PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11754981-B2
Application Number: US-202217838247-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Crown for an electronic watch

Abstract:
An electronic watch includes a housing, a display positioned at least partially within the housing, a cover covering at least part of the display, and a crown having a portion positioned along a side of the housing. The crown may include an inner member that is rotationally constrained relative to the housing and an outer member that is rotationally free relative to the inner member. The device may further include a rotation sensor configured to sense a rotation of the outer member relative to the inner member.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic watch, comprising:
 a display; 
 a housing at least partially surrounding the display; 
 a cover coupled to the housing and positioned over the display; 
 a crown coupled to the housing and configured to receive a rotational input, the crown comprising:
 a first crown member positioned along an exterior side of the housing and rotationally fixed relative to the housing; and 
 a second crown member positioned along the exterior side of the housing and coupled to the first crown member, the second crown member configured to rotate relative to the first crown member; and 
 
 a rotation sensing element configured to sense a rotation of the second crown member relative to the first crown member. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing defines:
 an interior volume; and 
 a hole extending from the exterior side of the housing to the interior volume; and 
 
 the first crown member defines a shaft extending into the hole in the housing. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic watch of  claim 2 , wherein the rotation sensing element is positioned at least partially within the first crown member. 
     
     
       4. The electronic watch of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a processor within the housing; and 
 a conductive element extending through the shaft and conductively coupling the rotation sensing element to the processor. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation sensing element comprises an optical sensing element. 
     
     
       6. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation sensing element comprises a laser emitter configured to emit laser light onto the second crown member. 
     
     
       7. The electronic watch of  claim 6 , wherein the rotation sensing element is configured to sense at least one of a speed of the rotation or a direction of the rotation of the second crown member based at least in part on a portion of the emitted laser light that is reflected by the second crown member. 
     
     
       8. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , further comprising a force sensing component positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to detect an axial force applied to the crown. 
     
     
       9. A wearable electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a display; 
 a transparent cover coupled to the housing and positioned over the display; 
 a touch sensing system configured to detect a touch input applied to the transparent cover; 
 a non-rotatable crown member positioned along an exterior side of the housing and defining at least a portion of an input surface; and 
 an optical sensing element positioned in the crown member and configured to sense a movement of a finger as the finger slides along the input surface of the crown member. 
 
     
     
       10. The wearable electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the input surface is a substantially cylindrical surface. 
     
     
       11. The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the crown member defines a first portion of the input surface; and 
 the wearable electronic device further comprises an optically transmissive window coupled to the crown member and defining a second portion of the input surface. 
 
     
     
       12. The wearable electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the optical sensing element comprises a laser emitter configured to emit laser light through the optically transmissive window. 
     
     
       13. The wearable electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the housing defines a hole extending through a wall of the housing; 
 the wearable electronic device further comprises:
 a processing element positioned within the housing; and 
 a conductive element extending through the hole and conductively coupling the optical sensing element to the processing element. 
 
 
     
     
       14. A wearable electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a display positioned at least partially within the housing; 
 a cover covering at least part of the display and defining a front face of the wearable electronic device; 
 an input element positioned along a side of the housing and comprising:
 a protruding member coupled to the housing and rotationally constrained relative to the housing; and 
 an optically transmissive window coupled to the protruding member; and 
 
 an optical sensing element positioned at least partially within the protruding member and configured to sense a movement of an input member sliding along the optically transmissive window. 
 
     
     
       15. The wearable electronic device of  claim 14 , wherein the optical sensing element is configured to detect at least one of a speed of the movement or a direction of the movement based at least in part on light reflected by the input member through the optically transmissive window. 
     
     
       16. The wearable electronic device of  claim 14 , further comprising a haptic actuator configured to produce tactile feedback that is detectable via the input element. 
     
     
       17. The wearable electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the tactile feedback comprises a series of tactile outputs; and 
 a frequency of tactile outputs of the series of tactile outputs is based at least in part on a speed of the movement of the input member. 
 
     
     
       18. The wearable electronic device of  claim 17 , further comprising a force sensor configured to detect an axial force applied to the input element. 
     
     
       19. The wearable electronic device of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the force sensor determines a magnitude of the axial force; and 
 the wearable electronic device causes the haptic actuator to produce the tactile feedback if the magnitude of the axial force is greater than a threshold value. 
 
     
     
