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US 10,871,830 B2Granted
Proximity detection for an input mechanism of an electronic device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsColin M. Ely, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Baboo V. Gowreesunker, Prashanth S. Holenarsipur, Serhan O. Isikman, Anna-Katrina Shedletsky
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is an electronic device having a proximity sensor for determining whether an object, such as a user's finger, is in proximity to or in contact with an input mechanism of the electronic device.
Claims14
A wearable electronic device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a cover coupled with the housing and defining a cavity in an interior surface of the cover, the cover enclosing the cavity within an interior of the wearable device;
- a display positioned within the housing, under the cover;
- a rotatable crown disposed exterior to the housing and attached to a shaft extending through the housing;
- and
- an optical proximity sensor coupled to the cover;
- wherein:
- the optical proximity sensor is coupled to the interior surface of the cover and at least partially positioned within the cavity;
- the optical proximity sensor includes a light source configured to emit light through a front surface of the cover and in proximity to the rotatable crown;
- and
- the optical proximity sensor is configured to measure reflections of the emitted light received through the cover and determine whether an object is proximate to the rotatable crown based on the measured reflections.
8 more elements
A wearable electronic device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a cover coupled with the housing and defining a cavity formed in an interior surface of the cover, the cover enclosing the cavity within an interior of the wearable device;
- a display positioned within the housing, under the cover;
- an input mechanism extending through the housing and having a surface exterior to the housing;
- an optical sensor contained within the housing;
- and
- a processor linked with the optical sensor;
- wherein:
- the optical sensor is coupled to the interior surface of the cover and at least partially positioned within the cavity and between a lateral edge of the display and the housing;
- the optical sensor includes a light source configured to emit light through a front surface of the cover and in proximity to the surface of the input mechanism exterior to the housing;
- the optical sensor is configured to measure reflections of the emitted light received through the cover;
- and
- the processor is configured to determine that an object is proximate to the input mechanism based on the measured reflections.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.