Patents by Inventor Daniel A. Podhajny

Daniel A. Podhajny has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11183459
    Abstract: A fabric-based item may include fabric layers and other layers of material. An array of electrical components may be mounted in the fabric-based item. The electrical components may be mounted to a support structure such as a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have a mesh shape formed from an array of openings. Serpentine flexible printed circuit segments may extend between the openings. The electrical components may be light-emitting diodes or other electrical devices. Polymer with light-scattering particles or other materials may cover the electrical components. The flexible printed circuit may be laminated between fabric layers or other layers of material in the fabric-based item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Paul S. Drzaic, Daniel A. Podhajny, David M. Kindlon, Hoon Sik Kim, Kathryn P. Crews, Yung-Yu Hsu
  • Patent number: 11180871
    Abstract: A fabric-based item may include fabric formed from intertwined strands of material such as intertwined strands of tubing. The strands of material may include electrophoretic ink formed from charged nanoparticles of different colors in fluid. The electrophoretic ink may be contained within strands of tubing or may be enclosed within encapsulation structures such as encapsulation spheres. Encapsulation spheres or other encapsulation structures may be embedded in clear polymer binder within tubing or other strands. Electroluminescent particles may be included in the clear polymer binder. Electric fields can be applied to the electrophoretic ink in a given area of the fabric using conductive strands that overlap the area, using conductive electrodes such as transparent conductive electrodes on strands of tubing, using coaxial electrodes, or using other electrode structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Keating, Daniel D. Sunshine, Kathryn P. Crews, Daniel A. Podhajny, Nicholas G. L. Merz
  • Publication number: 20210352994
    Abstract: An upper for an article of footwear is configured to be connected to a sole structure and is configured to receive a foot. The upper includes a knitted component having a strobel portion that is configured to be disposed underneath the foot. The strobel portion defines an interior surface and an exterior surface of the knitted component. The strobel portion defines a strobel passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface. Also, the upper includes a tensile strand that extends through the strobel passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Chung-Ming Chang, Ya-Fang Chen, Pei-Ju Su
  • Patent number: 11155945
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an upper for an article of footwear. The upper may include a knit element defining a portion of at least one of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper. The interior surface may define a void. A tongue and the knit element may have a common yarn, and the tongue may extend through a throat area of the upper. The tongue may comprise a lateral edge, a medial edge, and a forward portion. At least one of the lateral edge, the medial edge, and the forward portion may be unsecured to the knit element. The tongue may be secured to the knit element at least at one of the lateral edge, the medial edge, and the forward portion of the throat area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Bhupesh Dua, Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Daren P. Tatler, Bruce Huffa
  • Patent number: 11142853
    Abstract: An article of footwear including an upper incorporating a knitted component having color-shifting properties is provided. Color-shift properties can be generated by one or more lenticular knit structures disposed across the upper of the article of footwear. The lenticular knit structures are formed of unitary knit construction with the remaining portions of the knitted component. The lenticular knit structures have portions formed with different yarns. The different yarns on the portions of the lenticular knit structures generate a visual effect that changes the color of the article of footwear depending on the viewing angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Meir, Daniel A. Podhajny
  • Patent number: 11124904
    Abstract: Weaving equipment may include strand positioning equipment that positions warp strands and that inserts weft strands among the warp strands to form fabric. The weaving equipment may include one or more guide arms that pushes warp strands in the weft direction during weaving. Fabrics having warp strands that extend in both the warp direction and the weft direction may be used in forming circuitry in fabrics such as touch sensor circuitry. For example, a touch sensor in a fabric may be formed using first conductive warp strands that form first touch sensor electrodes and second conductive warp strands that form second touch sensor electrodes that overlap with the first touch sensor electrodes. The second conductive warp strands may each have a first portion that extends in the warp direction and a second portion that extends in the weft direction across the first touch sensor electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Yohji Hamada, Kathryn P. Crews, Joseph B. Walker, Daniel D. Sunshine
  • Patent number: 11116274
    Abstract: An upper for an article of footwear is configured to be connected to a sole structure and is configured to receive a foot. The upper includes a knitted component having a strobel portion that is configured to be disposed underneath the foot. The strobel portion defines an interior surface and an exterior surface of the knitted component. The strobel portion defines a strobel passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface. Also, the upper includes a tensile strand that extends through the strobel passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Chung-Ming Chang, Ya-Fang Chen, Pei-Ju Su
  • Patent number: 11076664
