Fabric-covered electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to fabric-covered electronic devices. An electronic device, such as a voice-controlled speaker device, can have a housing characterized by a vertical longitudinal axis. A flexible substrate, such as a flexible mesh substrate having component support regions coupled by flexible sections, can be wrapped around the housing and the vertical axis. The housing can include a surface region having compound curvature. The flexible substrate can conform to the region having compound curvature. A fabric spacer layer can be interposed between the flexible substrate and the housing. Electronic components, such as input-output devices, can be mounted to the component support regions. A display can be formed from an array of light-emitting devices mounted on respective component support regions. Light from the light-emitting devices can pass through the fabric spacer layer toward the housing and exit away from the housing. An outer fabric layer can cover the mesh.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application is a Continuation-In-Part of International Application No. PCT / US2018 / 052587, International Filing Date, September 25, 2018, entered into the National Stage of China on September 27, 2020, China National Application No. 201880091914.X, entitled "Fabric-Covered Electronic Device," the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 140,409, filed September 24, 2018, and Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 653,148, filed April 5, 2018, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and more specifically to electronic devices having fabric. BACKGROUND

[0005] Electronic devices, such as voice-controlled assistant devices, can include fabric. As one example, a housing of a voice-controlled assistant device can be covered with a layer of fabric. An opening can be provided in the fabric to allow sound to be emitted from within the device.

[0006] It can be challenging to enhance the functionality of voice-controlled assistant devices. For example, it can be difficult to integrate a light-emitting device into a voice-controlled assistant device having a layer of fabric. If not handled carefully, the fabric can impart an undesirable appearance to the emitted light or can completely block the emitted light, thereby preventing the light-emitting device from effectively communicating information to a user. SUMMARY

[0007] Electronic devices, such as voice-controlled speaker devices, can have a housing characterized by a vertical axis. The housing can have a cylindrical shape that includes an upper end and a lower end with surface regions having compound curvature. The housing can be covered by a layer of fabric, such as a knit fabric layer having diamond-shaped openings.

[0008] A flexible substrate, such as a flexible mesh substrate having component support regions coupled by flexible sections, can be wrapped around the housing and the vertical axis. The flexible substrate can conform to the regions having compound curvature. The knit fabric layer can cover the flexible substrate.

[0009] A spacer fabric layer can be interposed between the flexible mesh substrate and the housing. Electronic components, such as input-output devices, can be mounted to the component support regions of the flexible mesh fabric. The input-output devices can include sensors, antennas, and other wireless communication circuitry.

[0010] The display can be formed from an array of light-emitting devices mounted on respective component support regions in a flexible mesh substrate. The display can provide visual feedback when a user interacts with the electronic device by providing voice commands to the electronic device. In some configurations, the display can show images with text, moving content, icons, and other information.

[0011] The light-emitting devices can be configured such that light from the light-emitting devices passes inward through the fabric spacer layer toward the housing. A reflective layer, such as a polymer layer configured to hide internal components from view, can reflect the emitted light back through the fabric spacer layer. The electronic device can also be configured such that the light-emitting devices are oriented outward. A diffuser layer, a reflective layer, such as a reflective acoustically transparent component hiding layer, an adhesive layer, and / or other layers can also be incorporated into the stack of layers that surround the outer surface of the housing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative voice-controlled electronic device having a housing covered with a fabric layer, in accordance with an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the device of Figure 1 , in accordance with an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic view of a portion of an illustrative layer of a warp-knitted fabric, in accordance with an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 shows how a fabric layer can have openings, such as diamond-shaped openings, in accordance with an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an illustrative mesh layer formed from a flexible printed circuit having an array of openings that are patterned to form component mounting regions that are interconnected with a serpentine path, in accordance with an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 is a graph showing how the density of component mounting regions and / or the density of other features of a flexible substrate can vary as a function of position, in accordance with an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 7 is a top view of a portion of an illustrative mesh substrate layer, in accordance with an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the device of Figure 1 , in accordance with an embodiment.

