PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10995433-B1
Application Number: US-201815875388-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Custom fabric cases for electronic devices

Abstract:
A fabric case for an electronic device may include a back panel having a periphery and a side wall that extends around the periphery. The back panel may include a knit image of a user-selected digital photograph or other design. The design of the back panel may be customized according to the user&#39;s tastes. The case may be formed using computing equipment and knitting equipment. The computing equipment may receive a digital image from the user and may reduce the resolution and the number of colors in the digital image according to the specifications of the textile machine. Fabric pattern design software may convert the digital image into knitting instructions. The knitting instructions may be executed by knitting equipment to produce a custom back panel having a knit image of the digital photograph. The back panel may be attached to a peripheral side wall to form the fabric case.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for forming a fabric case for an electronic device having a display, comprising:
 with computing equipment, receiving a user-selected digital image; 
 with the computing equipment, converting the user-selected digital image into knitting instructions; 
 with knitting equipment, knitting a back panel for the fabric case with colored yarns according to the knitting instructions, wherein the back panel has four sides; and 
 attaching a peripheral side wall to all of the four sides of the back panel, wherein the peripheral side wall is configured to extend around an outer perimeter of the electronic device without covering the display. 
 
     
     
       2. The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the back panel comprises a knit representation of the user-selected digital image. 
     
     
       3. The method defined in  claim 2 , wherein the colored yarns are arranged in rows and columns of loops, and wherein each loop forms a pixel in the knit representation of the user-selected digital image. 
     
     
       4. The method defined in  claim 2 , wherein the back panel has a periphery and wherein the peripheral side wall surrounds the periphery. 
     
     
       5. The method defined in  claim 4 , wherein the back panel and the peripheral side wall form a recess that receives the electronic device. 
     
     
       6. The method defined in  claim 5 , wherein the back panel has interior and exterior surfaces, wherein the interior surface faces the electronic device with the electronic device is within the recess, and wherein the knit representation of the user-selected digital image is located on the exterior surface of the back panel. 
     
     
       7. The method defined in  claim 4 , wherein the peripheral side wall comprises a knit peripheral side wall that is attached to the back panel with a seam. 
     
     
       8. The method defined in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 with the computing equipment, reducing a resolution and a number of colors in the user-selected digital image. 
 
     
     
       9. The method defined in  claim 8  wherein reducing the resolution of the user-selected digital image comprises reducing the resolution of the user-selected digital image to 120 pixels by 64 pixels. 
     
     
       10. The method defined in  claim 8  wherein reducing the number of colors in the user-selected digital image comprises reducing the number of colors in the user-selected digital image to six colors. 
     
     
       11. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the user-selected digital image comprises a photograph. 
     
     
       12. A method for forming a fabric case for an electronic device, comprising:
 with computing equipment, receiving a digital photograph from a user of the electronic device; 
 with the computing equipment, converting the digital photograph into a textile machine file; and 
 with knitting equipment, using the textile machine file to knit a back panel of the fabric case with a knit image of the digital photograph, wherein the knit image is formed from an array of loops of at least three different colors. 
 
     
     
       13. The method defined in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 with the computing equipment, reducing a resolution and a number of colors in the digital photograph. 
 
     
     
       14. The method defined in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 knitting side walls and attaching the side walls to the back panel. 
 
     
     
       15. The method defined in  claim 12  wherein the back panel has an outer surface that faces the exterior of the fabric case and wherein the knit image is located on the outer surface. 
     
     
       16. The method defined in  claim 12  wherein the fabric case is configured to receive the electronic device without covering a display of the electronic device. 
     
     
       17. A fabric case for an electronic device comprising:
 a back panel having a periphery with four sides, wherein the back panel comprises a knit image of a user-selected digital photograph, wherein the knit image is formed from loops of colored yarn, and wherein the colored yarn that forms the knit image comprises six different colors of yarn; and 
 a side wall that extends around all of the four sides of the periphery, wherein the back panel and the side wall form a recess that receives the electronic device, wherein the back panel has opposing interior and exterior surfaces, wherein the interior surface faces the electronic device when the electronic device is within the recess, and wherein the knit image is on the exterior surface of the back panel. 
 
