Granted Patent B2

US 12,326,697 · App. 18/492,110 · Granted Jun 10, 2025

Inventors: Steven C. Roach (San Francisco, CA); Sameer Pandya (Sunnyvale, CA); Erik G. de Jong (San Francisco, CA); Erik L. Wang (Redwood City, CA); Peter Kardassakis (Mountain View, CA); Steven P. Cardinali (Campbell, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

G04G21/08G01D5/30G04G9/007G04G17/08G04G21/025G04B37/10

Abstract

Claims (67)

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.

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)