[0020] Figure 9It is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary component according to the implementation plan.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a side view of an exemplary light-emitting component according to an embodiment, such as a light-emitting diode that couples light emission into and out of an associated lossy optical fiber. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Items (such as, Figure 1 Item 10) may include fabric. For example, fabric can be used to form Figure 1 One or more coverings of the article 10. The article 10 may be an electronic device or an accessory to an electronic device, such as a voice-controlled electronic device (sometimes referred to as a digital assistant or voice-controlled speaker); a laptop computer; a computer monitor containing an embedded computer; a tablet computer; a cellular phone; a media player; or other handheld or portable electronic devices; smaller devices, such as wristwatches, hanging devices, headphones or handsets, devices embedded in glasses, or other equipment worn on a user's head; or other wearable or micro-devices; a television set; a computer monitor that does not contain an embedded computer; a gaming device; a navigation device; an embedded system, such as a system in which the fabric-based article 10 is installed in an information kiosk, a car, an airplane, or other means of transportation; other electronic equipment, or equipment that performs the functions of two or more of these devices. If desired, item 10 may be a removable housing for electronic equipment, a strap, a wristband or headband, a removable cover for a device, a housing or bag having a strap or other structure for receiving and carrying electronic equipment and other items, a necklace or armband, a wallet, sleeve, pocket, or other structure into which electronic equipment or other items can be inserted, part of a chair, sofa, or other seating (e.g., a cushion or other seating structure), part of clothing or other wearable items (e.g., a hat, belt, wristband, headband, shirt, trousers, shoes, etc.), or any other suitable fabric-based item. Figure 1 In the exemplary configuration, item 10 is a voice-controlled electronic device, such as a voice-controlled speaker with internet access. Other types of devices can be combined with fabric if desired.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, article 10 may include a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12 may have a housing with... Figure 1The cylindrical shape of the rounded upper and lower ends of the illustrated type or other suitable shape (e.g., pyramidal shape, conical shape, box shape such as a rectangular box shape, spherical shape, etc.). The housing 12 can include a support structure formed of metal, polymer, ceramic, glass, wood, other materials, and / or combinations of these materials. The shape of the housing 12 can be selected to form a shell suitable for the type of article 10 for which the housing is used.As one example, in a configuration in which the article 10 is a voice-controlled electronic device, the enclosure 12 can be cylindrical, pyramidal, box-shaped, conical, spherical, or other shape suitable for enclosing one or more speakers; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a laptop computer, the enclosure 12 can have upper and lower thin box-shaped portions that are hingedly joined and can house a display and a keyboard, respectively; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, the enclosure 12 can have an elongated box shape, optionally with a curved back enclosure wall that can hold a display and is mounted on a stand; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, the enclosure 12 can have a rectangular profile and a thin depth; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a smaller device such as a wristwatch device or a pendant device, the enclosure 12 can have a thin profile and a rectangular, square, hexagonal, triangular, oval, or circular profile; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a headset or earpiece device, the enclosure 12 can have a shape configured to fit over or in a user's ear; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a pair of eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user's head, the enclosure 12 can have a shape that can be mounted on the head; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a jacket or other article of clothing (e.g., a hat, a belt, a wristband, a headband, a shirt, pants, shoes, etc.), the enclosure 12 can be formed from a layer of fabric or other material configured to allow the article 10 to be worn on a user's body; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, or a navigation device, the enclosure 12 can have a rectangular profile, a profile with curved and / or straight edges, a box shape, a cylindrical shape, and / or other suitable shape; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a kiosk, the enclosure 12 can form a base or other shape suitable for a kiosk, in a configuration in which the article 10 forms part of an automobile, an airplane, or other vehicle, the enclosure 12 can form a dashboard, a console, a door, a window, a seat, a body panel, or other part of the vehicle; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a removable enclosure for electronic equipment, the enclosure 12 can have a sleeve shape or other structure with a recess for receiving electronic equipment; in a configuration in which the article 10 is a strap, wristband, necklace, or headband, the enclosure 12 can have a strap shape; in a configuration in which the article 10 forms a case, a bag, or a wallet, the enclosure 12 can have a shape that forms a case wall and / or a bag or wallet side, and / or a surface that forms a strap and / or other structure for a case or bag; and in a configuration in which the article 10 is part of furniture, the enclosure 12 can be configured to form part of a chair, a sofa, or other seat (e.g., a cushion or other seating structure). Figure 1 In an illustrative configuration, the enclosure 12 has a cylindrical shape suitable for an article such as a voice-controlled speaker with internet access. If desired, the enclosure 12 can have other shapes and can be incorporated into other articles. Figure 1 A configuration of the article 10 is presented as one example.

[0024] The article 10 can include a fabric 14. The fabric 14 can form all or a portion of a housing wall or other layer in an electronic device, can form an outermost layer of the article 10, can form one or more internal cover layers, can form an internal structure in an electronic device, or can form other fabric-based structures. The article 10 can be soft (e.g., the article 10 can have a fabric surface that yields to a slight touch), can have a rigid feel (e.g., a surface of the article 10 can be formed of a rigid fabric), can be rough, can be smooth, can have ribs or other patterned textures, and / or can be formed as a portion of a device having portions formed of non-fabric structures of plastic, metal, glass, crystalline materials, ceramic, or other materials. In an illustrative configuration, some or all of an upper surface of the housing 12, such as a portion 12P, can be formed of a rigid polymer or other non-fabric structure, and sidewall surfaces of the housing 12 can be covered with the fabric 14. The portion 12P can include touch sensors, light-emitting devices (e.g., backlit button icons and / or light-emitting diodes that produce other visual output for a user), and / or other input-output components. If desired, the fabric 12 can cover some or all of the portion 12P. The fabric 14 can serve as a decorative cover for the article 10, can overlap with audio components (microphones and / or speakers), can be transparent to sound, and / or can be incorporated into other portions of the article 10.