     
     
       18. The fabric case defined in  claim 17  wherein the knit image has a lower resolution and fewer colors than the user-selected digital photograph. 
     
     
       19. The fabric case defined in  claim 17  wherein each loop of yarn represents a pixel in the knit image, and wherein the resolution of the knit image is at least 120 pixels by 64 pixels.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/552,637, filed Aug. 31, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to fabric, and, more particularly, to forming fabric for structures such as cases for electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices such as cellular telephones, computers, and other electronic equipment are sometimes used in conjunction with external cases. A user may, for example, place an electronic device in a removable plastic case to protect the electronic device from scratches. Removable cases may also be used to personalize electronic devices. 
     Plastic cases may be satisfactory in certain situations, but some users may desire a case with different aesthetics. As a result, fabric cases have been developed. 
     There are challenges associated with forming fabric cases for electronic devices. A user may have limited choices when it comes to selecting a fabric case for his or her device. The user may be able to select a desired color, but may otherwise be unable to customize a fabric case according to the user&#39;s preferences. 
     SUMMARY 
     A fabric case for an electronic device may include a back panel having a periphery and a side wall that extends around the periphery. The back panel and the side wall may be joined monolithically or may be joined using seams. 
     The back panel may include a knit image of a digital photograph or other design. The design of the back panel may be customized according to the designer&#39;s tastes. The designer may be a user of the case or electronic device, or the designer may be a manufacturer of the case or electronic device. 
     The case may be designed and constructed using computing equipment and knitting equipment. The computing equipment may receive a user-selected digital image from the user. The computing equipment may use image processing software to reduce the resolution and the number of colors in the digital image according to the specifications of the textile machine. 
     Fabric pattern design software may convert the digital image into knitting instructions. The knitting instructions may be executed by knitting equipment to produce a back panel for a fabric case. The back panel may have a knit image of the digital photograph. The back panel may include rows and columns of knitted loops of colored yarn. Each loop may form a pixel in the knit image. The knit image may be located on an exterior surface of the fabric case. The back panel may be attached to a peripheral side wall to form a recess that receives the electronic device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device to which a removable case has been attached in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is s perspective view of an illustrative removable electronic device case in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a removable case with peripheral walls monolithically formed with a back panel in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a removable case with peripheral walls that are attached to a back panel with seams in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of an illustrative knitting system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of illustrative computing equipment that may be used to convert images to customized fabric patterns in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing how a customized fabric case may be created from a picture in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of an illustrative fabric case having a rows and columns of pixels for forming images in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of an illustrative knit fabric that may be used to form the fabric case of  FIG. 9  in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in forming a customized fabric case for a user in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices may be provided with cases such as fabric cases. The fabric cases may be removable external cases. When a user desires to protect an electronic device from scratches or other damage, the user may place an electronic device within a case. When the user wishes to use a different case to change the appearance of an electronic device, the electronic device may be transferred from one case to another. If desired, fabric may be incorporated into an electronic device housing or may be used in forming other fabric-based structures. Arrangements in which fabric is used in forming removable external cases are sometimes described herein as an example. 
     The fabric for a removable case may be woven, knitted (e.g., weft knitted or warp knitted), or braided, or may be formed using other strand intertwining techniques. For example, fabric can be knit using a knitting machine. 
