PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11720174-B2
Application Number: US-202017063560-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic finger devices with charging and storage systems

Abstract:
A system may include one or more finger-mounted devices such as finger devices with U-shaped housings configured to be mounted on a user&#39;s fingers while gathering sensor input and supplying haptic output. The finger devices may have power receiving circuitry configured to receive power from a power source. The power source may be incorporated into an electronic device such as a battery case, a head-mounted display, or a wireless charging mat or stand. The power source may supply power through terminals that form ohmic contacts with mating terminals in the finger device or may transmit power wirelessly using capacitive coupling or inductive charging arrangements. A finger device may have hinge structures that allow portions of the device to rotate relative to each other.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device configured to charge a finger device, wherein the finger device comprises a finger device housing and a battery within the finger device housing, the electronic device comprising:
 an electronic device housing having a recess configured to receive the finger device housing; 
 a power source configured to supply power to the battery; and 
 a magnet configured to align the finger device housing within the recess of the electronic device housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the finger device housing comprises a U-shaped finger device housing and the recess comprises a U-shaped groove configured to receive the U-shaped finger device housing. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the electronic device housing comprises first and second housing portions coupled by a hinge. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the electronic device housing is configured to receive the finger device and at least one additional finger device at the same time. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the power source comprises wireless power transmitting circuitry configured to transmit wireless power to wireless power receiving circuitry in the finger device. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 5  wherein the wireless power transmitting circuitry comprises a first coil and the wireless power receiving circuitry comprises a second coil. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 6  wherein the magnet is configured to align the first coil with the second coil. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising a display, wherein the electronic device housing comprises a head-mountable support structure that supports the display. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the electronic device housing comprises alignment features configured to mate with corresponding alignment features on the finger device housing. 
     
     
       10. A case for a finger device, wherein the finger device comprises a finger device housing and a battery within the finger device housing, the case comprising:
 first and second housing portions configured to rotate relative to one another about a hinge; 
 a power source configured to supply power to the battery; and 
 a magnet configured to hold the finger device within the case. 
 
     
     
       11. The case defined in  claim 10  wherein the second housing portion comprises a recess configured to receive the finger device housing. 
     
     
       12. The case defined in  claim 11  wherein the finger device housing comprises a U-shaped finger device housing and the recess comprises a U-shaped groove configured to receive the U-shaped finger device housing. 
     
     
       13. The case defined in  claim 10  wherein the case is configured to receive the finger device and at least one additional finger device at the same time. 
     
     
       14. The case defined in  claim 10  further comprising contacts through which the power is supplied to the battery. 
     
     
       15. A head-mounted device, comprising:
 a display; 
 a head-mountable support structure configured to support the display; 
 a magnetic structure configured to hold a finger device against the head-mountable support structure; and 
 a power source configured to supply power to the finger device. 
 
     
     
       16. The head-mounted device defined in  claim 15  wherein the power source is configured to supply the power to the finger device using a technique selected from the group consisting of: direct contact, capacitive coupling, and inductive power transfer. 
     
     
       17. The head-mounted device defined in  claim 15  wherein the head-mountable support structure comprises a recess configured to receive the finger device. 
     
     
       18. The head-mounted device defined in  claim 7  wherein the recess comprises first and second grooves configured to receive first and second sidewall portions of the finger device. 
     
     
       19. The head-mounted device defined in  claim 17  wherein the recess comprises a flat recess configured to receive the finger device while the finger device is in a flattened configuration. 
     
     
       20. A head-mounted device configured to charge an input device, wherein the input device comprises a housing and a battery within the housing, the head-mounted device comprising:
 head-mounted device support structures configured to couple to the housing of the input device; 
 a power source configured to supply power to the battery of the input device; and 
 a magnet configured to align the housing of the input device with respect to the head-mounted device support structures. 
 
     
     
       21. A head-mounted device configured to charge an input device, wherein the input device comprises a housing and a battery within the housing, the head-mounted device comprising:
 head-mounted support structures; 
 a recess in the head-mounted support structures configured to receive the housing of the input device; and 
 a power source configured to supply power to the battery of the input device while the housing is received within the recess.