[0025] The fabric 14 can include intertwined strands of material, such as strands 16. The fabric 14 may, for example, include a warp-knit fabric formed of warp-knit strands 16, and / or can include a woven fabric, a fabric having braided material strands, etc. The strands 16 can be monofilament strands (sometimes referred to as fibers or filaments), or can be material strands (sometimes referred to as yarns) formed by intertwining a plurality of material filaments together.

[0026] The strands 16 can be formed of polymers, metals, glass, graphite, ceramics, natural materials such as cotton or bamboo, or other organic and / or inorganic materials, and combinations of these materials. Conductive coatings such as metal coatings can be formed on non-conductive materials. For example, plastic strands in the fabric 14 can be coated with metal to make them conductive. Reflective coatings such as metal coatings can be applied to make the strands reflective. Strands formed of and / or coated with white polymers (e.g., light-scattering particles in the polymer) can help reflect light in some configurations. If desired, the strands can be formed of bare metal wire or metal wire intertwined with insulating filaments (as examples). Bare metal strands and polymer strands coated with conductive coatings can be provided with insulating polymer sheaths. In some configurations, the strands 16 can include optical fibers (e.g., lossy optical fibers having surface roughening or other features that allow the strands to guide light while emitting some of the guided light outward). Optical waveguide strands (e.g., lossy optical fibers formed of glass, transparent polymers, etc.) can be provided with light from a light source such as a light-emitting diode to display information (e.g., a desired light pattern). In some cases, it can be desirable for the lossy fiber to appear black or colored when illuminated by external light, so that the lossy fiber can match the appearance of other fibers. In these cases, the lossy fiber can include regions where the fiber appears colored on the outside but only leaks light slightly rather than leaking light completely, and other regions where light is emitted due to roughening of the fiber surface or local adjustments (e.g., local thinning of a cladding layer) to the fiber in that region.

[0027] If desired, an article such as the article 10 can include a control circuit 20. The control circuit 20 can include microprocessors, microcontrollers, application specific integrated circuits, digital signal processors, baseband processors, and / or other controllers, and can include storage such as random access memory, read only memory, solid state drives, and / or other storage and processing circuitry.

[0028] Control circuit 20 can gather information from sensors and other circuitry in input- output device 18, and can use input-output device 18 to provide output. Input-output device 18 may, for example, include audio devices such as microphones and speakers. A microphone can gather audio input (e.g., sound passing through fabric 14, such as voice commands for controlling operation of article 10). A speaker can produce audio output (e.g., sound passing through fabric 14). Sensors in input-output device 18 can include touch sensors, force sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, proximity sensors, strain gauges, temperature sensors, moisture sensors, gas sensors, pressure sensors, magnetic sensors, position and orientation sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or compasses), and / or other sensors. Light-emitting diodes, displays, and other visual output devices can be used to provide visual output to a user. As one example, visual output devices can be used to form illuminated buttons, displays that show images, visual feedback zones that display static and / or moving light patterns to indicate to a user that a command has been received and / or is being processed by control circuit 20, etc. Buttons, joysticks, haptic output components, and / or other input-output components can be provided in input-output device 18 to gather input from a user and provide output to the user. Wireless circuitry (e.g., wireless local area network circuitry, cellular telephone circuitry, etc.) in circuit 20 can be used to support wireless communication with external equipment.

[0029] Light emitting devices (e.g., lasers or light emitting diodes) can be arranged in a pixel array to form a display or other light-based output device. As one example, light emitting devices can be formed under one or more cover layers (e.g., a fabric) on the article 10. Light emitting devices can be formed only in an annular upper region 12W-1 extending around an upper edge of the article 10, and / or can be formed on one or more other portions of the article 10 (e.g., on some or all of the exterior sidewall surface 12W-2). In general, surfaces of the article 10 (such as surfaces of the housing portion 12P) and sidewalls of the article 10 can be provided with any suitable input-output devices 18. As one example, sidewall locations in the article 10 (e.g., an upper sidewall region associated with the region 12W-1 and / or a sidewall region associated with the region 12W-2) can be provided with light emitting devices (e.g., to form a pixel array for displaying images including text, static image content, moving image content, icons, etc.), sensors (e.g., force sensors for gathering touch / tap input, touch sensors, proximity sensors, gesture sensors, arrays of accelerometers, dome switches or other pressure activated switches, etc.), and / or other input-output devices 18. These sidewall locations in the article 10 can partially or completely encircle a perimeter of the article 10 (e.g., light emitting devices, sensors, and / or other components can be provided on sidewall regions that encircle a longitudinal axis of the article 10 such as a vertical axis 22 and extend along some or all of a circumference of the article 10). Some or all of the surfaces of the article 10 can be covered with one or more layers of material, including a fabric layer and / or other layers such as polymer layers, metal layers, etc. If desired, light emitting devices in the article 10 can emit infrared light that is not visible to a user but can be detected by external sensors and devices to support light-based communication between the article 10 and external devices. The article 10 can also include infrared light detectors to support infrared light-based communication.