     An electronic device of the type that may be provided with a removable case that has been formed using intertwined strands is shown in  FIG. 1 . In the example of  FIG. 1 , device  10  includes a display such as display  14  mounted in housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Housing  12  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     Display  14  may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer of conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based touch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is not touch-sensitive. Display  14  may include an array of pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic pixels, an array of plasma pixels, an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels or other light-emitting diodes, an array of electrowetting pixels, or pixels based on other display technologies. 
     Display  14  may be protected using a display cover layer such as a layer of transparent glass or clear plastic. The display cover layer may form a planar front face for device  10 . The rear of housing  12  may have a parallel planar surface. Housing side walls may run around the periphery of housing  12 . Device  10  may have a rectangular outline (e.g., a rectangular footprint when viewing the front face of the device) or may have other suitable footprints. 
     Openings may be formed in the display cover layer. For example, an opening may be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate a button such as button  16 . An opening may also be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate ports such as speaker port  18 . Openings may be formed in housing  12  to form communications ports (e.g., an audio jack port, a digital data port, etc.), to form openings for buttons, etc. 
     Electronic 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, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 1 , device  10  is a portable device such as a cellular telephone, media player, tablet computer, or other portable computing device. Other configurations may be used for device  10  if desired. The example of  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of device  10  of  FIG. 1  in a configuration in which device  10  has been mounted in a removable case. As shown in  FIG. 2 , removable case  20  may have walls that run around the periphery of device  10 . If desired, case  20  may form a cover with a hinged portion, a structure with a pocket into which device  10  may slide, or other enclosure that receives device  10 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , case  20  surrounds device  10 , but does not cover display  14 . This type of arrangement, which may be desirable for devices such as cellular telephones, watches, and tablet computers, allows display  14  to be viewed by a user without opening a cover flap or moving any portion of case  20 . If desired, however, case  20  may be provided with pockets, flaps, hinged portions, straps, and other structures. The configuration of  FIG. 2  is merely illustrative. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of case  20  of  FIG. 2  in a configuration in which device  10  is not present (i.e., a configuration in which case  20  has been removed from device  10 ). As shown in  FIG. 3 , case  20  may have four straight segments each of which runs along and covers a respective one of the four straight peripheral edges of the rectangular housing of device  10 . Corner portions of the case join the straight segments together to form a case with a rectangular ring shape. Corners  20 C may be rounded when viewed from above (i.e., when case  20  has a footprint with rounded corners) or may have other shapes. Central opening  22  may have a rectangular shape (e.g., a rectangular shape with rounded corners) or other shape suitable for receiving electronic device  10  when electronic device  10  is mounted within case  20 . 
     Case  20  may have one or more portions formed from fabric  42 . Fabric  42  may be soft (e.g., case  20  may have a fabric surface that yields to a light touch), may have a rigid feel (e.g., the surface of case  20  may be formed from a stiff fabric), may be coarse, may be smooth, may have ribs or other patterned textures, and/or may be formed as part of a device that has portions formed from non-fabric structures of plastic, metal, glass, crystalline materials, ceramics, or other materials. 
     The strands of material in fabric  42  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). Monofilaments for fabric  42  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. 
     Yarns in fabric  42  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  42  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). Yarns in fabric  42  may be any suitable color (e.g., red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, gray, black, white, different shades of these colors, a mix of two or more of these colors, etc.). 
     Strands of material may be intertwined to form fabric  42  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. 