Description:
This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 16/127,603, filed Sep. 11, 2018, which claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/653,157, filed Apr. 5, 2018, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to input-output components for electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices such as computers can be controlled using computer mice and other input accessories. In virtual reality systems, force-feedback gloves can be used to control virtual objects. Cellular telephones may have touch screen displays and vibrators that are used to create haptic feedback in response to touch input. 
     Devices such as these may not be convenient for a user. For example, computer mice generally require flat surfaces for operation and are mostly used with desktop computers in fixed locations. Force-feedback gloves can be cumbersome and uncomfortable. Touch screen displays with haptic feedback only provide haptic output when a user is interacting with the displays. 
     SUMMARY 
     A system may include one or more finger-mounted devices such as finger devices with U-shaped housings configured to be mounted on a user&#39;s fingers while gathering sensor input and supplying haptic output. The sensors may include force sensors, inertial measurement units, proximity sensors, touch sensors, and other sensors. Haptic output devices in the finger-mounted devices may provide vibrations and other haptic output to the fingers of a user as the user interacts with real-world objects and computer-generated virtual objects in virtual reality and mixed reality environments. 
     The finger devices may have power receiving circuitry configured to receive power from a power source. The power source may be incorporated into an electronic device such as a battery case, a head-mounted display, a wireless charging mat or stand, or other electronic equipment. The power source may supply power through terminals that form ohmic contacts with mating terminals in the finger device or may transmit power wirelessly using capacitive coupling or inductive charging arrangements. 
     A finger device may have hinge structures that allow portions of the device to rotate relative to each other. This allows the finger device to be placed in a U-shaped configuration for normal use on a user&#39;s finger or a flattened configuration or other configuration in which the device is being provided with power from a power source. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of an illustrative system with a finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a top view of an illustrative finger of a user on which a finger device has been placed in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative finger device on the finger of a user in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a diagram of an illustrative system with a power source and finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  5    is a side view of an illustrative power source such as a charging mat and associated electronic devices such as a finger device and other devices that are being wirelessly charged in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  6    is a side view of an illustrative finger device and associated power source in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  7    is a side view of an illustrative flattened finger device with hinges on a charging surface of a power source in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of an illustrative battery case with a hinged lid for storing and charging a finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  9    is a top view of an illustrative storage case for a set of three finger devices in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective view of an illustrative head-mounted device to which finger devices have been coupled for storage and charging in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of a portion of a device such as a head-mounted device that has a recess for receiving a finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  12    is a perspective view of a portion of an electronic device with a storage recess having grooves for receiving the sides of a finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  13 ,  14 , and  15    are cross-sectional side views of illustrative electronic device housing structures to which a finger device has been temporarily coupled in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  16    is a side view of an illustrative finger device with hinges in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  17    is a side view of the illustrative finger device of  FIG.  16    in a flattened non-U-shape storage configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  18    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative housing structure with a recess for receiving the finger device of  FIG.  17    in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  19    is a rear perspective view of an illustrative cellular telephone battery case having a recess for receiving a finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  20    is a perspective view of an illustrative head-mounted device with a recess for receiving a finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  21    is a perspective view of an illustrative corner housing portion of a head-mounted device with a recess for receiving a finger device in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices that are configured to be mounted on the body of a user may be used to gather user input and to provide a user with output. For example, electronic devices that are configured to be worn on one or more of a user&#39;s fingers, which are sometimes referred to as finger devices or finger-mounted devices, may be used to gather user input and to supply output. A finger device may, as an example, include an inertial measurement unit with an accelerometer for gathering information on figure motions such as finger taps or free-space finger gestures, may include force sensors for gathering information on normal and shear forces in the finger device and the user&#39;s finger, and may include other sensors for gathering information on the interactions between the finger device (and the user&#39;s finger on which the device is mounted) and the surrounding environment. The finger device may include a haptic output device to provide the user&#39;s finger with haptic output and may include other output components. During operation, a user of a virtual reality or mixed reality device (e.g., head-mounted equipment such as glasses, goggles, a helmet, etc.) may gather information on interactions between the finger device(s) and the surrounding environment (e.g., interactions between a user&#39;s fingers and the environment, including finger motions and other interactions associated with virtual content displayed for a user) and may supply appropriate output such as haptic output. Haptic output may be used, for example, to provide the fingers of a user with a desired texture sensation as a user is touching a real object or as a user is touching a virtual object. 
