Electronic device with woven band

Abstract

The head-mounted device may include a main housing portion and a woven headband that supports the head-mounted device on a user's head. The woven headband may include first and second plain knit end portions without ribs and a ribbed woven portion extending between the first and second plain knit end portions. The ribbed woven portion may include a stretchable inner woven layer formed from a mesh woven fabric. A first set of ribs may be formed on a first side of the inner woven layer, and a second set of ribs may be formed on a second, opposite side of the inner woven layer. The headband may include one or more pockets. Pockets along the perimeter of the headband can accommodate cords. A pocket at one end can accommodate a user input device or other electronic component.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates generally to textile bands, and more particularly to textile bands for wearable electronic devices such as head-mounted devices. (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 346,726, filed July 3, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 395,273, filed August 4, 2022, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. [Background technology]

[0002] An electronic device, such as a head-mounted device, is configured to be worn on a user's head. The head-mounted device may have left and right optical systems for presenting images to the user's left and right eyes. The optical systems may be mounted in a head-mounted housing. Conventional head-mounted devices can be uncomfortable and cumbersome to wear. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An electronic device, such as a head-mounted electronic device, can include a main housing portion. The display and lenses can be mounted within the main housing portion. The display can be configured to present an image viewable from the eyebox.

[0004] The head-mounted device may include a woven headband for supporting the head-mounted device on a user's head. The woven headband may include first and second plain-knit end portions without ribs and a ribbed woven portion extending between the first and second plain-knit end portions. The ribbed woven portion may include a stretchable inner woven layer formed from a mesh fabric. A first set of ribs may be formed on a first side of the inner woven layer, and a second set of ribs may be formed on a second, opposite side of the inner woven layer. The woven headband may be configured to stretch in a first direction, and the ribs may extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Openings may extend through the ribs so that the headband is breathable and lightweight without sacrificing cushioning.

[0005] The headband may include one or more pockets. Pockets along the perimeter of the headband may accommodate cords. A pocket at one of the ends may accommodate a user input device or other electronic component. The pockets may be located in the plain knit region of the headband and / or in the ribbed portion of the headband. The pockets may be formed in the ribbed fabric by separating the inner mesh fabric into first and second inner fabric layers, with the pockets located between the first and second inner fabric layers. The first set of ribs may be supported by the first inner fabric layer, and the second set of ribs may be supported by the second inner fabric layer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary head-mounted device, according to one embodiment.

[0007] [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a rear view of an exemplary head-mounted device, according to one embodiment.

[0008] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary head-mounted device, according to one embodiment.

[0009] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary head-mounted device having a headband, according to one embodiment.

[0010] [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary knitting system, according to one embodiment.

[0011] [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a portion of an exemplary layer of knitted fabric, according to one embodiment.

[0012] [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a rear view of an exemplary fabric band, according to one embodiment.

[0013] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary textile band in an unstretched state, according to one embodiment.

[0014] [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary textile band in a stretched state, according to one embodiment.

[0015] [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary textile band with first and second sets of ribs on respective first and second opposing sides of the textile band, according to one embodiment.

[0016] [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary fabric band with first and second sets of ribs separated by a pocket, according to one embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary woven band having ribs and cords extending across the ribs through pockets, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An electronic device, such as a head-mounted device, can have a front surface facing away from a user's head and an opposite back surface facing the user's head. The head-mounted device may include a main housing portion having an optical module that provides an image to the user's eyes. A woven headband can be used to attach the main housing portion to the user's head. The woven headband may include a stretchable inner layer, such as a mesh fabric layer. First and second sets of ribs may be formed on first and second opposing sides of the stretchable inner layer, respectively. The ribs can provide cushioning while also allowing airflow through the woven headband. One or more pockets may be formed in the woven headband to accommodate components such as electrical components (e.g., one or more input / output devices for the head-mounted device) and / or non-electrical components (e.g., cords to provide structure and / or adjustability to the woven headband).

[0019] A top view of an exemplary head-mounted device that may include a woven headband is shown in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 1 , a head-mounted device such as electronic device 10 may have a head-mounted support structure such as housing 12. Housing 12 may include a portion (e.g., support structure 12T) for attaching device 10 to a user's head. Support structure 12T (sometimes referred to as a temple housing structure or temple housing portion) may be formed from a fabric, polymer, metal, and / or other material. Support structure 12T may form a strap or other head-mounted support structure that helps support device 10 on the user's head. Some or all of temple housing portion 12T may overlap the user's temples when device 10 is attached to the user's head. A main support structure (e.g., main housing portion 12M) of housing 12 may support electronic components such as display 14. The main housing portion 12M may include a housing structure formed from metal, polymer, glass, ceramic, and / or other materials. For example, the housing portion 12M may have a housing wall on the front surface F formed from a rigid polymer or other rigid support structure, and housing walls on the top, bottom, left, and right sides, which may optionally be covered with electrical components, fabric, leather, or other soft materials. The walls of the housing portion 12M may also enclose internal components 38 within an interior region 34 of the device 10 and separate the interior region 34 from the environment surrounding the device 10 (exterior region 36). The internal components 38 may include integrated circuits, actuators, batteries, sensors, and / or other circuitry and structures for the device 10. The housing 12 may be configured to be worn on a user's head and may form eyeglasses, a hat, a helmet, goggles, and / or other head-mounted devices. A configuration in which the housing 12 forms goggles may be described herein by way of example.

[0020] The front surface F of the housing 12 may face outward from the user's head and face. The opposing back surface R of the housing 12 may face the user. A portion of the housing 12 on the back surface R (e.g., a portion of the main housing 12M) may form a cover, such as a curtain 12C. In an exemplary configuration, the curtain 12C includes a fabric layer that separates the interior region 34 from the exterior region up to the back of the device 10. Other structures may be used in forming the curtain 12C, if desired. The presence of the curtain 12C on the back surface R may help to hide the internal housing structure, internal components 38, and other structures within the interior region 34 from the user's view.

