Apple Receives a New Patent For 'Smart Fabric'

MikeChino writes: Is Apple branching out into clever clothing? On January 1, 2019, the tech giant was awarded an original design patent for 'Fabric.' First filed for in September 2016, the 'Fabric' patent shows a swatch of a ridged material in gray, dark gray, and white to represent contrasting appearances. Apple has filed for several patents in the last few years related to combining technology with fabric, but this is the first glimpse we've had at what that fabric might look like. The 'smart' fabric could sense environmental changes, warn the wearer of various events, and/or respond to pressure and touch. As Dwell notes, 'Apple's other fabric-related patents have involved a jacket that sends tactile or audible signals to visually and hearing impaired users -- so they can walk around without a cane or guide dog -- and a force-sensing fabric with interwoven circuits that could be used in a glove to track a wearer's vital signs and control devices wirelessly.'

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