       20. The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the crown is configured to conductively couple a user&#39;s finger to a sensor in the housing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/408,774, filed May 10, 2019, which is a non-provisional patent application of and claims the benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/689,775, filed Jun. 25, 2018, and titled “Crown for an Electronic Watch,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The described embodiments relate generally to electronic devices, and more particularly to a crown for a wearable electronic device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices frequently use physical input devices to facilitate user interaction. For example, buttons, keys, dials, and the like, can be physically manipulated by users to control operations of the device. Physical input devices may use various types of sensing mechanisms to translate the physical manipulation to signals usable by the electronic device. For example, buttons and keys may use collapsible dome switches to detect presses, while dials and other rotating input devices may use encoders or resolvers to detect rotational movements. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic watch includes a housing, a display positioned at least partially within the housing, a cover covering at least part of the display, and a crown having a portion positioned along a side of the housing. The crown may include an inner member that is rotationally constrained relative to the housing and an outer member that is rotationally free relative to the inner member. The device may further include a rotation sensor configured to sense a rotation of the outer member relative to the inner member. The housing may define an interior volume, the inner member may define an exterior portion, the exterior portion of the inner member may define a circular peripheral surface, the outer member may be coupled to the exterior portion of the inner member and configured to rotate along the circular peripheral surface, and the outer member is positioned outside the interior volume such that the rotation of the outer member occurs outside the interior volume. The rotation sensor may be at least partially within the inner member of the crown. 
     The housing may define an interior volume and an opening extending from the interior volume to an exterior environment of the housing. The rotation sensor may be configured to sense the rotation of the outer member via the opening. The rotation sensor may be an optical sensor, the electronic watch may further include an optically transmissive window covering at least part of the opening, and the rotation sensor may sense the rotation of the outer member through the optically transmissive window. 
     The electronic watch may further include a force sensing component positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to detect an axial force applied to the crown. The force sensing component may include a dome switch. The rotation sensor may be a Hall effect sensor. The rotation sensor may include a light detector and a light emitter configured to emit light toward the outer member of the crown. The light detector may detect the light after the light is reflected by the outer member of the crown. 
     A wearable electronic device may include a housing, a display positioned at least partially within the housing, a cover covering at least part of the display and defining a front face of the wearable electronic device, a crown positioned along a side of the housing and rotationally constrained relative to the housing, and a sensor configured to sense a movement of a finger as the finger is sliding along a surface of the crown. The crown may be rotationally fixed. A sensing element of the sensor may be positioned at least partially within the crown. 
     The crown may define a first portion of a surface, and the crown may include a protective cover covering the sensing element and defining a second portion of the surface. The sensing element may be an optical sensing element, and the protective cover is an optically transmissive window. 
     The display may define an output region. The cover may define an input surface that covers the output region and the sensor may be a touch sensor that extends along the output region and is configured to detect touch inputs applied to the input surface and to sense the movement of the finger sliding along the surface of the crown. 
     The housing may define an interior volume and an opening extending from the interior volume to an exterior of the housing, and the sensor may be configured to sense the movement of the finger through the opening. 
     A wearable electronic device may include a housing defining a side surface of the electronic device, a transparent cover coupled to the housing and defining a front surface of the wearable electronic device, a crown extending from the side surface and rotationally constrained relative to the housing, and a sensor configured to sense a movement of a finger sliding along a surface of the crown. 
     A wearable electronic device may include a housing, a display positioned at least partially within the housing, a cover covering at least part of the display and defining a front face of the wearable electronic device, and a crown positioned along a side of the housing. The crown may include an inner member that is rotationally constrained relative to the housing and an outer member that is rotationally free relative to the inner member. The wearable electronic device may further include a sensor configured to sense movement of a finger while the finger is rotating the outer member. The inner member may define a cylindrical surface, and the outer member may be a sleeve positioned around the cylindrical surface. The sensor may be positioned along a side of the housing. 
     The wearable electronic device may further include an actuator coupled to the crown and configured to produce a tactile output through the crown. The wearable electronic device may further include a force sensor configured to detect an axial force applied to the crown. The force sensor may determine a magnitude of the axial force and the wearable electronic device may cause the actuator to produce the tactile output if the magnitude of the axial force is greater than a threshold value. 
     A wearable electronic device may include a housing, a crown extending from a side of the housing and comprising a rotationally fixed first member and a rotationally free second member coupled to the rotationally fixed first member, and a sensor positioned on the housing and configured to sense movement of a finger while the finger is rotating the rotationally free second member of the crown. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which: 
         FIGS.  1 A- 1 B  depict a wearable electronic device; 
         FIGS.  2 A- 2 B  depict another wearable electronic device being used; 
         FIGS.  3 A- 3 B  depict another wearable electronic device being used; 
         FIGS.  4 A- 4 B  are partial cross-sectional views of an example wearable electronic device having a crown with a rotatable member and a sensor for sensing rotation of the rotatable member; 
         FIG.  5    is a partial cross-sectional view of another example wearable device having a crown with a rotatable member and a sensor for sensing rotation of the rotatable member; 
         FIG.  6    is a partial cross-sectional view of an example wearable device having a crown with a rotationally constrained member and a sensor for sensing motion of a user&#39;s finger; 
         FIG.  7    is a partial cross-sectional view of another example wearable device having a crown with a rotationally constrained member and a sensor for sensing motion of a user&#39;s finger; 
         FIG.  8    is a partial cross-sectional view of an example wearable device having a crown with a rotatable member and a sensor for sensing motion of a user&#39;s finger; 
         FIG.  9    is a partial cross-sectional view of an example wearable electronic device having a crown with a rotatable member and a sensor for sensing rotation of the rotatable member; 
         FIG.  10    is partial cross-sectional view of another example wearable electronic device having a crown with a rotatable member and a sensor for sensing rotation of the rotatable member; 
         FIGS.  11 A- 11 D  depict example sensors for sensing user interactions with a crown; and 
         FIG.  12    depicts example components of a wearable electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims. 
     The embodiments herein are generally directed to a crown of a wearable electronic device, such as a smart watch, and more particularly to a crown that includes a non-rotating (or rotationally constrained) component, yet is still able to detect when a user is interacting with the crown in a conventional manner. For example, a crown of a smart watch may be rotationally fixed relative to a housing such that, if a user attempts to rotate the crown to operate the device, the crown does not physically rotate. Instead, the user&#39;s fingers may slide along a surface of the crown while the crown remains stationary. The device may detect the movement of the user&#39;s fingers as they slide over the surface of the crown rather than sensing rotation of the crown. As used herein, a finger or object “sliding” along a surface may refer to the finger (or other object) moving along the surface while the finger (or other object) is in contact with the surface. 
     Using a rotationally fixed crown instead of a freely rotating crown may result in more robust and reliable devices. For example, a freely rotatable crown may include a shaft that extends through an opening in a housing so that the rotation of the shaft can be detected by an internal sensor, or so that the shaft can drive an internal gear train. However, the bearings, bushings, and other mechanisms that allow the shaft to rotate freely with respect to the housing of the device may allow water, sweat, lotion, sunscreen, dust, dirt, and other contaminants to clog the mechanism or to enter into the housing, potentially damaging the device. Further, rotating components may wear out over time, requiring repair or replacement or otherwise reducing the usability of the device. By eliminating the rotating shaft, a more robust and reliable crown may be provided. However, because the user can still interact with a rotationally fixed crown in a similar way to a conventional rotating crown (e.g., by attempting to rotate the crown with a finger), the rotationally fixed crown may still provide a familiar and intuitive input mechanism with which a user can control the device. 
     Many of the same benefits may be realized with crowns that include some rotatable components. For example, a crown may be configured with a rotationally fixed member and a rotationally free member, where the rotationally free member does not extend into the housing of the device. For example, the rotationally free member may be a sleeve that is free to rotate around a portion of a rotationally fixed shaft. A sensor may detect the rotation of the sleeve, while the rotationally fixed shaft (which may extend into the housing) does not rotate, and thus the crown can be more effectively sealed against liquids and contaminants. In some cases, even crowns with freely rotatable shafts may experience similar benefits by limiting or reducing the distance that the freely rotatable shaft translates when pushed. Examples of crowns having these and other configurations are described in more detail herein. 
