Tactile switch for an electronic device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsColin M. Ely, John B. Morrell, Duncan Kerr, Camille Moussette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic watch includes an input device capable of receiving rotational and translational inputs. The watch may include a crown positioned along an exterior of an enclosure and a shaft coupled to the crown and extending into the enclosure. The watch may include a tactile switch, and/or one or more sensors for detecting rotational and translational inputs received at the crown. The watch may include a display configured to produce graphical outputs that may change in response to rotational inputs, translational inputs, and/or touch inputs received at the display.
Claims20
A watch comprising:
- an enclosure having a sidewall and an opening in the sidewall;
- a crown positioned along an exterior of the sidewall;
- a shaft coupled to the crown and extending through the opening;
- an optical sensor positioned within the enclosure and configured to detect a rotation of the shaft;
- and
- a tactile switch positioned within the enclosure and configured to:
- detect a depressed position of the shaft when the crown is pressed inward toward the enclosure;
- and
- bias the shaft outward toward an undepressed position.
A watch comprising:
- an enclosure having an opening;
- a crown positioned along an exterior of the enclosure and configured to receive a rotation and an inward translation along an actuation direction;
- a shaft coupled to the crown and extending into the opening;
- a spring coupled to the crown and configured to bias the crown outward in a return direction that is opposite to the actuation direction;
- an optical sensor positioned within the enclosure and configured to detect at least one of the rotation or the inward translation;
- and
- a processing unit positioned within the enclosure and configured to control a function of the watch in response to the rotation or the inward translation.
A watch comprising:
- an enclosure having an opening;
- a tactile switch assembly extending into the opening and configured to receive a rotational input and a translational input, the tactile switch assembly being biased toward an undepressed position;
- a first sensor positioned within the enclosure and configured to detect the rotational input using reflected light;
- and
- a second sensor positioned within the enclosure and configured to detect the translational input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.