Rotary input mechanism for an electronic device

• US 9,886,006 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ely, Colin M., Rothkopf, Fletcher, Werner, Christopher Matthew, Morrell, John B., Moussette, Camille, Kerr, Duncan, Shedletsky, Anna-Katrina
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Amy Cohen
• Assistant Examiner(s): WICKLUND, DANIEL PM
• Application Number:
  US15/261,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 514 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 3/04 Rigidly-mounted keys, knobs or crowns jointed winding-stem G04B37/06
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/00 Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means synchronisation G04C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/004 Magnetically controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/04 wherein movement is regulated by a balance construction thereof G04B17/063
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• 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: H01H 35/00 Switches operated by change of a physical condition operated by change of magnetic or electric field H01H36/00; thermally-actuated switches H01H37/00

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device includes an enclosure having a sidewall with a button aperture defined therethrough, a display connected to the enclosure, a processing element in communication with the display. The device also includes a sensing element in communication with the processing element and an input button at least partially received within the button aperture and in communication with the sensing element, the input button configured to receive two types of user inputs. During operation, the sensing element tracks movement of the input button to determine the two types of user inputs.

Claims

1. A watch, comprising:

an enclosure defining an opening;

a crown having a stem that extends into the opening;

an optical sensor positioned along a side of the stem and operative to track a rotational movement of the stem about a rotational axis;

a dome switch positioned proximate an end of the stem and operative to sense a translational movement of the stem along the rotational axis;

a display positioned at least partially within the enclosure and having a touch sensor operative to receive touch input; and

a processing element operatively coupled to the display and configured to;

modify a graphical output of the display in a first manner in response to the rotational movement; and

modify the graphical output of the display in a second manner in response to the translational movement.

2. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

the watch further comprises a clip positioned within the enclosure and attached to the stem; and

the clip is operative to restrict movement of the crown in an outward translational direction.

3. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

modifying the graphical output of the display in the first manner includes scrolling a list of items displayed on the display; and

modifying the graphical output of the display in the second manner includes selecting an item of the list of items.

4. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

the watch further comprises a sealing element positioned around the stem; and

the sealing element maintains contact with an interior surface of the opening during the rotational movement of the crown and the translational movement of the crown.

5. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

the crown comprises a trackable element; and

the optical sensor is configured to detect the rotational movement of the crown by detecting light reflected from the trackable element.

6. The watch of claim 5, wherein the trackable element comprises at least one of:

a notch;

a ridge;

or

an optically detectable marking.

7. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

the crown comprises a head attached to the stem and positioned outside the enclosure; and

the crown includes a tactile feature formed on an outer surface of the head.

8. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

an enclosure defining an opening formed in a sidewall of the enclosure;

a crown having a stem that extends into the opening;

a dome switch positioned near an end of the stem and configured to detect a translation of the stem along an axis;

an optical sensor positioned along a side of the stem and configured to detect a rotation of the crown about the axis; and

a processing element configured to;

perform a first function in response to the rotation of the crown; and

perform a second, different function in response to the translation of the crown.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein:

the wearable electronic device further comprises a touch-sensitive display that is configured to receive touch input; and

the processing is configured to perform a third function in response to the touch input.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the first function includes causing a list of items to scroll across the touch-sensitive display in accordance with a direction of the rotation of the crown; and

the second function includes selecting one of the list of items in accordance with the translation of the crown.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 10, wherein:

the optical sensor is further configured to detect a speed of the rotation; and

a speed of the scrolling varies in accordance with the speed of the rotation of the crown.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the crown is configured to produce a perceptible output in response to the scrolling of the list items.

13. The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the optical sensor is an optical encoder.

14. The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein:

the dome switch is configured to collapse in response to the translation; and

the wearable electronic device further comprise a flexible membrane positioned between the crown and the dome switch and is configured to shield the collapsible dome from rotational force of the crown.

15. A watch, comprising:

an enclosure defining a watch body;

a crown having a head positioned adjacent to a side of the enclosure and a stem extending into an opening of the enclosure;

an optical sensor positioned along a side of the stem and configured to detect a rotation of the stem as the head is rotated about an axis of the opening;

a dome switch positioned proximate an end of the stem and configured to detect a translation of the stem as the head is moved toward the enclosure;

a retaining element configured to restrict movement of the head away from the enclosure and

a display positioned at least partially within the enclosure and having a graphical output;

wherein;

the graphical output is modified in a first manner in response to the head being rotated about the axis; and

the graphical output is modified in a second manner in response to the head being moved toward the enclosure.

16. The watch of claim 15, wherein:

the display includes a touch sensor that is configured to receive touch input; and

the graphical output is modified in a third manner in response to the touch input.

17. The watch of claim 15, wherein:

the retaining element is a c-clip attached to the stem; and

the c-clip has an outer diameter that is larger than the opening in the enclosure.

18. The watch of claim 15, wherein:

the optical sensor is configured to detect a direction of the rotation and a speed of the rotation.

19. The watch of claim 18, wherein:

the watch is configured to modify a visual output of the display in accordance with the direction and the speed of the rotation.

20. The watch of claim 15, wherein:

the head includes a cylindrical body; and

a series of tactile features are formed around the cylindrical body.