     As described above, the crown may be rotationally fixed and still allow the detection of rotational-style inputs on the crown (e.g., gestures that would produce a rotation on a conventional rotatable crown). However, in some cases, instead of being rotationally fixed, the crown (or a member or component of a crown) may be partially rotatable. More particularly, a partially rotatable crown may allow limited rotational motion while still being largely rotationally constrained. For example, a partially rotatable crown may allow a small amount of rotation (e.g., less than one degree, one degree, five degrees, ten degrees, etc.), after which the crown is prevented from rotating further. This relatively small amount of free rotation may facilitate several functions, such as allowing the crown to sense an amount of force or torque being applied to the crown, or to allow the crown to move to provide haptic outputs to a user. As used herein, a “rotationally constrained” component refers to a component that is not free to rotate more than a full revolution under normal use conditions (e.g., when manipulated by the hands of a person). Thus, rotationally constrained components include both rotationally fixed components and partially rotatable components. 
       FIGS.  1 A- 1 B  depict an electronic device  100 . The electronic device  100  is depicted as a watch (e.g., an electronic watch), though this is merely one example embodiment of an electronic device and the concepts discussed herein may apply equally or by analogy to other electronic devices, including mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), tablet computers, notebook computers, head-mounted displays, digital media players (e.g., mp3 players), or the like. 
     The electronic device  100  includes a housing  102  and a band  104  coupled to the housing. The band  104  may be configured to attach the electronic device  100  to a user, such as to the user&#39;s arm or wrist. 
     The electronic device  100  also includes a transparent cover  108  coupled to the housing  102 . The cover  108  may define a front face of the electronic device  100 . For example, in some cases, the cover  108  defines substantially the entire front face and/or front surface of the electronic device. The cover  108  may also define an input surface of the device  100 . For example, as described herein, the device  100  may include touch and/or force sensors that detect inputs applied to the cover  108 . The cover may be formed from or include glass, sapphire, a polymer, a dielectric, or any other suitable material. 
     The cover  108  may overlie at least part of a display  109  that is positioned at least partially within the housing  102 . The display  109  may define an output region in which graphical outputs are displayed. Graphical outputs may include graphical user interfaces, user interface elements (e.g., buttons, sliders, etc.), text, lists, photographs, videos, or the like. The display  109  may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode display (OLED), or any other suitable components or display technology. 
     The display  109  may include or be associated with touch sensors and/or force sensors that extend along the output region of the display and that may use any suitable sensing elements and/or sensing techniques. Using touch sensors, the device  100  may detect touch inputs applied to the cover  108 , including detecting locations of touch inputs, motions of touch inputs (e.g., the speed, direction, or other parameters of a gesture applied to the cover  108 ), or the like. Using force sensors, the device  100  may detect amounts or magnitudes of force associated with touch events applied to the cover  108 . The touch and/or force sensors may detect various types of user inputs to control or modify the operation of the device, including taps, swipes, multi-finger inputs, single- or multi-finger touch gestures, presses, and the like. Further, as described herein, the touch and/or force sensors may detect motion of an object (e.g., a user&#39;s finger) as it is interacting with a crown  112  of the electronic device  100 . Touch and/or force sensors usable with wearable electronic devices, such as the device  100 , are described herein with respect to  FIG.  12   . 
     The electronic device  100  also includes a crown  112  having a knob, protruding portion, or component(s) or feature(s) positioned along a side of the housing  102 . At least a portion of the crown  112  may protrude from the housing  102 , and may define a generally circular shape or a circular exterior surface. The exterior surface of the crown  112  may be textured, knurled, grooved, or may otherwise have features that may improve the tactile feel of the crown  112  and/or facilitate rotation sensing. 
     The crown  112  may afford a variety of potential user interactions. For example, the crown  112  may include a rotationally free member that is free to rotate relative to a rotationally fixed member of the crown  112 . More particularly, the rotationally free member may have no rotational constraints, and thus may be capable of being rotated indefinitely. In such cases, the device may include sensors that detect the rotation of the rotationally free member. Rotation sensors may be integrated with the crown  112  itself, or they may be integrated with the housing  102 , the cover  108 , the display  109 , or another component of the device  100 . 
     In some cases, the crown  112  may be rotationally constrained (e.g., rotationally fixed or partially rotatable), and may include or be associated with sensors that detect when a user slides one or more fingers along a surface of the crown  112  in a movement that resembles rotating the crown  112  (or that would result in rotation of a freely rotating crown). More particularly, where the crown  112  is rotationally fixed or rotationally constrained, a user input that resembles a twisting or rotating motion may not actually result in any substantial physical rotation that can be detected for the purposes of registering an input. Rather, the user&#39;s fingers (or other object) will result in a movement that resembles twisting, turning, or rotating, but does not actually continuously rotate the crown  112 . Thus, in the case of a rotationally fixed or constrained crown  112 , sensors may detect gestures that result from the application of an input that has the same motion as (and thus may feel and look the same as or similar to) rotating a rotatable crown. The sensors that detect such gestures may be on or near the crown  112 . 
     The particular gestures that are detected may depend at least in part on the types and/or locations of sensors in the device  100 . For example, a user attempting to rotate a rotationally fixed crown  112  by pinching and twisting may result in a sliding gesture along the surface of the crown  112 , and an optical sensor may sense the movement of the user&#39;s finger(s) along the surface. As another example, a user attempting to rotate a rotationally fixed crown by applying a substantially tangential force to a surface of the crown  112  (as shown in  FIGS.  2 A- 2 B , for example) may also result in a sliding gesture along a surface of the crown  112 . The user&#39;s finger may also be in contact with a surface of the housing  102  and/or the cover  108  during these gestures, and as such the user&#39;s finger may slide along a surface of the housing  102  and/or the cover  108  in addition to a surface of the crown  112 . As described herein, this may allow the device to detect the motion of the finger from various locations or positions on the device  100 . 
     In cases where the crown  112 , or a member or component of the crown  112 , is capable of some rotation, it may rotate about a rotation axis (e.g., it may rotate as indicated by arrow  103  in  FIG.  1 A ). The crown  112 , or a member or component of the crown  112 , may also be translatable relative to the housing  102  to accept axial inputs. For example, the crown  112  may be movable or translatable along the rotation axis, towards and/or away from the housing  102 , as indicated by arrow  105  in  FIG.  1 A . The crown  112  may therefore be manipulated by pushing and/or pulling on the crown  112 . 
     The crown  112  may be able to translate any suitable distance. For example, a crown  112  may include a dome switch to register axial inputs, and the crown  112  may move a sufficient distance to facilitate physical actuation of the dome switch. In other cases, such as where a force sensor is used to detect axial inputs, the crown  112  may move a sufficient distance to facilitate force sensing. The distance that the crown  112  can translate or move may be any suitable distance, such as about 1 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.05 mm or any other suitable distance. 
     The device  100  may include a force sensor to detect axial forces that are applied to the crown  112 . The force sensor may include or use any suitable force sensing components and may use any suitable technique for sensing force inputs. For example, a force sensor may include a strain sensor, capacitive gap sensor, or other force sensitive structure that is configured to produce an electrical response that corresponds to an amount of force (e.g., axial force) applied to the crown  112 . The electrical response may increase continuously as the amount of applied force increases, and as such may provide non-binary force sensing. Accordingly, the force sensor may determine, based on the electrical response of the force sensing components, one or more properties of the applied force associated with a touch input (e.g., a magnitude of the applied axial force). 
     As described herein, rotational inputs, gesture inputs (e.g., rotational-style inputs applied to a rotationally fixed crown), and axial inputs (e.g., translations or axial forces) may control various operations and user interfaces of the electronic device  100 . In particular, inputs to the crown  112  may modify the graphical output of the display  109 . For example, a rotational movement of the crown  112  or a gesture applied to the crown  112  may zoom, scroll, or rotate a user interface or other object displayed on the display  109  (among other possible functions), while translational movements or axial inputs may select highlighted objects or icons, or activate or deactivate functions (among other possible functions). 
     The crown  112  may also be associated with or include a contact sensor that is configured to detect contact between a user and the crown  112  (e.g., touch inputs or touch events applied to the crown  112 ). The contact sensor may detect even non-moving contacts between the user and the crown  112  (e.g., when the user touches the crown  112  but does not rotate the crown or apply a sliding gesture to the crown  112 ). Contact sensing functionality may be provided by a touch sensor that also detects gestures (e.g., a finger sliding along a surface of a crown or the housing), or it may be provided by a separate sensor. The contact sensor may include or use any suitable type of sensor(s), including capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, magnetic sensors, inductive sensors, or the like. In some cases, the crown  112  itself, or components of the crown, may be conductive and may define a conductive path between the user (e.g., the user&#39;s finger) and a contact sensor. For example, the crown may be formed from or include metal, and may itself act as an electrode for conductively coupling a capacitive sensor to the user. 
