Granted Patent B2

US 12,346,070 · App. 18/391,139 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Inventors: Steven J. Taylor (San Jose, CA); Brenton A. Baugh (Los Altos Hills, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

G04G21/08G06F3/016G06F3/0481G06F3/04883G01D5/3473

Abstract

Claims (78)

1. A head mounted device configured to be mounted to a head of a user, the head mounted device comprising:

an enclosure;

a band coupled to the enclosure and configured to secure the head mounted device to a user;

a dial positioned along a side of the enclosure and configured to receive a rotational input, the dial comprising:

a dial body; and

a shaft extending from the dial body and extending into an interior volume of the enclosure;

a rotation sensor configured to detect the rotational input;

a variable resistance mechanism operably coupled to the dial and configured to produce a rotational resistance of the dial that varies as the dial rotates due to the rotational input; and

a display coupled to the enclosure and configured to display a graphical output to the user, the graphical output responsive to the rotational input received by the dial.

2. The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein:

the variable resistance mechanism comprises:

a friction element positioned configured to contact the shaft; and

an actuator configured to vary a force of the friction element on the shaft, thereby varying the rotational resistance.

3. The head mounted device of claim 2 , wherein:

the shaft defines an end surface and an outer peripheral surface; and

the friction element is positioned along the outer peripheral surface of the shaft and is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the shaft.

4. The head mounted device of claim 3 , wherein the friction element at least partially surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the shaft.

5. The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein:

the variable resistance mechanism is configured to alternately increase and decrease the rotational resistance in accordance with at least one of:

a predetermined number of times per complete rotation of the dial; or

at predetermined intervals of time.

6. The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein:

the rotational input is a first rotational input;

the dial is further configured to receive a second rotational input;

the head mounted device further includes a speaker configured to produce an audible output; and

the audible output is responsive to the second rotational input.

7. The head mounted device of claim 6 , wherein the variable resistance mechanism is further configured to produce the rotational resistance to the dial as the dial rotates due to the second rotational input.

8. The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the head mounted device is a head-mounted virtual reality device.

9. A head mounted device comprising:

an enclosure;

a headband coupled to the enclosure;

a display coupled to the enclosure and configured to display a graphical output;

a speaker coupled to the enclosure and configured to produce an audible output;

a dial coupled to the enclosure and configured to receive a rotational input and comprising:

a body positioned along an exterior side of the enclosure; and

a shaft assembly extending into the enclosure; and

a variable resistance mechanism comprising a friction element configured to contact the shaft assembly with a varying force, thereby varying a resistive torque of the dial during the rotational input;

wherein at least one of the audible output or the graphical output is responsive to the rotational input.

10. The head mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the variable resistance mechanism further comprises an actuator configured to vary a force with which the friction element is applied to the shaft assembly during the rotational input.

11. The head mounted device of claim 10 , wherein:

the shaft assembly defines:

an end surface positioned within the enclosure; and

an outer peripheral surface positioned within the enclosure; and

the friction element at least partially surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the shaft assembly and is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the shaft assembly.

12. The head mounted device of claim 11 , wherein:

the friction element is a first friction element; and

the variable resistance mechanism further comprises a second friction element that at least partially surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the shaft assembly and is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the shaft assembly.

13. The head mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the head mounted device is a head-mounted virtual reality device.

14. The head mounted device of claim 13 , wherein:

the graphical output comprises a first graphical element and a second graphical element;

in a first state, the first graphical element is selected;

in a second state, the second graphical element is selected;

the rotational input causes a transition from the first state to the second state; and

the resistive torque is varied during the transition from the first state to the second state.

15. The head mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the friction element is a polymer member.

16. A virtual reality device comprising:

an enclosure;

a display coupled to the enclosure;

a headband extending from a first side of the enclosure to a second side of the enclosure, the headband configured to position the display in front of a wearer's eyes when the virtual reality device is being worn;

a dial positioned along an exterior side of the enclosure and configured to receive a rotational input and a translational input;

a rotation sensor configured to detect the rotational input;

a translation sensor configured to detect the translational input;

a variable resistance mechanism operably coupled to the dial and configured to produce a rotational resistance of the dial; and

a processing unit operably coupled to the display, the rotation sensor, and the variable resistance mechanism and configured to:

cause the display to change a graphical output in response to the rotational input; and

cause the variable resistance mechanism to vary the rotational resistance of the dial as the dial rotates due to the rotational input.

17. The virtual reality device of claim 16 , wherein varying the rotational resistance comprises varying the rotational resistance according to a cyclic pattern.

18. The virtual reality device of claim 16 , wherein:

the dial comprises:

a dial body; and

a shaft extending from the dial body and extending into the enclosure, the shaft defining an end surface and an outer peripheral surface; and

the variable resistance mechanism comprises a friction element at least partially surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the shaft and configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the shaft to vary the rotational resistance of the dial.

19. The virtual reality device of claim 16 , wherein:

the graphical output includes a first graphical element and a second graphical element; in a first state, the first graphical element is selected;

in a second state, the second graphical element is selected;

the rotational input causes a transition from the first state to the second state; and

the rotational resistance is varied during the transition from the first state to the second state.

20. The virtual reality device of claim 16 , wherein varying the rotational resistance comprises varying the rotational resistance based on an angular position of the dial.

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)