PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10664074-B2
Application Number: US-201715627321-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Contact-sensitive crown for an electronic watch

Abstract:
A method of operating a wearable electronic device having a display and a rotatable crown includes initiating a rotation-tracking mode based on a detection of a contact between a user and the rotatable crown. In response to initiating the rotation-tracking mode, the electronic device controls a graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown, terminates the rotation-tracking mode based on a termination of the contact between the user and the rotatable crown, and in response to terminating the rotation-tracking mode, controls the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wearable electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a band attached to the housing and configured to attach the wearable electronic device to a user; 
 a display positioned within the housing and defining a front face of the wearable electronic device; 
 a crown positioned along a side of the housing; 
 a rotation sensor configured to detect a rotational movement of the crown; 
 a contact sensor configured to detect contact between the user and the crown; and 
 a processor operatively coupled to the contact sensor and the display and configured to:
 while a first contact is detected between the user and the crown:
 modify a graphical output of the display in accordance with the rotational movement of the crown; and 
 determine a speed of the rotational movement of the crown; 
 
 in response to detecting a release of the first contact between the user and the crown, determine whether the speed of the rotational movement of the crown is at or above a predetermined threshold; 
 when the speed of the rotational movement of the crown is above the predetermined threshold, modify the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown; and 
 when the speed of the rotational movement of the crown is below the predetermined threshold, cease to modify the graphical output of the display. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 modifying the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the crown comprises causing a list of items to scroll across the display in a scroll direction in accordance with a direction of rotation of the crown; 
 modifying the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown comprises continuing to scroll the list of items across the display; and 
 ceasing to modify the graphical output of the display comprises ceasing the scrolling of the list of items. 
 
     
     
       3. The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 modifying the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the crown comprises causing a portion of a list of items to scroll off of the display in a first direction; and 
 modifying the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown comprises causing the portion of the list of items to scroll onto the display in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the crown comprises:
 a knob having a conductive portion; and 
 a stem conductively coupled to the conductive portion of the knob and extending into the housing; and 
 
 the contact sensor comprises a capacitive sensor conductively coupled to the stem. 
 
     
     
       5. The wearable electronic device of  claim 4 , wherein the stem is electrically isolated from the housing. 
     
     
       6. The wearable electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the knob and the stem are a monolithic structure. 
     
     
       7. The wearable electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the capacitive sensor is conductively coupled to the stem via a rotary electrical contact. 
     
     
       8. A method of operating a wearable electronic device having a display and a rotatable crown, comprising:
 detecting a first rotational movement of the rotatable crown; 
 determining whether a user is contacting the rotatable crown during the first rotational movement; 
 in response to determining that the user is contacting the rotatable crown during the first rotational movement, modifying a graphical output of the display in accordance with a rotational movement of the rotatable crown; 
 detecting a second rotational movement of the rotatable crown; 
 determining a speed of the second rotational movement; 
 detecting a release of a contact with the rotatable crown during the second rotational movement; 
 when the speed of the second rotational movement is above a predetermined threshold, modify the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown; and 
 when the speed of the second rotational is below the predetermined threshold, cease to modify the graphical output of the display. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 modifying the graphical output of the display in accordance with the first rotational movement of the rotatable crown comprises moving an element displayed on the display in a first direction based at least partially on a rotational direction of the first rotational movement of the rotatable crown; and 
 not modifying the graphical output of the display despite detecting the second rotational movement comprises maintaining the element stationary on the display. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 modifying the graphical output of the display in accordance with the first rotational movement of the rotatable crown comprises moving an element displayed on the display in a first direction and at a speed based at least partially on the first rotational movement of the rotatable crown; and 
 modifying the graphical output of the display despite absence of the second rotational movement of the rotatable crown comprises moving the element in the first direction despite detecting no rotational movement of the rotatable crown. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein modifying the graphical output of the display despite absence of the second rotational movement of the rotatable crown further comprises moving the graphical output of the display at a speed that decreases over time. 
     
     
       12. A method of operating a wearable electronic device having a display and a rotatable crown, comprising:
 detecting a contact between a user and the rotatable crown; 
 enabling a rotation-tracking mode based on detecting the contact; and 
 while the rotation-tracking mode is enabled:
 detecting a rotational movement of the rotatable crown; 
 determining a speed of the rotational movement of the rotatable crown; 
 detecting a termination of the contact between the user and the rotatable crown; 
 in response to detecting the termination of the contact and when the speed of the rotational movement is above a predetermined threshold, move an element on the display without regard to the rotational movement or absence of the rotational movement of the crown; and 
 in response to detecting the termination of the contact and when the speed of the rotational movement of the crown is below the predetermined threshold, cease movement of the element on the display. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein detecting the contact between the user and the rotatable crown comprises detecting an electrical characteristic of the rotatable crown that is indicative of contact between the user and the rotatable crown. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the element displayed on the display is an item of a list; and 
 moving the element comprises causing the list of items to scroll across the display in a scroll direction based on a rotation direction of the rotatable crown.

