Rotatable input mechanism having adjustable output

• US 9,891,651 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jackson, Benjamin G., Baugh, Brenton A., McClain, Megan A., Taylor, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US15/055,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 717 Days
• Field of Search: 3404071, 3404072, 345173, 345184
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/08 Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/03 Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an input device that replicates mechanical actuation of a rotatable input mechanism in such a way that the haptic output provided by the input device is controllable.

Claims

1. A rotatable input mechanism, comprising:

a rotatable structure;

a surface within the rotatable structure;

a moveable mass; and

an actuation mechanism that causes the moveable mass to alternately engage and disengage the surface, thereby dynamically changing a torque required to rotate the rotatable structure.

2. The rotatable input mechanism of claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism is an electromagnet.

3. The rotatable input mechanism of claim 2, wherein the electromagnet has an annular shape.

4. The rotatable input mechanism of claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism is a linear actuator.

5. The rotatable input mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a spring mechanism coupled to the moveable mass, the spring mechanism causing the moveable mass to alternately engage and disengage the surface.

6. The rotatable input mechanism of claim 1, wherein the moveable mass is operative to move about a perimeter of the actuation mechanism.

7. A user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism, comprising:

a rotatable structure configured to rotate about an axis; and

an actuation mechanism defining an engagement surface;

wherein

the engagement surface is configured to alternately contact and disengage from the rotatable structure, thereby varying friction between the engagement surface and the rotatable structure to provide a varying haptic output.

8. The user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism of claim 7, wherein the actuation mechanism dynamically varies the friction such that the varying haptic output is non-binary.

9. The user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism of claim 8, wherein the actuation mechanism electromagnetically varies an attraction between the rotatable structure and the engagement surface, thereby dynamically varying the friction.

10. The user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism of claim 7, further comprising a stabilization mechanism operative to stabilize the engagement surface.

11. The user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism of claim 7, wherein the actuation mechanism controls an output of a display associated with the user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism.

12. The user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism of claim 7, wherein the engagement surface is biased against an inner surface of the rotatable structure.

13. The user-manipulable rotatable input mechanism of claim 7, further comprising a bearing positioned between the rotatable structure and the actuation mechanism.

14. An input device, comprising:

a cover;

a feedback mechanism coupled to an inner surface of the cover; and

a rotating center plate operable to rotate both with the cover and independently of the cover, and having one or more detents disposed on a perimeter that interact with the feedback mechanism to provide a variable haptic output.

15. The input device of claim 14, further comprising an optical encoder operative to detect at least one of a direction of rotation of the rotating center plate and a speed of rotation of the rotating center plate.

16. The input device of claim 14, wherein rotation of the cover manipulates a selector of a user interface associated with the input device.

17. The input device of claim 14, further comprising a motor operative to rotate the rotating center plate.

18. The input device of claim 14, wherein the rotating center plate is configured to rotate at multiple speeds.

19. The input device of claim 14, wherein the rotating center plate is rotatable in a first direction and the cover is rotatable in a second direction that is different from the first direction.