     Finger devices can be worn on any or all of a user&#39;s fingers (e.g., the index finger, the index finger and thumb, three of a user&#39;s fingers on one of the user&#39;s hands, some or all fingers on both hands, etc.). To enhance the sensitivity of a user&#39;s touch as the user interacts with surrounding objects, finger devices may have inverted U shapes or other configurations that allow the finger devices to be worn over the top and sides of a user&#39;s finger tips while leaving the user&#39;s finger pads exposed. This allows a user to touch objects with the finger pad portions of the user&#39;s fingers during use. Users can use the finger devices to interact with any suitable electronic equipment. For example, a user may use one or more finger devices to interact with a virtual reality or mixed reality system (e.g., a head-mounted device with a display), to supply input to a desktop computer, tablet computer, cellular telephone, watch, ear buds, or other accessory, or to interact with other electronic equipment. 
       FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of an illustrative system of the type that may include one or more finger devices. As shown in  FIG.  1   , system  8  may include electronic device(s) such as finger device(s)  10  and other electronic device(s)  24 . Each finger device  10  may be worn on a finger of a user&#39;s hand. Additional electronic devices in system  8  such as devices  24  may include devices such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wristwatch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a head-mounted device such as glasses, goggles, a helmet, or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a remote control, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which equipment is mounted in a kiosk, in an automobile, airplane, or other vehicle, a removable external case for electronic equipment, a strap, a wrist band or head band, a removable cover for a device, a case or bag that has straps or that has other structures to receive and carry electronic equipment and other items, a necklace or arm band, a wallet, sleeve, pocket, or other structure into which electronic equipment or other items may be inserted, part of a chair, sofa, or other seating (e.g., cushions or other seating structures), part of an item of clothing or other wearable item (e.g., a hat, belt, wrist band, headband, sock, glove, shirt, pants, etc.), or equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices. 
     With one illustrative configuration, which may sometimes be described herein as an example, device  10  is a finger-mounted device having a finger-mounted housing with a U-shaped body that grasps a user&#39;s finger or a finger-mounted housing with other shapes and device(s)  24  is a cellular telephone, tablet computer, laptop computer, wristwatch device, head-mounted device, a device with a speaker, or other electronic device (e.g., a device with a display, audio components, and/or other output components). 
     Devices  10  and  24  may include control circuitry  12  and  26 . Control circuitry  12  and  26  may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of system  8 . The storage and processing circuitry may include storage such as nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry  12  and  26  may be used to gather input from sensors and other input devices and may be used to control output devices. The processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors and other wireless communications circuits, power management units, audio chips, application specific integrated circuits, etc. 
     To support communications between devices  10  and  24  and/or to support communications between equipment in system  8  and external electronic equipment, control circuitry  12  may communicate using communications circuitry  14  and/or control circuitry  26  may communicate using communications circuitry  28 . Circuitry  14  and/or  28  may include antennas, radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, and other wireless communications circuitry and/or wired communications circuitry. Circuitry  14  and/or  26 , which may sometimes be referred to as control circuitry and/or control and communications circuitry, may, for example, support bidirectional wireless communications between devices  10  and  24  over wireless link  38  (e.g., a wireless local area network link, a near-field communications link, or other suitable wired or wireless communications link (e.g., a Bluetooth® link, a WiFi® link, a 60 GHz link or other millimeter wave link, etc.). Devices  10  and  24  may also include power circuits for transmitting and/or receiving wired and/or wireless power. In configurations in which wireless power transfer is supported between devices  10  and  24 , in-band wireless communications may be supported using inductive power transfer coils (as an example). 
