Apple has been granted a patent for a “Fabric-Covered Electronic Device With Light-Emitting Components.” It likely involves future versions of the HomePod and perhaps HomePod minis.
About the patent
In the patent Apple notes that electronic devices such as voice-controlled assistant devices may include fabric. As an example, the housing of a voice-controlled assistant device may be covered with a layer of fabric. Openings may be provided in the fabric to allow sound to be emitted from within the device.
However, Apple notes that it can be challenging to enhance the functionality of a voice-controlled assistant device. For example, it may be difficult to integrate light-emitting devices into a voice-controlled assistant device with a fabric layer.
If care isn’t taken, the fabric may impart an undesired appearance to emitted light, thereby preventing a light-emitting device from effectively conveying information to a user. Apple’s patent involves methods for overcoming such issues.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “An electronic device such as a voice-controlled speaker device may have a cylindrical shape. The electronic device may include a housing, a speaker in the housing configured to emit sound, and a display in the housing. The display may include a substrate, light-emitting components mounted on the substrate, an opaque support structure mounted on the substrate, a diffuser that is mounted to the opaque support structure and that overlaps the light-emitting components, a display cover layer that overlaps the diffuser, and foam that is interposed between the opaque support structure and the display cover layer. The light-emitting components may be arranged in groups that have the same layout and orientations that vary as a function of angular position relative to the center of the display. The foam and/or an adhesive layer may be formed from two or more discrete pieces that have footprints with complementary protrusions.”
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