[0021] The device 10 may have left and right optical modules 40. Each optical module may include a respective display 14, lens 30, and support structure 32. The support structure 32, sometimes referred to as a lens barrel or optical module support structure, may include a hollow cylindrical structure with an open end or other support structure for housing the display 14 and lens 30. The support structure 32 may include, for example, a left lens barrel supporting the left display 14 and left lens 30, and a right lens barrel supporting the right display 14 and right lens 30. The display 14 may include an array of pixels or other display devices for generating images. The display 14 may include, for example, organic light-emitting diode pixels formed on a substrate with thin-film circuitry and / or formed on a semiconductor substrate, pixels formed from crystalline semiconductor dies, liquid crystal display pixels, scanning display devices, and / or other display devices for generating images. The lens 30 may include one or more lens elements for providing image light from the display 14 to the respective eyebox 13. The lenses may be implemented using refractive glass lens elements, mirror lens structures (catadioptric lenses), holographic lenses, and / or other lens systems. When a user's eyes are positioned in eyebox 13, display (display panel) 14 cooperates to form the display of device 10 (e.g., images provided by each left and right optical module 40 are viewable by the user's eyes within eyebox 13, such that a stereoscopic image is created for the user). While the display is viewed by the user, the left image from the left optical module blends with the right image from the right optical module.

[0022] Not all users have the same interpupillary distance P. To provide device 10 with the ability to adjust the interpupillary spacing between modules 40 along lateral dimension X, and thereby adjust the spacing P between eyeboxes 13 to accommodate different users' interpupillary distances, device 10 may be provided with one or more actuators 42. Actuators 42 may be manually controlled actuators and / or computer-controlled actuators (e.g., computer-controlled motors) that move support structures 32 relative to one another.

[0023] 2, curtain 12C can cover back surface F while uncovering lens 30 of optical module 40 (e.g., curtain 12C has an opening aligned with module 40 to receive module 40). As modules 40 are moved relative to one another along dimension X to accommodate different interpupillary distances for different users, modules 40 move relative to fixed housing structures, such as walls of main portion 12M, and relative to one another. To prevent undesirable wrinkling and buckling of curtain 12C as optical modules 40 are moved relative to rigid portions of housing 12M and relative to one another, fabric or other cover layers within curtain 12C may be configured to slide, stretch, open / close, and / or otherwise adjust to accommodate optical module movement.

[0024] A schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device, such as a head-mounted device or other wearable device, is shown in Figure 3. Device 10 of Figure 3 may be operated as a standalone device, and / or resources of device 10 may be used to communicate with external electronic devices. As an example, communications circuitry within device 10 may be used to transmit user input information, sensor information, and / or other information to external electronic devices (e.g., via a wireless or wired connection). Each of these external devices may include components of the type illustrated by device 10 of Figure 3.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3 , a head-mounted device such as device 10 can include control circuitry 20. Control circuitry 20 may include storage and processing circuitry to support operation of device 10. The storage and processing circuitry may include storage devices such as non-volatile 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. The processing circuitry of control circuitry 20 may be used to collect input from sensors and other input devices and may also be used to control output devices. The processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors and other wireless communication circuitry, power management units, audio chips, application-specific integrated circuits, etc. In operation, control circuitry 20 may use display(s) 14 and other output devices in providing visual and other output to a user.

[0026] To support communications between device 10 and external devices, control circuitry 20 can communicate using communications circuitry 22. Circuitry 22 can include an antenna, radio frequency transceiver circuitry, other wireless communications circuitry, and / or wired communications circuitry. Circuitry 22, sometimes referred to as control circuitry and / or control and communications circuitry, can support bidirectional wireless communications between device 10 and external devices (e.g., a companion device such as a computer, cellular telephone, or other electronic device, an accessory such as a pointing device, a computer stylus, or other input device, a speaker, or other output device, etc.) via a wireless link. For example, circuitry 22 can include radio frequency transceiver circuitry, such as wireless LAN transceiver circuitry configured to support communications over a wireless LAN link, near field communications transceiver circuitry configured to support communications over a short range communications link, cellular telephone transceiver circuitry configured to support communications over a cellular telephone link, or transceiver circuitry configured to support communications over any other suitable wired or wireless communications link. Wireless communication may be supported, for example, via a Bluetooth® link, a Wi-Fi® link, a radio link operating at frequencies between 10 GHz and 400 GHz, a 60 GHz link, or other millimeter wave link, a cellular link, or other wireless communication link. Device 10 may include power circuitry for transmitting and / or receiving wired and / or wireless power, if desired, and may include a battery or other energy storage device. For example, device 10 may include a coil and rectifier for receiving wireless power provided in circuitry within device 10.

[0027] Device 10 may include input / output devices, such as device 24. Input / output device 24 may be used to collect user input, collect information about the environment surrounding the user, and / or provide output to the user. Device 24 may include one or more displays, such as display(s) 14. Display(s) 14 may include one or more display devices, such as an organic light emitting diode display panel (a panel with organic light emitting diode pixels formed on a polymer or silicon substrate containing pixel control circuitry), a liquid crystal display panel, a microelectromechanical systems display (e.g., a two-dimensional mirror array or scanning mirror display device), a display panel with a pixel array formed from crystalline semiconductor light emitting diode dies (sometimes referred to as microLEDs), and / or other display devices.