Description:
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 
     A wearable electronic device includes a housing, a band attached to the housing and configured to attach the wearable electronic device to a user, a display positioned within the housing and defining a front face of the wearable electronic device, and a crown positioned along a side of the housing. The wearable electronic device may also include a rotation sensor configured to detect a rotational movement of the crown, a contact sensor configured to detect a contact between the user and the crown, and a processor operatively coupled to the contact sensor and the display. The processor may be configured to, while a contact is detected between the user and the crown, control a graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the crown, and, after detecting a release of the contact between the user and the crown, control the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown. 
     Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the crown may include causing a list of items to scroll across the display in a scroll direction in accordance with a direction of rotation of the crown, and controlling the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown may include continuing to scroll the list of items across the display while detecting no rotation of the crown. 
     Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the crown may include causing a portion of a list of items to scroll off of the display in a first direction, and controlling the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown may include causing the portion of the list of items to scroll onto the display in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
     The crown may include a knob having a conductive portion and a stem conductively coupled to the conductive portion of the knob and extending into the housing. The contact sensor may include a capacitive sensor conductively coupled to the stem. The stem may be electrically isolated from the housing. The knob and the stem may be a monolithic structure. The capacitive sensor may be conductively coupled to the stem via a rotary electrical contact. 
     A method of operating a wearable electronic device having a display and a rotatable crown includes modifying a graphical output of the display in accordance with a rotational movement of the rotatable crown, terminating a rotation-tracking mode based on a termination of a contact between a user and the rotatable crown, and in response to terminating the rotation-tracking mode, modifying the graphical output of the display despite absence of the rotational movement of the rotatable crown. 
     Modifying the graphical output of the display in accordance with the rotational movement of the rotatable crown may include moving an element displayed on the display in a first direction based at least partially on the rotational movement of the rotatable crown, and modifying the graphical output of the display despite absence of the rotational movement of the rotatable crown may include moving the element in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
     Modifying the graphical output of the display in accordance with the rotational movement of the rotatable crown may include moving an element displayed on the display in a first direction and at a speed based at least partially on the rotational movement of the rotatable crown, and modifying the graphical output of the display despite absence of the rotational movement of the rotatable crown may include moving the element in the first direction despite detecting no rotational movement of the rotatable crown. Moving the graphical output of the display despite absence of the rotational movement of the rotatable crown may further include moving the graphical output of the display at a speed that decreases over time. The method may further include, after moving the graphical output of the display in the first direction despite detecting no rotational movement of the rotatable crown, detecting a subsequent contact between the user and the rotatable crown, and in response to detecting the subsequent contact between the user and the rotatable crown, ceasing to move the graphical output of the display. 
     A method of operating a wearable electronic device having a display and a rotatable crown includes initiating a rotation-tracking mode based on a detection of a contact between a user and the rotatable crown, in response to initiating the rotation-tracking mode, controlling a graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown, terminating the rotation-tracking mode based on a termination of the contact between the user and the rotatable crown, and in response to terminating the rotation-tracking mode, controlling the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown. Detecting the contact between the user and the rotatable crown may include detecting an electrical characteristic of the rotatable crown that is indicative of contact between a user and the rotatable crown. 
     Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown may correspond to or be referred to as controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with a first user-interface control scheme, and controlling the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown may correspond to or be referred to as controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with a second user-interface control scheme. 
     Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with the first user-interface control scheme may include causing a list of items to scroll across the display in a scroll direction based on a rotation direction of the rotatable crown. The scroll direction may be a first scroll direction, and controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with the second user-interface control scheme may include causing the list of items to scroll across the display in a second scroll direction opposite the first scroll direction. 
     Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with the second user-interface control scheme may include causing the list of items to scroll across the display in the scroll direction. Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with the second user-interface control scheme may include causing the list of items to scroll across the display at a decreasing speed. 
     The method may further include, while the list of items is scrolling across the display, initiating a subsequent rotation-tracking mode based on a detection of a subsequent contact between the user and the rotatable crown, during the subsequent rotation-tracking mode, determining if a speed of rotation of the rotatable crown is below a threshold value, and in accordance with a determination that the speed of rotation of the rotatable crown is below the threshold value, causing the list of items to cease scrolling across the display. 
    