[0030] Figure 2 A cross-sectional side view of a portion of the article 10 is shown in FIG. 1C. In the example of FIG. 1C, the article 10 includes an internal component such as a speaker 32 in an interior 24 of the article 10. A wall structure 28 (e.g., a sidewall structure) can separate the interior 24 from an exterior 26 of the article 10. A user (e.g., a user 34) of the article 10 can view the exterior of the article 10 in a direction 36, and can hear sound that has been emitted from the speaker 32 and has passed through the wall structure 28. Figure 2

[0031] The wall structure 28 can include a housing (e.g., a metal housing wall, a plastic housing wall, a housing wall formed from other materials and / or combinations of these materials) formed by one or more rigid support structures. As shown in FIG. 1C, the wall structure 28 can include a sidewall structure 28W and a top wall structure 28T. The sidewall structure 28W can extend around a perimeter of the article 10 (e.g., around a longitudinal axis of the article 10 such as a vertical axis 22). The top wall structure 28T can extend around a top edge of the article 10 (e.g., around a top edge of the sidewall structure 28W). The sidewall structure 28W and the top wall structure 28T can be formed by one or more rigid support structures (e.g., a metal support structure, a plastic support structure, a support structure formed from other materials and / or combinations of these materials). The sidewall structure 28W and the top wall structure 28T can be formed by a single rigid support structure, or can be formed by two or more rigid support structures (e.g., a first rigid support structure forming the sidewall structure 28W and a second rigid support structure forming the top wall structure 28T). Figure 2 ​As shown, for example, the wall structure 28 can include the housing 12 (e.g., housing walls such as housing side walls and / or other housing wall structures). The housing 12 can have an acoustic opening 30 to allow sound to pass through the housing 12. The opening 30 can be circular, square, diamond, or can have other suitable shapes. The lateral dimension of the opening 30 can be at least 0.1 mm, at least 1 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 15 mm, less than 30 mm, less than 60 mm, or other suitable dimensions.

[0032] The cover layer 38 can overlap the outer surface of the housing 12. The cover layer 38 can have an opening 40. As one example, the outermost face of the cover layer 38 can serve as a decorative layer (e.g., a layer that provides a desired color, texture, etc. for the article 10). An inner cover layer (e.g., a layer 38 interposed between the outermost layer and the housing 12) can include an adhesive layer that attaches the layers together, a cushioning layer (e.g., a layer of foam and / or fabric that provides a soft touch feel for the layer 38), a component layer (e.g., a substrate with electrodes, metal traces that form interconnects, integrated circuits, light-emitting components, sensors such as a touch sensor array or a force sensor, and / or other circuitry), a light modification layer (e.g., a diffuser layer, a reflective layer, a layer to hide internal components from view, etc.), a component hiding layer, or other layers (such as a sound-transmissive layer that blocks light and / or blocks moisture, dust, and other environmental contaminants), and / or other cover layer structures. If desired, the layer 38 can include a coating (e.g., one or more liquid polymer layers containing light-scattering particles, dyes, pigments, and / or other materials that can be applied in liquid form and solidified to form a solid coating, a coating of metal or other material deposited using physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and / or electrochemical deposition, and / or other coatings).

[0033] One or more of the layers 38 can include the fabric 14. The fabric 14 may, for example, overlap some or all of the exterior of the housing 12 (e.g., the fabric 14 can overlap at least the area 12W-2 of the housing 12). The fabric 14 can also be used to form a strap, a cover, a wearable article, and / or other structures of the article 10. Figure 1

[0034] A warp knitting machine or other equipment (e.g., weaving equipment, braiding equipment, weft knitting equipment, etc.) can be used to intertwine the strands 16 to form the fabric 14. In general, the fabric 14 can be any suitable type of fabric (e.g., a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a braided fabric, etc.). Figure 3 An example warp knit fabric 14 is shown in FIG. 8. An example strand 16’ among the strands 16 has been highlighted to show the zigzag path taken by each strand in the fabric 14.

[0035] ​During the process of forming the fabric 14 (e.g., during knitting), if desired, the warp knitting machine or other fabric manufacturing equipment forming the fabric 14 can direct the positioners in the equipment to incorporate openings into the fabric 14. As one example, the equipment can be directed to form a knitted fabric or other fabric that includes diamond-shaped openings or other suitably shaped openings, as shown by the openings 42 in the warp-knitted fabric 14 of Figure 4 In configurations in which the fabric 14 forms a layer 38, the openings 42 can function as the openings 40 of Figure 2

[0036] Figure 2 One or more of the layers 38 can include a fabric layer or a polymer layer (e.g., a perforated polymer sheet) or other substrate layer having openings (e.g., openings large enough to allow acoustic signals to pass through). As one example, a polymer layer can have a coating for reflecting and / or blocking light (e.g., one layer 38 can be a polymer substrate, and another layer 38 can be a coating on the polymer substrate). In some configurations, metal traces and / or electronic components can be incorporated into the substrate. Flexible polymer substrates with metal traces (e.g., flexible polyimide layers or other flexible polymer sheets with metal traces) can sometimes be referred to as flexible printed circuits.