     Devices  10  and  24  may include input-output devices such as devices  16  and  30 . Input-output devices  16  and/or  30  may be used in gathering user input, in gathering information on the environment surrounding the user, and/or in providing a user with output. Devices  16  may include sensors  18  and devices  24  may include sensors  32 . Sensors  18  and/or  32  may include force sensors (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive force sensors, etc.), audio sensors such as microphones, touch and/or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors, optical sensors such as optical sensors that emit and detect light, ultrasonic sensors, and/or other touch sensors and/or proximity sensors, monochromatic and color ambient light sensors, image sensors, sensors for detecting position, orientation, and/or motion (e.g., accelerometers, magnetic sensors such as compass sensors, gyroscopes, and/or inertial measurement units that contain some or all of these sensors), muscle activity sensors (EMG) for detecting finger actions, radio-frequency sensors, depth sensors (e.g., structured light sensors and/or depth sensors based on stereo imaging devices), optical sensors such as self-mixing sensors and light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, humidity sensors, moisture sensors, and/or other sensors. In some arrangements, devices  10  and/or  24  may use sensors  18  and/or  32  and/or other input-output devices  16  and/or  30  to gather user input (e.g., buttons may be used to gather button press input, touch sensors overlapping displays can be used for gathering user touch screen input, touch pads may be used in gathering touch input, microphones may be used for gathering audio input, accelerometers may be used in monitoring when a finger contacts an input surface and may therefore be used to gather finger press input, etc.). 
     Devices  16  and/or  30  may include haptic output devices  20  and/or  34 . Haptic output devices  20  and/or  34  can produce motion that is sensed by the user (e.g., through the user&#39;s fingertips). Haptic output devices  20  and/or  34  may include actuators such as electromagnetic actuators, motors, piezoelectric actuators, electroactive polymer actuators, vibrators, linear actuators, rotational actuators, actuators that bend bendable members, actuator devices that create and/or control repulsive and/or attractive forces between devices  10  and/or  24  (e.g., components for creating electrostatic repulsion and/or attraction such as electrodes, components for producing ultrasonic output such as ultrasonic transducers, components for producing magnetic interactions such as electromagnets for producing direct-current and/or alternating-current magnetic fields, permanent magnets, magnetic materials such as iron or ferrite, and/or other circuitry for producing repulsive and/or attractive forces between devices  10  and/or  24 ). In some situations, actuators for creating forces in device  10  may be used in squeezing a user&#39;s finger and/or otherwise directly interacting with a user&#39;s finger pulp. In other situations, these components may be used to interact with each other (e.g., by creating a dynamically adjustable electromagnetic repulsion and/or attraction force between a pair of devices  10  and/or between device(s)  10  and device(s)  24  using electromagnets). 
     If desired, input-output devices  16  and/or  30  may include other devices  22  and/or  36  such as displays (e.g., in device  24  to display images for a user), status indicator lights (e.g., a light-emitting diode in device  10  and/or  24  that serves as a power indicator, and other light-based output devices), speakers and other audio output devices, electromagnets, permanent magnets, structures formed from magnetic material (e.g., iron bars or other ferromagnetic members that are attracted to magnets such as electromagnets and/or permanent magnets), batteries, etc. Devices  10  and/or  24  may also include power transmitting and/or receiving circuits configured to transmit and/or receive wired and/or wireless power signals, etc. 
       FIG.  2    is a top view of a user&#39;s finger (finger  40 ) and an illustrative finger-mounted device  10 . As shown in  FIG.  2   , device  10  may be formed from a finger-mounted unit that is mounted on or near the tip of finger  40  (e.g., partly or completely overlapping fingernail  42 ). If desired, device  10  may be worn elsewhere on a user&#39;s fingers. 
     A user may wear one or more of devices  10  simultaneously. For example, a user may wear a single one of devices  10  on the user&#39;s ring finger or index finger. As another example, a user may wear a first device  10  on the user&#39;s thumb, a second device  10  on the user&#39;s index finger, and an optional third device  10  on the user&#39;s middle finger. Arrangements in which devices  10  are worn on other fingers and/or all fingers of one or both hands of a user may also be used. 
     Control circuitry  12  (and, if desired, communications circuitry  14  and/or input-output devices  16 ) may be contained entirely within device  10  (e.g., in a housing for a fingertip-mounted unit) and/or may include circuitry that is coupled to a fingertip structure (e.g., by wires from an associated wrist band, glove, fingerless glove, etc.). Configurations in which devices  10  have bodies that are mounted on individual user fingertips are sometimes described herein as an example. 
       FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative finger device (finger-mounted device)  10  showing illustrative mounting locations  46  for electrical components (e.g., control circuitry  12 , communications circuitry  14 , and/or input-output devices  16 ) within and/or on the surface(s) of finger device housing  44 . These components may, if desired, be incorporated into other portions of housing  44 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , housing  44  may have a U shape (e.g., housing  44  may be a U-shaped housing structure that faces downwardly and covers the tip of user finger  40  and fingernail  42 ). During operation, a user may press against structures such as structure  50 . As the bottom of finger  40  (e.g., finger pulp  40 P) presses against surface  48  of structure  50 , the user&#39;s finger may compress and force portions of the finger outwardly against the sidewall portions of housing  44  (e.g., for sensing by force sensors in these locations). Lateral movement of finger  40  in the X-Y plane may also be sensed using force sensors on the sidewalls of housing  44  or other portions of housing  44  (e.g., because lateral movement will tend to press portions of finger  40  against some sensors more than others and/or will create shear forces that are measured by force sensors that are configured to sense shear forces). 