    Abstract: Fabric may be woven using a needle weaving machine. The needle weaving machine may have three weft fiber needles and two hooks for holding weft fibers from the weft fiber needles. One of the weft fiber needles may provide weft fibers to multiple hooks when weaving fabric with warp fibers held in a V-shaped profile. An electronic device may have a rectangular footprint with four curved corners. A length of fabric may be woven to form a case having four curved corners that match the four curved corners of the electronic device. The case may have a C-shaped profile with parallel upper and lower fabric portions coupled by a sidewall. Short rows of weft fiber may be used around the corners of the case to ensure that the upper and lower portions of the fabric lie flush with planar front and rear surfaces of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews
  • Publication number: 20210180224
    Abstract: An upper for an article of footwear may include a knitted component having an auxetic portion. The auxetic portion may be configured to move between a first position and a second position as the knitted component stretches. The knitted component may also include a tensile strand inlaid within at least one of a course and a wale of the knit element, where the tensile strand extends through the auxetic portion, and where the tensile strand is selectively securable to the knit element via a securement device. The securement device may be spaced from the auxetic portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Tory M. Cross, Daniel A. Podhajny
  • Patent number: 10995433
    Abstract: A fabric case for an electronic device may include a back panel having a periphery and a side wall that extends around the periphery. The back panel may include a knit image of a user-selected digital photograph or other design. The design of the back panel may be customized according to the user's tastes. The case may be formed using computing equipment and knitting equipment. The computing equipment may receive a digital image from the user and may reduce the resolution and the number of colors in the digital image according to the specifications of the textile machine. Fabric pattern design software may convert the digital image into knitting instructions. The knitting instructions may be executed by knitting equipment to produce a custom back panel having a knit image of the digital photograph. The back panel may be attached to a peripheral side wall to form the fabric case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kathleen A. Bergeron, Jessica J. Lu, Daniel A. Podhajny, Daniel D. Sunshine
  • Patent number: 10989868
    Abstract: An item such as a fabric-based item may have a layer of fabric such as a layer of woven fabric. The fabric layer may include warp and weft strands. The fabric may cover keys in a keyboard or may be used in forming other structures in the fabric-based item. Each key may have an illuminated key label. Portions of the fabric may be processed by pressing heated protrusions on a textured mold into polymer optical fibers in the fabric. The protrusions form corresponding light-scattering recesses in cladding portions of the optical fibers. Light-emitting diodes or other light sources may be coupled to respective end surfaces of the optical fibers. The light-emitting diodes emit light that is emitted from the thermally imprinted light-emitting regions formed by pressing the heated protrusions into the optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Zou, Hua Song, Liming Wang, Daniel A. Podhajny
  • Publication number: 20210087720
    Abstract: A fabric-based item may include a housing that is covered in fabric. Areas of the fabric may overlap input circuitry such as button switches, touch sensors, force sensors, proximity sensors, and other sensing circuitry and may overlap other components such as light-emitting components and haptic output devices. The fabric-based item may include control circuitry that gathers user input from the input circuitry and wireless communications circuitry that the control circuitry uses to transmit remote control commands and other wireless signals in response information from the input circuitry. The fabric-based item may have a weight that is located in the housing to orient the housing in a desired direction when the housing rests on a surface. A movable weight may tilt the housing in response to proximity sensor signals or other input. Portions of the fabric may overlap light-emitting components and optical fiber configured to emit light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Daniel D. Sunshine, Kathryn P. Crews
  • Publication number: 20210091007
    Abstract: A fabric-based item may include fabric such as woven fabric having insulating and conductive yarns or other strands of material. The conductive yarns may form signal paths. Electrical components can be embedded within pockets in the fabric. Each electrical component may have an electrical device such as a semiconductor die that is mounted on an interposer substrate. The electrical device may be a light-emitting diode, a sensor, an actuator, or other electrical device. The electrical device may have contacts that are soldered to contacts on the interposer. The interposer may have additional contacts that are soldered to the signal paths. The fabric may have portions that form transparent windows overlapping the electrical components or that have other desired attributes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Paul S. Drzaic, Daniel A. Podhajny, David M. Kindlon, Hoon Sik Kim, Kathryn P. Crews, Yung-Yu Hsu
  • Publication number: 20210087719