[0037] Figure 5 Perspective views of illustrative flexible substrate layers having openings are shown in Figure 5 The layer 44 can be a flexible printed circuit substrate or other substrate layer having an array of openings forming a mesh shape (sometimes referred to as a mesh layer, mesh, or flexible mesh). One or more layers, such as the mesh layer 44 of Figure 5 may be included in the layers 38 of Figure 2 As one example, one or more layers, such as the layer 44 of Figure 5 may be interposed in the layers 38 between the outer layer of the fabric 14 (see, e.g., Figure 4 ) and the housing 12.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5 The layer 44 can have an array of openings 46. The layer 44 can have regions 44-1 (sometimes referred to as islands, island regions, component mounting areas, or component support regions) to which components 48 are soldered or otherwise mounted (see, e.g., the formation of the component 48 of Figure 1 ​The components 48 can be, for example, packaged or unpackaged semiconductor dies used to form integrated circuits, sensors, light-emitting devices, and / or other circuitry. For one illustrative configuration, the components 48 are semiconductor dies that form one or more light-emitting devices, such as light-emitting diodes or lasers (e.g., vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers or other lasers), that emit light 50 (e.g., light 50 that exits the layer 44 perpendicularly, i.e., parallel to the surface normal of the layer 44). The components 48 can also include sensors (e.g., capacitive touch sensors, etc.) and / or other input-output devices 18. If desired, the components 48 can include multiple semiconductor dies and / or other electronic components in a common package. For example, red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes and optional control circuitry and / or sensor circuitry such as a capacitive touch sensor can be placed in a common package. Electrostatic discharge protection circuitry can be incorporated into the components 48 and / or circuitry coupled with the components 48 to help protect the light-emitting diodes, touch sensor, and other sensitive circuitry from electrical damage during electrostatic discharge events (e.g., when a user touches a surface of the article 10).

[0039] To enhance flexibility in the mesh layer 44, the regions 44-1 can be interconnected by elongate portions of the layer 44, such as segments 44-2. The segments 44-2 can extend from one region 44-1 to another region 44-1 and can extend between the openings 46. The segments 44-2 can be straight, can be curved, or can have both straight and curved portions. In some arrangements, the segments 44-2 can be formed by perforations in the layer 44 that are spaced apart by the regions 44-1. The segments 44-2 can be formed by perforations that are spaced apart by the regions 44-1 and / or by perforations that are spaced apart by the segments 44-2 and the regions 44-1. Figure 5 In illustrative configurations, the segments 44-2 have a serpentine shape to help enhance flexibility and stretchability of the layer 44 without damaging the layer 44 or the components 48. If desired, other mesh shapes can be used (e.g., mesh substrates with circular openings, triangular openings, hexagonal openings, mesh patterns with a combination of circular and square openings, mesh with irregularly patterned openings, etc.). In some arrangements, the layer 38 can include one or more layers such as the layer 44 or other layers 38 (e.g., a fabric layer) that are used to shield internal components in the housing 12 (e.g., the speaker 32) from being seen by the user 34 while allowing sound from the speaker 32 to be transmitted to the user 34. These internal layers (which can sometimes be referred to as mesh layers or component hiding layers) can be free of the components 48. A coating (e.g., a white ink or other reflective coating) can be formed on an outward-facing surface of an internal layer to reflect light 50 outward (e.g., in the case that one or more of the components 48 emit light 50, as shown in FIG. 1). As one example, a perforated flexible polymer sheet can be coated with a metallic or reflective white coating to reflect light 50, and / or a fabric with an array of openings and / or a rough acoustically transparent structure can be provided with metallic threads, white threads, and / or a reflective adhesive material to reflect light 50. Figure 5 As one example, a perforated flexible polymer sheet can be coated with a metallic or reflective white coating to reflect light 50, and / or a fabric with an array of openings and / or a rough acoustically transparent structure can be provided with metallic threads, white threads, and / or a reflective adhesive material to reflect light 50.

