrically conductive material.

2. The glove of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer between the inner liner and the outer shell.

3. The glove of claim 1, wherein the apertures are located substantially at a tip of the fingertip locations.

4. The glove of claim 1, further comprising an elastic ring surrounding the aperture operative to close the aperture.

5. The glove of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the liner has an electrical resistivity substantially similar to that of human skin.

6. A method for using a multi-fingered glove including a liner and an outer shell to operate a multi-touch sensitive device, the method comprising:

peeling back a portion of the outer shell surrounding an aperture formed at each of a plurality of individual fingertip locations on the outer shell onto a each of a plurality of liner-covered fingertips to expose a plurality of portions of the liner and allow the plurality of liner-covered fingertips to protrude through the outer shell;

using the plurality of liner-covered fingertips to interact with an input mechanism of an electronic device; and

after finishing interacting with the input mechanism, retracting the plurality of liner-covered fingertips into the outer shell.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein peeling back a portion of the outer shell comprises extending the liner-covered fingertip through the aperture in the outer shell.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising substantially closing the apertures when the liner has been fully retracted into the outer shell.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising retaining the outer shell in its peeled back positions using elastic rings surrounding the apertures.

10. An outer shell of a multi-fingered glove for use with an electronic multi-touch sensitive device, the outer shell comprising:

a palm portion;

a plurality of individual finger portions, each finger portion including an aperture formed at a fingertip location and configured to enable an inner-liner covered fingertip to protrude and contact and operate the electronic multi-touch sensitive device; and

an elastic ring surrounding each of the apertures, each elastic ring configured to enable a corresponding finger portion to be peeled back onto a corresponding inner-liner covered fingertip.

11. The outer shell of claim 10, wherein the aperture is selectively opened.

12. The outer shell of claim 10, wherein the outer shell comprises insulation material.

13. A multi-fingered glove system for operating a multi-touch sensitive device, comprising:

an inner liner shaped to fit over multiple fingers, the inner liner at least partially formed from a conductive material to provide electrical conductivity between the multi-touch sensitive device and the multiple fingers; and

an outer shell shaped to fit over the inner liner, the outer shell including a mechanism formed at each of a plurality of individual fingertip locations on the outer shell operative to selectively allow a plurality of inner liner-covered fingertips to pass through the outer shell and contact and operate the multi-touch sensitive device.

14. The glove of claim 13, wherein the outer shell further comprises a plurality of removable caps for covering the plurality of mechanisms.

15. The glove of claim 14, wherein the outer shell further comprises a plurality of apertures through which the fingertip areas of the inner liner may pass, the apertures covered by the plurality of removable caps.

16. A multi-fingered glove system for operating a multi-touch sensitive device, comprising:

a liner comprising a plurality of electrically conductive portions and shaped to fit over multiple fingers to provide electrical conductivity between the multi-touch sensitive device and the multiple fingers;

an outer shell comprising a plurality of electrically conductive portions and shaped to fit over the liner, the outer shell including an aperture formed at each of a plurality of individual fingertip locations on the outer shell operative to selectively allow a plurality of liner-covered fingertips to pass through the outer shell and contact and operate the multi-touch sensitive device; and

an electrical coupling electrically coupled to both the at least one electrically conductive portion of the liner and the at least one electrically conductive portion of the outer shell.

17. The glove system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive portions of the outer shell are placed at the finger tip locations of the glove system.

18. The glove system of claim 16, wherein the electrical coupling comprises at least one of flexible wires and an electrically conductive fabric.

19. The glove system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of caps operative to be selectively placed over the plurality of electrically conductive portions of the outer shell.