Crown for an electronic watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596334-B2
Application number	US-202318106912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2023
Priority date	Feb 7, 2023
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

An electronic watch may include a housing defining a side wall, a display, a front cover positioned over the display, and an input system configured to receive a rotational input and a translational input. The input system may include a switch element positioned within the housing and defining a first opening along a top of the switch element, a crown including a knob external to the housing, and a shaft assembly coupled to the knob and extending through a second opening in the side wall of the housing and through the first opening in the switch element, the shaft assembly defining an actuation feature configured to actuate the switch element in response to the translational input, and a rotation sensing system configured to detect the rotational input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic watch comprising:
a housing defining a side wall; a display; a front cover positioned over the display; and an input system configured to receive a rotational input and a translational input and comprising:
a switch element positioned within the housing and defining a first opening along a top of the switch element;
a crown comprising:
a knob external to the housing; and
a shaft assembly coupled to the knob and extending through a second opening in the side wall of the housing and through the first opening in the switch element, the shaft assembly defining an actuation feature configured to actuate the switch element in response to the translational input; and

a rotation sensing system configured to detect the rotational input.

2 . The electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotation sensing system is an optical rotation sensing system configured to detect the rotational input based at least in part on light reflected from a surface of the crown; the knob defines a conductive surface; the electronic watch further comprises:
a battery within the housing; and
a processing system;
the processing system is operatively coupled to the battery, the switch element, and the optical rotation sensing system and configured to change a graphical output of the display in response to at least one of the translational input or the rotational input; and the processing system is conductively coupled to the conductive surface through the shaft assembly and is configured to determine a biological parameter of a user based at least in part on a voltage detected at the conductive surface.

3 . The electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises a bracket assembly within the housing and defining a third opening; the switch element is coupled to the bracket assembly; and a portion of the crown extends into the third opening.

4 . The electronic watch of claim 3 , wherein:
the bracket assembly comprises a bushing positioned in the third opening; and the bushing rotationally supports an end of the shaft assembly.

5 . The electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the shaft assembly defines:
a barrel portion having a first diameter; and
an end portion extending from the barrel portion and having a second diameter less than the first diameter; and
the barrel portion defines the actuation feature of the shaft assembly.

6 . The electronic watch of claim 5 , wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises a bracket assembly within the housing and defining a third opening; the switch element is coupled to the bracket assembly; a bushing is positioned in the third opening and defines a fourth opening; and the end portion of the shaft assembly extends into the fourth opening of the bushing and is rotationally supported by the bushing.

7 . The electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotation sensing system is configured to direct a laser beam onto a surface of the crown and receive a reflected portion of the laser beam; and the rotation sensing system determines a speed and a direction of the rotational input using self-mixing laser interferometry.

8 . A wearable electronic device comprising:
a housing having a side wall and a first opening in the side wall; a display; an input system comprising:
a crown configured to receive a rotational input and a translational input and comprising:
a knob positioned along a side of the housing; and
a shaft assembly coupled to the knob and extending through the first opening in the side wall;

a bracket assembly within the housing and comprising a rotational support for the crown;
a switch element coupled to the bracket assembly and defining a second opening through which a portion of the shaft assembly extends, the switch element configured to be actuated by the crown in response to the translational input; and
a rotation sensing system configured to detect the rotational input; and
a processing system operably coupled to the switch element, the rotation sensing system, and the display and configured to change a graphical output of the display in response to at least one of the translational input or the rotational input.

9 . The wearable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the rotational support is a first rotational support; and the wearable electronic device further comprises a collar coupled to the housing and defining a second rotational support for the crown.

10 . The wearable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the rotational support comprises a polymer bushing configured to contact a rotating surface of the shaft assembly.

11 . The wearable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein:
the bracket assembly defines a third opening; the polymer bushing is positioned in the third opening in the bracket assembly and defines a fourth opening; and an end of the shaft assembly is positioned in the fourth opening of the polymer bushing.

12 . The wearable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the crown defines a conductive surface along an exterior structure of the crown; the conductive surface is conductively coupled to the processing system through the shaft assembly; and the processing system is configured to determine a biological parameter of a user based at least in part on a voltage detected at the conductive surface.

13 . The wearable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the crown is conductively isolated from the switch element.

14 . The wearable electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising a friction guard positioned between the switch element and a surface of the shaft assembly and configured to conductively isolate the shaft assembly from the switch element.

15 . An electronic watch comprising:
a housing; a band attached to the housing; a touch-sensitive display; an input system coupled to the housing and comprising: a crown configured to rotate and translate relative to the housing and comprising: a shaft assembly extending through an opening in the housing and defining an actuation feature; and a knob coupled to a first end of the shaft assembly and positioned outside of the housing; and a bracket assembly within the housing and configured to rotationally support a second end of the shaft assembly opposite the first end of the shaft assembly; a collapsible switch positioned around the shaft assembly and between the knob and the bracket assembly, the collapsible switch configured to be actuated by the actuation feature of the shaft assembly when the crown is translated; a conductor, wherein the collapsible switch is configured to conductively couple to the conductor when the collapsible switch is actuated; and a rotation sensing system configured to detect a rotation of the crown; and a processing system operatively coupled to the collapsible switch and the conductor and configured to detect a translation of the crown based at least in part on detecting a conductive coupling between the collapsible switch and the conductor.

16 . The electronic watch of claim 15 , wherein:
the opening is a first opening; the collapsible switch defines a second opening; and the shaft assembly extends through the second opening.

17 . The electronic watch of claim 15 , wherein the rotation sensing system comprises an optical sensing element configured to detect the rotation of the crown based at least in part on light reflected from a reflecting surface of the shaft assembly.

18 . The electronic watch of claim 17 , wherein the reflect

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Davis Richard A
• Copeland Devon K

Classifications

• G04G9/007

  combined with a calculator or computing means · CPC title

• G04C3/001

  Electromechanical switches for setting or display · CPC title

• G04C3/002

  Position, e.g. inclination dependent switches · CPC title

• G04C3/005

  Multiple switches (G04C3/004 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G04G21/08

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title