     The device  100  may also include one or more haptic actuators that are configured to produce a tactile output through the crown  112 . For example, the haptic actuator may be coupled to the crown  112  and may be configured to impart a force to the crown  112 . The force may cause the crown  112  to move (e.g., to oscillate or vibrate translationally and/or rotationally, or to otherwise move to produce a tactile output), which may be detectable by a user when the user is contacting the crown  112 . The haptic actuator may produce tactile output by moving the crown  112  in any suitable way. For example, the crown  112  (or a component thereof) may be rotated (e.g., rotated in a single direction, rotationally oscillated, or the like), translated (e.g., moved along a single axis), or pivoted (e.g., rocked about a pivot point). In other cases, the haptic actuator may produce tactile outputs using other techniques, such as by imparting a force to the housing  102  (e.g., to produce an oscillation, vibration, impulse, or other motion), which may be perceptible to a user through the crown  112  and/or through other surfaces of the device  100 , such as the cover  108 , the housing  102 , or the like. Any suitable type of haptic actuator and/or technique for producing tactile output may be used to produce these or other types of tactile outputs, including electrostatics, piezoelectric actuators, oscillating or rotating masses, ultrasonic actuators, reluctance force actuators, voice coil motors, Lorentz force actuators, or the like. 
     Tactile outputs may be used for various purposes. For example, tactile outputs may be produced when a user presses the crown  112  (e.g., applies an axial force to the crown  112 ) to indicate that the device  100  has registered the press as an input to the device  100 . As another example, tactile outputs may be used to provide feedback when the device  100  detects a rotation of the crown  112  or a gesture being applied to the crown  112 . For example, a tactile output may produce a repetitive “click” sensation as the user rotates the crown  112  or applies a gesture to the crown  112 . Tactile outputs may be used for other purposes as well. 
     The electronic device  100  may also include other inputs, switches, buttons, or the like. For example, the electronic device  100  includes a button  110 . The button  110  may be a movable button (as depicted) or a touch-sensitive region of the housing  102 . The button  110  may control various aspects of the electronic device  100 . For example, the button  110  may be used to select icons, items, or other objects displayed on the display  109 , to activate or deactivate functions (e.g., to silence an alarm or alert), or the like. 
       FIGS.  2 A- 2 B  show a front and side view, respectively, of a device  200  during one example use condition. The device  200  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100 . Accordingly, details of the device  100  described above may apply to the device  200 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     In the example shown in  FIGS.  2 A- 2 B , the wearable device  200  includes a crown  212  that a user may contact to provide input through the crown  212 . The crown  212  may include a rotationally constrained inner member  211  and a rotationally free outer member  213 . The device  200  may also include a rotation sensing element  214  ( FIG.  2 B ) that is configured to detect rotation of the rotationally free outer member  213 . The positioning of the rotation sensing element  214  in  FIG.  2 B  is merely for illustration, and it may be positioned elsewhere in the device  200  as described in greater detail herein with respect to  FIGS.  4 A- 10   . For example, the rotation sensing element may be positioned in the housing  202  or in the crown  212 . In some cases, the rotation sensing element  214  may be configured to detect the motion of a user&#39;s finger  201  (or other object) that is rotating the rotationally free outer member  213 , instead of or in addition to detecting the rotation of the rotationally free outer member  213 . 
       FIGS.  2 A- 2 B  show a user manipulating the crown  212  to provide an input to the device  200 . More particularly, a user&#39;s finger  201  is in contact with the rotationally free outer member  213  (also referred to herein for simplicity as an outer member) and is moving along a direction indicated by arrow  217 . The force applied to the outer member  213  by the user&#39;s finger  201  causes the outer member  213  to rotate relative to the rotationally constrained inner member  211  (also referred to herein for simplicity as an inner member). The rotation sensing element  214 , in conjunction with other components of a rotation sensor, detects the rotation of the outer member  213  and causes the device  200  to take an action in response to the rotation. For example, as shown in  FIG.  2 A , upon detection of the outer member  213  rotating, the device  200  may cause a graphical output  207  on a display  209  to be moved in accordance with the rotation of the outer member  213 . A rotation of the outer member  213  in the direction indicated by arrow  203  ( FIG.  2 B ) may result in the graphical output  207  moving in the direction indicated by arrow  215  ( FIG.  2 A ). A rotation of the outer member  213  in the opposite direction may result in the graphical output  207  moving in the opposite direction. The rotation of the outer member  213  may be used to change other operational properties of the device  200  in addition to or instead of scrolling a graphical output  207 . For example, a rotation of the outer member  213  may change parameters or settings of the device, control a zoom level of a graphical output, change a time setting, or the like. 
     In some cases, instead of or in addition to a rotation sensing element  214 , the device  200  includes a sensor that is configured to sense movement of a finger (or other implement or object) as the finger is rotating the outer member  213 . In such cases, the rotation of the outer member  213  may not be directly sensed by the sensor, but instead may be used to provide the sensation of physical rotation to the user. In cases where the sensor is detecting motion of the user&#39;s finger rather than rotation of the outer member  213 , a sensing element may be positioned so that it is proximate to the user&#39;s finger under normal or expected use conditions. For example, the sensing element may be positioned along a side of the device  200  where the user&#39;s finger is likely to contact the device  200  when rotating the outer member  213  (e.g., at location  205 ). In some cases, the sensing element may sense the motion of the user&#39;s finger through a cover  208  that covers the display  209 . For example, the sensing element may include optical sensing elements and/or touch sensing elements that sense the motion of the user&#39;s finger  201  through the optically transmissive and/or dielectric material of the cover  208 . In some cases, the device  200  may use the same touch sensor for detecting touch inputs applied to the cover  208  and for detecting motion of the user&#39;s finger as it rotates the outer member  213 . 
       FIGS.  3 A- 3 B  show a front and side view, respectively, of a device  300  during one example use condition. The device  300  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or the device  200 ). Accordingly, details of the devices  100 ,  200  described above may apply to the device  300 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     In the example shown in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 B , the wearable device  300  includes a crown  312  that may be rotationally constrained relative to a housing  302 . For example, the housing  302  may be a monolithic structure that includes a protrusion, where the protrusion defines the crown  312 . In some cases the crown  312  may be welded, adhered, bonded, or otherwise fixed to the housing  302 . In cases where the crown  312  is rotationally constrained but partially rotatable, the crown  312  may be coupled to the housing  302  such that the crown  312  can rotate a small amount in response to input forces (e.g., from a user&#39;s finger) or output forces (e.g., from a haptic actuator), but does not fully or freely rotate. 
     The device  300  may also include a sensing element  316  ( FIG.  3 B ) that is configured to sense a movement of the user&#39;s finger  301  as the finger  301  slides along a surface of the crown  312 . The positioning of the sensing element  316  in  FIG.  3 B  is merely for illustration, and it may be positioned elsewhere in the device  300  as described in greater detail herein with respect to  FIGS.  4 A- 10   . For example, the sensing element  316  may be positioned in the housing  302  or in the crown  312 . 
     Because the crown  312  in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 B  is rotationally constrained, it will not continuously rotate in response to the force applied by the finger  301  moving along the direction  317  (while the finger is in contact with the crown  312 ). Rather, the finger  301  will slide along a surface of the crown  312 . Accordingly, the sensing element  316  detects the motion of the finger rather than a rotational motion of the crown  312 . 
     The sensing element  316 , in conjunction with other components of a sensor, detects the movement of the finger  301  sliding along a surface of the crown  312  (or along another surface of the device  300 ) and causes the device  300  to take an action in response to the rotation. For example, as shown in  FIG.  3 A , upon detection of the motion of the finger  301 , the device  300  may cause a graphical output  307  on a display  309  to move in accordance with the movement of the finger  301 . A movement of the finger  301  in the direction indicated by arrow  317  may result in the graphical output  307  moving in the direction indicated by arrow  315 . A movement of the finger  301  in the opposite direction may result in the graphical output  307  moving in the opposite direction. Sliding a finger along a surface of the crown  312  may change other operational properties of the device  300  in addition to or instead of scrolling a graphical output  307 . For example, sliding a finger along the surface of the crown  312  may change parameters or settings of the device, control a zoom level of a graphical output, rotate a displayed graphical output, translate a displayed graphical output, change a brightness level of a graphical output, change a time setting, scroll a list of displayed items (e.g., numbers, letters, words, images, icons, or other graphical output), or the like. 
       FIG.  4 A  is a partial cross section of an electronic device  400 , corresponding to a view along line A-A in  FIG.  1 B . The device  400  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or any other wearable device described herein). Accordingly, details of the wearable device  100  described above may apply to the device  400 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     The device  400  includes a crown  412  positioned along a side of a housing  402 . The crown  412  may include an inner member  411  that is rotationally constrained relative to the housing  402 , and an outer member  413  that is rotationally free relative to the inner member  411 . As described above, the inner member  411  may be rotationally fixed relative to the housing  402 , or it may be partially rotatable. The inner member  411  and outer member  413  may be formed from or include any materials, including metals (e.g., aluminum, alloys, magnesium, stainless steel, etc.), polymers, composites, glass, sapphire, or the like. In some cases, the inner and outer members  411 ,  413  are the same material, and in other cases they are different materials. 
