Fabric control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11905629-B2
Application number	US-202217570191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2022
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric-based item comprising:
a housing;
a fabric layer covering a majority of the housing;
at least one light-emitting component configured to display an alphanumeric character through the fabric layer;
wireless communications circuitry; and
control circuitry configured to transmit wireless signals with the wireless communications circuitry.

2. The fabric-based item defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery, wherein the at least one light-emitting component comprises a light-emitting diode.

3. The fabric-based item defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-emitting component comprises an array of light-emitting diodes.

4. The fabric-based item defined in claim 1 , wherein the fabric-based item is a voice-controlled speaker.

5. The fabric-based item defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
touch-sensitive buttons labeled with symbols.

6. The fabric-based item defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
touch-sensitive buttons that are at least partially covered by the fabric layer.

7. The fabric-based item defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a mechanical button comprising a dome switch.

8. The fabric-based item defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a capacitive touch sensor.

9. A voice-controlled speaker comprising:
a housing;
a fabric layer covering at least some of the housing;
at least one light-emitting component configured to emit light for an alphanumeric symbol through the fabric layer;
wireless communications circuitry; and
control circuitry configured to transmit wireless signals with the wireless communications circuitry.

10. The voice-controlled speaker defined in claim 9 , wherein the at least one light-emitting component comprises a light-emitting diode.

11. The voice-controlled speaker defined in claim 9 , wherein the at least one light-emitting component comprises an array of light-emitting diodes.

12. The voice-controlled speaker defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
touch-sensitive buttons labeled with symbols.

13. The voice-controlled speaker defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
touch-sensitive buttons that are at least partially covered by the fabric layer.

14. The voice-controlled speaker defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
a mechanical button comprising a dome switch.

15. The voice-controlled speaker defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
a capacitive touch sensor.

16. A fabric-based item comprising:
a housing having a deformable housing wall;
a fabric layer covering a majority of the housing, wherein the fabric layer covers the deformable housing wall;
sensing circuitry configured to detect deformation of the deformable housing wall;
wireless communications circuitry; and
control circuitry configured to transmit wireless signals with the wireless communications circuitry.

17. The fabric-based item defined in claim 16 , wherein the deformable housing wall comprises a layer of foam and wherein the sensing circuitry is configured to detect compression of the layer of foam.

18. The fabric-based item defined in claim 16 , wherein the sensing circuitry comprises a force sensor.

19. The fabric-based item defined in claim 16 , wherein the sensing circuitry comprises a touch sensor.

20. The fabric-based item defined in claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to transmit the wireless signals with the wireless communications circuitry in response to the sensing circuitry detecting deformation of the deformable housing wall.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Podhajny Daniel A
• Sunshine Daniel D
• Crews Kathryn P

Classifications

• D03D1/0088 Primary

  Fabrics having an electronic function · CPC title

• A41D1/005

  with embedded cable or connector · CPC title

• A41D31/02

  Layered materials (characterised by special function or use A41D31/04) · CPC title

• D03D1/0082

  Fabrics for printed circuit boards · CPC title

• G06F3/042

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title