Optical position sensor for a crown
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsChin Han Lin, Stephen N. Sweet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic device includes an input device having a moveable shaft, a reflective surface, an optical energy transmitter, and optical energy receivers that receive optical energy transmitted by the optical energy transmitter and reflected by the reflective surface. Movement of the moveable shaft changes the optical energy received by the optical energy receivers. The movement or position of the shaft may be determined by analyzing the optical energy received. Detectable movement may include rotation, rotation speed, rotation direction, translation, tilt, displacement, and so on. The optical energy receivers may be configured in concentric rings.
Claims20
An electronic device, comprising:
- a crown having a shaft, the crown operable to rotate and translate the shaft, the shaft having an end defining a sloped surface;
- an optical energy transmitter that transmits optical energy toward the sloped surface;
- concentric rings of optical energy receivers that encircle the optical energy transmitter and are operable to receive reflected optical energy from the sloped surface;
- and
- a processing unit that is operable to determine a first position of the shaft using:
- a second position of the reflected optical energy on the optical energy receivers;
- and
- a variable output of the optical energy receivers.
An electronic device, comprising:
- a shaft including a reflector;
- an optical energy transmitter operable to transmit optical energy at the reflector;
- a group of optical energy receivers operable to receive reflected optical energy from the reflector, the group of optical energy receivers disposed in a first circle and a second circle, the second circle located within the first circle;
- and
- a processing unit operable to determine a position of the shaft based on the reflected optical energy received by the group of optical energy receivers.
An electronic device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a crown moveably coupled to the housing, the crown comprising a shaft having an end that defines a reflector;
- an optical sensor assembly, disposed within the housing, comprising
- an optical energy transmitter operable to transmit optical energy toward the reflector;
- a first set of optical energy receivers disposed in a first circular arrangement at a first radius from the optical energy transmitter;
- and
- a second set of optical energy receivers disposed in a second circular arrangement at a second radius from the optical energy transmitter;
- and
- a processing unit operable to determine a position of the shaft based on the optical energy received from the reflector by at least one of the first set of optical energy receivers or the second set of optical energy receivers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.