     The inner member  411  may extend outwardly from the side of the housing  402  and may define a circular peripheral surface  427  on an exterior portion of the inner member. The outer member  413  may be coupled to the inner member  411  and may be configured to rotate along the circular peripheral surface  427 . For example, the outer member  413  may rotate about an axis that extends through a center of the circle that corresponds to or is defined by the circular peripheral surface  427 . Further, the circular peripheral surface  427  may be received in a circular opening defined in the outer member  413 . In some cases, an inner surface of the circular opening may contact the circular peripheral surface  427 , such that the inner surface slides along the circular peripheral surface  427  when the outer member  413  rotates along the circular peripheral surface  427 . In other cases, the outer member  413  does not directly contact the circular peripheral surface  427  when the outer member  423  rotates along the circular peripheral surface  427 . In either case, the crown  412  may include one or more bearings, bushings, or other components that facilitate rotation of the outer member  413  along the circular peripheral surface  427 . 
     As described above, the outer member  413  may be outside of an interior volume  425  of the device  400 , such that the rotation of the outer member  413  occurs outside of the interior volume  425  (such as exclusively outside of the interior volume, such that no portion of the outer member  413  extends into the interior volume or rotates within the interior volume). In some cases, such as where the inner member  411  is rotationally fixed relative to the housing  402 , the outer member  413  may be the only component of the crown  412  that can rotate. Placing the rotating component(s) entirely outside of the interior volume may eliminate the need to have a rotating interface between a crown shaft and the housing  402 , which may allow for simpler rotational mechanisms, better environmental seals between the crown and the housing, and the like. 
     The device  400  may include a rotation sensing element  421  that, in conjunction with sensing circuitry and/or other components of a rotation sensor, senses a rotation of the outer member  413  relative to the inner member  411 . The rotation sensing element  421  may use any suitable type of sensing technology or technique, including those described herein with respect to  FIGS.  11 A- 11 D . For example, the rotation sensing element  421  may be or may be part of a Hall effect sensor, an optical sensor (e.g., an encoder), a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, an inductive sensor, or any other suitable type of sensor. In some cases, the outer member  413  may have features or components that facilitate the rotation sensing by the rotation sensing element  421 . For example, the outer member  413  may include magnets or ferromagnetic materials to facilitate rotation sensing by a Hall effect sensor, or a pattern of grooves or other features to facilitate rotation sensing by an optical sensor. Such features or components may be positioned along a side surface  423  of the outer member  413 , or at any other position or location to facilitate sensing by the rotation sensing element  421 . 
     The rotation sensing element  421  is configured to sense rotation of the outer member  413 , which as noted above may be entirely outside of the interior volume  425  of the device  400 . As shown in  FIG.  4 A , the rotation sensing element  421  is configured to detect or sense a side surface  423  of the outer member  413 . The device may also include a protective cover  429  over the rotation sensing element  421  and defining a portion of an exterior surface of the housing. The rotation sensing element  421  may sense the rotation of the outer member  413  through the protective cover  429 . For example, the protective cover  429  may be an optically transmissive window such that an optical rotation sensor can sense the rotation of the outer member  413  through the optically transmissive window. Seals (e.g., elastomer members, adhesives, etc.) may be included around the rotation sensing element  421  and/or a protective cover to prevent or limit ingress of liquids, debris, or other contaminants. 
     The rotation sensing element  421  may be positioned at least partially in an opening  419  in the housing  402  that extends from the interior volume  425  to an exterior of the housing. The rotation sensing element  421  may thus sense the rotation of the outer member  413  through the opening  419 . The opening  419  may also allow conductors (e.g., wires, flexible circuit boards, traces, etc.) to pass from the rotation sensing element  421  to sensing circuitry or other components within the housing  402  of the device  400 . The rotation sensing element  421  may be positioned in a device in a location or configuration other than that shown in  FIG.  4 A . For example, a rotation sensing element  421  may be positioned in the device  400  so that it senses rotation of the outer member  413  through an optically transmissive or non-conductive portion of the cover  408 . 
     The crown  412  may include a component that extends into the housing  402  through an opening  417 . For example, the inner member  411  may include a shaft portion that extends through the opening  417 . A sealing member  420 , such as an elastomeric member or other material or component(s), may form a seal between the shaft (or another portion of the inner member  411 ) and the housing  402  to prevent ingress of liquids, debris, or other contaminants. The sealing member  420  may seal the opening  417  while also allowing the inner member  411  to move relative to the housing  402 . For example, while the inner member  411  may be rotationally constrained (e.g., rotationally fixed or partially rotatable), it may still be able to translate axially. As such, the sealing member  420  may seal the opening while allowing the inner member  411  to move axially. In other cases, the inner member  411  may be fixed to the housing  402 , such as with adhesive, welds, fusion bonds, or the like. In such cases, the sealing member  420  may be omitted. 
     The axial translation of the inner member  411 , where axial translation is permitted, may facilitate input and output functionalities. For example, the device  400  may include a force sensing component  424  positioned at least partially within the housing  402  and coupled to the inner member  411  (or any other translatable portion of the crown  412 ). The force sensing component  424  may detect axial forces applied the crown  412  (e.g., forces applied along a direction indicated by arrow  105 ,  FIG.  1 A ). The axial translation of the inner member  411  may facilitate the detection of the axial force by allowing the inner member  411  to move to deform, deflect, collapse, or otherwise physically affect a force sensing component  424 . The force sensing component  424  may be positioned between a fixed support  422  and the inner member  411 , such that an axial force applied to the crown  412  compresses the force sensing component  424 . Other configurations are also possible. 
     The force sensing component  424  may be or may include any suitable component(s) for sensing an amount of applied force, including a strain gauge, a piezoelectric component, a piezoresistive component, quantum tunneling materials, a force sensing resistor (FSR), or the like. The force sensing component  424  may be coupled to force sensing circuitry or other components to define a force sensor. 
     The force sensor (which includes the force sensing component) may determine a magnitude of force associated with an axial force that is applied to the crown  412 . If the magnitude of the force is greater than a threshold value, the force sensor may cause the device  400  to perform an action. For example, the force sensor may cause the device to register an input, change a graphical output on a display, change an operational state of the device, or the like. In some cases, the force sensor may cause a haptic actuator (e.g., a haptic actuator  415 ) to produce a tactile output. The tactile output may act as physical feedback to the user that an input or selection has been registered by the device  400 . 
     The device  400  may also include a haptic actuator  415 . The haptic actuator  415  may be coupled to the inner member  411 , or any other component of the crown  412 , to produce tactile outputs detectable through the crown  412 . The haptic actuator  415  may be or may include any suitable components to produce a haptic output, including electrostatic actuators, piezoelectric actuators, oscillating or rotating masses, ultrasonic actuators, reluctance force actuators, voice coil motors, Lorentz force actuators, or the like. Moreover, the haptic actuator  415  may be configured to move the crown  412  along any suitable direction or axis to produce the tactile output, including axially, rotationally (e.g., plus and minus 2 degrees about a neutral position), pivotally, translationally, or the like. 
       FIG.  4 B  depicts another example embodiment of the wearable device  400  of  FIG.  4 A . In  FIG.  4 B , however, the force sensing component is a dome switch  431 . The dome switch  431  may provide both an input detection and a tactile output function. For example, when an axial force exceeding a collapse threshold of the dome switch  431  is applied to the crown  412 , the dome switch  431  may abruptly collapse, which both closes an electrical contact (thereby allowing the device to register the input), and produces a tactile “click” or other tactile output that may be felt by the user. Accordingly, the dome switch  431  may be used instead of or in conjunction with a separate force sensor and/or haptic actuator. 
       FIG.  5    is a partial cross section of an electronic device  500 , corresponding to a view along line A-A in  FIG.  1 B . The device  500  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or any other wearable device described herein). Accordingly, details of the wearable device  100  described above may apply to the device  500 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     Like the devices shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 4 B , the device  500  includes a crown  512  positioned along a side of a housing  502 . The crown  512  may include an inner member  511  that is rotationally constrained relative to the housing  502 , and an outer member  513  that is rotationally free relative to the inner member  511 . As shown, the outer member  513  is a sleeve that is positioned around a cylindrical surface of the inner member  811 . 