     A cross-sectional view of case  20  of  FIG. 3  taken along line  24  and viewed in direction  26  is shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , case  20  may have peripheral portions such as peripheral wall portions  32  and a rear wall portion such as back panel  34 . Back panel  34  may cover the rear side of electronic device  10  when device  10  is within case  20 . Peripheral walls  32  may include vertical side walls  30  that join respective upper horizontal wall portion  28 . Peripheral walls  32  may extend around the periphery of device  10  when device  10  is installed within case  20 . The cross-sectional shape of case  20  of  FIG. 4  (i.e., the shape in which horizontal walls  28  are perpendicular to vertical walls  30 ) is merely illustrative. If, for example, device  10  has edges with a curved cross-sectional shape, the profile of peripheral walls  32  may have a corresponding curved shape (e.g., side wall  30  may bow outwards). In some arrangements, horizontal portion  28  of walls  32  may be omitted. If desired, the fabric of case  20  may be formed from strands that are elastic to accommodate and/or conform to devices  10  with a variety of different edge profiles and footprints. The example of  FIGS. 3, 4, and 5  is merely illustrative. 
     Back panel portion  34  may be formed from a layer of plastic or metal or may be formed from a layer of fabric. Rear portion  34  may cover some or all of the rear of device  10  and may be attached to portions  32  or woven or formed as an integral portion of portions  32 . In the example of  FIG. 4 , peripheral walls  32  and back panel  34  are formed from fabrics that are joined monolithically (e.g., without joints or seams). 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative case  20  in which peripheral walls  32  and back panel  34  are formed from fabrics that are joined using seams such as seam  38 . Seam  38  may be a chain stitch formed using a linking strand, or may be any other suitable type of stitch, seam, or attachment member. When peripheral walls  32  and back panel  34  are formed separately and then subsequently joined, different methods and techniques may be employed in the formation of each piece, if desired. For example, peripheral walls  32  may be flat knit single layer structure, a warp knit fabric, a weft knit fabric, a seamless tube of fabric, one or more strips of fabric that are joined to form a rectangular outline, a spacer fabric, or other suitable fabric type. Back panel  34  may be a flat knit structure, a warp knit structure, a weft knit structure, a spacer fabric, one or more strips of fabric that are joined to form a panel, or other suitable fabric type. 
     Some or all of fabric  42  of case  20  may include a custom design. The custom design may, for example, be an image, pattern, or other design. The image may be formed using different colors of yarn. The yarn may be knit or woven in such a way as to create the desired image or pattern on case  20 . For example, case  20  may include an image of a person, a landscape, a car, or any other suitable object or scene, and/or may include patterns, shapes, or other design elements. The custom design portion may, for example, be located on rear panel  34  or may be located on other portions of case  20 . The design may face the exterior of case  20  so that the design is visible even when device  10  is located in case  20 . The image may comprised of “pixels,” where each pixel is formed by one or more loops or stitches of fabric  42 . 
     Knitted fabric such as knitted fabric  42  of  FIGS. 3, 4, and 5  may be formed using any suitable knitting equipment. An illustrative knitting system for forming fabric  42  (e.g., fabric having a user-selected image) is shown in  FIG. 6 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , knitting equipment such as knitting system  58  may include a yarn source such as yarn source  60 . Yarn source  60  may include a creel with spools of yarn  68 . Knitting elements  70  may be used to knit yarn  68  into knitted fabric  42 . Knitted fabric  42  may be gathered on drums or other take-down equipment  66 . 
     Knitting elements  70  may include yarn guide structures such as feeders  62  that guide yarn  68  towards needles and other equipment  64 . Equipment  64  may include latch needles or needles of other types. In some arrangements, equipment  64  may include multiple beds of needles such as a front needle bed and a back needle bed. Equipment  64  may include yarn positioning structures that move yarn  68  from one bed to another bed. Equipment  64  may also include hooks or other cam structures and other structures for manipulating the positions of needles. The needles, feeders, and other knitting elements  70  may be implemented as separately adjustable components or the functionality of two or more of these tools may be combined in equipment  64 . Equipment such as feeders  62  and needles  64  (i.e., knitting elements  70 ) may sometimes be referred to as knitting equipment. 
     The use of a knitting system such as knitting system  58  of  FIG. 6  to knit fabric  42  is sometimes described herein as an illustrative example. Other techniques for forming fabric  42  may be used, if desired. For example, a weaving machine may be used in arrangements where some or all of fabric  42  is woven fabric. In general any suitable textile machine may be used to form fabric  42  (e.g., a knitting machine, a weaving machine, a braiding machine, a dial linking machine, etc.). 
