Force-detecting input structure

• US 10,019,097 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US15/219,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20180024683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 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. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a collar, coupled to the housing, comprising;

a moveable conductor; and

a conductive element; and

a crown, comprising;

a cap; and

a shaft positioned partially within an aperture defined by the collar and attached to the cap;

wherein;

the movable conductor and the conductive element are separated by a distance; and

movement of the shaft in response to an input force on the cap reduces the distance, thereby changing a capacitance between the moveable conductor and the conductive element.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a processing unit operative to determine an amount of force applied to the crown based on the change in capacitance.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising silicone disposed within the distance.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the conductive element comprises a flex circuit that extends through at least part of the collar into the housing.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the collar comprises:

an inner core to which the conductive element is coupled; and

a compliant material disposed in the distance that couples the conductive element and the moveable conductor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the shaft is operable to move without changing the capacitance between the moveable conductor and the conductive element.

7. A crown assembly, comprising:

an enclosure;

a stem coupled to the enclosure, such that the stem is;

rotatable with respect to the enclosure;

translatable with respect to the enclosure; and

transversely moveable with respect to the enclosure;

a sensor, coupled between the stem and the enclosure, the stem configured to compress the sensor when the stem moves transversely with respect to the enclosure; and

a processing unit, coupled to the sensor, operable to determine a measurement of the force, based on a signal from the sensor.

8. The crown assembly of claim 7, wherein the processing unit is operative to determine a direction in which the stem moves transversely.

9. The crown assembly of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises a strain gauge.

10. The crown assembly of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises:

a first conductor;

a second conductor; and

a dielectric separating the first and second conductors.

11. The crown assembly of claim 10, wherein the dielectric comprises a compliant material.

12. The crown assembly of claim 7, further comprising:

a collar coupled to the enclosure;

wherein

the sensor couples the stem to the collar.

13. The crown assembly of claim 7, further comprising a wireless transmission mechanism that wirelessly couples the processing unit and the sensor.

14. The crown assembly of claim 7, further comprising:

an additional sensor coupled between the stem and the processing unit;

wherein

the processing unit is operable to determine a measurement of a force that translates the stem, based on a signal from the additional sensor.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a body;

a coupler positioned at least partially within the body;

a crown, connected to the coupler, and operable to move with respect to the body;

a capacitive sensor coupled to the crown, and configured to deform in response to a force being applied to the crown; and

a processing unit operable to ascertain an amount of the force based on a change in a capacitance of the capacitive sensor.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the coupler includes the capacitive sensor.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the capacitive sensor comprises:

a first capacitive element;

a second capacitive element; and

a compliant material positioned between the first and second capacitive elements;

wherein

the compliant material;

extends between the coupler and the body; and

seals the coupler to the body.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein a change in proximity between the first and second capacitive elements is proportional to the amount of the force.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the input mechanism moves transverse with respect to the body.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein a portion of the crown is operable to move closer to the body.