Crown assembly for an electronic watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12326697-B2
Application number	US-202318492110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2023
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

An electronic watch may include a housing defining a side wall having a through-hole and a crown assembly including an actuation member. The actuation member may include a crown shaft extending through the through-hole and having an exterior portion defining an input surface and a crown ring coupled to the exterior portion of the crown shaft and electrically isolated from the crown shaft. The crown assembly may further include an optical encoder component attached to the actuation member and defining a group of optical features. The electronic watch may further include an optical detector configured to detect rotation of the crown assembly by detecting motion of the group of optical features and an electrocardiograph sensor comprising a sensing component. The sensing component may be conductively coupled to the actuation member via a conductive path at least partially defined by the crown shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a touch-sensitive display at least partially enclosed by the housing;
a crown assembly coupled to the housing and comprising:
a crown shaft extending into an interior volume of the housing; and
a crown ring defining an outer peripheral surface of the crown assembly and electrically isolated from the crown shaft;

a rotation sensing system configured to detect a rotational input to the crown assembly based at least in part on light reflected from a reflective surface of the crown assembly, the reflective surface positioned within the interior volume of the housing; and
a force sensing component configured to detect an axial force-based input to the crown assembly.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the crown assembly further comprises a nonconductive member positioned between the crown shaft and the crown ring and configured to electrically isolate the crown ring from the crown shaft.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a biometric sensing system conductively coupled to an exterior surface of the crown assembly by a conductive path defined at least in part by the crown shaft.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic device further includes a reflective component coupled to the crown shaft, the reflective component defining the reflective surface of the crown assembly; and
the rotation sensing system comprises a laser configured to emit the light onto the reflective component.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein:
the reflective component comprises a conductive material; and
the conductive path is further defined by the reflective component.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a haptic actuator within the housing, the haptic actuator configured to produce a tactile output in response to the axial force-based input.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the tactile output is a first tactile output; and
the haptic actuator is further configured to produce a second tactile output in response to the rotational input.

8. An electronic watch comprising:
a housing;
a crown assembly along a side of the housing and defining:
an axial end surface configured to receive a translational input; and
an outer peripheral surface configured to receive a rotational input, the crown assembly comprising:
a crown shaft;
a crown ring; and
a nonconductive member conductively isolating the crown ring from the crown shaft;

a force sensing component configured to detect the translational input based on a translation of the shaft; and
a rotation sensing system configured to detect the rotational input based on a rotation of the shaft.

9. The electronic watch of claim 8 , further comprising biometric sensing circuitry at least partially enclosed by the housing and configured to determine a biometric parameter of the user based at least in part on an electrical signal received at the axial end surface of the crown assembly.

10. The electronic watch of claim 9 , wherein the biometric sensing circuitry is conductively coupled to the axial end surface of the crown assembly via a conductive path defined at least in part by the crown shaft.

11. The electronic watch of claim 9 , wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises:
a bracket positioned within the housing, the bracket comprising:
a polymer body; and
a conductor at least partially encapsulated in the polymer body; and

a conductive spring element conductively coupled to the conductor; and

the biometric sensing circuitry is conductively coupled to the axial end surface of the crown assembly via a conductive path defined at least in part by the crown shaft, the conductive spring element, and the conductor.

12. The electronic watch of claim 11 , wherein the conductive spring element imparts a force on the force sensing component in response to the translational input.

13. The electronic watch of claim 8 , wherein the rotation sensing system comprises:
an optical emitter configured to direct light onto a reflective surface of the crown assembly; and
an optical detector configured to receive at least a portion of the light reflected by the reflective surface.

14. The electronic watch of claim 8 , wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises a bracket positioned within the housing; and
the force sensing component is coupled to the bracket and positioned between the bracket and an end of the crown assembly.

15. An electronic device comprising:
a housing defining a wall;
a crown assembly having an external portion positioned along an exterior side of the wall and configured to receive a rotational input and an axial input, the crown assembly comprising:
a crown shaft; and
a crown ring coupled to the crown shaft and defining an outer peripheral surface of the crown assembly; and

a bracket positioned along an interior side of the wall and at an end of the crown assembly, the bracket comprising:
a body structure;
a force sensing component coupled to the body structure and configured to detect the axial input; and
an optical sensing component coupled to the body structure and configured to emit light onto a surface of the crown shaft that rotates as a result of the rotational input.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , the crown assembly further comprising a nonconductive element positioned between the crown shaft and the crown ring and configured to conductively isolate the crown shaft from the crown ring.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the nonconductive element defines at least a portion of an axial end surface of the crown assembly.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein:
the electronic device further comprises a biometric sensing system; and
the biometric sensing system is conductively coupled to a conductive surface of the crown assembly via a conductive path defined at least in part by the crown shaft.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein:
the bracket further comprises a conductor at least partially encapsulated in the body structure; and
the conductive path is further defined by the conductor.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein:
the electronic device further includes a conductive spring element coupled to the bracket and having a portion positioned between the crown assembly and the force sensing component;
the conductive spring element is conductively coupled to the conductor; and
the conductive path includes the conductive spring element.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Roach Steven C
• Pandya Sameer
• De Jong Erik G
• Wang Erik L
• Kardassakis Peter
• Cardinali Steven P

Classifications

• A61B5/321

  Accessories or supplementary instruments therefor, e.g. cord hangers · CPC title

• A61B5/28

  for electrocardiography [ECG] · CPC title

• A61B5/256

  Wearable electrodes, e.g. having straps or bands · CPC title

• G04B3/046

  Operation by rotation and axial movement with extra function of axial shift of operating element, e.g. crown combined with push button (winding up by push button G04B3/001) · CPC title

• G04B47/063

  measuring physiological quantities, e.g. pedometers, heart-rate sensors, blood pressure gauges and the like · CPC title