     The force sensors and/or other sensors in device  10  can measure how forcefully a user is moving device  10  (and finger  40 ) against surface  48  (e.g., in a direction parallel to the surface normal n of surface  48  such as the −Z direction of  FIG.  3   ) and/or how forcefully a user is moving device  10  (and finger  40 ) within the X-Y plane, tangential to surface  48 . The direction of movement of device  10  in the X-Y plane and/or in the Z direction can also be measured by the force sensors and/or other sensors  18  at locations  46 . 
     Structure  50  may be a portion of a housing of device  24 , may be a portion of another device  10  (e.g., another housing  44 ), may be a portion of a user&#39;s finger  40  or other body part, may be a surface of a real-world object such as a table, a movable real-world object such as a bottle or pen, or other inanimate object external to device  10 , and/or may be any other structure that the user can contact with finger  40  while moving finger  40  in a desired direction with a desired force. Because motions such as these can be sensed by device  10 , device(s)  10  can be used to gather pointing input (e.g., input moving a cursor or other virtual object on a display such as a display in devices  36 ), can be used to gather tap input, swipe input, pinch-to-zoom input (e.g., when a pair of devices  10  is used), or other gesture input, and/or other user input. 
     Device  10  may include a battery such as battery  61  of  FIG.  4   . Power can be conveyed to device  10  from an external power source such as power source  52  to power circuitry in device  10  and/or to charge battery  61 . If desired, device  10  may also include an internal power source such as internal power source  63 . Power source  63  may be an energy harvesting device. With one illustrative configuration, power source  63  is a solar cell. The solar cell may convert ambient light (e.g., sunlight, etc.) into electrical power for powering device  10  (e.g., to power circuitry in device  10  and/or to charge battery  61 ). If desired, power source  63  may be an energy harvesting device such as an electromechanical system or piezoelectric component that coverts kinetic energy (e.g., kinetic energy associated with vibrations and/or other movement of device  10  as device  10  is worn on a user&#39;s finger) to into electrical power for powering device  10 . Energy may also be harvested using a thermoelectric device that converts heat into electrical power, or other energy harvesting devices. 
     External power source  52  may receive wall outlet power (mains alternating-current power) at input  54  and/or may contain a battery such as battery  56  for suppling power source  52  with direct-current power. Power can be conveyed from power source  52  (e.g., a base station) to device  10  using contacts  66  (e.g., positive and ground terminals) on power source  52  and matching ohmically-contacted contacts  68  on device  10  (e.g., positive and ground terminals in a power receiving circuit in device  10 ). If desired, power can be conveyed wirelessly between device  52  and device  10 . As an example, contacts  66  and  68  (e.g., metal pads) may be capacitively coupled (without forming ohmic contact) to allow power to be transferred and/or power can be conveyed using a wireless power transmitter with a coil in source  52  to transmit wireless power signals (e.g., electromagnetic signals  58 ) to a wireless power receiver with a coil in device  10  (and/or devices  24 ). Inductive power transfer techniques may be used (e.g., wireless power can be transmitted using one or more wireless power transmitting coils in source  52  such as wireless power transmitting coil  64  and transmitted wireless power signals can be received in power receiving circuit  60  using power receiving coil  62 ). Received alternating-current wireless power signals from coil  62  can be converted to direct-current power using a rectifier in power receiving circuit  60  for charging battery  61  and/or for powering circuitry in device  10 . In configurations in which the power receiving circuit of device  10  receives power via a wired connection (e.g., using terminals  68 ), the power receiving circuit may provide the received power to battery  61  and/or other circuitry in device  10 . 
     Power source  52  may be a stand-alone wired and/or wireless charging device (e.g., a wireless charging puck, a wireless and/or wired charging stand or base station, a wireless charging mat, or other wired and/or wireless power device) and/or may be incorporated into one or more of devices  24  for providing device  10  with power. In the example of  FIG.  5   , power source  52  has a planar housing or other housing with a planar charging surface so that power source  52  can serve as a wireless charging mat. Device(s)  10  and/or device(s)  24  can be wirelessly charged by power source  52  when placed in the vicinity of power source  52  (e.g., on charging mat surface  70 ). Configurations in which wireless power signals can be transmitted and received over larger distances (e.g., at least 1 cm, at least 10 cm, at least 100 cm, at least 1 m, at least 10 m, less than 20 m, less than 2 m, less than 200 cm, less than 20 cm, less than 5 cm, or other suitable distance) may also be used. 
       FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional side view of finger device  10  and power source  52  in an illustrative configuration in which power source  52  has a protruding portion  52 P that is received between sidewalls (side portions)  44 W of U-shaped housing  44 . Contacts  68  on device  10  may mate with contacts  66  of power source  52  when device  10  is placed onto protruding portion (protrusion)  52 P and/or wireless power can be transmitted by coil  64  in power source  52  to wireless power receiving circuitry with coil  62  in device  10 . 