[0028] The sensors 16 in the input / output device 24 may include force sensors (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive force sensors, etc.), audio sensors such as microphones, touch and / or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors such as touch sensors forming buttons, trackpads, or other input devices, and other sensors. Optionally, the sensors 16 may include optical sensors such as optical sensors that emit and detect light, ultrasonic sensors, optical touch sensors, optical proximity sensors, and / or other touch and / or proximity sensors, monochrome and color ambient light sensors, image sensors, fingerprint sensors, iris scanning sensors, retinal scanning sensors, and other biometric sensors, temperature sensors, sensors for measuring three-dimensional contactless gestures (“air gestures”), pressure sensors, sensors for detecting position, orientation, and / or motion (e.g., accelerometers, magnetic sensors such as compass sensors, gyroscopes, and the like). and / or an inertial measurement unit containing some or all of these sensors), health sensors such as blood oxygen level sensors, heart rate sensors, blood flow sensors, and / or other health sensors, radio frequency sensors, depth sensors (e.g., structured light sensors and / or depth sensors based on stereo imaging devices that capture three-dimensional images) and / or optical sensors such as self-mixing sensors and light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors that collect time-of-flight measurements, humidity sensors, moisture sensors, eye-tracking sensors, electromyographic sensors that sense muscle activation, face sensors, and / or other sensors. In some configurations, device 10 can collect user input using sensors 16 and / or other input / output devices. For example, a button can be used to collect button press input, a touch sensor overlying the display can be used to collect user touchscreen input, a touchpad can be used to collect touch input, a microphone can be used to collect audio input, and an accelerometer can be used to monitor when a finger contacts the input surface and thus can be used to collect finger press input.

[0029] If desired, electronic device 10 may include additional components (see, for example, other devices 18 in input / output devices 24). The additional components may include tactile output devices, actuators for moving a movable housing structure, audio output devices such as speakers, light emitting diodes for status indicators, light sources such as light emitting diodes for illuminating portions of the housing and / or display structure, other optical output devices, and / or other circuitry for collecting input and / or providing output. Device 10 may also include a battery or other energy storage device, connector ports for supporting wired communication with auxiliary equipment and receiving wired power, and other circuitry.

[0030] 4 is a top view of head-mounted device 10 illustrating how a headband may be used to assist in attaching device 10 to a user's head. As shown in FIG. 4, device 10 may include a main housing portion 12M configured to be mounted on a user's head using temple housing portions 12T. If desired, one or more electronic components, such as wireless charging circuitry, input / output devices (buttons, touch sensors, rotary knobs, etc.), sensors, etc., may be attached to temple housing portions 12T. In other configurations, temple housing portions 12T may be devoid of electronic components.

[0031] The temple housing portion 12T may be formed using a rigid support structure and / or a flexible material. As shown in FIG. 4 , for example, the temple housing portion 12T may include a rigid support, such as a rigid support structure 44, and a flexible woven support structure, such as a headband 46. The rigid support structure 44 may include left and right temple portions coupled to the main housing portion 12M. The headband 46 may be wrapped at least partially around the user's head and may have a first end coupled to the left temple portion of the support structure 44 and a second, opposing end coupled to the right temple portion of the support structure 44. The headband 46 (which may also be referred to as a woven band, woven strap, head strap, etc.) may be wrapped around the back of the user's head, over the crown of the user's head, and / or may otherwise couple the main housing portion 12M to the user's head. Configurations may also be used in which the headband 46 includes multiple bands that extend across different portions of the user's head (e.g., to form upper and lower straps across the back of the head, to form a strap across the top of the head, and a strap across the back of the head, etc.) Configurations may also be used in which the support structure 44 is omitted and the headband 46 is attached directly to the main housing portion 12M.

[0032] To enable the headband 46 to stretch and fit snugly yet comfortably around the user's head, the headband 46 may incorporate one or more stretchable materials, such as stretchable polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, silicone, elastomeric silicone, and / or other elastomeric materials. The presence of stretchable materials in the headband 46 allows the headband 46 to return to its original length after being stretched to fit the user's head. This allows the user to stretch the headband 46 around the user's head. If desired, the fabric forming the headband 46 may include strands of non-stretchable material (e.g., polyester, etc.). The strands of non-stretchable material may be used, for example, to provide strength and / or moisture management functionality to the headband 46. A configuration in which the headband 46 is formed from post-consumer recycled plastic, such as post-consumer recycled polyethylene terephthalate stretch-textured yarn, may be described herein as an illustrative example.

[0033] A knitting machine or other equipment may be used in forming the headband 46. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary knitting system. As shown in FIG. 5, a strand supply 66 within a knitting system 64 may be used to supply strands 68 to a guide and needle structure 70. The structure 70 may include a strand guide structure (e.g., a system of movable guide bars having eyelets that guide the strands 68) and a needle system (e.g., a needle guide system that guides a set of individually adjustable needles so that the needles may interact with the strands dispensed by the guide bars). During operation, a controller may control electrically adjustable positioners within the system 64 to manipulate the positions of the guide bars and needles within the system 64, thereby knitting the strands 68 into the fabric 72. A takedown 74 (e.g., a pair of intermeshing rollers or other equipment forming a takedown system) may be used to collect the fabric 72 produced during knitting.

[0034] Layers of an exemplary knitted fabric 72 are shown in Figure 6. The knitted fabric is composed of courses 78 (e.g., rows of loops formed by strands 68) and wales 76 (e.g., columns of loops formed by strands 68). In a weft-knitted fabric of the type shown in Figure 6 (sometimes called a plain-knitted fabric), the strands 68 form loops that extend horizontally across the fabric. An exemplary one of the strands 68, strand 68', is highlighted to show the horizontal path taken by each strand 68 within the fabric 72. In contrast, a warp-knitted fabric includes wales 76 formed from strands 68 that follow a zigzag path vertically down the fabric.

