Rejection of false turns of rotary inputs for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10048802-B2
Application number	US-201415117819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2014
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

Various embodiments for detecting and rejecting false, unintended rotations of rotary inputs of electronic devices are disclosed herein. In one example, an electronic device is provided with an optical detector that measures the distance between the electronic device and the wearer's forearm or hand, and when the distance is smaller than a threshold distance, the turns of the rotary input are false, unintended turns. In another example, a crown of a rotary input includes a plurality of capacitive sensors that detects the presence of a wearer's finger, which when absent, the turns of the rotary input are false turns. In another example, deflections or positions of a shaft of the rotary input are measured and if the deflections/positions indicate an upward force on the rotary input (which are likely caused by the wearer's forearm or hand), the turns of the rotary input are false turns. Other embodiments are described herein.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic device having a housing, comprising:
a processor;
a touch screen coupled with the processor;
at least one rotary input coupled with the processor, the rotary input providing rotary input turn data to the processor when the rotary input is rotated, the rotary input having a shaft connected with a crown; and
a module operating on the electronic device, the module determining whether the rotary input turn data from the rotary input is invalid data resulting from unintended rotations of the rotary input, wherein, when the module determines that the input turn data is invalid data, the processor does not alter content of the touch screen in response to the input turn data.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the module determines whether an amount of rotations of the rotary input is greater than a threshold amount of rotations, and if not, the input turn data is invalid data.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the module determines whether a rate of rotations of the rotary input is greater than a threshold rate of rotations, and if not, the input turn data is invalid data.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shield extending from the housing, the shield positioned around a bottom portion of the crown.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is positioned on the housing along an axis that is positioned above a centerline of the housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source positioned within the housing, the light source emitting light in a direction toward a portion of a user's body; and
a detector positioned within the housing, the detector detecting one or more reflections of the light from the portion of the user's body.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the module determines whether the portion of the user's body is in contact with the crown, and if so, the input turn data is invalid data.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more capacitive sensors positioned on the crown, the sensors configured to detect contact with a user's finger.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the module determines whether the rotation of the rotary input resulted from contact between the user's finger and the crown, and if not, the input turn data is invalid data.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more sensors detecting a position of the shaft.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the module determines whether the rotation of the rotary input resulted from contact with an upper portion of the crown, and if not, the input turn data is invalid data.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein when the module determines that the input turn data is valid data from the rotary input, the processor alters the content of the touch screen in response to the input turn data.

13. An electronic device having a housing, comprising:
a processor;
a touch screen coupled with the processor;
at least one rotary input coupled with the processor, the rotary input providing rotary input turn data to the processor when the rotary input is rotated, the rotary input having a shaft connected with a crown; and
a module operating on the electronic device, the module determining whether the rotary input turn data from the rotary input is valid data resulting from a user's rotations of the rotary input, wherein, when the module determines that the input turn data is valid data, the touch screen is transitioned from an off state to an on state.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the module determines whether an amount of rotations of the rotary input is greater than a threshold amount of rotations, and if so, the input turn data is valid data.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the module determines whether a rate of rotations of the rotary input is greater than a threshold rate of rotations, and if so, the input turn data is valid data.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a light source positioned within the housing, the light source emitting light in a direction toward a portion of the user's body; and
a detector positioned within the housing, the detector detecting one or more reflections of the light from the portion of the user's body;
wherein the module determines whether the portion of the user's body is in contact with the crown, and if not, the input turn data is valid data.

17. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
one or more capacitive sensors positioned on the crown, the sensors configured to detect contact with the user's finger;
wherein the module determines whether the rotation of the rotary input resulted from contact between the user's finger and the crown, and if so, the input turn data is valid data.

18. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
one or more sensors detecting a position of the shaft;
wherein the module determines whether the rotation of the rotary input resulted from contact with an upper portion of the crown, and if so, the input turn data is valid data.

19. A process for an electronic device having at least one rotary input providing data, the process comprising:
detecting one or more fractional rotations of the rotary input;
determining whether the fractional rotations resulted from inadvertent contact with the rotary input; and
if the determining operation determines that the fractional rotations resulted from inadvertent contact with the rotary input, rejecting the data from the rotary input.

20. The process of claim 19 , wherein the determining operation further comprises:
detecting a distance between the electronic device and a portion of a user's body; and
comparing the distance to a threshold distance to determine whether the fractional rotations resulted from inadvertent contact with the rotary input.

21. The process of claim 19 , wherein the determining operation further comprises:
detecting a presence or an absence of contact on the rotary input with a user's finger to determine whether the fractional rotations resulted from inadvertent contact with the rotary input.

22. The process of claim 19 , wherein the determining operation further comprises:
detecting a position of a shaft of the rotary input to determine whether the fractional rotations resulted from inadvertent contact with the rotary input.

23. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein, when the module determines that the input turn data is invalid data, the touch screen is maintained in the off state.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Shedletsky Anna-Katrina
• Werner Christopher M
• Ely Colin M
• Weiss Samuel

Classifications

• G06F3/0362

  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 · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G06F3/0421

  by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen · CPC title

• G06F2203/04106

  Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title