Apple has not only filed for a patent for a virtual keyboard, but the company has also filed for one for a touch sensitive, flexible keyboard made of fabric such as many Apple Watch band are.
About the patent filing
In the “Fabric Sensing Device” patent filing, Apple says that traditional electronic devices may include a variety of input devices, including buttons, keys, mice, trackballs, joysticks, and the like. Some traditional electronic devices may include a touch panel or touch screen that is configured to receive a touch input from a user.
However, many traditional input devices and touch sensors are formed using rigid materials and/or a rigid substrate sheet and, therefore, may be limited to certain form factors. Apple says it would be advantageous that input devices be formed from flexible materials that may be more easily adapted for use in a variety of applications.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “A touch-sensitive textile device that is configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of a touch, and/or the force of a touch on the touch-sensitive textile device. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive textile device includes a first set of conductive threads oriented along a first direction, and a second set of conductive threads interwoven with the first set of conductive threads and oriented along a second direction.
“The device may also include a sensing circuit that is operatively coupled to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may be configured to apply a drive signal to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may also be configured to detect a touch or near touch based on a variation in an electrical measurement using the first or second set of conductive threads.”
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