# US 2017/0255266 A1 · Input with haptic feedback > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0255266 A1 - Document ID: US20170255266A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/449,816 - Filed: 2017-03-03 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-04 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Prashanth HOLENARSIPUR; Xingxing CAI; Stephen N. SWEET; Richard RUH - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255266A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06F 1/163: {Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt} - G06F 1/169: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033)} - G06F 3/02: Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials - G06F 3/0362: with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 2203/04105: Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position - G06F 2203/04108: Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing and an input mechanism cooperatively engaged with the housing and configured to rotate in a first direction about a rotation axis. In some examples, the electronic device comprises an input sensor configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on rotation of the input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises an actuator coupled to the housing and configured to displace the input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a force sensor coupled to the input mechanism and configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on a force applied to the input mechanism along the second axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a housing; an input mechanism cooperatively engaged with the housing and configured to rotate in a first direction about a rotation axis; an input sensor configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on rotation of the input mechanism; and an actuator coupled to the housing and configured to displace the input mechanism, and a force sensor coupled to the input mechanism and configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on a force applied to the input mechanism along a second axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a processor configured to determine an amount of displacement of the input mechanism along the second axis based on a measurement of the force sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to compensate the measurement of the force sensor based on an amount of displacement of the input mechanism by the actuator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor is a capacitive force sensor, and determining an amount of displacement of the input mechanism is based on a change in capacitance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the actuator and the force sensor are coupled to the input mechanism at a first distal end of the input mechanism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor is configured to determine a direction and an amount of force applied to the input mechanism. ### Claim 7 A method comprising: receiving a first input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a first direction in response to the first input; sensing the first input at the input mechanism based on a movement of the input mechanism in the first direction; receiving a second input at the input mechanism, based on a movement of the input mechanism in a second direction, different from the first direction, sensing a second input at a force sensor in response to the second input; and displacing the input mechanism by a force actuator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising determining an amount of displacement of the input mechanism along the second direction based on a measurement of the force sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising compensating the measurement of the force sensor based on an amount of displacement of the input mechanism by the force actuator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the force sensor is a capacitive force sensor, and determining an amount of displacement of the input mechanism is based on a change in capacitance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: determining whether an amount of movement resulting from the first input exceeds a threshold amount of movement; wherein displacing the input mechanism is in accordance with a determination that the amount of movement exceeds the threshold amount of movement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the force actuator and the force sensor are coupled to the input mechanism at a first distal end of the input mechanism. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first direction is a rotation about a first axis and the second direction is a translation along the first axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the force sensor is configured to determine a direction and an amount of force applied to the input mechanism. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising: receiving a first input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a first direction in response to the first input; sensing the first input at the input mechanism based on a movement of the input mechanism in the first direction; and receiving a second input at a input mechanism at a force sensor, the input mechanism configured to move in a second direction, different from the first direction, in response to the second input; displacing the input mechanism by a force actuator, the displacement different from the first input and the second input. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising determining an amount of displacement of the input mechanism along the second direction based on a measurement of the force sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, the method further comprising compensating the measurement of the force sensor based on an amount of displacement of the input mechanism by the force actuator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the force sensor is a capacitive force sensor, and determining an amount of displacement of the input mechanism is based on a change in capacitance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the force actuator and the force sensor are coupled to the input mechanism at a first distal end of the input mechanism. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the force sensor is configured to determine a direction and an amount of force applied to the input mechanism.