[0040] The housing 12 may have a curved surface (e.g., a surface with a composite curvature, such as...). Figure 1 (As shown in the curved surface of item 10). Flexible substrates such as Figure 5 The substrate 44 and other flexible layers 38 may have an array of openings 46 configured to facilitate the conformation of one or more layers to the curved surface of the housing 12. If desired, the density of the openings 46 (e.g., the number, size, and / or shape of openings 46 per unit area) may be varied according to the lateral distance across the surface of the substrate 44 (or other flexible layers 36) when the substrate 44 is in a planar configuration. Figure 6 As shown, for example, the density of the opening 46 may decrease at portions of layer 44 at the upper and lower ends of article 10 (e.g., near where the vertical dimension Z equals 0 at the base of article 10 and where the vertical dimension Z equals the height H of article 10). For example, the opening 46 may be larger (and the components 48 may be more widely spaced) at portions of layer 44 to be coupled to the ends of article 10. When layer 44 is subsequently attached to the outer surface of housing 12, the density of the low-density portions of layer 44 will increase (because the spacing between the portions of layer 44 will decrease as layer 44 laterally contracts to conform to the surface of housing 12 at the ends of article 10). Therefore, after article 10 is assembled by attaching layer 44 to housing 12, the components 48 located at the curved ends of article 10 will have the same or nearly the same spacing (part-to-part spacing) as those components 48 located in the middle of article 10 (e.g., in the middle of the height of article 10).

[0041] Figure 7 This is a top view of layer 44, illustrating how structures such as metal traces 52 and components 48 can be formed on layer 44. Metal traces 52 and components 48 can be formed, for example, on component support regions 44-1. In some configurations, portions of the metal traces 52 (and, if desired, circuit components) may extend onto segment 44-2. Metal traces 52 can be used to form antennas; capacitive sensing electrodes for capacitive touch sensors and / or capacitive proximity sensors; or electrodes for other measurements such as force measurement, moisture measurement, temperature measurement, etc. Metal traces 52 can route signals between components 48 and can be used to interconnect components 48 with control circuitry 20. Components 48 may include light-emitting devices, sensor circuitry, tactile output components, and other input-output circuitry (see, for example...). Figure 1 The device 18) and / or other circuits in the article 10.

[0042] Figure 8is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a side wall of the article 10, showing how the layer 38 can cover the enclosure 12. The layer 38 can include the layer 14-2 (e.g., a fabric spacer layer or other layer), the layer 54 (e.g., a sound-transmissive component concealment layer interposed between the layer 14-2 and the enclosure 12), the adhesive layer 38A, the layer 44 (e.g., a flexible printed circuit mesh layer, such as Figure 5 the layer 44 of FIG. 1), and the layer 14-1 (e.g., a decorative fabric layer).

[0043] The layer 14-1 can be an outer decorative fabric layer, such as Figure 4 the layer 14 of FIG. 1. The openings 42 can be configured to allow sound to pass through the layer 14-1. As Figure 8 shown, other cover layers 38 can be interposed between the outer layer 14-1 and the enclosure 12.

[0044] The layer 54 can be a component concealment layer, such as a perforated polymer layer or a fabric layer formed from polymer strands or other material strands. The layer 54 can help conceal internal components in the article 10, such as the speaker 32 Figure 2 , from being seen by the user 34 when the user 34 views the article 10 in the direction 36. The polymer of the layer 54 can be provided with light-scattering particles and / or can be coated with a reflective coating (e.g., a polymer coating with light-scattering particles, a metal coating, etc.) such that the layer 54 acts as a reflective, sound-transmissive component concealment layer (e.g., a layer with a visible light reflectance of at least 50%, at least 70%, at least 85%, less than 99.9%, etc.).

[0045] The fabric spacer layer 14-2 can be formed from a soft cushion fabric layer (e.g., an outer fabric layer, an opposing inner fabric layer, and a spacer layer formed from spacer strands extending back and forth between the outer fabric layer and the inner fabric layer). The fabric spacer layer 14-2 can be sufficiently porous to allow sound to pass through, or can be provided with openings, such as Figure 4 the openings 42 of FIG. 1, to allow sound to pass through.

[0046] The layer 44 can be interposed between an outer adhesive layer 38A and an inner adhesive layer 38A. The adhesive layers 38A can have openings that allow sound to pass through. The outer adhesive layer 38A can be used to attach the layer 14-1 to the layer 44. The inner adhesive layer 38A can be used to attach the layer 44 to the spacer fabric layer 14-2.

[0047] The layer 44 can be a flexible printed circuit, such as Figure 5Layer 44. Layer 44 may include a light-emitting component that emits light 50. For example, layer 44 may have a light-emitting device (component 48) configured to emit light 50 inward toward the housing 12. When light 50 is transmitted inward toward the housing 12 and when light 50 is transmitted outward from the housing 12 to the user 36 after being reflected from a reflective structure (such as layer 54), the emitted light may be diffused by the material strands in the fabric spacer layer 14-2. If desired, optional additional light-diffusing layers may be included in layer 38. For example, one or more light-diffusing layers may be located between the housing 12 and layer 54, between layers 14-2 and 54, between layers 14-2 and 44, between layers 44 and 14-1, and / or at other locations within layer 38. In an exemplary configuration, a diffuser formed of a frosted polymer film may be inserted into Figure 8 The interfaces between any one or more, two or more, or three or more of the layers 38 are configured to facilitate the diffusion of light 50 as it passes through the diffuser layer. In another exemplary configuration, layer 38 does not contain a frosted polymer film.