[0035] 6 is merely illustrative. The fabric 72 of the headband 46 may include a warp-knit fabric, a weft-knit fabric, a flat-knit fabric, a circular-knit fabric, a braided fabric, a mesh fabric, a spacer fabric (e.g., inner and outer warp-knit fabric layers joined by a spacer layer), and / or a fabric formed using any other interlacing technique. Configurations in which the fabric 72 of the headband 46 is a knitted fabric may be described herein as an example.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a rear view of an exemplary headband formed from a woven fabric. As shown in FIG. 7, the headband 46 can include a woven fabric 72. To accommodate different portions of a user's head, the headband 46 can include different regions having different properties, such as different amounts of stretch and cushioning. Some regions of the headband 46 can include pockets, while other regions of the headband 46 can lack pockets. Some regions of the headband 46 can include ribs, while other regions of the headband 46 can lack ribs. In the example of FIG. 7, the headband 46 includes one or more ribbed regions, such as the ribbed region 50, and one or more smooth regions (e.g., regions without ribs), such as the smooth end portion 48. The ribbed region 50 can be formed from a ribbed fabric and can include ribs 52 (e.g., elongated, strip-shaped protrusions extending parallel to the Z-axis of FIG. 7 or along any other suitable direction). The ribs 52 of the ribbed region 50 can extend throughout the entire headband 46, except for the smooth region 48, if desired. In other configurations, the smooth region 48 may be omitted and the ribs 52 may extend across the headband 46 .

[0037] The ribbed region 50 may be used in portions of the headband 46 where extra cushioning is needed, such as the portion that contacts the back of the user's head. The smooth region 48 may be used in portions of the headband 46 that connect to other support structures within the device 10. For example, the smooth region 48 may be coupled to the rigid support structure 44 near the user's ears or temples and / or may be coupled directly to the main housing portion 12M. The ribbed region 50 and the smooth region 48 may be formed from a single piece of fabric, or may be formed from multiple pieces of fabric attached together using stitching, adhesive, hook-and-loop fasteners, and / or any other suitable attachment structure.

[0038] The smooth region 48 of the headband 46 may be formed from a knitted fabric, a mesh fabric, and / or any other suitable type of fabric. In the example of FIG. 7, the smooth region 48 is formed from a plain knit fabric portion 56 (e.g., a plain knit fabric of the type shown in FIG. 6). The ribbed region 50 may be interposed between the first and second plain knit fabric portions 56. The plain knit fabric portion 56 may be configured to be attached to the support structure 44 of the temple housing portion 12T and / or may be configured to be attached directly to the main housing portion 12M. The ribbed region 50 may extend around the back of the user's head, over the crown of the user's head, and / or in any other suitable location on the user's head.

[0039] Headband 46 may include one or more pockets (e.g., gaps between portions of fabric 72). In the example of Figure 7, headband 46 includes pockets, such as pocket 60 and pocket 62. Pockets 60 and 62 may be different portions of a single pocket or may be two separate pockets.

[0040] Pockets 62 and 60 may be bounded by portions of fabric 72. For example, dashed line 90 may indicate the inner boundary of pockets 62 and 60, and an outermost perimeter 92 of headband 46 may indicate the outer boundary of pockets 62 and 60. Along lines 90 and 92, upper and lower portions of fabric 72 may be attached to one another to form walls that define pockets 62 and 60. In the region between lines 90 and 92, the upper and lower portions of fabric 72 may be detached from one another to form a gap or cavity into which a component may be inserted.

[0041] The pocket 60 may be located only in the smooth regions 48 between portions of the plain knit fabric 56, only in the ribbed regions 50 between the ribs 52, or partially in the smooth regions 48 between portions of the plain knit fabric 56 and partially in the ribbed regions 50 between the ribs 52. In the example of FIG. 7 , the pocket 60 is located partially in the ribbed regions 50 and partially in the smooth regions 48, with the pocket 62 formed along some or all of the circumference of the headband 46. The pocket 62 may be located in the ribbed regions 50, or the pocket 62 may be located in a border region 56 of the headband that does not have ribs. The pocket 60 may be configured to receive one or more electrical components, such as the electrical component 54. The electrical component 54 may include wireless charging circuitry, input / output devices (such as buttons, touch sensors, rotary knobs or dials, microphones, other user input devices, status indicators, displays, speakers, other output devices, etc.), sensors, and / or other electrical components (e.g., components of the types described with respect to FIG. 3 ). The electrical components 54 may be completely contained within the pocket 60 or may have portions exposed outside the headband 46. The pocket 62 may be configured to receive a cord, such as the cord 80. The cord 80 may be formed from braided strands of material, strands of material wrapped or twisted around a core, conductive strands, insulative strands, and / or other suitable materials. The cord 80 may be used to provide structure to the edges of the headband 46 and / or to impart adjustability to the headband 46. For example, a user can adjust how tightly the headband 46 fits on the user's head by adjusting the cord 80 within the pocket 62. In other configurations, the cord 80 may be an electrical cable used to transmit electrical signals (e.g., between the electrical components 54 and electrical components within the main housing portion 12M, between the electrical components 54 on one end of the headband 46 and the electrical components 54 on the opposite end of the headband 46, etc.).

[0042] In the ribbed region 50, the textile 72 may include an inner stretch textile layer, such as the inner textile layer 58. The inner textile layer 58 may be formed from a mesh textile that allows the layer 58 to stretch in the direction 84. To provide cushioning to the stretch inner layer 58, the textile 72 may include one or more ribs, such as the ribs 52. The ribs 52 may be formed on one or both sides of the inner textile layer 58. For example, a first set of ribs 52 may be disposed on a first side of the inner textile layer 58, and a second set of ribs 52 may be disposed on a second, opposing side of the inner textile layer 58. The ribs 52 may be formed from ottoman ribs, Bengaline ribs, and / or any other suitable ribbed textile structure. The ribs 52 may be, for example, hollow (e.g., air-filled) protrusions formed on the inner textile layer 58. In other words, air pockets may exist within the ribbed region 50 between the strands 68 forming the ribs 52 and the strands 68 forming the inner fabric layer 58. The presence of air within the ribs 52 allows the headband 46 to remain breathable and lightweight while still having enough cushioning to provide extra padding to the user's head.

