Fabric-based items with stretchable bands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12133743-B2
Application number	US-202217900733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2022
Priority date	Mar 28, 2018
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A fabric-based item may be provided with a stretchable band. The stretchable band may be formed from a ring-shaped strip of stretchable fabric having an opening configured to fit around a body part of a user. Circuitry may be coupled to strands of material in the stretchable band. The circuitry may include sensor circuitry for making measurements on the body part such as electrocardiogram measurements, blood pressure measurements, and respiration rate measurements. Wireless communications circuitry in the fabric-based item may be used to communicate wirelessly with external electronic equipment. A wireless power transmitting device may transmit wireless power. A coil formed from conductive strands in the fabric-based item may be used by wireless power receiving circuitry in the fabric-based item to receive the wireless power. The coil may have one or more turns that run around the ring-shaped strip of stretchable fabric.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wristwatch device, comprising:
a housing; and
a fabric band coupled to the housing, wherein the fabric band comprises conductive strands that are coupled to the housing, the conductive strands form wireless transceiver circuitry, the conductive strands convey communication signals between the fabric band and the housing, and the fabric band further comprises a display that includes an array of pixels.

2. The wristwatch device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises metal, the conductive strands form power receiving circuitry in the fabric band and convey power between the fabric band and the housing, the conductive strands form first and second antennas coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry, and the first antenna is orthogonal to the second antenna.

3. The wristwatch device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive strands convey power between the fabric band and the housing, and wherein the conductive strands form power receiving circuitry in the fabric band.

4. The wristwatch device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the conductive strands is configured to form an inductive wireless power receiving coil that runs entirely around the fabric band.

5. The wristwatch device of claim 4 , wherein the housing is a metal housing.

6. The wristwatch device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive strands form an antenna coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry.

7. The wristwatch device of claim 6 , wherein the antenna is a first antenna, and the conductive strands form a second antenna that is orthogonal to the first antenna.

8. The wristwatch device of claim 1 , wherein the fabric band comprises first fabric strands with a first elasticity and second fabric strands with a second elasticity, the second elasticity is less than the first elasticity, and the conductive strands are intertwined with the first and second fabric strands through loops of the second fabric strands.

9. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a housing;
a fabric band coupled to the housing, wherein the fabric band includes circuitry that comprises:
wireless power receiving circuitry configured to receive wireless power; and
a conductive strand coupled to the housing, wherein the conductive strand is configured to convey the wireless power from the wireless power receiving circuitry to the housing.

10. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the conductive strand forms an inductive wireless power receiving coil that runs entirely around the fabric band.

11. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry further comprises:
wireless communications circuitry configured to receive communications signals; and
an additional conductive strand coupled to the housing, wherein the additional conductive strand is configured to convey the communications signals from the wireless communications circuitry to the housing.

12. The head-mounted device of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications circuitry comprises:
a first antenna; and
a second antenna orthogonal to the first antenna.

13. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the conductive strand is one of a plurality of conductive strands and wherein the circuitry further comprises:
sensors that include electrodes formed from the conductive strands.

14. The head-mounted device of claim 13 , wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting of: a blood pressure sensor, a respiration rate sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, and an electrocardiogram sensor.

15. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the fabric band comprises first fabric strands with a first elasticity and second fabric strands of a second elasticity that is less than the first elasticity, and wherein the conductive strand is intertwined with the first and second fabric strands through loops of the second fabric strands.

16. A wristwatch band configured to be coupled to a wristwatch housing, comprising:
fabric strands;
conductive strands intertwined with the fabric strands and configured to be coupled to the wristwatch housing; and
a sensor coupled to the fabric strands, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor electrode formed from one of the conductive strands, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate sensor data that is conveyed to the wristwatch housing by the conductive strands.

17. The wristwatch band of claim 16 , further comprising:
wireless power receiving circuitry configured to receive power, wherein the conductive strands are configured to convey the power to the wristwatch housing.

18. The wristwatch band of claim 16 , further comprising:
wireless communications circuitry configured to receive communications signals, wherein the conductive strands are configured to convey the communications signals to the wristwatch housing.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Keating Steven J
• Sunshine Daniel D
• Grena Benjamin J
• Podhajny Daniel A
• Guterman Jerzy S
• Lu Jessica J
• Kindlon David M

Classifications

• A61B5/268

  containing conductive polymers, e.g. PEDOT:PSS polymers · CPC title

• A61B5/263

  characterised by the electrode materials · CPC title

• A61B5/28

  for electrocardiography [ECG] · CPC title

• A61B5/256

  Wearable electrodes, e.g. having straps or bands · CPC title

• D03D15/56

  elastic · CPC title