[0048] Generally, light-diffusing materials, component-concealing materials, dust-shielding materials, one or more additional flexible substrates with electronic components, adhesives, and / or coating structures (e.g., reflective coatings, such as white ink, metallic coatings, etc.) may be located in Figure 8 At one or more, two or more, or three or more interfaces between layers 38, and may be coupled to an outward-facing surface and / or an inward-facing surface at each of these interfaces. If desired, the flexible mesh substrate, such as layer 44, may include antenna traces (e.g., metal traces for forming patch antennas, inverted-F antennas, loop antennas, inductive power transmission coils, monopoles, dipoles, etc.), metal traces for forming capacitive sensor electrodes, and / or signal interconnect traces, and / or other metal traces. The flexible mesh substrate layer in layer 38, such as layer 44, may also include electronic components, such as those for forming… Figure 1 The input-output devices 18 and / or components of the control circuitry 20. Multiple layers, such as layer 44, can be inserted if needed. Figure 8 In the stack of layer 38.

[0049] In some configurations, layer 44 may be located between layer 54 and housing 12, and / or between layer 14-2 and layer 54. In these arrangements, light 50 may be emitted outward toward user 38 and diffused as it passes through layer 14-2 and / or through layer 54 and other layers 38 covering housing 12, and / or light 50 may be directed inward before being reflected outward through layer 14-2 and / or 54 and any other layers 38 covering housing 12.

[0050] Layer 44 may extend around the circumference of the outer shell 12 (e.g., in annular regions such as...). Figure 1The light-emitting devices in layer 44 extend into region 12W-1 or region 12W-2. The density of the light-emitting devices in layer 44 is sufficient to form a display configured to show images to user 34, such as images containing text, graphics, or moving images. In some configurations, the density of the light-emitting devices on some or all of layer 44 may be lower, such that the light-emitting devices are primarily used to display diffuse fixed or moving light patterns (e.g., abstract light patterns of one or more colors) used as visual feedback.

[0051] Each component 48 may emit light for one or more pixels. The display formed by layer 44 may have any suitable number of pixels. For example, an 11×128 pixel array may exist on layer 44 in region 12W-1 to form a display with 1408 pixels. As another example, layer 44 may include a 128×71 pixel array to form a display with 8960 pixels in region 12W-2. Generally, layer 44 may include at least 500 pixels, at least 1000 pixels, at least 2000 pixels, at least 5000 pixels, at least 9000 pixels, less than 10000 pixels, less than 50000 pixels, less than 400000 pixels, or other suitable number of pixels. The diffused light emitted from article 10 may have an aesthetically pleasing appearance and may facilitate the transmission of the emitted light through fabric layer 14-1. The process of diffusing the emitted light 50 may help the article produce a satisfactory output without using an excessive number of pixels.

[0052] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional side view of component 48 in an exemplary configuration where multiple light sources are encapsulated in a common package. (See also...) Figure 9 As shown, component 48 may include a substrate, such as substrate 60 (e.g., printed circuit). Light-emitting diodes 62 and other electronic components (e.g., control circuitry, touch sensors and other input devices, haptic output devices, etc.) may be mounted on substrate 60. For example, each component 48 may include a red light-emitting diode 62, a green light-emitting diode 62, and a blue light-emitting diode 62, thereby allowing component 48 to emit tunable color light by adjusting the relative intensities of the red, green, and blue light emitted from the diodes 62. Diodes 62 may be coated with polymers and / or other materials (e.g., for encapsulation, light diffusion, etc.). Figure 9 In the example, diode 62 is covered with a layer of polymer 66. Light scattering particles 68 (e.g., high-refractive-index particles formed of titanium oxide or other inorganic materials) may be embedded in polymer 66 to scatter the emitted light 50, thereby diffusing it. If desired, optional sidewalls 70 may be included in the package of component 48. Sidewalls 70 may reflect the emitted light 50 upwards, thereby helping to concentrate the emitted light 50 in a particular direction.

[0053] If desired, the strands 16 in the fabric 14 and / or elsewhere in the article 10 can include optical fibers, such as optical fiber 16F. Light 50 emitted from the component 48 can be coupled into the interior of the fiber 16F, and can be guided within the interior of the fiber 16F according to the principle of total internal reflection. The fiber 16F can be a lossy fiber that tends to scatter and emit the guided light along its length. Thus, the light 50 that has been coupled into the fiber 16F can be emitted and viewed by a user of the article 10. If desired, the light 50 can be emitted into the end of one or more fibers, such as the fiber 16F, by coupling the component to the end of the fiber.

[0054] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided that includes a housing, a speaker in the housing configured to emit sound, a fabric layer having openings configured to allow passage of sound, and a flexible substrate layer having an array of light emitting devices interposed between the fabric layer and the housing and configured to emit light toward the housing.

[0055] According to another embodiment, wherein the housing is cylindrical and characterized by a longitudinal axis, and the flexible substrate layer is configured to form a ring that encircles the housing and the longitudinal axis.