     Knitting system  58  or other suitable strand intertwining equipment may be used to create custom fabric cases for electronic devices. Custom fabric cases may include color images, patterns, or other designs. Knitting system  58  may receive data from a knitting program that instructs knitting system  58  how to knit the fabric to achieve the desired design. If, for example, a designer (e.g., a user, the case manufacturer, or a third party) wanted a photograph of a landscape on the fabric case, fabric pattern design software may be used to convert the photograph into a textile machine file. The textile machine file may be loaded onto control circuitry that operates knitting system  58  (e.g., that supplies control signals to knitting system  58  based on the textile machine file) or the textile machine file could be provided to a technician who operates knitting system  58  according to the textile machine file instructions. When knitting system  58  knits fabric  42  according to the textile machine file instructions, fabric  42  may have an image of the user-selected photograph. In some arrangements, the image on fabric  42  may have a lower resolution and fewer colors than the original user-selected photograph. 
     Illustrative computing equipment that may be used to convert image files into a textile machine file for knitting system  58  is shown in  FIG. 7 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , computing equipment  80  may include control circuitry  44 . Control circuitry  44  may include processing circuitry such as one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, and other processors and may include storage such as random access memory, flash storage (e.g., flash disk drives), hard disk drives, and other memory. Control circuitry  44  may run software such as fabric pattern design software  46  and image processing software  48 . 
     Fabric pattern design software  46  may be used to convert image files into a textile machine file. The textile machine file may be provided to knitting equipment  58 , and knitting equipment  58  may knit fabric  42  based on the textile machine file received from computing equipment  80 . In some arrangements, the textile machine file may be computer code that is loaded onto the control circuitry of knitting equipment  58  and that instructs the control circuitry how to operate the textile machine to produce the desired pattern. In other arrangements, the textile machine file may be a knitting pattern (e.g., a knitting chart) that is readable by a technician operating the textile machine, who is then able to operate the textile machine according to the knitting pattern instructions. In either case, the resulting fabric (e.g., fabric  42 ) may have a knit version of the electronic image file. This fabric may be used in forming case  20 . 
     Image processing circuitry  48  may be used to process images before the images are converted into a textile machine file by fabric pattern design software  46 . Image processing circuitry  48  may be used to adjust the resolution, colors, brightness, size, content, or other characteristic of an image before it is converted into a textile machine file. For example, if an image is high resolution and has more colors than the textile machine can produce, image processing circuitry  48  may be used to reduce the resolution of the image and reduce the number of colors in the image to match the capabilities of knitting equipment  58 . If desired, some or all of the functionality of image processing software  48  may be implemented using fabric pattern design software  46 . For example, the resolution, colors, brightness, size, or content of an image may be adjusted before the image is converted into a textile machine file, or any of these characteristics may be adjusted after the image is converted into a textile machine file. 
     Communications circuitry  50  may be used to transmit information from computing equipment  80  to knitting equipment  58  and/or to external equipment and/or may be used to receive information from knitting equipment  50  or external equipment. For example, a textile machine file produced by fabric pattern design software  46  may be supplied from computing equipment  80  to knitting system  58 . Communications circuitry  50  may also be used to gather information from knitting system  58  such as machine specifications (e.g., the textile machine make and model, the gauge of the textile machine, the diameter or width of the textile machine, the number of feeders, the number of yarn colors, the number of needles etc.). If desired, machine specifications may be provided to computing equipment manually (e.g., by a technician operating computing equipment  80  and/or knitting equipment  58 ). The example in which machine specifications are gathered using communications circuitry  50  is merely illustrative. Communications circuitry  50  may also be used to gather image data (e.g., user-selected photographs or other custom designs) to be converted into a textile machine file. 
     Communications circuitry  50  may include antennas and wireless local area network transceiver circuitry (e.g., WiFi® circuitry), Bluetooth® transceiver circuitry, cellular telephone transceiver circuitry, other radio-frequency transceiver circuitry (e.g., circuitry operating in bands from 700 MHz to 2700 MHz, below 700 MHz, above 2700 MHz, or other suitable wireless communications frequencies). 
