Rotatable input mechanism having adjustable output

• US 10,579,090 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• 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): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US15/870,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20180136686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 watch comprising:

a housing;

a display positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to display a user interface;

a touch sensor positioned over the display and configured to receive a user input;

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

an actuation mechanism configured to produce haptic outputs by repeatedly varying an amount of friction between the actuation mechanism and the rotatable crown during a rotation of the rotatable crown, wherein;

in a first mode, the actuation mechanism produces a first haptic output during the rotation of the rotatable crown, the first haptic output corresponding to a first sequence of tactilely perceptible changes in resistance to a first turning force; and

in a second mode, the actuation mechanism produces a second haptic output that is different from the first haptic output during the rotation of the rotatable crown, the second haptic output corresponding to a second sequence of tactilely perceptible changes in resistance to a second turning force.

2. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface comprises a displayed element; and

the displayed element is modified in response to the rotation of the rotatable crown.

3. The watch of claim 2, wherein:

the displayed element comprises at least one of an icon, a menu item, or a display screen; and

modifying the displayed element comprises at least one of selecting the displayed element, zooming in, zooming out, or navigating between the displayed element and an additional displayed element.

4. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface displays a scrollable list having a set of selectable elements;

in the first mode, a first selectable element of the set of selectable elements that is not a last item of the scrollable list is selected;

in the second mode, a second selectable element of the set of selectable elements that is the last item of the scrollable list is selected; and

the actuation mechanism produces the second haptic output in response to the rotatable crown being rotated while the last item of the scrollable list is selected.

5. The watch of claim 4, wherein:

the rotation causes a different selectable element of the set of selectable elements to be selected;

the first haptic output indicates that the different selectable element has been selected; and

if the different selectable element is the second selectable element, the watch transitions to the second mode.

6. The watch of claim 1, wherein:

in the first mode, a first torque is required to rotate the rotatable crown; and

in the second mode, a second torque that is less than the first torque is required to rotate the rotatable crown.

7. The watch of claim 6, wherein:

the user interface comprises a scrollable user interface;

rotating the rotatable crown scrolls through the scrollable user interface;

when in the first mode, in response to a speed of rotation of the rotatable crown exceeding a first threshold, the watch transitions to the second mode; and

when in the second mode, in response to the speed of rotation of the rotatable crown being less than a second threshold, the watch transitions to the first mode.

8. The watch of claim 1, wherein the amount of friction repeatedly dynamically varies between a first non-zero amount and a second non-zero amount.

9. An electronic watch comprising:

a housing;

a rotatable crown coupled to the housing; and

an actuation mechanism configured to produce haptic feedback by repeatedly changing an amount of friction between a first element and a second element during a rotation of the rotatable crown, wherein;

in a first mode, the actuation mechanism produces a first number of haptic outputs per full rotation of the rotatable crown; and

in a second mode, the actuation mechanism produces a second number of haptic outputs per full rotation of the rotatable crown, the second number of haptic outputs being different from the first number of haptic outputs.

10. The electronic watch of claim 9, wherein:

a first haptic output of the first number of haptic outputs is provided every quarter rotation of the rotatable crown; and

a second haptic output of the second number of haptic outputs is provided every half rotation of the rotatable crown.

11. The electronic watch of claim 9, wherein a strength of either of the first or the second number of haptic outputs varies over time.

12. The electronic watch of claim 9, wherein repeatedly changing the amount of friction between the first element and the second element repeatedly changes a torque required to rotate the rotatable crown.

13. The electronic watch of claim 9, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a linear actuator.

14. The electronic watch of claim 13, wherein the linear actuator comprises a moveable mass and is configured to change a torque required to rotate the rotatable crown by moving the moveable mass such that the moveable mass contacts the rotatable crown.

15. The electronic watch of claim 14, wherein:

the rotatable crown comprises a rotatable structure defining an inner sidewall;

the linear actuator is disposed within the rotatable structure; and

the moveable mass contacting the rotatable crown comprises the moveable mass contacting the inner sidewall of the rotatable structure.

16. The electronic watch of claim 9, wherein:

the electronic watch further comprises a processing unit operably coupled to the actuation mechanism; and

the actuation mechanism is configured to repeatedly change the amount of friction between the first element and the second element in response to receiving one or more signals from the processing unit, repeatedly changing the amount of friction comprising;

causing the first element to exert a first force on the second element to cause a first amount of friction between the first element and the second element; and

causing the first element to exert a second force different from the first force on the second element to cause a second amount of friction different than the first amount of friction between the first element and the second element.

17. A watch comprising:

a housing;

a processing unit positioned within the housing;

a display disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to display multiple displayed elements;

a rotatable crown coupled to the housing and configured to receive rotational inputs; and

a haptic actuator configured to;

produce a first haptic output by repeatedly changing an amount of friction between a first element and a second element in a first manner during a first rotation of the rotatable crown, the first haptic output corresponding to a first sequence of tactilely perceptible changes in resistance to a first turning force; and

produce a second haptic output different from the first haptic output by repeatedly changing the amount of friction between the first element and the second element in a second manner during a second rotation of the rotatable crown, the second haptic output corresponding to a second sequence of tactilely perceptible changes in resistance to a second turning force, wherein;

in response to receiving a first rotational input at the rotatable crown, the processing unit is configured to;

modify a first displayed element of the multiple displayed elements; and

cause the haptic actuator to provide the first haptic output; and

in response to receiving a second rotational input, the watch is configured to;

modify a second displayed element of the multiple displayed elements; and

cause the haptic actuator to provide the second haptic output.

18. The watch of claim 17, wherein:

the first rotational input comprises rotation of the rotatable crown in a first type of user interface; and

the second rotational input comprises rotation of the rotatable crown in a second type of user interface.

19. The watch of claim 17, wherein at least one of changing the first displayed element or changing the second displayed element comprises navigating within a menu of a user interface of the watch.

20. The watch of claim 17, wherein:

the first displayed element corresponds to a first application of the watch; and

the second displayed element corresponds to a second application of the watch.