[0056] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes light emitting devices configured to form pixels in a display under the fabric layer, the flexible substrate layer has an array of substrate layer openings and is configured to form component support regions coupled by segments of the flexible substrate layer, and each of the light emitting devices is mounted on a respective one of the component support regions.

[0057] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a fabric spacer layer between the flexible substrate layer and the housing, the light emitted toward the housing passes through the fabric spacer layer.

[0058] According to another embodiment, the fabric layer openings include diamond-shaped fabric layer openings.

[0059] According to another embodiment, the array of light emitting devices includes at least 5000 of the light emitting devices, and the array of light emitting devices is configured to form a display that displays an image.

[0060] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes an acoustically transparent component hiding layer interposed between the fabric spacer layer and the housing, the acoustically transparent component hiding layer is configured to reflect the light passing through the fabric spacer layer back away from the housing through the spacer layer.

[0061] According to another embodiment, the flexible substrate layer forms a mesh onto which a light emitting device is mounted.

[0062] According to another embodiment, the housing includes a region having a compound curvature, and the mesh conforms to the housing in the region having the compound curvature.

[0063] According to another embodiment, the flexible substrate layer forms a mesh with touch sensor circuitry.

[0064] According to one embodiment, a voice controlled device is provided, the voice controlled device comprising: a housing; a speaker in the housing configured to emit sound; a flexible polymer mesh having openings configured to form component support regions coupled by flexible polymer segments, the flexible polymer mesh configured to extend around the housing in the form of a loop; and an electronic component mounted on the flexible polymer mesh.

[0065] According to another embodiment, the housing includes a surface region having a compound curvature, and wherein the flexible polymer mesh is configured to conform to the surface region of compound curvature.

[0066] According to another embodiment, the electronic component includes a light emitting device configured to form a display.

[0067] According to another embodiment, the voice controlled device includes a first fabric layer interposed between the flexible polymer mesh and the housing, and a second fabric layer, the flexible polymer mesh interposed between the second fabric layer and the first fabric layer.

[0068] According to another embodiment, the light emitting device is configured to emit light that passes through the first fabric layer before passing through the second fabric layer.

[0069] According to another embodiment, the voice controlled device includes at least one reflective acoustically transparent component concealment layer interposed between the first fabric layer and the housing, the reflective acoustically transparent component concealment layer configured to reflect emitted light that passes through the first fabric layer back through the first fabric layer toward the flexible polymer mesh.

[0070] According to another embodiment, the light emitting device is configured to emit light that passes through the second fabric layer without passing through the first fabric layer.

[0071] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: a flexible mesh substrate having support areas interconnected by substrate segments; circuitry on the support areas; a housing around which the flexible mesh substrate is wrapped; and a speaker in the housing.

[0072] According to another embodiment, the circuitry comprises circuitry selected from the group consisting of antenna circuitry and sensor circuitry.

[0073] According to another embodiment, the electronic device comprises a first fabric layer covering the flexible mesh substrate and a second fabric layer between the flexible mesh substrate and the housing, the circuitry comprising light emitting devices configured to form a display that displays an image through the flexible mesh substrate.

[0074] The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments can be implemented independently or in any combination.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: a flexible mesh substrate having support areas interconnected by substrate segments; a first fabric layer covering the flexible mesh substrate; circuitry on the support areas; a housing around which the flexible mesh substrate is wrapped; a second fabric layer between the flexible mesh substrate and the housing; a speaker in the housing, wherein the circuitry includes a light emitting device configured to emit light toward the housing and form a display that displays an image through the flexible mesh substrate; and a reflective layer interposed between the second fabric layer and the housing, wherein the reflective layer is configured to reflect the light that passes through the second fabric layer back through the second fabric layer away from the housing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes circuitry selected from the group consisting of: antenna circuitry and sensor circuitry.

3. An electronic device, comprising: a housing having a housing wall that includes a surface area having compound curvature; a speaker in the housing configured to emit sound; a flexible polymer mesh having openings that form component support areas coupled by flexible polymer segments, wherein the flexible polymer mesh conforms to the surface area having compound curvature; electronic components mounted on the flexible polymer mesh; a first fabric layer interposed between the flexible polymer mesh and the housing wall; and a second fabric layer, wherein the flexible polymer mesh is interposed between the second fabric layer and the first fabric layer, wherein the electronic components are configured to emit light through the first fabric layer before passing through the second fabric layer toward the housing.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the speaker is configured to emit sound through the housing wall and the flexible polymer mesh, and wherein the electronic device further comprises: at least one reflective acoustically transparent component concealment layer interposed between the first fabric layer and the housing wall, wherein the reflective acoustically transparent component concealment layer is configured to reflect the emitted light that passes through the first fabric layer back through the first fabric layer toward the flexible polymer mesh.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the speaker is configured to emit sound through the housing wall and the flexible polymer mesh. ​

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