       FIG. 8  is a diagram showing how an image file may be reproduced on a fabric case. Image  52  may be a digital image file such as a Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) file, a bitmap (BMP) file, a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) file, a Photoshop® (PSD) file, a portable networks graphics (PNG) file, a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) file, or other suitable digital image file. Digital image  52  may be a photograph (e.g., a digital photograph taken and/or selected by a user of case  20  and device  10 , by a manufacturer of case  20  and/or device  10 , or by a third party), may be a pattern with different shapes and colors, may be a combination of a photograph and other designs, or may be other suitable image. 
     Image  52  may be provided to computing equipment  80  ( FIG. 7 ). Computing equipment  80  may use image processing software  48  to adjust one or more characteristics of image  52  (e.g., to reduce the resolution of image  52 , reduce the number of colors in image  52 , or make other suitable adjustments to image  52 ). Fabric pattern design software  46  may be used to convert the image into a textile machine file. The textile machine file may be provided to knitting equipment  58 . Knitting equipment  58  may then be used to knit fabric  42  with image  52 ′. Image  52 ′ may be a knit version of the original image  52 . Image  52 ′ may, if desired, be located on back panel  34  of case  20  and may face the exterior of case  20 . 
       FIG. 9  is a top view of case  20  showing how image  52 ′ may be created on case  20  by forming different regions of case  20  with different colors. Fabric  42  of case  20  may be made up of an array of pixels such as pixels  54 . Each pixel  54  may be a point of color. There may be one, two, four, six, twelve, more than twelve, or less than twelve colors that make up image  52 ′ on fabric  42 . Each pixel  54  may have one of the possible colors that make up image  52 ′. For example, pixels  54 - 1  may be a first color, pixels  54 - 2  may be a second color, and pixels  54 - 3  may be a third color. The color of each pixel may be selected to create the desired image  52 ′. Knitting equipment  58  may be used to knit fabric  42  so that yarns  68  of the appropriate color are placed at each pixel  54 . 
     There may be any suitable number of pixels  54  in image  52 ′ on fabric  42 . In one suitable arrangement, image  52 ′ on fabric  42  has 120 rows and 64 columns of pixels  54  (e.g., 120×64 resolution). This is, however, merely illustrative. Arrangements in which the resolution of image  52 ′ is greater or less than 120 pixels by 64 pixels may also be used. 
       FIG. 10  shows how fabric  42  may be comprised of knitted yarn  68 . Each pixel  54  may be formed from one or more loops or stitches in fabric  42 . In the example of  FIG. 10 , each pixel  54  is formed from one loop in fabric  42 . This is, however, merely illustrative. If desired, each pixel  54  may be formed from two or more adjacent loops in fabric  42  (e.g., two, four, six, or other suitable number of loops in fabric  42 ). 
     The design of case  20  (e.g., back panel  34  of case  20 ) may be customized by a designer. The designer may be a user of case  20  and/or device  10 , the designer may be a manufacturer of case  20  and/or device  10 , or the designer may be a third party.  FIG. 11  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in producing a custom case  20  for a designer. 
     At step  100 , computing equipment  80  may receive an image such as image  52  from the designer. Image  52  may be a photograph (e.g., taken with a camera), may be a computer-generated image, may be a pattern of different shapes and colors, or may have any other suitable design. If desired, the designer may request other custom-characteristics for case  20 . For example, the designer may specify the fabric construction (e.g., warp knit, flat knit, woven, etc.), the type of yarn or material in case  20 , the amount of friction on case  20  (e.g., whether one or more sides of case  20  should have more friction to enhance landscape or portrait orientation viewing), the amount and placement of drop protection features (e.g., whether corners of case  20  should be more drop-resistant than sides of case  20 ), the elasticity of one or more portions of case  20 , the softness or feel of case  20 , the amount of transparency or translucency in portions of case  20 , any additional materials to be incorporated into case  20  (e.g., leather, cashmere, silk, plastic, etc.), or other suitable specifications. 
     At optional step  102 , computing equipment  80  may use image processing software  48  to make adjustments to image  52  according to the capabilities of knitting equipment  58  and according to the desired characteristics of case  20  (e.g., the size, shape, or other characteristic of case  20 ). For example, a 21-gauge textile machine (e.g., having 21 needles per inch) may be able to produce a higher resolution image than an 18-gauge textile machine (e.g., having 18 needles per inch). If image  52  is a high-resolution image having a large number of colors, and if knitting equipment  58  is capable of forming fabrics with six colors and 120 pixels by 64 pixels resolution, then image processing software  48  may reduce the resolution of image  52  to 120 pixels by 64 pixels, and may reduce the number of colors in image  52  to six. If image  52  already has the appropriate resolution and number of colors, then step  102  may be omitted. 
