Wearable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10599101-B2
Application number	US-201514842617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A consumer product that is a portable and, in some cases, a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device may have functionalities including: keeping time; monitoring a user's physiological signals and providing health-related information based on those signals; communicating with other electronic devices or services; visually depicting data on a display; gather data from one or more sensors that may be used to initiate, control, or modify operations of the device; determine a location of a touch on a surface of the device and/or an amount of force exerted on the device, and use either or both as input.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wearable electronic device comprising:
a housing defining a first opening and having a sidewall defining a second opening;
a watch band configured to secure the wearable electronic device to a user;
a cover positioned over the first opening;
a display positioned below the cover;
a touch sensor positioned below the cover and configured to detect a location of a touch on the cover;
a force sensor positioned between the cover and the housing and configured to detect a force of the touch on the cover; and
a crown comprising
a dial disposed along the sidewall of the housing;
a shaft that extends through the second opening defined by the sidewall;
a first sensor that is configured to detect a translational input; and
a second sensor that is configured to detect a rotational input;

wherein:
the display is responsive to each of:
the touch at the cover;
the force of the touch at the cover;
the translational input at the crown; and
the rotational input at the crown.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the touch sensor is configured to detect gesture input on the cover; and
the display is responsive to the gesture input.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein:
the display is configured to display a list of items; and
the display is configured to scroll the list of items in response to:
the gesture input on the cover; and
the rotational input provided to the crown.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 3 , wherein:
the wearable electronic device is configured to select an item of the list of items in response to:
a force input provided to the force sensor; and
the translational input provided to the crown.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the force sensor is configured to distinguish a light touch associated with a first amount of force applied to the cover from a heavy touch associated with a second amount of force applied to the cover; and
the second amount of force is greater than the first amount of force.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 5 , wherein:
the display is configured to display a list;
the display is configured to scroll the list in response to the light touch being applied to the cover; and
the display is configured to select an item of the list in response to the heavy touch being applied to the cover.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic device further comprises a microphone configured to receive voice commands.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the display is responsive to the voice commands provided to the microphone.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the microphone is configured to record audio input.

10. An electronic watch comprising:
a housing defining an interior cavity;
a cover attached to the housing;
a display positioned within the interior cavity;
a touch sensor positioned between the display and the cover and configured to detect touch input;
a force sensor positioned between the cover and the housing and configured to detect force input; and
a crown disposed along a side of the housing and comprising:
a rotational sensor configured to detect a rotational input; and
a translational sensor configured to detect a translational input; wherein:

the display is configured to present a user interface that is responsive to each of: the touch input, the force input, the translational input, and the rotational input.

11. The electronic watch of claim 10 , wherein the crown includes a shaft that extends into the interior cavity through an opening in a sidewall of the housing.

12. The electronic watch of claim 11 , wherein:
the rotational sensor is an optical sensor positioned at least partially within the interior cavity; and
the translational sensor is a tactile switch positioned along an end of the shaft.

13. The electronic watch of claim 10 , wherein the user interface is configured to scroll the display in response to:
the touch input detected using the touch sensor; and
the rotational input detected using the rotational sensor of the crown.

14. The electronic watch of claim 10 , wherein the user interface is configured to select an item in response to:
force input detected using the force sensor; and
translational input detected using the translational sensor.

15. The electronic watch of claim 10 , wherein:
the electronic watch is configured to adjust a hardware setting in response to the rotational input detected using the rotational sensor; and
the hardware setting includes one or more of:
a volume setting for a speaker; or
a brightness setting for the display.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing defining an internal cavity and an opening extending into the internal cavity;
a watch band attached to the housing and configured to couple the electronic device to a user;
a display positioned at least partially within the opening and configured to produce a graphical output;
a touch sensor configured to detect a location of a touch along an exterior surface of the electronic device;
a microphone positioned within the internal cavity and configured to receive a voice command; and
a crown comprising:
a dial positioned along a side of the housing;
a shaft extending through an opening in the housing;
a sensor configured to detect a translational input; and
a second sensor configured to detect a rotational input; wherein:

the graphical output of the display is responsive to each of:
a touch input detected using the touch sensor;
the voice command detected using the microphone;
the translational input detected by the crown; and
the rotational input detected by the crown.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein:
the graphical output corresponds to a selection of an item; and
the item selection is performed in response to either of:
the touch input detected using the touch sensor;
the voice command detected using the microphone; or
the translational input detected by the first sensor.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein:
the graphical output includes a scrolling of items; and
the scrolling of items is performed in response to either of:
the touch input detected using the touch sensor; or
the rotational input detected by the second sensor.

19. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein:
the electronic device further comprises a force sensor;
the force sensor is configured to detect a variable force input; and
the graphical output is responsive to the variable force input.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein:
the graphical output is configured to perform a function in response to either:
the variable force input detected by the force sensor; or
the rotational input detected by the second sensor.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Rothkopf Fletcher R
• Ive Jonathan
• Hoenig Julian
• Zorkendorfer Rico

Classifications

• G04G21/025

  for measuring physiological data · CPC title

• A61B5/02438

  with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient · CPC title

• G04G17/02 Primary

  Component assemblies · CPC title

• A61B5/681

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title