Backlighting a fabric enclosure of a flexible cover

An accessory device comprising:

• a flexible outer cover of the accessory device comprising an assembly having flexible layers including at least an outer skin, a backer layer, and one or more middle layers disposed between the outer skin and the backer layer;
• a sensor substrate beneath the flexible outer cover having one or more conductors disposed thereon;
• one or more flexible translucent portions formed in the flexible layers, wherein flexibility of the flexible layers is reduced at one or more locations relative to the flexibility of the flexible layers at other locations, and the other locations having greater flexibility cause a stronger signal to be generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the other locations having the greater flexibility than a signal generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the one or more locations having the reduced flexibility;
• and
• a pressure sensitive sensor stack configured to be contacted responsive to pressure applied at locations of one or more of the elements integrated with the assembly that represent underlying input keys to initiate communication of corresponding inputs to a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the accessory device, the pressure sensitive stack comprising force sensitive ink having a conductivity that varies directly in relation to an amount of the pressure applied.

An apparatus comprising:

• a light source;
• a flexible outer cover of the apparatus comprising an assembly having flexible layers including at least an outer skin, a backer layer, and one or more middle layers disposed between the outer skin and the backer layer;
• a sensor substrate beneath the flexible outer cover having one or more conductors disposed thereon;
• one or more flexible translucent portions formed in the flexible layers to enable transmission of light from the light source through the flexible layers to provide backlight for elements integrated with the assembly, a flexibility of the flexible layers is reduced for one or more locations relative to the flexibility of the flexible layers at other locations, and the other locations having greater flexibility cause a stronger signal to be generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the other locations having the greater flexibility than a signal generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the one or more locations having the reduced flexibility;
• and
• a pressure sensitive sensor stack configured to be contacted responsive to pressure applied at locations of one or more of the elements integrated with the assembly that represent underlying input keys to initiate communication of corresponding inputs to a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus, the pressure sensitive stack comprising force sensitive ink having a resistance that decreases directly in relation to an amount of the pressure applied.