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
Embodiments are directed to a watch having a rotatable and translatable input member. In one aspect, the watch includes a housing defining a watch body. The watch may include a crown positioned within an aperture of the housing and a shaft coupled with the crown at a first end of the shaft. To measure input at the crown, the watch may include a tactile dome positioned at a second end of the shaft that is configured to detect translation of the crown and a sensing element positioned within the housing that is configured to detect rotation of the crown.
Claims20
A watch, comprising:
- a button configured to receive translational and rotational input from a user;
- a coupling connected to the button;
- a set of sensing elements configured to detect:
- a translational motion of the coupling resulting from the translational input;
- and
- a rotational motion of the coupling about a direction of the translational motion and resulting from the rotational input;
- a display configured to depict a graphical output of the watch;
- and
- a processing element configured to manipulate the graphical output based on one or both of the rotational or translation input.
A wearable electronic device, comprising:
- an input structure configured to both laterally translate and rotate about a direction of the lateral translation;
- a non-contact based sensor positioned along a portion of the input structure and configured to measure the rotation of the input structure using trackable elements arranged around the input structure;
- a contact-based sensor positioned at an end of the shaft and configured to measure the translation of the input structure;
- and
- a processing element configured to:
- control a first function of the electronic device using the measured rotation;
- and
- control a second, distinct function of the electronic device using the measured translation.
A watch, comprising:
- a housing defining a watch body;
- a crown positioned within a first aperture of the housing and configured to receive rotational and translational input from a user;
- a shaft coupled with the crown at a first end of the shaft;
- a tactile dome positioned at a second end of the shaft and configured to generate a first output in response to translation of the crown;
- a sensing element positioned along a side of the shaft and configured to generate a second output in response to rotation of the crown about a longitudinal axis of the shaft;
- and
- a display positioned within a second aperture and configured to depict a graphical output of the watch in response to at least one of the rotational or translational input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.