     If desired, device  10  may have hinges or other structures that allow device  10  to be place in multiple configurations. For example, device  10  may be placed in a first configuration such as a normal operating configuration in which device  10  is configured to be worn on a finger of a user or may be placed in a second configuration (sometimes referred to as a stowed configuration, storage configuration, folded configuration, flattened configuration, or charging configuration) in which device  10  is configured for storage and charging. Device  10  may, as an example, have one or more hinges  76  as shown in  FIG.  7   . As shown in  FIG.  7   , hinges  76  may allow side housing portions such as sidewalls (side portions)  44 W to be moved so as to be co-planar with central (top) housing portion  44 C. In this charging configuration, device  10  can be placed flat on charging surface  70  of a wireless charging mat or other power source  52  to receive power. 
     To help align coil  62  and coil  64  and/or to otherwise hold device  10  to power source  52  or another device (e.g., device  24  of  FIG.  1   ), device  10  and power source  52  (e.g., device  24 ) may be provided with mating alignment features  72  and  74 , respectively. Features  72  and  74  may be, for example, mating protrusions and recesses and/or other interlocking alignment structures (e.g., key and keyhole structures that allow device  10  and/or power source  52  to interlock when engaged by twisting or other locking motions), magnets (or ferromagnetic elements such as iron bars), and/or other alignment structures. If desired, the magnets used in forming features  72  and  74  may be configured so that features  72  and  74  are initially difficult to separate and become easier to separate (and may even spontaneously separate due to magnetic repulsion) once a threshold separation distance has been exceeded. Multiple smaller permanent magnets may be combined in forming features  72  and/or  74  with desired attributes. As another example, one or both of magnetic alignment features  72  and  74  may be formed using electromagnets. To reduce power consumption, a highly coercible (easily magnetized) permanent magnet formed from a magnetic material such as alnico may be used in forming a magnetic alignment feature. An associated electromagnet may be energized whenever it is desired to change the permanent magnetic field created by the magnetic alignment feature (e.g. when desired to connect or disconnect features  74  and  72 ). At other times, the electromagnet need not be energized, because the permanent magnetic field of the highly coercible permanent magnet will hold features  72  and  74  together (or will repel these features from each other). 
     In configurations in which features  72  and/or  74  are magnetic attachment structures in device  10  and/or  24  (e.g., magnets, magnetic material that is attracted to magnets, or other magnetic attachment structures), device  10  may be held against the interior and/or exterior of device  24  using the magnetic attachment structures. For example, device  24  may be a battery case with a groove or other recess that receives device  10 . Magnetic attachment structures in device  24  (e.g., near the groove) and in device  10  may corporate (magnetically attached) to help secure device  10  within the interior of the case (e.g., without allowing device  10  to rattle excessively inside the case). As another example, device  24  may be a head-mounted device (e.g., goggles and/or glasses) or a strap or other wearable device. In this type of arrangement, magnetic attachment structures may be held against an exterior surface of device  24  (e.g., against a portion of the housing of a pair of goggles or glasses such as along the frame of a pair of glasses, to the front, top, or side surface of a pair of goggles, etc.). 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , device  24  may be a case (e.g., a storage enclosure for device  10 , which may sometimes be referred to as a battery case). In this type of arrangement, device  24  may include power source  52  (e.g., a power source with a battery) for charging device  10  when device  10  is placed within the case. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG.  8   , device  24  has a first portion (e.g., a first housing portion) such as portion  24 - 1  that rotates about rotational (hinge) axis  80  relative to a second portion (e.g., a second housing portion) such as portion  24 - 2 . Flexible housing portions (e.g., portions of a plastic layer), interlocking metal hinge members, and/or other hinge structures along axis  80  may be provided to allow the first and second portions to rotate. Recesses  82  (e.g., device-shaped grooves or other structures) may be formed in the first and/or second portions of the housing of device  24  and configured to receive device  10  for storage within the interior of device  24 . A magnet such as magnet  122  may interact with a corresponding magnetic base such as base  86  (e.g., a stand-alone support structure, a portion of a charging mat with a power source. As described in connection with  FIG.  7   , magnetic structures (e.g., one or more permanent magnets) may be formed inside a battery case to help hold device  10  (e.g., so that a user may place device  10  loosely in a recess  82 , after which the magnets or other magnetic structures in the case and/or device  10  may pull device  10  completely into recess  82 ). Magnetic structures (e.g., a permanent magnet) in the case may also be used to temporarily secure device  10  to the outer surface of the case. 
       FIG.  9    is a top view of an illustrative storage case that is configured to receive multiple devices  10 . Device  24  of  FIG.  9    (e.g., a battery case) may have an outer portion such as housing  24 P and an interior  241 . Recesses  82  and/or other device structures may be configured to receive three devices  10  (or other suitable number of devices  10 ) in interior  241 . Recesses  82  may be sufficiently shallow to allow the ends of each device  10  to protrude outwardly towards a user&#39;s fingertips. With the illustrative configuration of  FIG.  9   , a user can insert the tips of a thumb, index finger, and middle finger simultaneously into the exposed ends of three corresponding devices  10  in device  24  so that these three devices  10  can be easily placed onto the user&#39;s fingertips and removed from interior  241  in a one-handed operation. 