     The device may include a housing  502 , a cover  508 , a sealing member  520 , a force sensing component  524 , a haptic actuator  515 , and a fixed support  522 , each of which may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of the device  400 , described above. Accordingly, details of those components are equally applicable to the device  500  and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     The device  500  may also include a rotation sensing element  514  that, in conjunction with sensing circuitry and/or other components of a rotation sensor, is configured to sense a rotation of the outer member  513  relative to the inner member  511 . In the device  500 , the rotation sensing element  514  is positioned at least partially within the inner member  511 . The rotation sensing element  514  may detect rotation as a surface  523  of the outer member  513  moves past the rotation sensing element  514 . As described above with respect to the outer member  413 , the outer member  513  may have features or components that facilitate the rotation sensing by the rotation sensing element  514 . For example, the outer member  513  may include magnets or ferromagnetic materials to facilitate rotation sensing by a Hall effect sensor, or a pattern of grooves or other features to facilitate rotation sensing by an optical sensor. Such features or components may be positioned along the surface  523  of the outer member  513 , or at any other position or location to facilitate sensing by the rotation sensing element  514 . 
     The rotation sensing element  514  may be coupled to sensing circuitry or other components within the interior volume of the housing  502  via a conductor  521  (e.g., a wire, conductive trace, flexible circuit element, etc.). The conductor  521  may be positioned within the inner member  511  (or along a surface of the inner member  511 ), and may terminate to another conductor along a side of a shaft of the inner member  511 . In this way, the rotation sensing element  514  may be coupled to other components of the rotation sensor within the housing  502  without requiring an additional opening in the housing  502 . 
       FIG.  6    is a partial cross section of an electronic device  600 , corresponding to a view along line A-A in  FIG.  1 B . The device  600  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or any other wearable device described herein). Accordingly, details of the wearable device  100  described above may apply to the device  600 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     Like the devices shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 5   , the device  600  includes a crown  612  positioned along a side of a housing  602 . The device may include a cover  608 , a sealing member  620 , a force sensing component  624 , a haptic actuator  615 , and a fixed support  622 , each of which may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of the devices  400 ,  500  described above. Accordingly, details of those components are equally applicable to the device  600  and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
       FIGS.  4 A- 5    show crowns in which at least one component is rotationally free, and where the rotation of the rotationally free member is sensed in order to detect inputs applied to the crown.  FIG.  6    includes a crown  612  that includes a rotationally constrained member  611  (e.g., a rotationally fixed or partially rotatable member) and a sensing element  616  that is configured to detect the movement of a user&#39;s finger (or other object or implement), rather than the rotation of a crown component. More particularly, as described above, when a user interacts with the rotationally constrained member  611  of the crown by attempting to spin or rotate the crown (which may be an intuitive way to interact with the crown  612 ), the user&#39;s fingers may simply slide along a surface of the rotationally constrained member  611 , as the rotationally constrained member  611  cannot continuously rotate in response to the applied force. Accordingly, although there is no continuous rotation to sense, the motion of the user&#39;s finger may be indicative of the input that the user is applying to the crown  612 . For example, the speed and/or direction of the motion of the user&#39;s finger may be used to control the operation of the device  600  in a manner similar to the speed and/or direction of a rotation of a crown. 
     In order to detect the movement of the user&#39;s finger as it slides along a surface of the crown  612  (e.g., a surface of the rotationally constrained member  611 ), the device  600  may include a sensing element  616 . The sensing element may be coupled to the housing  602  and may be positioned in a location where a finger is likely to be within a sensing distance from the sensing element  616  when the user is interacting with the crown  612 . For example, due to the location of the crown  612 , a user&#39;s finger (either an index finger as shown in  FIGS.  2 A- 3 B  or a thumb, such as when a user is applying a twisting gesture with a thumb and index finger) may be proximate the sensing element  616  when the user is interacting with the crown  612 . Accordingly, the sensing element  616  may be able to sense the movement of the user&#39;s finger in all or most use conditions. In some cases, multiple sensing elements are positioned at different locations proximate the crown  612  to help detect finger movement under different use conditions. Such multiple sensing elements may be positioned at various locations around the crown  612 , such as above, below, to the left, and to the right of the crown  612 . 
     The sensing element  616  may use any suitable type of sensing technology or technique, including those described herein with respect to  FIGS.  11 A- 11 D . For example, the sensing element  616  may be or may be part of an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, an inductive sensor, or any other suitable type of sensor. In some cases, the sensing element  616  may be part of or integrated with a touch sensor that is used to detect touch inputs applied to an input surface defined by the cover  608 . More particularly, as noted above, a wearable device may include a touch sensor associated with a display to produce a touch-screen style display. The touch sensor of the display may be configured so that some of the sensing elements (e.g., capacitive sense pixels) are sufficiently close to the crown  612  to detect a user&#39;s finger when the user&#39;s finger is sliding along a surface of the crown  612 . The sensing elements may be additional sensing elements that are dedicated to detecting finger movements associated with crown manipulations, or they may be sensing elements that are also used to detect touch inputs applied to a user input surface associated with the display. 
     The sensing element  616  is configured to sense movement of a user&#39;s finger or other object that is entirely outside of the interior volume  625  of the device  600 . The device  600  may also include a protective cover  621  over the sensing element  616  and defining a portion of an exterior surface of the housing. The sensing element  616  may sense the movement of the user&#39;s finger through the protective cover  621 . For example, the protective cover  621  may be an optically transmissive window such that an optical sensor can sense the movement of the user&#39;s finger through the optically transmissive window. Seals (e.g., elastomer members, adhesives, etc.) may be included around the sensing element  616  and/or a protective cover to prevent or limit ingress of liquids, debris, or other contaminants. 
     The sensing element  616  may be positioned at least partially in an opening  619  in the housing  602  that extends from the interior volume  625  to an exterior of the housing. The sensing element  616  may thus sense movement of a user&#39;s finger (or other implement or object such as a stylus) through the opening  619 . The opening  619  may also allow conductors (e.g., wires, flexible circuit boards, traces, etc.) to pass from the sensing element  616  to sensing circuitry or other components within the housing  602  of the device  600 . 
       FIG.  7    is a partial cross section of an electronic device  700 , corresponding to a view along line A-A in  FIG.  1 B . The device  700  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or any other wearable device described herein). Accordingly, details of the wearable device  100  described above may apply to the device  700 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     Like the device shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 6   , the device  700  includes a crown  712  positioned along a side of a housing  702 . The device may include a cover  708 , a sealing member  720 , a force sensing component  724 , a haptic actuator  715 , and a fixed support  722 , each of which may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of the devices  400 ,  500 ,  600  described above. Accordingly, details of those components are equally applicable to the device  700  and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
       FIG.  7    includes a crown  712  that includes a rotationally constrained member  711  (e.g., a rotationally fixed or partially rotatable member) and a sensing element  716  that is configured to detect the movement of a user&#39;s finger (or other object or implement) as it slides over a surface of the crown  712 . Instead of positioning the sensing element  716  on the housing, as shown in  FIG.  6   , the device  700  includes the sensing element at least partially within the rotationally constrained member  711  of the crown  712 . The sensing element  716  may be configured to detect the motion of a user&#39;s finger in the same or a similar manner to the sensing element  616  described with respect to  FIG.  6   . 
     The device  700  may also include a protective cover  723  over the sensing element  716  and defining a portion of an exterior surface of the crown  712  (with an outer peripheral surface of the rotationally constrained member  711  defining another portion of the exterior surface of the crown  712 ). The sensing element  716  may sense the movement of the user&#39;s finger through the protective cover  723 . For example, the protective cover  723  may be an optically transmissive window such that an optical sensor can sense the movement of the user&#39;s finger through the optically transmissive window. Seals (e.g., elastomer members, adhesives, etc.) may be included around the sensing element  716  and/or the protective cover to prevent or limit ingress of liquids, debris, or other contaminants. 
     The sensing element  716  and/or the protective cover  723  may extend any distance around the circumference of the rotationally constrained member  711 . For example, the sensing element  716  and/or the protective cover  723  may extend around the entire circumference of the rotationally constrained member  711 , or it may extend less than the complete circumference. 
     The sensing element  716  may be coupled to sensing circuitry or other components within the interior volume of the housing  702  via a conductor  721  (e.g., a wire, conductive trace, flexible circuit element, etc.). The conductor  721  may be positioned within the rotationally constrained member  711  (or along a surface of the member  711 ), and may terminate to another conductor along a side of a shaft of the member  711 . In this way, the sensing element  716  may be coupled to other components of the sensor within the housing  702  without requiring an additional opening in the housing  702 . 
