Electronic devices with input-output devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10595618-B2
Application number	US-201815944577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device may have a layer of material with transparent portions. The layer of material may be fabric layer, a layer of leather, or other layer of material. The transparent portions may be formed from openings in the layer of material. The transparent portions may overlap electrical components. The electrical components may include a sensor, light-emitting components, and haptic output components. The light-emitting components may include light-emitting diodes, edge-lit light guides, displays having arrays of pixels, or other light-emitting devices. The openings in the layer of material may be patterned to form icon shapes and other shapes. The layer of material may be used in forming a strap for a wristwatch, a case for a cellular telephone or other portable device, or other electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A removable case configured to receive a portable electronic device having a display with edges, comprising:
a battery configured to supply power to the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is received in the case;
a housing having an outer layer of material with a transparent portion formed from perforations in the outer layer of material; and
a light-emitting component that is overlapped by the outer layer of material and that is configured to emit light through the transparent portion.

2. The removable case defined in claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device comprises a cellular telephone having a cellular telephone connector and wherein the removable case comprises a case connector configured to mate with the cellular telephone connector, wherein the outer layer of material comprises a fabric layer in which the perforations are formed, wherein the light-emitting component includes an edge-lit light guide, and wherein the perforations are configured to form an icon pattern.

3. The removable case defined in claim 2 wherein the perforations are configured to form a battery charge status icon.

4. The removable case defined in claim 1 wherein the light-emitting component includes a light guide layer having an edge and includes a light-emitting diode configured to emit light into the edge.

5. The removable case defined in claim 4 further comprising a touch sensor that is interposed between the light guide layer and the perforations.

6. The removable case defined in claim 5 further comprising a haptic output device, wherein the light guide layer is interposed between the touch sensor and the haptic output device.

7. The removable case defined in claim 6 wherein the outer layer of material comprises an outer layer of material selected from the group consisting of: an outer leather layer and an outer fabric layer.

8. The removable case defined in claim 1 wherein the light-emitting component comprises a display having an array of pixels.

9. The removable case defined in claim 8 further comprising:
a two-dimensional touch sensor interposed between the array of pixels and the perforations.

10. The removable case defined in claim 1 wherein the light-emitting component comprises a light-emitting diode and wherein the perforations are patterned to form an icon.

11. The removable case defined in claim 10 further comprising:
a sensor interposed between the light-emitting diode and the perforations; and
a haptic output device, wherein the light-emitting diode is interposed between the sensor and the haptic output device.

12. The removable case defined in claim 1 wherein the light-emitting component includes multiple light guide layer portions each having a respective edge and each having a respective light-emitting diode configured to emit light into the edge and wherein the light-emitting diodes are individually adjustable.

13. The removable case defined in claim 1 wherein the outer layer of material comprises a polymer layer.

14. The removable case defined in claim 13 wherein the outer layer of material comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of: a silicone layer containing colorant and painted silicone.

15. A wristwatch strap comprising:
a flexible outer layer that has first and second perforations that respectively form first and second transparent regions;
first and second light-emitting components under the first and second respective transparent regions of the flexible outer layer, wherein the first and second light-emitting components include first and second respective light guide layers that each receive light from a respective light-emitting diode through a respective edge that is perpendicular to the flexible outer layer;
an orientation sensor configured to gather orientation information indicative of an orientation of the flexible outer layer; and
control circuitry configured to output light with a selected one of the first and second light-emitting components based on the orientation information.

16. The wristwatch strap defined in claim 15 wherein the flexible outer layer comprises fabric.

17. The wristwatch strap defined in claim 15 wherein the flexible outer layer comprises leather.

18. The wristwatch strap defined in claim 15 wherein the orientation sensor comprises an accelerometer.

19. The wristwatch strap defined in claim 15 wherein the orientation sensor comprises a compass.

20. The wristwatch strap defined in claim 15 wherein the first light-emitting component includes an optical fiber.

21. A device, comprising:
a flexible layer having perforations patterned to form a transparent region having an icon shape;
a light-emitting component configured to supply illumination to the transparent region;
a sensor interposed between the transparent region and the light-emitting component; and
a haptic output device overlapped by the light-emitting component.

22. The device defined in claim 21 wherein the light-emitting component comprises a light-emitting diode and a light guide layer having an edge configured to receive light from the light-emitting diode and wherein the flexible layer comprises a flexible layer selected from the group consisting of: a fabric layer and a leather layer.

23. The device defined in claim 22 wherein the flexible layer is configured to form a strap for a wristwatch that has a wristwatch unit with a display, the device further comprising communications circuitry configured to communicate with the wristwatch unit.

24. The device defined in claim 23 further comprising:
an orientation sensor; and
control circuitry that gathers orientation information from the orientation sensor, wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the light-emitting component based on the orientation information.

25. The device defined in claim 21 wherein the light-emitting component comprises a light-emitting diode and wherein the perforations have diameters of less than 100 microns.

26. The device defined in claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a transparent capacitive touch sensor formed from an array of electrodes.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wang Paul X
• Lebedeff Christopher T
• Silz Kenneth M

Classifications

• G04C10/04

  with means for indicating the condition of the power supply · CPC title

• A45C3/001

  Flexible materials therefor · CPC title

• G02B6/0086

  Positioning aspects · CPC title

• F21W2111/00

  Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00 · CPC title

• G04G21/00

  Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces · CPC title