       FIG.  10    is a perspective view of device  24  in an illustrative configuration in which device  24  is a head-mounted device such as a pair of glasses. Device  24  may, as an example, have displays, lenses, and/or other components for displaying images for a user in a support structure such as lens portion  84  of the housing of device  24  and may have head-mountable support structures  86  in the housing of device  24  that help support device  24  on the head of the user. Head-mountable support structures  86  may be, for example, temples (sometimes referred to as a frame) for a pair of glasses. Device  24  may be a virtual reality device (and may block a user&#39;s direct line-of-sight to real-world objects) or may be a mixed reality device. In a mixed reality device, a front-facing camera may gather images of real-world content to display for a user and/or a user may view the real-world through an optical coupler in lens portion  84  (e.g., an optical coupler that merges computer-generated content and other display content from a display in device  24  with directly viewed light from real-world objects). As shown in  FIG.  10   , support structures  86  (e.g., a glasses frame) may be configured to receive devices  10  (e.g., devices  10  may be temporarily placed on support structures  86  for storage and charging). Magnets, press-fit structures, clips, hook-and-loop fastener material, straps, and/or other coupling structures may be used to help hold devices  10  in place (e.g., temporarily). During storage on device  24 , a power source in device  24  such as power source  52  may supply power to devices  10  (e.g., via direct contact, capacitive coupling, inductive power transfer, etc.). 
     In addition to or instead of using press-fit arrangements and/or other arrangements in which mechanical engagement is used to hold device  10  to support structures  86  (e.g., the housing of a head-mounted device), magnetic structures may be used. For example, permanent magnets or other magnetic structures may be formed in the frame of a pair of glasses, in the housing of a pair of goggles, or elsewhere in the body of device  24 . The magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet(s) may be sufficiently strong to pass through the housing of device  24  and attract a magnetic material and/or permanent magnet in device  10 . Using this approach, device  10  may be secured to the frame of the glasses or other housing structure (e.g., device  10  may be held against the outer surface of one or more portions of support structures  86 ). Because of the use of magnets in these examples, device  10  can be pulled off of device  24  and reattached to device  24  rapidly and without need for complex alignment operations. For example, a user of a head-mounted display, who may be distracted and/or may not be able to view the real world because of the presence of the head-mounted display, may easily place device  10  on a magnetic surface of the head-mounted display (e.g., without looking at this surface). If desired, both mechanical engagement techniques (press fitting, clips, etc.) and magnetic attachment techniques may be used to help secure device  10 . For example, magnets may be used for removable (temporary) storage, whereas press fit housing structures and other mechanical attachment structures may be used when longer storage of device  10  on device  24  is desired. 
       FIG.  11    shows how housing structures in device  24  such as support structures  86  may have one or more recesses  88  that are configured to receive devices  10 . Devices  10  may, for example, be pressed into recesses  88  so that the sides of devices  10  clip over the portion of support structures  86  in recesses  88 . The presence of recesses  88  may allow devices  10  to be mounted so that some or all of the exposed surfaces of devices  10  are flush with adjacent exposed surfaces of support structures  86  (as an example). 
     Another illustrative configuration for a finger device storage recess in device  24  is shown in  FIG.  12   . As shown in  FIG.  12   , housing structures in device  24  such as support structures  86  or other portions of the housing of device  24  may have a recess such as recess  90  that includes groves  92  (e.g., locally deepened portions of recess  90 ) to receive the sides of the housing of device  10 . 
       FIGS.  13 ,  14 , and  15    are cross-sectional side views of device  24  in illustrative configurations in which housing structures such as support structure  86  or other housing structures for device  24  have configurations that allow device  10  to clip over the outside of support structures  86  ( FIG.  13   ), to be received within recesses that accommodate both the sides and top portion of device  10  (e.g., so that the exposed upper surface of device  10  lies flush with the exposed adjacent surface of support structures  86  as shown in  FIG.  14   ), or to be received within recesses so that the top of housing of device  10  is proud of the exposed adjacent surface of support structures  86  ( FIG.  15   ). 
     As shown in  FIGS.  16  and  17   , hinges  98  allow housing sidewalls  44 W to be rotated or otherwise moved relative to top (central) housing portion  44 C. Device  10  of  FIG.  16    has a normal operating configuration. In the arrangement of  FIG.  17   , sidewalls  44 W have been rotated relative to central portion  44 C (to be planar or to fold under portion  44 C as indicated by the dashed-line outlines of portions  44 W of  FIG.  17   ), thereby placing device  10  in a storage (charging) configuration.  FIG.  18    shows how device  24  may have a recess such as recess  94  in a device housing structure such as support structures  86 . Support structures  86  may be coupled to other housing structures in device  24  such as structures  96  (e.g., support structures  86  may form a strap or other holding structure and structures  96  may form a main housing unit for a wristwatch, head-mounted device, or other device (as an example). Recess  94  may be configured to receive device  10  when device  10  is in a flattened state or other configuration for storage and charging (e.g., one of the storage configurations of  FIG.  17   ). 
       FIG.  19    is a perspective view of device  24  in an illustrative configuration in which device  24  is serving as a battery case for another electronic device (electronic device  24 ′). Device  24  may have a housing formed from fabric, polymer, metal, glass, and/or other materials and may have openings such as openings  100 . Openings  100  may be configured to allow device components  102  (e.g., cameras, sensors, data ports, etc.) of device  24 ′ to be exposed and not covered by device  24 . The rear face of device  24  is shown in  FIG.  19   . On the opposing front face of device  24 , device  24  has a recess configured to receive device  24 ′. On the rear face of device  24  that is shown in  FIG.  19   , the housing for device  24  has recess  104 , which is configured to receive device  10  for charging and/or storage (e.g., when device  10  is in a flattened configuration or other configuration suitable for storage and charging). Power for device  10  can be provided by a power source  52  in device  24  and/or a power source  52  in device  24 ′. 
     In the examples of  FIGS.  20  and  21   , device  24  is a head-mounted device (e.g., a pair of virtual reality goggles). Housing portion  106  of device  24  of  FIG.  20    forms a goggles housing that is configured to be worn on a head of a user. The goggles housing (housing portion  106 ) supports an internal display and optical components for displaying images (e.g., virtual reality content) to the user while blocking and thereby preventing light from external real-world objects from being viewed by the user. If desired, camera images from a camera on housing portion  106  can be merged with computer-generated content to provide the user with a mixed reality environment. Straps  108  or other head-mountable support structures such as portions of housing portion  106  may be configured to support device  24  (e.g., the goggles housing) on the user&#39;s head. Device  10  may be mounted in recess  110  of housing portion  106  (e.g., when device  10  is in a configuration for charging and storage). Power source  52  in device  24  can supply power to device  10  when device  10  is stored in recess  110 . 
       FIG.  21    shows how recess  110  may be formed over one or more corner portions of housing portion  106  such as corner portion  106 C. When device  10  is mounted over a corner of the housing of device  24 , hinges  98  or other flexible structures in device  10  may allow portions of device  10  to rotate relative to each other so that device  10  fits within recess  110 . 
     In configurations in which device  10  is coupled to device  24  for storage, power can be conveyed via wired or wireless connections between a power source  52  in device  24  and power receiving circuitry  60  of device  10 . If desired, device  10  and device  24  can communicate wirelessly over communications link  38  (e.g., a bidirectional wireless communications link or a wired communications link). In some arrangements, in-band wireless communications can be performed over a wireless charging link (e.g., bidirectional wireless communications can be performed between device  10  and device  24  using coils  62  and  64  during charging operations). 
     During operation of system  8 , a user may move finger device(s)  10 . Motion data from devices  10  (e.g., motions tracked using inertial measurement units and/or other tracking systems such as visual tracking systems), deceleration data from devices  10  due to finger contact with external surfaces that are measured with accelerometers or other sensors, strain data or other force sensor data indicative of finger motion normal to an external surface contacted by finger  40  and/or tangential to an external surface contacted by finger  40 , proximity and/or touch data from sensors in device  10 , and/or other data from sensors  18  is gathered and used in providing haptic output and other output using devices  20  and/or other devices  22  in devices  10  and/or is used in providing haptic output and other output using devices  34  and/or other devices  36  in devices  24 . The input gathered from devices  10  can be used to allow a user to interact with computer-generated content displayed on displays in devices  36  (e.g., virtual reality content on the display of a pair of virtual reality goggles, computer-generated content for a mixed reality environment that is displayed with a display in a mixed-reality head-mounted device, etc.) and can be gathered as a user interacts with real-world objects. Haptic device output from devices  20  and/or  34  can be used to provide the fingers of the user with textures, motion sensations, sensations of resistance and vibration, and/or other tactile sensations as the user interacts with computer-generated content and real-world content. Devices  10  and/or  24  can also provide non-haptic output in response to the input gathered using devices  10  and/or the input components of input-output devices  30 . 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20201005
Publication Date: 20230808
Grant Date: 20230808
Priority Date: 20180405
Inventors: WANG, PAUL X.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F3/014", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B27/0176", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B2027/0178", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/014", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/014", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/017", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/0331", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/05", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/32", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B27/0176", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B2027/0187", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02B40/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B2027/0178", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B27/0176", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 68097177