       FIG.  8    is a partial cross section of an electronic device  800 , corresponding to a view along line A-A in  FIG.  1 B . The device  800  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or any other wearable device described herein). Accordingly, details of the wearable device  100  described above may apply to the device  800 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     Like the device shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 7   , the device  800  includes a crown  812  positioned along a side of a housing  802 . The device may include a cover  808 , a sealing member  820 , a force sensing component  824 , a haptic actuator  815 , and a fixed support  822 , each of which may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of the devices  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700  described above. Accordingly, details of those components are equally applicable to the device  800  and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     The crown  812  may include an inner member  811  that is rotationally constrained relative to the housing  802 , and an outer member  813  that is rotationally free relative to the inner member  811 . As shown, the outer member  813  is a sleeve that is positioned around a cylindrical surface of the inner member  811 . 
     Instead of (or in addition to) detecting the rotation of the rotationally free outer member  813  to control the operation of the device  800 , the device  800  uses a sensing element  816  (which may be covered by a protective cover  821 ) that senses motion of a user&#39;s finger as the finger is rotating the outer member  813 . In this case, the rotation of the outer member  813  may provide a familiar sensation of physical rotation to the user, but the rotation may not be used for actual detection or sensing of the input. 
     The inner member  811  and the outer member  813  of the device  800  may be the same as or similar to the inner and outer members of the devices  400  and  500 , and the sensing element  816  and protective cover  821  may be the same as or similar to the sensing element  616  and protective cover  621  of the device  600 . In some cases, the sensing element  816  may be part of or integrated with a touch sensor associated with a touch-sensitive display, as described above. Accordingly, details of those components are equally applicable to the device  800  and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
       FIG.  9    is a partial cross section of an electronic device  900 , corresponding to a view along line A-A in  FIG.  1 B . The device  900  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or any other wearable device described herein). Accordingly, details of the wearable device  100  described above may apply to the device  900 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     Like the device shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 8   , the device  900  includes a crown  912  positioned along a side of a housing  902 . The device may include a cover  908 , a force sensing component  924 , a haptic actuator  915 , and a fixed support  922 , each of which may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of the devices  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700 ,  800  described above. Accordingly, details of those components are equally applicable to the device  900  and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     The crown  912  may include an inner member  911  that is rotationally constrained relative to the housing  902 , and an outer member  913  that is rotationally free relative to the inner member  811 . The outer member  913  may include a first portion  923  that is outside (e.g., external to) the housing  902  and defines an input surface of the crown  912 . For example, the first portion  923  may define a substantially circular peripheral surface that a user may grasp or touch to rotate when providing an input to the device  900  via the crown  912 . The outer member  913  may also include a shaft portion  927  that extends into the interior volume  925  of the device  900 . The device  900  may include bearings, bushings, or other components that facilitate the rotation of the outer member  913 . For example, the device  900  may include a bearing or bushing or other rolling or sliding component between the housing  902  and the outer member  913 , and between the outer member  913  and the inner member  911 . 
     Because the shaft portion  927  rotates in conjunction with the first portion  923 , a rotation sensing element  914  within the housing  902  may, in conjunction with rotation sensing circuitry, sense the rotation of the outer member  913  by sensing the rotation of the shaft portion  927 . The rotation sensing element  914  may use any suitable type of sensing technology or technique, including those described herein with respect to  FIGS.  11 A- 11 D . For example, the rotation sensing element  914  may be or may be part of an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, an inductive sensor, or any other suitable type of sensor. 
     The device  900  may also include a first sealing member  920  between the housing  902  and the outer member  913 , and a second sealing member  921  between the outer member  913  and the inner member  911 . The sealing members  920 ,  921 , which may be elastomeric members or other suitable material or component(s), may prevent or reduce the ingress of liquids, debris, or other contaminants. The sealing members  920 ,  921  may seal the openings between the housing  902 , outer member  913 , and inner member  911  while also allowing the outer member  913  to rotate relative to the inner member  911 , and while allowing both the inner and outer members  911 ,  913  to translate relative to the housing  902 . For example, while the inner member  911  may be rotationally constrained (e.g., rotationally fixed or partially rotatable), it may still be able to translate axially. The outer member  913  may also be able to translate axially along with the inner member  911 , and may in fact be coupled to the inner member  911  such that an axial force applied to either the inner member or the outer member may cause both the inner member  911  and the outer member  913  to translate axially. As such, the sealing members  920 ,  921  may seal the openings between the various components while allowing the outer member  913  to translate axially and to rotate, and while allowing the inner member  911  to translate axially. 
       FIG.  10    is a partial cross section of an electronic device  1000 , corresponding to a view along line A-A in  FIG.  1 B . The device  1000  may be an embodiment of the device  100 , and may include the same or similar components and may provide the same or similar functions as the device  100  (or any other wearable device described herein). Accordingly, details of the wearable device  100  described above may apply to the device  1000 , and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     Like the device shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 9   , the device  1000  includes a crown  1012  positioned along a side of a housing  1002 . The device may include a cover  1008 , a force sensing component  1024 , a haptic actuator  1015 , and a fixed support  1022 , each of which may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of the devices  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700 ,  800 ,  900  described above. Accordingly, details of those components are equally applicable to the device  1000  and for brevity will not be repeated here. 
     The crown  1012  may include a rotatable member  1023  that is configured to rotate relative to the housing  1002 . Bearings, bushings, or other components may be used between the rotatable member  1023  and the housing  1002  to facilitate the rotation of the rotatable member  1023  in response to a rotating force applied by a user. Further, the device  1000  may include a sealing member  1020  between the rotatable member  1023  and the housing  1002 . The sealing member  1020 , which may be elastomeric members or any other suitable material or component(s), may prevent or reduce the ingress of liquids, debris, or other contaminants into the device  1000 . The sealing member  1020  may seal the opening between the housing  1002 , rotatable member  1023 , while also allowing the rotatable member  1023  to rotate and optionally translate axially relative to the housing  1002 . 
     The device  1000  may also include a rotation sensing element  1014  that, along with rotation sensing circuitry and/or other components, senses rotation of the rotatable member  1023 . For example, the rotation sensing element  1014  may sense the rotation of an inner wall  1027  of the rotatable member  1023  (or any other portion of the rotatable member  1023 . The rotation sensing element  1014  may use any suitable type of sensing technology or technique, including those described herein with respect to  FIGS.  11 A- 11 D . For example, the rotation sensing element  1014  may be or may be part of an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, an inductive sensor, or any other suitable type of sensor. 
     As noted above, the sensors and/or sensing elements that sense either rotation of a crown component and/or motion of a user&#39;s finger (or other object or implement) may use any suitable sensing technology or technique.  FIGS.  11 A- 11 D  illustrate example sensors that use various techniques to sense motion of an object (e.g., either rotation of a crown component or movement of a user&#39;s finger). These example sensors may be used in any of the devices described herein. 
       FIG.  11 A  shows an optical sensing element  1100  to sense movement of an object  1109 . The object  1109  may be a user&#39;s finger, a stylus, a rotatable component of a crown, or the like. The object  1109  may be moving relative to the sensing element  1100  along a direction indicated by arrow  1107 , which may correspond to a movement of a user&#39;s finger (e.g., a translational movement), or a rotation of a rotating component of a crown. 
     The optical sensing element  1100  includes a light emitter  1102  and a light detector  1104 . The light emitter may emit light  1106  (e.g., visible light, laser light, ultraviolet light, non-visible light, or the like) towards the object  1109 . The light detector  1104  receives light  1108  that is reflected by the object  1109  and may sense a speed and/or direction of motion of the object  1109  using detected properties of the received light (e.g., an intensity of the receive light, an angle of the received light, an amount of received light, a change in a property of the light, etc.) or images of the object  1109  that are captured by the light detector  1104 . The light detector  1104  may include an image sensor or any other suitable light sensing components. 
     The object  1109  may have features that facilitate the sensing of the motion of the object  1109 . For example, in cases where the object  1109  is a rotatable member of a crown, the features may include grooves, scratches, graphical patterns, bumps, cavities, or the like. Such features may affect the way that the object  1109  reflects light, which may facilitate detection of the movement of the object  1109  by the light detector  1104 . In cases where the object  1109  is a finger, the features may be the natural textures of skin. 