[0043] If desired, the fabric 72 forming the inner fabric layer 58 may have a lower gauge (e.g., fewer needles per inch) than the fabric 72 forming the ribs 52. For example, the gauge of the inner fabric layer 58 may be equal to half the gauge of the fabric forming the ribs 52. By eliminating the needles in the inner fabric layer 58, larger openings may be present in the inner fabric layer 58, thereby forming a stretchable mesh fabric layer that expands in direction 84 when the device 10 is being worn and contracts to its original position when the device 10 is not being worn. Although the ribs 52 may have a higher gauge than the inner fabric layer 58 and therefore require more force to expand, the ribs 52 can be formed on the inner fabric layer 58 without increasing the required force needed to stretch the headband 46 in direction 84. In particular, the ribs 52 may have a sufficient height relative to the inner fabric layer 58 so that the ribs 52 can freely expand and contract together with the inner fabric layer 58. The height of the ribs 52 may be determined by the number of rows of loops used to form the ribs 52. Each rib 52 may be formed with a greater number of rows of loops than those used to form the portion of the inner fabric layer 58 below the given rib 52, so that the ribs 52 can move with the inner fabric layer 58 without actually requiring any stretch from the rib 52.

[0044] The ribs 52 can extend perpendicular to the desired direction of extension. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the ribs 52 extend parallel to the Z axis, allowing the ribs 52 to extend in direction 84 (e.g., parallel to the X axis) when the headband 46 is placed on the user's head. However, this is merely exemplary. The ribs 52 can extend in any suitable direction (e.g., parallel to the X axis, toward an angle between the X axis and the Z axis, etc.). Configurations in which different ribs 52 follow different paths can also be used. The ribs 52 can be segmented, curved, zigzag, or oriented at different angles. The ribs 52 can all be the same size and formed from the same material and weave structure, or the ribs 52 can have one or more different characteristics, such as different sizes, shapes, materials, weave structures, etc.

[0045] 8 and 9 are perspective views of the ribbed region 50 of the headband 46, illustrating how the headband 46 can operate in an unstretched state (FIG. 8) and an extended state (FIG. 9).

[0046] 8, the headband 46 may include a first set of ribs 52 on a first side 58A of the stretchable inner textile layer 58 and a second set of ribs 52 on a second, opposite side 58B of the stretchable inner textile layer 58. One set of ribs 52, such as the ribs 52 on the first side 58A, may contact the user's head when the device 10 is being worn, while the other set of ribs 52 on the second side 58B may face away from the user's head when the device 10 is being worn. The ribs 52 on the first side 58A may be offset from the ribs 52 on the second side 58B, if desired.

[0047] The ribs 52 may be filled with air pockets. In particular, air-filled openings, such as openings 82, may be formed in the ribs 52. The openings 82 may extend parallel to the ribs 52 and may be located between the fabric forming the ribs 52 and the fabric forming the inner fabric layer 58. This allows the headband 46 to remain breathable and lightweight while still providing sufficient cushioning and padding to the user's head.

[0048] When forming the headband 46, the strands 68 may be knitted into rows of loops, such as loops 88. Each rib 52 may be supported by a portion of the inner textile layer 58. During the knitting operation, the knitting device 64 may knit a first set of rows of loops 88 to form a given one of the ribs 52. The number of rows of loops 88 used to form each rib 52 determines the height of that rib relative to the inner textile layer 58. After forming the first rib 52 on the first side 58A, the knitting device 64 may knit a row of loops 88 to form a given portion of the inner textile layer 58 that supports the first rib 52. Next, the knitting device 64 may knit a row of loops 88 to form a second rib 52 on the second side 58B, followed by knitting a row of loops 88 to form another portion of the inner textile layer 58 that supports the second rib 52. This process can continue in an alternating manner, such that the knitting device 64 knits a row of loops 88 for a rib on one side, then knits a row of loops 88 to form a portion of the inner fabric layer 58 to support that rib, then knits a row of loops 88 for the rib 52 on the other side, then knits a row of loops 88 to form a portion of the inner fabric layer 58 to support that rib, etc. When the headband 46 is in the unstretched state of FIG. 8, the inner fabric layer 58 is not visible (or is barely visible) between the ribs 52.

[0049] The ribs 52 can have a sufficient height relative to the inner fabric layer 58 such that the ribs 52 can accommodate the expansion and contraction of the inner fabric layer 58 without increasing, or significantly increasing, the force required to expand the inner fabric layer 58. The height of the ribs 52 relative to the inner fabric layer 58 can be determined by the number of rows of loops 88 used to form the ribs 52 and the number of rows of loops used to form the inner fabric layer 58. To provide ribs 52 with a sufficient height relative to the inner fabric layer 58, the number of rows of loops 88 used to form a given rib 52 can be greater than the number of columns of loops 88 used to form the portion of the inner fabric layer 58 that supports that given rib 52. This allows the ribs 52 to move with the inner fabric layer 58 when the inner fabric layer 58 is stretched in direction 84. For example, when device 10 is not worn and headband 46 is in the unstretched state of FIG. 8 , ribs 52 may be at a maximum height H1 relative to inner textile layer 58, and ribbed region 50 may have a first length L1 along the X-axis. When device 10 is worn and headband 46 is in the stretched state of FIG. 9 , ribs 52 may be at a lower height H2 relative to inner textile layer 58 (e.g., lower than height H1 of FIG. 8 ), and ribbed region 50 may have a second length L2 along the X-axis (e.g., longer than length L1). Also, stretching headband 46 from length L1 to length L2 may expose more of inner textile layer 58 between ribs 52 than when headband 46 is unstretched (see exposed width W of inner textile layer 58 between adjacent ribs 52 in FIG. 9 ). In addition to accommodating stretching of inner textile layer 58, ribs 52 may allow inner textile layer 58 to flex. The headband 46 curves around the user's head, thereby allowing it to flex about one or more axes parallel to the direction of the ribs 52. The raised height of the ribs 52 relative to the inner fabric layer 58 allows the ribs 52 to move with the inner fabric layer 58 as it flexes, rather than inhibiting bending motion.

