Rejection of false turns of rotary inputs for electronic devices

• US 10,613,685 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2019
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shedletsky, Anna-Katrina, Werner, Christopher M., Ely, Colin M., Weiss, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas J
• Application Number:
  US16/262,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20190163324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

Various embodiments for detecting and rejecting false, unintended rotations of rotary inputs of electronic devices are disclosed herein. In one example, an electronic device is provided with an optical detector that measures the distance between the electronic device and the wearer'"'"'s forearm or hand, and when the distance is smaller than a threshold distance, the turns of the rotary input are false, unintended turns. In another example, a crown of a rotary input includes a plurality of capacitive sensors that detects the presence of a wearer'"'"'s finger, which when absent, the turns of the rotary input are false turns. In another example, deflections or positions of a shaft of the rotary input are measured and if the deflections/positions indicate an upward force on the rotary input (which are likely caused by the wearer'"'"'s forearm or hand), the turns of the rotary input are false turns. Other embodiments are described herein.

Claims

1. An electronic watch comprising:

a housing;

a processor;

a display positioned at least partially within the housing; and

a crown positioned along a side of the housing, wherein the electronic watch is configured to, while the display is in an inactive state;

detect a rotation of the crown produced by an input;

determine a characteristic of the rotation of the crown; and

in response to the characteristic of the rotation of the crown not satisfying a condition, maintain the display in the inactive state.

2. The electronic watch of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic watch is further configured to, in response to the characteristic of the rotation of the crown satisfying the condition, transition the display to an active state;

when the display is in the inactive state, no graphical content is displayed on the display; and

when the display is in the active state, graphical content is displayed on the display.

3. The electronic watch of claim 2, wherein the characteristic of the rotation of the crown satisfies the condition if an amount of rotation of the crown is greater than a threshold amount of rotation.

4. The electronic watch of claim 2, wherein the characteristic of the rotation of the crown satisfies the condition if a rate of rotation of the crown is greater than a threshold rate of rotation.

5. The electronic watch of claim 2, wherein:

the rotation of the crown is a first rotation;

the condition is a first condition;

the electronic watch is further configured to;

while the display is in the active state, determine a characteristic of a second rotation of the crown; and

in response to the characteristic of the second rotation of the crown satisfying a second condition, alter the graphical content displayed on the display in response to the second rotation of the crown; and

the second condition is different than the first condition.

6. The electronic watch of claim 5, wherein:

the first condition corresponds to a first threshold amount of rotation of the crown;

the second condition corresponds to a second threshold amount of rotation of the crown; and

the second threshold amount of rotation is less than the first threshold amount of rotation.

7. The electronic watch of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic watch further comprises;

a shaft coupled to the crown; and

a rotary encoder configured to detect a rotation of the shaft; and

the electronic watch is further configured to determine the characteristic of the rotation of the crown based on the detected rotation of the shaft.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a touch screen coupled to the housing;

a rotatable input member coupled to the housing and comprising a shaft connected to a crown; and

a sensor configured to detect an input provided to the rotatable input member;

wherein the electronic device is configured to, while the touch screen is not displaying graphical content;

detect a rotation caused by the input provided to the rotatable input member;

determine a characteristic of the rotation of the rotatable input member; and

in response to the characteristic of the rotation of the rotatable input member not satisfying a condition, continue to not display graphical content on the touch screen.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is configured to, in response to the characteristic of the rotation of the rotatable input member satisfying the condition, display graphical content on the touch screen.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the rotation satisfies the condition if an amount of rotation of the rotatable input member is greater than a threshold amount of rotation.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the rotation satisfies the condition if a rate of rotation of the rotatable input member is greater than a threshold rate of rotation.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the sensor is a first sensor; and

the electronic device further comprises a second sensor configured to detect a contact between the rotatable input member and a user.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

the first sensor is a rotary encoder;

the second sensor is a capacitive sensor; and

the electronic device is further configured to display graphical content on the touch screen in response to detecting the contact between the rotatable input member and the user while detecting the rotation of the rotatable input member.

14. An electronic watch comprising:

a housing;

a display coupled to the housing; and

a crown coupled to the housing and rotatable relative to the housing, wherein the electronic watch is configured to, while the electronic watch is in a first mode of operation;

detect an input that results in a rotation of the crown;

determine if a characteristic of the input satisfies a condition;

in response to the characteristic of the input satisfying the condition, transition the electronic watch from the first mode of operation to a second mode of operation; and

in response to the characteristic of the input not satisfying the condition, maintaining the electronic watch in the first mode of operation, the maintaining including not altering a graphical content of the display.

15. The electronic watch of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the input satisfies the condition if a rate of the rotation of the crown is greater than a threshold rate.

16. The electronic watch of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the input satisfies the condition if an amount of the rotation of the crown is greater than a threshold amount of rotation.

17. The electronic watch of claim 14, wherein, in the first mode of operation the display does not display graphical output.

18. The electronic watch of claim 14, wherein in the second mode of operation:

a list is displayed on the display; and

the list is scrolled in accordance with the rotation of the crown.

19. The electronic watch of claim 14, wherein:

the electronic watch further comprises a sensor configured to detect a contact between a user'"'"'s finger and the crown; and

the characteristic of the input satisfies the condition if the sensor detects the contact between the user'"'"'s finger and the crown while detecting the rotation of the crown.

20. The electronic watch of claim 19, wherein the characteristic of the input does not satisfy the condition if the sensor detects the contact between the user'"'"'s finger and the crown along a bottom surface of the crown.