       FIG.  11 B  shows another example optical sensor that includes a light detector  1110  (which may include an image sensor or other light sensing components) that detects reflected ambient light. For example, ambient light  1116  may be reflected by the object  1119  as the object  1119  moves along a direction indicated by arrow  1117 , and the light detector  1110  may detect a property of the reflected light  1118  and/or capture images of the object  1119  (illuminated by the ambient light  1116 ) to sense a speed and/or direction of motion of the object  1119 . The sensed speed and/or direction of motion of the object  1119  may then be used to control an operation of the device. 
       FIG.  11 C  shows a Hall effect sensor  1120  that may be used to sense changes in a magnetic field produced by motion of an object  1129  (e.g., along a direction  1127 ). The object  1129  may include magnetic and/or ferromagnetic components  1128  that move relative to the Hall effect sensor  1120  to facilitate the sensing of the motion of the object  1129 . 
       FIG.  11 D  shows a capacitive sensing element  1130 . The capacitive sensing element  1130  may use multiple capacitive sense pixels  1132 ,  1134  to detect motion of an object  1139 . For example, as the object  1139  (e.g., a user&#39;s finger) approaches the first capacitive sense pixel  1132 , the object  1139  causes a change in capacitance that is detected by the first capacitive sense pixel  1132 . As the object  1139  continues to move along the direction  1137 , it approaches the second capacitive sense pixel  1134  and causes a change in capacitance that is detected by the second capacitive sense pixel  1134 . The change in capacitance detected by the first and second capacitive sense pixels (and optionally additional capacitive sense pixels) as the object  1139  moves may together be used to determine a speed and/or direction of motion of the object  1139 , which may in turn be used to control an operation of a device. Where capacitive sense pixels are used to sense motion of an object, they may be part of a sensor that is solely used to sense motion of a finger as it interacts with a crown. In other cases, the capacitive sense pixels may be part of a touch sensor that is also used to detect touch inputs on a touch-screen display, as described above. 
       FIG.  12    depicts an example schematic diagram of an electronic device  1200 . By way of example, the device  1200  of  FIG.  12    may correspond to the wearable electronic device  100  shown in  FIGS.  1 A- 1 B  (or any other wearable electronic device described herein). To the extent that multiple functionalities, operations, and structures are disclosed as being part of, incorporated into, or performed by the device  1200 , it should be understood that various embodiments may omit any or all such described functionalities, operations, and structures. Thus, different embodiments of the device  1200  may have some, none, or all of the various capabilities, apparatuses, physical features, modes, and operating parameters discussed herein. 
     As shown in  FIG.  12   , a device  1200  includes a processing unit  1202  operatively connected to computer memory  1204  and/or computer-readable media  1206 . The processing unit  1202  may be operatively connected to the memory  1204  and computer-readable media  1206  components via an electronic bus or bridge. The processing unit  1202  may include one or more computer processors or microcontrollers that are configured to perform operations in response to computer-readable instructions. The processing unit  1202  may include the central processing unit (CPU) of the device. Additionally or alternatively, the processing unit  1202  may include other processors within the device including application specific integrated chips (ASIC) and other microcontroller devices. 
     The memory  1204  may include a variety of types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media, including, for example, read access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable memory (e.g., EPROM and EEPROM), or flash memory. The memory  1204  is configured to store computer-readable instructions, sensor values, and other persistent software elements. Computer-readable media  1206  also includes a variety of types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media including, for example, a hard-drive storage device, a solid-state storage device, a portable magnetic storage device, or other similar device. The computer-readable media  1206  may also be configured to store computer-readable instructions, sensor values, and other persistent software elements. 
     In this example, the processing unit  1202  is operable to read computer-readable instructions stored on the memory  1204  and/or computer-readable media  1206 . The computer-readable instructions may adapt the processing unit  1202  to perform the operations or functions described above with respect to  FIGS.  1 A- 11 D . In particular, the processing unit  1202 , the memory  1204 , and/or the computer-readable media  1206  may be configured to cooperate with a sensor  1124  (e.g., a rotation sensor that senses rotation of a crown component or a sensor that senses motion of a user&#39;s finger) to control the operation of a device in response to an input applied to a crown of a device (e.g., the crown  112 ). The computer-readable instructions may be provided as a computer-program product, software application, or the like. 
     As shown in  FIG.  12   , the device  1200  also includes a display  1208 . The display  1208  may include a liquid-crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, LED display, or the like. If the display  1208  is an LCD, the display  1208  may also include a backlight component that can be controlled to provide variable levels of display brightness. If the display  1208  is an OLED or LED type display, the brightness of the display  1208  may be controlled by modifying the electrical signals that are provided to display elements. The display  1208  may correspond to any of the displays shown or described herein. 
     The device  1200  may also include a battery  1209  that is configured to provide electrical power to the components of the device  1200 . The battery  1209  may include one or more power storage cells that are linked together to provide an internal supply of electrical power. The battery  1209  may be operatively coupled to power management circuitry that is configured to provide appropriate voltage and power levels for individual components or groups of components within the device  1200 . The battery  1209 , via power management circuitry, may be configured to receive power from an external source, such as an AC power outlet. The battery  1209  may store received power so that the device  1200  may operate without connection to an external power source for an extended period of time, which may range from several hours to several days. 
     In some embodiments, the device  1200  includes one or more input devices  1210 . An input device  1210  is a device that is configured to receive user input. The one or more input devices  1210  may include, for example, a push button, a touch-activated button, a keyboard, a key pad, or the like (including any combination of these or other components). In some embodiments, the input device  1210  may provide a dedicated or primary function, including, for example, a power button, volume buttons, home buttons, scroll wheels, and camera buttons. Generally, a touch sensor or a force sensor may also be classified as an input device. However, for purposes of this illustrative example, the touch sensor  1220  and a force sensor  1222  are depicted as distinct components within the device  1200 . 
     The device  1200  may also include a sensor  1124  that detects inputs provided by a user to a crown of the device (e.g., the crown  112 ). As described above, the sensor  1124  may include sensing circuitry and other sensing elements that facilitate sensing of rotational motion of a crown component and/or motion of a user&#39;s finger that is sliding along a surface of a crown. The sensor  1124  may correspond to the sensors described with respect to  FIGS.  11 A- 11 D , or other sensors that may be used to provide the sensing functions described herein. 
     The device  1200  may also include a touch sensor  1220  that is configured to determine a location of a touch on a touch-sensitive surface of the device  1200  (e.g., an input surface defined by the portion of a cover  108  over a display  109 ). The touch sensor  1220  may use or include capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, surface acoustic wave sensors, piezoelectric sensors, strain gauges, or the like. In some cases the touch sensor  1220  associated with a touch-sensitive surface of the device  1200  may include a capacitive array of electrodes or nodes that operate in accordance with a mutual-capacitance or self-capacitance scheme. The touch sensor  1220  may be integrated with one or more layers of a display stack (e.g., the display  109 ) to provide the touch-sensing functionality of a touchscreen. Moreover, the touch sensor  1220 , or a portion thereof, may be used to sense motion of a user&#39;s finger as it slides along a surface of a crown, as described herein. 
     The device  1200  may also include a force sensor  1222  that is configured to receive and/or detect force inputs applied to a user input surface of the device  1200  (e.g., the display  109 ). The force sensor  1222  may use or include capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, surface acoustic wave sensors, piezoelectric sensors, strain gauges, or the like. In some cases, the force sensor  1222  may include or be coupled to capacitive sensing elements that facilitate the detection of changes in relative positions of the components of the force sensor (e.g., deflections caused by a force input). The force sensor  1222  may be integrated with one or more layers of a display stack (e.g., the display  109 ) to provide force-sensing functionality of a touchscreen. 
     The device  1200  may also include a communication port  1228  that is configured to transmit and/or receive signals or electrical communication from an external or separate device. The communication port  1228  may be configured to couple to an external device via a cable, adaptor, or other type of electrical connector. In some embodiments, the communication port  1228  may be used to couple the device  1200  to an accessory, including a dock or case, a stylus or other input device, smart cover, smart stand, keyboard, or other device configured to send and/or receive electrical signals. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Also, when used herein to refer to positions of components, the terms above and below, or their synonyms, do not necessarily refer to an absolute position relative to an external reference, but instead refer to the relative position of components with reference to the figures.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20220612
Publication Date: 20230912
Grant Date: 20230912
Priority Date: 20180625
Inventors: PERKINS, RYAN C.
SPENCER, MAEGAN K.
BOOZER, BRAD G.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/004", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/004", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01D5/3473", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01D5/3473", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 68981677