[0050] 10 is a side view of the headband 46 illustrating how the ribs 52 can form a sinusoidal or accordion shape on the inner textile layer 58. As shown in FIG. 10, the ribs 52 can include a first set of ribs 52 on a first surface 58A of the inner textile layer 58 and a second set of ribs 52 on a second, opposing surface 58B of the inner textile layer 58. Openings 82 can extend through the ribs 52 to provide an air gap between the ribs 52 and the inner textile layer 58, which allows the headband 46 to remain breathable, flexible, stretchy, and lightweight while also providing cushioning for the user's head.

[0051] In some configurations, the pocket may extend into the ribbed region 50 of the headband 46. To form a pocket in the ribbed region 50 of the headband 46, the inner textile layer 58 may be separated into first and second layers. This type of arrangement is shown in FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 11, the inner layer 58 may be separated into first and second layers, such as a first inner textile layer 58-1 and a second inner textile layer 58-2. The first inner textile layer 58-1 may support a first set of ribs 52 on a first side 58A, and the second inner textile layer 58-2 may support a second set of ribs 52 on an opposing second side 58B. Portions of the inner textile layer 58-1 and the inner textile layer 58-2 may be separated from each other to form a pocket 62 (or, if desired, to form a pocket 60).

[0052] FIG. 12 is a top view of the headband 46 showing how the cord passes through the pocket 62. As shown in FIG. 12, the headband 46 can border a region 94 with the pocket 62. The pocket 62 can extend along the outer edge of the headband 46. In region 94, the inner textile layer 58 can have upper and lower portions, such as the upper and lower portions 58-1 and 58-2 of FIG. 11, to form the pocket 62 between the upper and lower portions 58-1 and 58-2. In portions of the headband 46 that do not have a pocket, such as region 86, the headband 46 can include a single inner textile layer 58, as shown in FIG. 10. This can be achieved by joining the upper and lower portions 58-1 and 58-2 within region 86, or by extending only one of the upper and lower portions 58-1 and 58-2 into region 86 to form the inner textile layer 58. From an external view, there may be little visual distinction between pocket area 94 and non-pocket area 86. By incorporating pocket 62 into ribbed portion 50 of headband 46, the user's head may be cushioned from items contained within pocket 62. For example, cord 80 passing through pocket 62 may be separated from the user's head by a set of ribs 52, which helps minimize user discomfort caused by cord 80.

[0053] If desired, rods may be inserted into the openings 82 of the ribs 52 after the ribs 52 are formed and while the fabric 72 of the headband 46 undergoes additional processing. For example, metal rods cut to the length of the ribs 52 may be inserted into each opening 82 while post-processing steps, such as steaming, cleaning, coating, or treating, are being performed. After the post-processing steps are completed, the rods may be removed from the ribs 52, leaving the air-filled openings 82 intact. If desired, the rods may be inserted into the openings 82 through the sides of the ribs 52 (e.g., rather than through the opposite ends of the ribs 52), thereby hiding any gaps created by the rod insertion from view between the ribs 52.

[0054] As noted above, one aspect of the present technology is the collection and use of information, such as information from input / output devices. The present disclosure contemplates that, in some cases, data may be collected, including personal information data that uniquely identifies a particular person or that can be used to contact or locate a particular person. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, phone numbers, email addresses, Twitter IDs, home addresses, data or records regarding a user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), birth date, username, password, biometric information, or any other identifying or personal information.

[0055] This disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information in the present technology can be used to the benefit of the user. For example, personal information data may be used to deliver targeted content that is more interesting to the user. Thus, use of such personal information data allows the user greater control over the content that is delivered. Additionally, other uses of personal information data that benefit the user are also contemplated by this disclosure. For example, health and fitness data can be used to provide insight into the user's overall wellness, or can be used as proactive feedback to individuals using the technology in pursuit of wellness goals.

[0056] This disclosure contemplates that entities involved in the collection, analysis, disclosure, transmission, storage, or other use of such personal information data will adhere to robust privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities should implement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining the strict confidentiality of personal information data. Such policies should be easily accessible to users and should be updated as data collection and / or use changes. Personal information from users should be collected for the entity's lawful and legitimate use and should not be shared or sold except for those lawful uses. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should be carried out only after the user's informed consent is obtained. Furthermore, such entities should consider taking all necessary measures to protect and secure access to such personal information data and to ensure that others with access to the personal information data adhere to their privacy policies and procedures. Furthermore, such entities may be able to undergo third-party assessments to demonstrate their adherence to widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Furthermore, policies and practices should be tailored to the specific types of personal data collected and / or accessed, and should comply with applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For example, in the United States, the 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), while health data in other countries may be subject to, and should be handled in accordance with, other regulations and policies. Therefore, different privacy practices should be maintained in each country with respect to different types of personal data.

[0057] Notwithstanding the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which a user selectively prevents use of or access to personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware and / or software elements may be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, the present technology may be configured to allow a user to select "opt-in" or "opt-out" of participating in the collection of personal information data during registration for a service or at any time thereafter. In another example, a user may choose not to provide certain types of user data. In yet another example, a user may choose to limit the amount of time that user-specific data is maintained. In addition to providing "opt-in" and "opt-out" options, the present disclosure contemplates providing notice regarding access or use of personal information. For example, a user may be notified upon downloading an application ("app") in which the user's personal information data will be accessed, and then may be reminded again immediately before the personal information data is accessed by the app.

[0058] Furthermore, it is the intent of this disclosure that personal information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data when it is no longer needed. Additionally, where applicable in certain health-related applications, data anonymization can be used to protect user privacy. Anonymization can be facilitated, as needed, by removing certain identifiers (e.g., date of birth, etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g., collecting location data at the city level rather than the address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and / or other methods.

[0059] Thus, while the present disclosure broadly includes using information, which may include personal information data, to implement one or more various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that various embodiments may also be implemented without requiring access to personal information data, i.e., various embodiments of the present technology are not rendered inoperable by the absence of all or part of such personal information data.

