FORCE-DETECTING INPUT STRUCTURE

• US 20180307363A1
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ely, Colin M., de Jong, Erik G., Rothkopf, Fletcher R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2412 by varying overlap
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/007 Electromechanical contact-making and breaking devices acting as pulse generators for setting
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

An input mechanism, such as a crown, detects amounts of applied force. In various examples, an assembly including an input mechanism has an enclosure; a stem coupled to the enclosure such that the stem is rotatable, translatable, and transversely moveable with respect to the enclosure; a sensor, coupled between the stem and the housing, to which force is transferred when the stem moves with respect to the housing; and a processing unit coupled to the sensor. The processing unit is operable to determine a measurement of the force, based on a signal from the sensor.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An electronic watch comprising:

a housing defining an opening;

a touch display positioned at least partially within the opening of the housing;

a crown positioned along a side of the housing and comprising;

a cap that is configured to receive a force input; and

a force sensor coupled to the cap and comprising a first conductive element and a second conductive element that is separated from the first conductive element; and

a processing unit positioned within the housing and operably coupled to the force sensor, the processing unit configured to estimate an amount of the force input based on a change in capacitance between the first conductive element and the second conductive element.

22. The electronic watch of claim 21, wherein:

the crown further comprises a stem coupled to the cap;

the opening is a first opening;

the housing defines a second opening along the side of the housing; and

the stem of the crown extends into the second opening and is rotatably coupled to the housing.

23. The electronic watch of claim 22, wherein:

the force sensor is positioned between the stem and the cap of the crown;

the force input causes the cap to move with respect to the stem; and

the movement of the cap causes the change in capacitance between the first conductive element and the second conductive element.

24. The electronic watch of claim 22, wherein:

the force sensor is positioned along an end of the stem;

the force input causes the cap and the stem to move with respect to the housing; and

the movement of the cap and the stem causes the change in capacitance between the first conductive element and the second conductive element.

25. The electronic watch of claim 24, wherein:

the electronic watch further comprises a dome switch positioned along the end of the stem; and

the force sensor is positioned between the dome switch and the stem.

26. The electronic watch of claim 21, wherein:

the first conductive element is separated from the second conductive element by a compliant material; and

the force input causes the compliant material to deform moving the first conductive element closer to the second conductive element.

27. The electronic watch of claim 26, wherein the compliant material is a silicone material.

28. An electronic watch comprising:

a housing;

a display positioned at least partially within the housing;

a crown rotatably coupled to the housing and configured to receive a rotational input, the crown comprising a force sensor that is configured to deform in response to a force applied to the crown; and

a processing unit disposed within the housing, operably coupled to the force sensor, and configured to estimate an amount of the force in response to an output of the force sensor;

wherein;

the display is responsive to the amount of the force estimated by the processing unit; and

the display is responsive to the rotational input received by the crown.

29. The electronic watch of claim 28, wherein:

the force sensor comprises a first conductive element and a second conductive element;

a compliant material is positioned between the first conductive element and the second conductive element; and

the compliant material is configured to deform in response to the force applied to the crown.

30. The electronic watch of claim 29, wherein:

the electronic watch further comprises an inner core coupled to the housing;

the crown comprises a cap that is coupled to the inner core;

the first conductive element is fixed with respect to the inner core; and

the second conductive element is fixed with respect to the cap.

31. The electronic watch of claim 28, wherein:

the crown comprises a cap that is configured to receive the force; and

the force displaces the cap toward the housing.

32. The electronic watch of claim 28, wherein:

the force is a first force;

the crown comprises a cap that is configured to receive the first force;

the cap is configured to displace in a first direction that is toward the housing in response to receiving the first force;

the cap is configured to receive a second force;

the cap is configured to displace in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction in response to the second force; and

the display is responsive to the second force applied to the crown.

33. The electronic watch of claim 28, wherein:

the display is configured to display an icon;

the processing unit is configured to determine if the amount of the force exceeds a threshold; and

an application associated with the icon is executed in response to the force exceeding the threshold.

34. An electronic watch, comprising:

a housing;

a display positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to display a graphical output;

a crown coupled to the housing and comprising;

a cap defining an external surface that is configured to receive a force; and

a force sensor that is coupled to the cap and configured to produce a non-binary output in response to the received force; and

a processing unit configured to modify the graphical output of the display in response to the non-binary output.

35. The electronic watch of claim 34, wherein:

the force sensor comprises a first conductive element and a second conductive element;

the first conductive element is separated from the second conductive element by a compliant dielectric material; and

the force sensor is configured to produce the non-binary output based on a change in capacitance between the first conductive element and the second conductive element caused by the received force.

36. The electronic watch of claim 35, wherein:

the crown comprises a stem coupled to the cap;

the first conductive element is fixed with respect to the cap; and

the second conductive element is fixed with respect to the stem.

37. The electronic watch of claim 34, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine if the non-binary output exceeds a threshold.

38. The electronic watch of claim 37, wherein the electronic watch is configured to execute an application in response to the non-binary output exceeding the threshold.

39. The electronic watch of claim 34, wherein:

the force sensor comprises a strain gauge; and

the strain gauge is configured to produce the non-binary output in response to the received force.

40. The electronic watch of claim 34, wherein:

the force sensor comprises a piezoelectric element; and

the piezoelectric element is configured to produce the non-binary output in response to the received force.