     At step  104 , computing equipment  80  may use fabric pattern design software  46  to convert image  52  (e.g., the adjusted version of image  52  having the appropriate resolution and number of colors for knitting equipment  58 ) into a textile machine file. The textile machine file may be a set of knitting instructions that indicate the order of knitting, the type of stitch, the transfer rows, and other suitable knitting information that results in fabric  42  having the desired image  52 ′ when the knitting instructions are followed. The textile machine file may be a file of computer code that is loaded onto knitting equipment  58  and executed automatically (e.g., using computer-generated control signals to instruct knitting equipment  58  to follow the textile machine file instructions), or the textile machine file may be a graphical representation of the knitting instructions (e.g., a knitting chart) that allows a technician to manually operate knitting equipment  58  according to the textile machine file instructions. 
     At step  106 , computing equipment  80  may generate a rendering of the finished case  20  with image  52 ′ for review by the designer. The rendering may be a two-dimensional rendering of back panel  34  having the desired image  52 ′, or the rendering may be a three-dimensional rendering of case  20  having the desired image  52 ′. This allows the designer to review and approve the proposed design and, if desired, make changes (e.g., changes to the colors, content, tone, material, size, and/or other characteristic). 
     At step  108 , computing equipment  80  may receive the updates or an approval from the designer. If the designer approves the rendering, processing may proceed without any changes to the textile machine file. If the designer makes changes, computing equipment  80  may make the appropriate updates to the textile machine file (e.g., using fabric pattern design software  46  and/or image processing software  48 ). The review portion of the process is merely illustrative. If desired, steps  106  and  108  may be omitted. 
     At step  110 , knitting equipment  58  may be used to create fabric  42  with image  52 ′ using the textile machine file generated by computing equipment  80 . This may include loading the textile machine file onto control circuitry that controls knitting equipment  58  so that knitting equipment  58  automatically knits according to the textile machine file, or this may include providing a knitting chart to a technician so that the technician can manually operate knitting equipment  58  according to the textile machine file. In both cases, the resulting fabric will be such that yarns  68  of the appropriate color are placed at each pixel  54  to produce the desired image  52 ′ on fabric  42 . In arrangements where image  52 ′ is formed on back panel  34 , back panel  34  may be joined (e.g., joined monolithically or joined with seams) to side walls  32  to form a finished case  20  (as shown in  FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 ). Image  52 ′ may, if desired, be located on the external surface of back panel  34  of case  20  (e.g., the surface that faces away from device  10  when device  10  is located in case  20 ). 
     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: 20180119
Publication Date: 20210504
Grant Date: 20210504
Priority Date: 20170831
Inventors: BERGERON, KATHLEEN A.
LU, Jessica J.
PODHAJNY, DANIEL A.
SUNSHINE, Daniel D.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "A45C11/002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/001", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/002", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B37/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B1/22", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B1/12", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2505/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D05B19/08", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B7/24", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B37/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A41H3/007", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B15/66", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B7/26", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B15/66", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B37/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B7/26", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D05B19/08", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A41H3/007", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C2011/001", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D04B7/24", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C2011/002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 75689399