[0060] Physical Environment: The physical environment refers to the physical world that people can sense and / or interact with without the aid of electronic systems. A physical environment, such as a physical park, includes physical objects such as physical trees, physical buildings, and physical people. People can directly sense and / or interact with the physical environment through their senses, such as sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell.

[0061] Computer-Generated Reality: In contrast, a Computer-Generated Reality (CGR) environment refers to a wholly or partially mimicked environment that people sense and / or interact with via electronic systems. In a CGR, a subset of a person's physical movements or representations thereof are tracked, and one or more properties of one or more virtual objects simulated within the CGR environment are adjusted accordingly to behave with at least one law of physics. For example, a CGR system may detect a person's head rotation and adjust the graphical content and sound field presented to the person accordingly, just as such views and sounds may change in a physical environment. In some situations (e.g., for accessibility reasons), adjustments to the characteristic(s) of a virtual object(s) within a CGR environment may be made in response to the expression of a physical movement (e.g., a voice command). A person may sense and / or interact with a CGR object using any one of their senses, including sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. For example, a person may sense and / or interact with audio objects that create a 3D or spatially expansive audio environment that provides the perception of a point sound source in 3D space. In another example, audio objects may enable audio transparency that selectively incorporates ambient sounds from the physical environment, with or without computer-generated audio. In some CGR environments, a person may sense and / or interact with only audio objects. Examples of CGRs include virtual reality and mixed reality.

[0062] Virtual Reality: A virtual reality (VR) environment refers to a simulated environment designed to be based entirely on computer-generated sensory input for one or more senses. A VR environment includes multiple virtual objects that a person can sense and / or interact with. For example, computer-generated images of trees, buildings, and avatars representing people are examples of virtual objects. A person can sense and / or interact with virtual objects in a VR environment through a simulation of the person's presence in the computer-generated environment and / or through a simulation of a subset of the person's physical movement within the computer-generated environment.

[0063] Mixed reality: A mixed reality (MR) environment refers to a simulated environment designed to incorporate sensory input from or representations of a physical environment in addition to including computer-generated sensory input (e.g., virtual objects), as opposed to a VR environment designed to be based entirely on computer-generated sensory input. On the virtual continuum, a mixed reality environment is anywhere between, but not including, a complete physical environment at one end and a virtual reality environment at the other. In some MR environments, computer-generated sensory input may respond to changes in sensory input from the physical environment. Some electronic systems for presenting MR environments may also track location and / or orientation relative to the physical environment to allow virtual objects to interact with real objects (i.e., physical items from the physical environment or their representations). For example, the system may account for movement so that a virtual tree appears stationary relative to the physical ground. Examples of mixed reality include extended reality and augmented virtuality. Augmented reality: An augmented reality (AR) environment refers to a simulated environment in which one or more virtual objects are overlaid on a physical environment or a representation thereof. For example, an electronic system for presenting an AR environment may have a transparent or semi-transparent display through which a person can directly view the physical environment. The system may be configured to present virtual objects on the transparent or semi-transparent display, such that the person using the system perceives the virtual objects superimposed on the physical environment. Alternatively, the system may have an opaque display and one or more imaging sensors that capture images or videos of the physical environment that are representations of the physical environment. The system composites the images or videos with the virtual objects and presents the composite on the opaque display. The person using the system indirectly views the physical environment through the images or videos of the physical environment and perceives the virtual objects superimposed on the physical environment.As used herein, video of a physical environment shown on an opaque display is referred to as “pass-through video,” meaning that the system captures images of the physical environment using one or more image sensor(s) and uses those images in presenting the AR environment on the opaque display. Alternatively, the system may include a projection system that projects virtual objects, e.g., as holograms, into the physical environment or onto a physical surface, such that a person uses the system to perceive the virtual objects superimposed on the physical environment. An extended reality environment also refers to a simulated environment in which a representation of the physical environment is transformed by computer-generated sensory information. For example, in providing pass-through video, the system may distort one or more sensor images to impose a selected perspective (e.g., viewpoint) other than the perspective captured by the imaging sensor. As another example, the representation of the physical environment may be distorted by graphically modifying (e.g., enlarging) portions thereof, thereby rendering the modified portions a non-photorealistic, altered version of the originally captured image. As a further example, the representation of the physical environment may be distorted by graphically removing or obscuring portions thereof. Augmented Virtuality: An Augmented Virtuality (AV) environment refers to a mimicking environment in which a virtual or computer-generated environment incorporates one or more sensory inputs from a physical environment. The sensory inputs may be representations of one or more characteristics of the physical environment. For example, an AV park may have virtual trees and virtual buildings, while people with faces are realistically recreated from images taken of physical people. As another example, virtual objects may adopt the shape or color of physical items imaged by one or more imaging sensors. As a further example, virtual objects may adopt shadows that match the position of the sun in the physical environment.

[0064] Hardware: There are many different types of electronic systems that enable a person to sense and / or interact with various CGR environments. Examples include head-mounted systems, projection-based systems, heads-up displays (HUDs), vehicle windshields with integrated display capabilities, windows with integrated display capabilities, displays formed as lenses designed to be placed over a person's eyes (e.g., similar to contact lenses), headphones / earphones, speaker arrays, input systems (e.g., wearable or handheld controllers with or without haptic feedback), smartphones, tablets, and desktop / laptop computers. A head-mounted system may have one or more speaker(s) and an integrated opaque display. Alternatively, a head-mounted system may be configured to accept an external opaque display (e.g., a smartphone). A head-mounted system may incorporate one or more imaging sensors for capturing images or video of the physical environment and / or one or more microphones for capturing audio of the physical environment. A head-mounted system may have a transparent or translucent display rather than an opaque display. The transparent or translucent display may have a medium through which light representing an image is directed to a person's eyes. The display may utilize digital light projection, OLED, LED, uLED, liquid crystal on silicon, laser-scanned light source, or any combination of these technologies. The medium may be a light guide, a holographic medium, an optical combiner, an optical reflector, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the transparent or translucent display may be configured to be selectively opaque. A projection-based system may employ retinal projection technology that projects a graphical image onto a person's retina. The projection system may also be configured to project virtual objects into the physical environment, for example, as a hologram or onto a physical surface.

[0065] According to one embodiment, a headband for supporting a head-mounted device is provided, the headband including first and second plain knit portions and a ribbed fabric extending between the first and second plain knit portions, the ribbed fabric configured to stretch in a first direction, the ribbed fabric having ribs extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a pocket configured to receive a component.

[0066] According to another embodiment, the pocket is located in the first plain knit portion.

[0067] According to another embodiment, the component includes an electrical component.

[0068] According to another embodiment, the electronic component includes a user input device.

[0069] According to another embodiment, a ribbed fabric includes a stretchable inner layer, a first set of ribs on a first surface of the stretchable inner layer, and a second set of ribs on a second, opposing surface of the stretchable inner layer.

[0070] According to another embodiment, the first set of ribs are offset from the second set of ribs.

[0071] According to another embodiment, the headband includes openings each extending through a respective one of the first and second sets of ribs.

[0072] According to another embodiment, the height of the first and second sets of ribs relative to the inner stretchable layer is configured to change as the ribbed fabric is stretched.

[0073] According to another embodiment, the stretchable layer comprises a mesh fabric.

[0074] According to another embodiment, the inner stretch layer has a lower gauge than the first and second sets of ribs.

[0075] According to another embodiment, a ribbed fabric includes first and second stretchable inner layers, a first set of ribs on the first stretchable inner layer, and a second set of ribs on the second stretchable inner layer.

[0076] According to another embodiment, the pocket is disposed between the first and second elastic inner layers.

[0077] According to one embodiment, a headband for supporting a head-mounted device is provided, comprising a mesh inner textile layer, a first set of ribs located on a first side of the mesh inner textile layer, a second set of ribs located on a second side of the mesh inner textile layer, and a pocket located between the first and second sets of ribs.

[0078] According to another embodiment, the mesh inner fabric layer is one of two mesh inner fabric layers disposed between the first set of ribs and the second set of ribs, and the pocket is disposed between the two mesh inner fabric layers.

[0079] According to another embodiment, the headband includes a cord that passes through the pocket.

[0080] According to another embodiment, the pocket is located along the outer edge of the headband.

[0081] According to one embodiment, a head-mounted device is provided that includes a main housing portion, a display within the main housing portion configured to provide an image viewable from the eyebox, a woven fabric headband coupled to the main housing portion, the woven fabric headband including first and second end portions without ribs, a ribbed fabric extending between the first and second end portions, the ribbed fabric having first and second opposing sides and ribs located on the first and second opposing sides, a pocket, and a user input device mounted within the pocket.

[0082] According to another embodiment, the pocket is located at the first end.

[0083] According to another embodiment, the pocket is disposed in a ribbed fabric.

[0084] According to another embodiment, the first and second ends include a plain knit fabric and the ribbed fabric includes a mesh fabric layer having ribs formed therein.

[0085] The above is merely exemplary and various modifications may be made to the described embodiments. The above embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Claims

1. first and second plain knit portions; a ribbed fabric extending between the first plain knit portion and the second plain knit portion, the ribbed fabric configured to stretch in a first direction and having ribs extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a pocket configured to receive a component; and a headband for supporting a head-mounted device.

2. The headband of claim 1 , wherein the pocket is disposed in the first plain knit portion.

3. The headband of claim 2 , wherein the components include electrical components.

4. The headband of claim 3 , wherein the electrical components include a user input device.

5. 10. The headband of claim 1, wherein the ribbed fabric comprises a stretchable inner layer, a first set of ribs on a first surface of the stretchable inner layer, and a second set of ribs on a second, opposing surface of the stretchable inner layer.

6. The headband of claim 5 , wherein the first set of ribs are offset from the second set of ribs.

7. The headband of claim 6 , wherein each one of the ribs in the first and second sets of ribs further comprises a respective opening therethrough.

8. The headband of claim 5 , wherein the height of the first and second sets of ribs relative to the stretchable inner layer is configured to change as the ribbed fabric is stretched.

9. The headband of claim 5 , wherein the elastic inner layer comprises a mesh fabric.

10. The headband of claim 5 , wherein the elastic inner layer has a lower gauge than the first and second sets of ribs.

11. 2. The headband of claim 1, wherein the ribbed fabric comprises first and second elastic inner layers, a first set of ribs on the first elastic inner layer, and a second set of ribs on the second elastic inner layer.

12. The headband of claim 11 , wherein the pocket is disposed between the first and second elastic inner layers.

13. a mesh inner fabric layer; a first set of ribs located on a first side of the mesh inner fabric layer; a second set of ribs located on a second side of the mesh inner fabric layer; and a pocket located between the first set of ribs and the second set of ribs; A headband for supporting a head-mounted device, comprising:

14. 14. The headband of claim 13, wherein the mesh inner fabric layer is one of two mesh inner fabric layers disposed between the first set of ribs and the second set of ribs, and the pocket is disposed between the two mesh inner fabric layers.

15. The headband of claim 13 further comprising a cord passing through the pocket.

16. The headband of claim 13 , wherein the pocket is located along an outer edge of the headband.

17. a main housing portion; a display within the main housing portion configured to provide an image viewable from an eyebox; a fabric headband coupled to the main housing portion, first and second ends without ribs; a ribbed fabric extending between the first end and the second end, the ribbed fabric having first and second opposing sides and ribs located on the first and second opposing sides; Pockets and a user input device attached to the pocket; A head-mounted device comprising:

18. The head-mounted device of claim 17 , wherein the pocket is located at the first end.

19. The head-mounted device of claim 17 , wherein the pocket is disposed in the ribbed fabric.

20. 18. The head mounted device of claim 17, wherein the first and second ends comprise a plain knit fabric and the ribbed fabric comprises a mesh fabric layer in which the ribs are formed.

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