Granted Patent B2

US 12,748,388 · App. 18/074,358 · Granted Sep 29, 2026

Inventors: Colin M. Ely (Sunnyvale, CA); Fletcher R. Rothkopf (Los Altos, CA); Christopher M. Werner (San Jose, CA); John B. Morrell (Los Gatos, CA); Camille Moussette (Los Gatos, CA); Duncan Kerr (San Francisco, CA); Anna-Katrina Shedletsky (Mountain View, CA)

G04G21/00G04B3/04G04C3/00G04C3/004G04C3/04G04G21/08G06F3/0362H01H35/00

Abstract

Claims (62)

1 . A wearable electronic device comprising:

an enclosure defining an opening along a side of the enclosure;

a processing element positioned at least partially within the enclosure;

a touch-sensitive display operably coupled to the processing element and configured to receive a touch input and provide a graphical output;

a wireless communication system operatively coupled to the processing element and configured to receive information from a remote electronic device;

a crown positioned along the side of the enclosure and extending through the opening in the enclosure, the crown configured to receive:

a rotational input comprising a rotation about a rotation axis; and

a lateral input along a direction parallel to the rotation axis;

a first optical sensing system configured to detect the rotational input; and

a second sensing system configured to detect the lateral input, wherein:

the graphical output is responsive to the information received from the remote electronic device, the touch input, the rotational input, and the lateral input.

2 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optical sensing system is configured to detect the rotational input based at least in part on light reflected from a side of a rotating component of the crown.

3 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the crown comprises:

a crown body; and

a shaft coupled to the crown body and extending through the opening.

4 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a microphone configured to detect inputs to the wearable electronic device.

5 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second sensing system comprises a force sensor.

6 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second sensing system comprises a dome switch.

7 . The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the dome switch is configured to produce a haptic output in response to being actuated by the lateral input.

8 . A wearable electronic device comprising:

an enclosure;

a processing element positioned at least partially within the enclosure;

a wireless communication system at least partially within the enclosure and configured to receive information from a remote electronic device;

a touch-sensitive display operably coupled to the processing element and configured to detect a touch input and provide a graphical output;

a crown positioned along a side of the enclosure and defining:

an end surface; and

a peripheral surface extending about a periphery of the end surface;

a sensing system configured to:

detect a rotational input applied to the crown using an optical sensor; and

detect a force input applied to the end surface of the crown, wherein:

the graphical output is responsive to the rotational input, the force input, the touch input, and the information received from the remote electronic device.

9 . The wearable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect the rotational input based at least in part on light reflected from a component of the crown that rotates during the rotational input.

10 . The wearable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the component of the crown that rotates during the rotational input is a crown shaft that extends into the enclosure through a hole defined through the enclosure.

11 . The wearable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:

the wearable electronic device further comprises a substrate coupled to an interior surface of the enclosure; and

the sensing system includes:

a rotation sensing system coupled to the substrate; and

a force sensing system coupled to the substrate.

12 . The wearable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the force sensing system is a dome switch.

13 . The wearable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:

the information is first information; and

the wireless communication system is further configured to send second information to the remote electronic device.

14 . A wearable electronic device comprising:

an enclosure defining an opening extending from an exterior side of the enclosure to an interior side of the enclosure;

a processing element positioned at least partially within the enclosure;

a wireless communication system operatively coupled to the processing element and configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote electronic device;

a crown configured to receive a rotational input about a rotation axis and a lateral input along a direction parallel to the rotation axis, the crown comprising:

a crown body; and

a shaft coupled to the crown body and extending through the opening;

a sensing assembly coupled to the interior side of the enclosure and comprising:

a first optical sensing system configured to detect the rotational input; and

a second sensing system configured to detect the lateral input; and

a touch-sensitive display operably coupled to the processing element and configured to receive a touch input and provide a graphical output, the graphical output responsive to information received from the remote electronic device, the touch input, the rotational input, and the lateral input.

15 . The wearable electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the first optical sensing system is configured to detect the rotational input using light reflected from a component of the crown.

16 . The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the component of the crown is the shaft.

17 . The wearable electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the lateral input causes the shaft to move along the direction parallel to the rotation axis.

18 . The wearable electronic device of claim 14 , wherein:

the sensing assembly comprises a substrate; and

the second sensing system is coupled to the substrate.

19 . The wearable electronic device of claim 14 , further comprising a haptic feedback system configured to:

provide a first tactile feedback in response to the rotational input; and

provide a second tactile feedback in response to the lateral input.

Continuity (8)

References Cited (400)