    Abstract: A stretchable fabric signal path may include a conductive strand located between first and second outer fabric layers. The outer fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of elastic material. The conductive strand may have a wavy shape to accommodate stretching of the stretchable fabric signal path. First and second inner fabric layers may be located between the outer stretchable fabric layers. The inner fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of non-elastic material. The inner fabric layers may have strands that are intertwined with the outer fabric layers to serve as anchor points for maintaining the shape of the conductive strand as the stretchable fabric signal path expands and contracts. The outer fabric layers and inner fabric layers may be woven. The conductive strand may convey electrical signals such as audio signals, power signals, data signals, or other suitable signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Grena, Didio V. Gomes, Joshua A. Hoover, Seul Bi Kim, David M. Kindlon, Kevin T. Pham, Daniel A. Podhajny, Robert J. Rose, Andrew L. Rosenberg, Miikka O. Tikander
  • Publication number: 20210079569
    Abstract: An item may include fabric or other materials formed from intertwined strands of material. The item may include circuitry that produces signals. The strands of material may include non-conductive strands and conductive strands. The conductive strands may carry the signals produced by the circuitry. Each conductive strand may have a strand core, a conductive coating on the strand core, and an insulating layer on the conductive coating. The strand cores may be strands formed from polymer. The conductive coating may be formed from metal. Electrical connections may be made between intertwined conductive strands by selectively removing portions of the outer insulating layer to expose the conductive cores of overlapping conductive strands. A conductive material such as solder or conductive epoxy may be applied to the exposed portions of the conductive cores to electrically and mechanically connect the overlapping conductive strands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, David M. Kindlon, Kathryn P. Crews, Joseph B. Walker
  • Publication number: 20210071325
    Abstract: Weaving equipment may include warp strand positioning equipment that positions warp strands and weft strand positioning equipment that inserts weft strands among the warp strands to form fabric. The fabric may include insulating strands and conductive strands. The conductive strands may be coupled to electrical components. The warp strand positioning equipment may position the warp strands to form a shed. Component insertion equipment may be used to insert electrical components into the shed. The weaving equipment may have a reed. The reed may be used to help position an electrical component in the fabric. The weaving equipment may have take-down equipment and individually controllable warp fiber positioning and tensioning devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Didio V. Gomes, Maurice Philip May, David M. Kindlon, Andrew L. Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 10934641
    Abstract: A knitted component may include a knit element that has an auxetic portion configured to move between a first position and a second position as the knitted component stretches. The knitted component may also include a tensile strand inlaid within at least one of a course and a wale of the knit element, where the tensile strand extends through the auxetic portion, and where the tensile strand is selectively securable to the knit element via a securement device. The securement device may be spaced from the auxetic portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Tory M. Cross, Daniel A. Podhajny
  • Publication number: 20210045685
    Abstract: A fabric-based item may be provide with a stretchable band. The stretchable band may be formed from a ring-shaped strip of stretchable fabric having an opening configured to fit around a body part of a user. Circuitry may be coupled to strands of material in the stretchable band. The circuitry may include sensor circuitry for making measurements on the body part such as electrocardiogram measurements, blood pressure measurements, and respiration rate measurements. Wireless communications circuitry in the fabric-based item may be used to communicate wirelessly with external electronic equipment. A wireless power transmitting device may transmit wireless power. A coil formed from conductive strands in the fabric-based item may be used by wireless power receiving circuitry in the fabric-based item to receive the wireless power. The coil may have one or more turns that run around the ring-shaped strip of stretchable fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Steven J. Keating, Daniel D. Sunshine, Benjamin J. Grena, Daniel A. Podhajny, Jerzy S. Guterman, Jessica J. Lu, David M. Kindlon
  • Publication number: 20210047760
    Abstract: A knitted component may include a knitted base portion located between a first non-planar structure and a second non-planar structure. The knitted base portion may include a first area located adjacent to the first non-planar structure, and the first area may include at least one course of a first base yarn. The knitted base portion may include a second area located adjacent to the second non-planar structure, and the second area may include at least one course of a second base yarn. The first base yarn may have a first color and the second base yarn may have a second color different from the first color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Meir, Daniel A. Podhajny
  • Patent number: 10918155
    Abstract: An article of footwear with a knitted component including an upper and an integral knit ankle cuff is provided. The upper and the ankle cuff are formed as a one-piece knit element. The knit element forms a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, with the interior surface forming a void for receiving a foot. The ankle cuff is formed of unitary knit construction with the upper as a one-piece knit element and extends above a throat area of the upper. The ankle cuff includes malleolus zones on medial and lateral sides to correspond with the ankle bones of a wearer. The knit component further incorporates features to assist with providing entry for a foot of a wear, providing comfort to a wearer, and to assist with orientation of the upper of the article of footwear when being worn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Denis Dekovic, John Droege, Windra Fahmi, Jeongwoo Lee, Daniel A. Podhajny, Karl Seamarks, Doug D. Wilken