Interactive cord with integrated light sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10111304-B2
Application number	US-201715792162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2017
Priority date	Nov 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

This document describes an interactive cord with integrated light sources. An interactive cord includes a cable, a cover that covers the cable, and a plurality of light sources integrated into the cover. The cover includes capacitive touchpoints that enable reception of touch input that causes a change in capacitance to one or more conductive threads effective to trigger a function at a computing device. Different conductive threads can be used at different capacitive touchpoints to trigger different functions. The light sources are configured to indicate a position of a respective capacitive touchpoint on the cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interactive cord comprising:
a cable;
a cover that covers the cable, the cover comprising:
a plurality of capacitive touchpoints configured to enable reception of touch input that causes a change in capacitance to one or more conductive threads effective to trigger one or more functions at a computing device;
one or more first conductive threads woven into the cover and exposed at one or more first capacitive touchpoints of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints; and
one or more second conductive threads woven into the cover and exposed at one or more second capacitive touchpoints of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints that are different than the one or more first capacitive touchpoints; and

a plurality of light sources integrated into the cover, each of the plurality of light sources configured to indicate a position of a respective capacitive touchpoint of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints.

2. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of capacitive touchpoints are visually distinguished from each other based on color or pattern.

3. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of capacitive touchpoints are configured to enable a controller to distinguish between a first touch input to the one or more first capacitive touchpoints and a second touch input to the one or more second capacitive touchpoints.

4. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first conductive threads and the one or more second conductive threads form a weave pattern that surfaces the plurality of capacitive touchpoints at regular intervals along the cover.

5. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources differ from one another based on color to visually distinguish each of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints.

6. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more first capacitive touchpoints are associated with a first function; and
the one or more second capacitive touchpoints are associated with a second function that is different than the first function.

7. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the one or more functions are triggered based on a sequence or pattern of touches to one or more of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints.

8. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the one or more functions are triggered based on a combination of simultaneous touches to two or more of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints.

9. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the cover is a fabric cover comprising one or more non-conductive threads woven with the one or more first conductive threads and the one or more second conductive threads.

10. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more first conductive threads include multiple first conductive threads; and
the one or more first capacitive touchpoints are formed at areas of the cover at which the multiple first conductive threads are substantially parallel to one another.

11. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more first conductive threads include multiple first conductive threads; and
the cover includes multiple areas that are insensitive to changes in capacitance based on the multiple first conductive threads being twisted together.

12. The interactive cord of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductive threads are woven with one or more non-conductive threads to form a weave pattern that surfaces the plurality of capacitive touchpoints at regular intervals along the cover and hides the one or more conductive threads at other areas of the cover that prevent the touch input from causing a change in capacitance to the one or more conductive threads.

13. A system comprising:
an interactive cord comprising one or more conductive threads woven together with one or more non-conductive threads to form a cover having a plurality of capacitive touchpoints, the plurality of capacitive touchpoints comprising locations on the interactive cord at which the one or more conductive threads are exposed;
one or more light sources integrated into the interactive cord proximate to at least one of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints; and
a controller coupled to the interactive cord, the controller configured to detect touch input to the one or more capacitive touchpoints and control at least one of the one or more light sources to indicate a position of a respective capacitive touchpoint of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to control the one or more light sources by sending current through a conductive thread coupled to the one or more light sources.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
at least one light source of the one or more light sources is coupled to a conductive thread of the one or more conductive threads of a capacitive touchpoint; and
the controller is configured to switch between sending current through the conductive thread to power the at least one light source and monitoring the conductive thread to detect the touch input at the capacitive touchpoint.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more conductive threads and the one or more non-conductive threads form a weave pattern that surfaces the plurality of capacitive touchpoints at regular intervals along the cover.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the plurality of capacitive touchpoints include at least a first touchpoint and a second touchpoint;
the first touchpoint is associated with a first function; and
the second touchpoint is associated with a second function that is different that the first function.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more light sources include an optical fiber that is nicked or scuffed at multiple positions along the cover effective to cause the optical fiber to output light at multiple positions that are each proximate to a respective capacitive touchpoint of the plurality of capacitive touchpoints.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate a function at a computing device based on detection of a combination, sequence, or pattern of touch inputs to the one or more capacitive touchpoints.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the one or more conductive threads include a plurality of conductive threads;
the plurality of capacitive touchpoints are formed at areas of the cover at which the plurality of conductive threads are parallel to one another; and
the interactive cord includes a plurality of areas that are insensitive to changes in capacitance based on the plurality of conductive threads being twisted together.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Starner Thad Eugene
• Sawyer Karissa A
• Priest-Dorman Greg Ellis

Classifications

• H05B45/00

  Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• H04R1/1033 Primary

  Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels (cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06) · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title

• H05B33/0842

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B37/0227 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic