PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11821115-B2
Application Number: US-202016985042-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Stretchable signal path structures for electronic devices

Abstract:
A stretchable fabric signal path may include a conductive strand located between first and second outer fabric layers. The outer fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of elastic material. The conductive strand may have a wavy shape to accommodate stretching of the stretchable fabric signal path. First and second inner fabric layers may be located between the outer stretchable fabric layers. The inner fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of non-elastic material. The inner fabric layers may have strands that are intertwined with the outer fabric layers to serve as anchor points for maintaining the shape of the conductive strand as the stretchable fabric signal path expands and contracts. The outer fabric layers and inner fabric layers may be woven. The conductive strand may convey electrical signals such as audio signals, power signals, data signals, or other suitable signals.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fabric signal path, comprising:
 first and second outer fabric layers comprising stretchable strands; 
 first and second non-stretchable inner fabric layers interposed between the first and second outer fabric layers and comprising non-stretchable warp strands; and 
 a conductive strand interposed between the first and second outer fabric layers, wherein the conductive strand conveys electrical current and follows a serpentine path. 
 
     
     
       2. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 1  wherein the conductive strand is intertwined with the first and second non-stretchable inner fabric layers. 
     
     
       3. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 1  wherein the first and second outer fabric layers are woven. 
     
     
       4. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 1  wherein the stretchable strands comprise a combination of spandex and polyester. 
     
     
       5. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 1  wherein one of the non-stretchable warp strands of the first non-stretchable inner fabric layer is intertwined with the first outer fabric layer. 
     
     
       6. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 5  wherein one of the non-stretchable warp strands of the second non-stretchable inner fabric layer is intertwined with the second outer fabric layer. 
     
     
       7. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 1  wherein the conductive strand conveys signals selected from the group consisting of: audio signals, power signals, and data signals. 
     
     
       8. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 1  wherein the fabric signal path has an unstretched length and a stretched length that is twice as long as the unstretched length. 
     
     
       9. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 1  wherein the conductive strand has floats on the first and second non-stretchable inner fabric layers. 
     
     
       10. The fabric signal path defined in  claim 9  wherein the floats comprise a first float on the first non-stretchable inner fabric layer and a second float on the second non-stretchable inner fabric layer and wherein the first float at least partially overlaps the second float so that the conductive strand turns back on itself between the first and second non-stretchable inner fabric layers. 
     
     
       11. A fabric, comprising:
 first and second woven fabric layers comprising elastic strands; 
 a third woven fabric layer interposed between the first and second woven fabric layers, wherein the third woven fabric layer is non-stretchable and has a non-elastic warp strand that is intertwined with the first woven fabric layer; and 
 a metal strand interposed between the first and second woven fabric layers, wherein the metal strand conveys electrical current and is intertwined with the third woven fabric layer. 
 
     
     
       12. The fabric defined in  claim 11  further comprising a fourth woven fabric layer interposed between the third woven fabric layer and the second woven fabric layer. 
     
     
       13. The fabric defined in  claim 12  wherein the metal strand is intertwined with the fourth woven fabric layer. 
     
     
       14. The fabric defined in  claim 13  wherein the metal strand has a first float on the third woven fabric layer and a second float on the fourth woven fabric layer that at least partially overlaps the first float. 
     
     
       15. The fabric defined in  claim 11  wherein the metal strand comprises a copper litz wire. 
     
     
       16. A stretchable fabric cable, comprising:
 first and second outer fabric layers comprising warp strands of a first material; 
 a non-stretchable inner fabric layer comprising warp strands of a second material that is different from the first material; and 
 an insulated metal wire that conveys electrical signals and is interposed between the first and second outer fabric layers, wherein the insulated metal wire is intertwined with the non-stretchable inner fabric layer and has a wavy shape. 
 
     
     
       17. The stretchable fabric cable defined in  claim 16  wherein the insulated metal wire extends in the same direction as the warp strands of the first material. 
     
     
       18. The stretchable fabric cable defined in  claim 16  wherein the first material is more elastic than the second material. 
     
     
       19. The stretchable fabric cable defined in  claim 16  wherein the insulated metal wire has floats on the non-stretchable inner fabric layer. 
     
     
       20. The stretchable fabric cable defined in  claim 16  wherein at least some of the warp strands of the second material are intertwined with the first outer fabric layer.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/904,774, filed Sep. 24, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to stretchable signal path structures for electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices may include components that move relative to one another and that are interconnected using signal lines on printed circuits or using conductive wires in cables. For example, a pair of headphones may include a cable that couples to an electronic device. A laptop may include a flexible printed circuit that routes signals between a base housing and a display housing that are coupled by a hinge. 
     It can be challenging to provide signal paths between components that move relative to one another. If care is not taken, the signal path may not have sufficient elasticity, may become damaged after repetitive use, and/or may restrict movement of an electronic device. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device such as a wrist watch, audio cable, or other electronic device may include one or more stretchable fabric signal paths. A stretchable fabric signal path may include one or more conductive strands located between first and second outer fabric layers. The outer fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of elastic material. The conductive strand may have a wavy shape to accommodate stretching of the stretchable fabric signal path. 
     One or more inner fabric layers may be located between the outer stretchable fabric layers. The inner fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of non-elastic material. The inner fabric layers may have strands that are intertwined with the outer fabric layers to serve as anchor points for maintaining the shape of the conductive strand as the stretchable fabric signal path expands and contracts. The outer fabric layers and inner fabric layers may be woven. The conductive strand may convey electrical signals such as audio signals, power signals, data signals, or other suitable signals. 
     The conductive strand may form floats on the inner fabric layers. In some arrangements, a first float on a first inner fabric layer may at least partially overlap a second float on a second inner fabric layer. To create overlapping floats in this way, the conductive strand may turn back on itself between the first and second inner fabric layers. The additional length in the conductive strand needed to make these turns may help increase the amount by which the conductive strand can stretch. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of illustrative electronic equipment of the type that may include a stretchable fabric signal path in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of an illustrative electronic device such as a pair of headphones that may include a stretchable fabric signal path in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of an illustrative item such as a seat that may include a stretchable fabric signal path in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of an illustrative electronic device such as a wrist watch that may include a stretchable signal path in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative stretchable fabric signal path in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative fabric layer in an unstretched configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional side view of the fabric layer of  FIG.  6    in a stretched configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  8 ,  9 ,  10 , and  11    are cross-sectional side views of illustrative stretchable fabric signal paths having elastic strands, non-elastic strands, and one or more conductive strands in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  12    is a diagram showing how a stretchable fabric signal path may expand and contract along its length in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A schematic diagram of illustrative electronic equipment that may be provided with stretchable fabric signal path structures is shown in  FIG.  1   . Electronic device  10  and electronic device  10 ′ of  FIG.  1    may be operated independently or may be coupled to each other. A device such as device  10  and/or device  10 ′ may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded in eyeglasses 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 navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, a case, bag, watch band, or other accessory that operates in conjunction with one of these devices or other equipment, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. As an example, device  10  may be a portable device such as a cellular telephone or media player and device  10 ′ may be an accessory such as a cover (sometimes referred to as a case or enclosure). Other configurations may be used for device  10  and/or device  10 ′ if desired. The example of  FIG.  1    is merely illustrative. 
     Electronic device  10  may have control circuitry  12 . Control circuitry  12  may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of device  10 . The storage and processing circuitry may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, 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  may be used to control the operation of device  10 . The processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, application specific integrated circuits, etc. 
     Input-output circuitry in device  10  such as input-output devices  14  may be used to allow data to be supplied to device  10  and to allow data to be provided from device  10  to external devices. Input-output devices  14  may include a display, buttons, joysticks, scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, audio components such as microphones and speakers, tone generators, vibrators, cameras, sensors, light-emitting diodes and other status indicators, data ports, etc. Wireless circuitry in devices  14  may be used to transmit and receive radio-frequency wireless signals. Wireless circuitry may include antennas and radio-frequency transmitters and receivers operating in wireless local area network bands, cellular telephone bands, and other wireless communications bands. 
     A user can control the operation of device  10  by supplying commands through input-output devices  14  and may receive status information and other output from device  10  using the output resources of input-output devices  14 . Control circuitry  12  may be used to run software on device  10  such as operating system code and applications. During operation of device  10 , the software running on control circuitry  12  may use input-output devices  14  to gather user input and other input and can provide the user with visual output, audio output, and other output. 
     Device  10 ′ may include the same circuitry as device  10  and/or may contain different circuitry. Devices  10  and  10 ′ may include respective connections  16  and  16 ′ and signal paths such as path  18 . Connections  16  and  16 ′ may be formed using solder, conductive adhesive, welds, connectors, and/or other structures for forming electrical and/or mechanical structures. Path  18  may be used to share input and output information between devices  10  and  10 ′. Portions of paths such as path  18  may be included in devices  10  and/or  10 ′. In some arrangements, the entirety of path  18  may be part of electronic device  10  and/or may be part of electronic device  10 ′. 
     Devices such as devices  10  and  10 ′ may be used together. For example, the input resource of the input-output devices in device  10 ′ may be used to gather input from a user. This user input may then be conveyed to device  10  over signal path  18  for use in controlling the operation of device  10 . If, for example, device  10 ′ includes a keyboard, a user may supply key press input to device  10 ′ that is conveyed via path  18  (e.g., a path that is separate from device  10 ′ and/or that is included in device  10 ′) to device  10 . Device  10  may also use the resources of device  10 ′ to provide the user with output. For example, device  10  can supply output to device  10 ′ over path  18  that instructs device  10 ′ to turn on or off particular light-emitting diodes or other status indicators or that instructs device  10 ′ to provide other visual and/or audio output for the user. 
     Signal paths between devices  10  and  10 ′ and portions of signal paths  18  that are contained within devices  10  and  10 ′ may be formed from stretchable fabric layers. These fabric layers may allow the length of signal path  18  to expand and contract and may accommodate bends (e.g., tight bends) in the structures that make up devices  10  and/or  10 ′. 
     For example, stretchable fabric signal path  18  may include fabric  50  with intertwined strands of material such as strands  20 . In some arrangements, strands  20  include warp strands  42  extending along a first dimension and weft strands  40  extending along a second dimension that is orthogonal to the first dimension. Strands  20  may be single-filament strands (sometimes referred to as fibers or monofilaments), may be yarns or other strands that have been formed by intertwining multiple filaments (multiple monofilaments) of material together, or may be other types of strands (e.g., tubing that carries fluids such as gases or liquids). The strands may include extruded strands such as extruded monofilaments and yarn formed from multiple extruded monofilaments. Monofilaments for fabric  50  may include polymer monofilaments and/or other insulating monofilaments and/or may include bare wires and/or insulated wires. Monofilaments formed from polymer cores with metal coatings and monofilaments formed from three or more layers (cores, intermediate layers, and one or more outer layers each of which may be insulating and/or conductive) may also be used. 
     Strands  20  in fabric  50  may be formed from polymer, metal, glass, graphite, ceramic, natural materials as cotton or bamboo, or other organic and/or inorganic materials and combinations of these materials. Conductive coatings such as metal coatings may be formed on non-conductive material. For example, plastic yarns and monofilaments in fabric  50  may be coated with metal to make them conductive. Reflective coatings such as metal coatings may be applied to make yarns and monofilaments reflective. Yarns may be formed from a bundle of bare metal wires or metal wire intertwined with insulating monofilaments (as examples). 
     Strands  20  may be intertwined to form fabric  50  using intertwining equipment such as weaving equipment, knitting equipment, or braiding equipment. Intertwined strands may, for example, form woven fabric, knit fabric, braided fabric, etc. Conductive strands and insulating strands may be woven, knit, braided, or otherwise intertwined to form contact pads that can be electrically coupled to conductive structures in device  10  such as the contact pads of an electrical component. The contacts of an electrical component may also be directly coupled to an exposed metal segment along the length of a conductive yarn or monofilament. 
     Conductive and insulating strands may also be woven, knit, or otherwise intertwined to form conductive paths. The conductive paths may be used in forming signal paths (e.g., signal buses, power lines, etc.), may be used in forming part of a capacitive touch sensor electrode, a resistive touch sensor electrode, or other input-output device, or may be used in forming other patterned conductive structures. Conductive structures such as conductive strands in fabric  50  may be used in carrying power signals, digital signals, analog signals, sensor signals, control signals, data, input signals, output signals, or other suitable electrical signals. 
     Fabric  50  may, for example, include conductive strands of material that are coupled to electrical components in device  10  and/or device  10 ′. The conductive strands may serve as signal paths that carry signals between devices  10  and  10 ′ and/or that carry signals between components in device  10  and/or between components in device  10 ′. 
     An example of an illustrative electronic device type that may be provided with a stretchable fabric signal path is shown in  FIG.  2   . As shown in  FIG.  2   , device  10  may be a pair of audio headphones. Device  10  may include a stretchable cable such as stretchable fabric cable  18 . Earbuds  22  (e.g., earbuds that each contain one or more speakers) may be mounted at the ends of the right and left branches of cable  18 . The end of cable  18  may be terminated by audio connector (plug)  16 . Connector  16  may be, for example, a 3.5 mm audio plug that mates with a corresponding 3.5 mm audio jack in a media player, cellular telephone, portable computer, or other electronic device. Stretchable fabric signal path  18  may be used to convey signals (e.g., audio signals, power signals, ground signals, etc.) between the speakers and other electronic components in earbuds  22  and connector  16 . 
       FIG.  3    is a perspective view of an illustrative seat having a stretchable fabric signal path. As shown in  FIG.  3   , stretchable fabric signal path  18  follows the bends and contours of seat  10 . Stretchable fabric signal path  18  may be used to convey signals between control circuitry and input-output circuitry or between other components in seat  10  of  FIG.  3   . 
       FIG.  4    is a top view of another illustrative electronic device that may have a stretchable fabric signal path. As shown in  FIG.  4   , device  10  may have a display such as display  26  and other electrical components mounted in a housing such as housing  24 . Device  10  may be a portable electronic device such as a device that is mounted on a user&#39;s wrist, arm, leg, head, torso, or other body part. Device  10  may, for example, be a wrist-mounted device such as a wristwatch, a health monitoring device, a media player, a wireless key, or other electronic device and/or equipment that includes the functions of two or more of these devices or other suitable devices. Housing  24  (e.g., a watch housing in scenarios in which device  10  is a wristwatch) may be formed from metal, ceramic, plastic, glass, sapphire or other crystalline materials, and/or other suitable materials. Housing  24  may have a rectangular outline, may have an oval or circular shape, or may have other suitable shapes. Display  26  may be a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display, or other suitable display. 
     Strap  30  may have portions attached to opposing sides of housing  24 . Strap  30  may be coupled to pins or other structures that are attached to the exterior of housing  24  (as an example). A clasp formed from hook-and-loop fasteners or other suitable clasp may be used to secure strap  30  about the wrist or other body part of a user. 
     Strap  30  may include strands of material that are woven together. The strands of material that are woven to form strap  30  may be monofilaments and/or multifilament yarns. Strap  30  may contain insulating strands of material and/or conductive strands of material. Insulating strands may be formed from dielectric materials such as polymers. Conductive strands may be formed from metal wires or may be formed from one more conductive layers of material such as metal layers on polymer cores or other polymer layers. Conductive strands may also be formed by mixing conductive filaments with insulating filaments. Conductive strands may have insulating coatings. 
     If desired, strap  30  may contain electrical components such as components  32 . Components  32  may include sensors, buttons, light-emitting diodes, batteries, antennas, integrated circuits, vibrators and other actuators, and/or other input-output devices. Strands  20  may include conductive strands for routing power and data signals between components  32  within strap  30  and between components such as component  32  in strap  30  and circuitry in housing  24 . 
       FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative stretchable fabric signal path. As shown in  FIG.  5   , stretchable fabric signal path  18  may include fabric  50 . Fabric  50  may include one or more outer fabric layers such as outer fabric layers  34  and one or more conductive strands such as conductive strand  36 . Conductive strand  36  may be interposed between outer fabric layers  34 . In some arrangements, outer fabric layers  34  are two fabric layers that are coupled together (e.g., using an intervening fabric layer, using individual strands that pass between the two fabric layers, using stitching, using adhesive, and/or using other attachment techniques). In other arrangements, outer fabric layers  34  are different portions of the same piece of fabric.  FIG.  5    shows a gap between outer layers  34 . If desired, outer layers  34  may be in contact with one another (e.g., may not be separated by a gap). 
     Conductive strands in path  18  such as conductive strand  36  may be used to convey electrical current (e.g., electrical signals) and may be formed from metal wires (e.g., wires formed from copper, silver, a silver-copper alloy, or other suitable metal) or may be formed from one more conductive layers of material such as metal layers on polymer cores or other polymer layers. Conductive strands may contain multiple thin wire strands that are woven or twisted together (e.g., a litz wire). Conductive strands may also be formed by mixing conductive filaments with insulating filaments. Conductive strands may have insulating coatings. 
     As shown in  FIG.  5   , conductive strand  36  may be located within fabric  50  between outer layers  34  and may follow a serpentine path. The wavy shape of conductive strand  36  allows conductive strand  36  to withstand stretching of fabric  50 . This is, however, merely illustrative. If desired, conductive strand  36  may have other shapes (e.g., shapes with bends of different shapes or sizes, etc.). For example, in arrangements where fabric  50  is a braided fabric, conductive strand  36  may have a spring shape. Fabric  50  may be a woven fabric, a knit fabric, a braided fabric, or other suitable fabric. To allow stretching of signal path  18 , outer layers  34  of fabric  50  may be formed from stretchable fabric (e.g., fabrics that include strands of elastic material). 
     If desired, fabric  50  may include one or more non-stretchable layers such as non-stretchable fabric layers  54 . Non-stretchable fabric layers  54  may be formed from non-elastic strands (e.g., strands of polyester or other suitable material with relatively low elasticity). Non-stretchable fabric layers  54  may have no stretch or may have only a small amount of stretch (e.g., less stretch than outer fabric layers  34 ). Non-stretchable fabric layers  54  may have strands that are intertwined with conductive strand  36  and that are also intertwined with the strands of stretchable fabric layers  34 . The locations where non-stretchable fabric layers  54  are intertwined with stretchable fabric layers  34  may serve as anchors to help maintain the shape of conductive strand  36  within fabric  50  while still allowing conductive strand  36  to expand and contract along its length. 
       FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative stretchable fabric layer that may be used in a stretchable fabric signal path such as path  18 . Fabric  50  of  FIG.  6    may, for example, be used to form outer layers  34  of  FIG.  5    and/or may be used to form other layers in fabric  50 . Fabric  50  has strands  20  such as weft strands  40  and warp strands  42 . Some or all of warp strands  42  (and, if desired, some or all of weft strands  40 ) may be formed from stretchable material such as stretchable polyurethane, spandex, silicone, other materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials (e.g., a combination of spandex and polyester). Due to the presence of stretchable warp strands  42 , fabric  50  may stretch when pulled in directions  38 , as illustrated in  FIG.  7   . Stretchable strands such as warp strands  42  may be oriented to run around the user&#39;s wrist (e.g., in arrangements where flexible fabric signal path  18  forms a wrist strap such as strap  30  of  FIG.  4   ). This allows a user to stretch strap  30  tightly around the user&#39;s wrist or other body part (e.g., to ensure that a satisfactory heart rate monitor signal is picked up by a heart rate monitor in device  10 , etc.). If desired, fabric  50  may contain non-stretchable strands of material (e.g., polyester, etc.). Non-stretchable strands of material may, for example, be used to provide flexible fabric signal path  18  with strength and/or structure. 
     Illustrative examples of stretchable fabric signal paths are shown in  FIGS.  8 ,  9 ,  10 , and  11   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , fabric  50  may include one or more fabric layers such as fabric layers  50 - 1 ,  50 - 2 ,  50 - 3 , and  50 - 4 . The use of four layers in fabric  50  is merely illustrative. If desired, fabric  50  may include greater or fewer than four layers of fabric. Fabric layer  50 - 1  may be formed from intertwined weft strands  40  and warp strands  42 - 1 . Fabric layer  50 - 2  may be formed from intertwined weft strands  40  and warp strands  42 - 2 . Fabric layer  50 - 3  may be formed from intertwined weft strands  40  and warp strands  42 - 3 . Fabric layer  50 - 4  may be formed from intertwined weft strands  40  and warp strands  42 - 4 . 
     Outer fabric layers such as layers  50 - 1  and  50 - 4  may be stretchable fabric layers (e.g., stretchable fabric layers of the type shown in  FIGS.  6  and  7   ) and may be used to form outer fabric layers  34  of  FIG.  5   . For example, warp strands  42 - 1  (and, if desired, weft strands  40 ) of fabric layer  50 - 1  and warp strands  42 - 4  (and, if desired, weft strands  40 ) of fabric layer  50 - 4  may include strands of elastic material such as polyurethane, spandex, silicone, or other suitable material. 
     Inner fabric layers such as layers  50 - 2  and  50 - 3  may be non-stretchable fabric layers (e.g., layers with little or no stretch) and may be used to form fabric layers  54  of  FIG.  5   . For example, warp strands  42 - 2  (and, if desired, weft strands  40 ) of fabric layer  50 - 2  and warp strands  42 - 3  (and, if desired, weft strands  40 ) of fabric layer  50 - 3  may include strands of non-elastic material such as polyester or other suitable material. 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , conductive strand  36  is interposed between fabric layers  50 - 1  and  50 - 4  and follows a serpentine path to allow strand  36  to withstand stretching of fabric  50 . Conductive strand  36  may be intertwined (e.g., interwoven) with the layers of fabric  50  such as inner fabric layers  50 - 2  and  50 - 3 . In particular, conductive strand  36  may extend in the warp direction and may pass over and under weft strands  40  of layers  50 - 2  and  50 - 3 . This is, however, merely illustrative. If desired, conductive strand  36  may extend in the weft direction. 
     If desired, conductive stand  36  may only pass over a single weft strand  40  of one layer before moving to the adjacent layer, or conductive strand  36  may float over two or more adjacent weft strands  40  of one layer before moving to the adjacent layer. For example, as shown in  FIG.  8   , conductive strand  36  floats over three weft strands  40  in layer  50 - 2 , then floats over three weft strands  40  in layer  50 - 3 , then returns to layer  50 - 2  and floats over three weft strands  40  in layer  50 - 2 , and this pattern may repeat along the length of fabric  50 . If desired, conductive strand  36  may float over more or less than three weft strands  40  in each layer. 
     In the example of  FIG.  8   , the floats of conductive strand  36  on layer  50 - 2  partially overlap the floats of conductive strand  36  on layer  50 - 3 . In particular, one or more of the weft strands  40  under a float on layer  50 - 2  may overlap one or more of the weft strands  40  under a float on layer  50 - 3 . By having the floats on layer  50 - 2  at least partially overlap the floats on layer  50 - 3 , conductive strand  36  needs additional length to turn back on itself (see, e.g., turns  56  in conductive strand  36 ). This additional length to accommodate turns  56  may help increase the amount by which conductive strand  36  can be stretched. 
     Inner non-stretchable fabric layers  50 - 2  and  50 - 3  may have strands that are intertwined with outer stretchable fabric layers  50 - 1  and  50 - 4 . As shown in  FIG.  8   , for example, some of the warp strands  42 - 2  of layer  50 - 2  may pass over weft strands  40  of layer  50 - 2 . Some of the warp strands  42 - 3  of layer  50 - 3  may pass over weft strands  40  of layer  50 - 4 . The locations where non-stretchable strands of inner fabric layers are coupled to the strands of stretchable outer fabric layers may form anchor points  44  that help maintain the desired shape, structure, and/or location of conductive strand  36 . In particular, as stretchable signal path  18  expands and contracts along the length L of fabric  50 , anchor points  44  may help prevent conductive strand  36  from bunching or otherwise becoming disorganized within fabric  50 . 
     The example of  FIG.  8    in which conductive strand  36  has floats that pass over three adjacent weft strands  40  is merely illustrative. In the example of  FIG.  9   , conductive strand  36  has floats on layers  50 - 2  and  50 - 3  that pass over two adjacent weft strands  40 . In the  FIG.  9    example, the floats on layer  50 - 2  do not overlap the floats on layer  50 - 3 , but this is merely illustrative. If desired, the floats on layer  50 - 2  may at least partially overlap the floats on layer  50 - 3  so that conductive strand  36  turns back on itself as it passes between layers  50 - 2  and  50 - 3  (see, e.g., turns  56  of  FIG.  8   ). 
       FIG.  10    shows an illustrative example in which conductive strand  36  does not have any floats on layer  50 - 2  or layer  50 - 3 . Rather, conductive strand  36  passes over a single weft strand  40  in layer  50 - 2 , then passes under a single weft strand  40  in layer  50 - 3 , then returns to layer  50 - 2  in a repeating pattern. 
       FIG.  11    shows an illustrative example in which conductive strand  36  is only intertwined (e.g., interwoven) with one layer of fabric. As shown in  FIG.  11   , conductive strand  36  is only intertwined with warp strands  42 - 3  and weft strands  40  of fabric layer  50 - 3 . To help anchor conductive strand  36  to outer fabric layers  50 - 1  and  50 - 4 , some of the warp strands  42 - 3  of layer  50 - 3  may be intertwined with layers  50 - 1 ,  50 - 2 , and/or  50 - 4 . The locations where warp strands  42 - 3  intertwine with the strands of layers  50 - 1  and  50 - 2  may form anchor points  44  for maintaining the shape of conductive strand  36 . 
       FIG.  12    is a diagram illustrating how the shape of the strands in stretchable fabric signal path  18  may change under different amounts of stretch. At the top of  FIG.  12   , signal path  18  is stretched to its maximum length L 1 .  FIG.  12    then shows signal path  18  contracting to progressively shorter lengths until it reaches its minimum length L 2  shown at the bottom of  FIG.  12   . In some arrangements, L 1  may be twice the length of L 2  (e.g., signal path  18  may be capable of 100% stretch). Arrangements in which signal path  18  has greater or less than 100% stretch may also be used. 
     If desired, the strands of signal path  18  may be in a stretched state during formation of signal path  18 . For example, warp strands  42  of the different layers in fabric  50  may be stretched on the weaving loom at their maximum length (e.g., warp strands  42  may be held under maximum tension). Similarly, conductive strand  36  may be stretched on the loom to its maximum length (e.g., may be straight) as it is intertwined with the layers of fabric  50 . When fabric  50  is completed and removed from the loom, the strands may contract to the shape shown at the bottom of  FIG.  12   . As the inner and outer fabric layers collapse, anchor points  44  (e.g., anchor points of the type shown in  FIGS.  8 ,  9 ,  10 , and  11   ) may help keep the inner layers organized, which in turn helps maintain the desired wavy shape of conductive strand  36  (which is intertwined with the inner layers). 
     As described above, one aspect of the present technology is the gathering and use of information such as information from input-output devices. The present disclosure contemplates that in some instances, data may be gathered that includes personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to contact or locate a specific person. Such personal information data can include demographic data, location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, twitter ID&#39;s, home addresses, data or records relating to a user&#39;s health or level of fitness (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, username, password, biometric information, or any other identifying or personal information. 
     The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information, in the present technology, can be used to the benefit of users. For example, the personal information data can be used to deliver targeted content that is of greater interest to the user. Accordingly, use of such personal information data enables users to have control of the delivered content. Further, other uses for personal information data that benefit the user are also contemplated by the present disclosure. For instance, health and fitness data may be used to provide insights into a user&#39;s general wellness, or may be used as positive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue wellness goals. 
     The present disclosure contemplates that the entities responsible for the collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use of such personal information data will comply with well-established privacy policies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities should implement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining personal information data private and secure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users, and should be updated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personal information from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonable uses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those legitimate uses. Further, such collection/sharing should occur after receiving the informed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities should consider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access to such personal information data and ensuring that others with access to the personal information data adhere to their privacy policies and procedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluation by third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adapted for the particular types of personal information data being collected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For instance, in the United States, collection of or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and/or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), whereas health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly. Hence different privacy practices should be maintained for different personal data types in each country. 
     Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to, personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, the present technology can be configured to allow users to select to “opt in” or “opt out” of participation in the collection of personal information data during registration for services or anytime thereafter. In another example, users can select not to provide certain types of user data. In yet another example, users can select to limit the length of time user-specific data is maintained. In addition to providing “opt in” and “opt out” options, the present disclosure contemplates providing notifications relating to the access or use of personal information. For instance, a user may be notified upon downloading an application (“app”) that their personal information data will be accessed and then reminded again just before personal information data is accessed by the app. 
     Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and handled in a way to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can be minimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once it is no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including in certain health related applications, data de-identification can be used to protect a user&#39;s privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, when appropriate, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth, etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g., collecting location data at a city level rather than at an address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and/or other methods. 
     Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use of information that may include personal information data to implement one or more various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the various embodiments can also be implemented without the need for accessing personal information data. That is, the various embodiments of the present technology are not rendered inoperable due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal information data. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20200804
Publication Date: 20231121
Grant Date: 20231121
Priority Date: 20190924
Inventors: GRENA, BENJAMIN J.
Gomes, Didio V.
HOOVER, JOSHUA A.
KIM, SEUL BI
KINDLON, DAVID M.
PHAM, KEVIN T.
PODHAJNY, DANIEL A.
ROSE, ROBERT J.
ROSENBERG, ANDREW L.
TIKANDER, MIIKKA O.
Assignee: APPLE INC
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Family ID: 74881773