    
     
       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. 1-2  depict an electronic device. 
         FIGS. 3A-5  depict partial cross-sectional views of the electronic device of  FIGS. 1-2  viewed along line A-A in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  depicts an example process for operating a graphical output of an electronic device using a contact-sensitive rotatable crown. 
         FIGS. 7A-7D  depict a user-interface sequence in response to inputs to a contact-sensitive rotatable crown. 
         FIGS. 8A-8D  depict another user-interface sequence in response to inputs to a contact-sensitive rotatable crown. 
         FIGS. 9A-9D  depict yet another user-interface sequence in response to inputs to a contact-sensitive rotatable crown. 
         FIGS. 10A-10D  depict yet another user-interface sequence in response to inputs to a contact-sensitive rotatable crown. 
         FIGS. 11A-11D  depict yet another user-interface sequence in response to inputs to a contact-sensitive rotatable crown. 
         FIG. 12  depicts example components of an 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 contact-sensing functionality. For example, a crown of a wearable electronic device, such as a smart watch, may detect rotational movements (e.g., turning the crown), as well as translational movements (e.g., pushing or pulling the crown). These movements may be used to control various aspects of the electronic device, including manipulating a graphical output of a display. For example, a rotational movement of the crown may scroll a list that is shown on the display, or change the focus of a cursor or other indicator shown on the display. A translational movement of the crown, such as a push, may select displayed objects or activate certain device functions. 
     By adding contact-sensing functionality to a crown, the electronic device can determine to a greater degree of certainty whether any given rotational or translational motion is an intentional input or an accidental input. For example, a contact sensor may be configured to detect contact with the skin of a user, such as a user&#39;s fingertip. Because contact with objects or materials other than a user&#39;s skin are less likely to be intentional inputs, detecting contact between the crown and a user&#39;s skin may trigger or initiate a window for responding to rotational or translational movements of the crown. Within the window, the device may respond to rotational and/or translational movements (or lack thereof) of the crown because they are likely caused by direct interaction from a user. Outside the window (e.g., when no contact is detected), rotational and/or translational movements may be ignored as they are likely caused by accidental contact with the crown, such as by brushing the crown against a shirt sleeve or pocket. 
     By using a rotation tracking window as described herein, graphical outputs may be initiated and controlled with greater responsiveness and less lag and delay. For example, without contact-sensing functionality on the crown, an electronic device may ignore small movements of the crown so that accidental rotations or natural finger motion (which occur even when a user is attempting to keep the crown still) do not cause distracting or undesirable graphical outputs, scrolling, or user-interface activity. However, these techniques may result in a slower response to rotational inputs because a rotational input may be ignored until a certain threshold amount of rotation is satisfied. Thus there may be a period where a user is rotating the crown but the graphical output is not changing as expected. By using a contact sensor to establish a rotation tracking window, the electronic device may react more quickly to rotational inputs because any rotation detected within the window is more likely to be intentional. For example, scrolling of displayed items may appear to begin immediately upon rotation of the crown, rather than after a “dead band” or other rotational threshold is exceeded. 
     Further, the added contact-sensing functionality facilitates more intuitive and useful user interactions and user-interface functions. For example, a scroll animation that is initiated by a user rotating the crown can continue after the user&#39;s finger is removed from the crown, and then terminate when the user&#39;s finger is placed on the crown once again. Thus, the user can initiate a fast or continuing scroll by “flicking” the crown, and end the continuing scroll by touching the crown again. As another example, a display of the electronic device can be activated when a user places a finger on the crown, and deactivated when the user removes the finger, even if the user never rotates or translates (e.g., presses) the crown. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  depict an electronic device  100 . The electronic device  100  is depicted as a watch, though this is merely one example, 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 display  106  coupled to the housing  102 . The display  106  may define a front face of the electronic device  100 . For example, in some cases, the display  106  defines substantially the entire front face and/or surface of the electronic device. The display  106  may be a touch- and/or force-sensitive display, and may include or be associated with any suitable touch or force sensing components, including capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, surface acoustic wave sensors, piezoelectric sensors, strain gauges, or the like. In conjunction with touch sensors, the display  106  may be configured to detect locations of touch events applied to the display  106 , including locations of multiple simultaneous touches. In conjunction with force sensors, the display  106  may be configured to detect amounts or magnitudes of force associated with touch events applied to the display  106 . The touch- and/or force-sensitive display may receive 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. 
     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  106 , to activate or deactivate functions (e.g., to silence an alarm or alert), or the like. 
     The electronic device  100  also includes a crown  108  coupled to the housing  102 . The crown  108  may afford a variety of potential user interactions. For example, the crown  108  may be rotatable about a rotation axis and relative to the housing  102  to accept rotational inputs. The crown  108  may also be translatable relative to the housing  102  to accept translational inputs. For example, the crown  108  may be movable along the rotation axis, towards and/or away from the housing  102 . In particular, the crown  108  may be manipulated by pushing and/or pulling on the crown  108 . As described herein, rotational and translational inputs may control various operations and user interfaces of the electronic device  100 . In particular, inputs to the crown  108  may modify the graphical output of the display  106 . For example, rotational movement of the crown  108  may zoom, scroll, or rotate a user interface or other object displayed on the display  106  (among other possible functions), while translational movements may select highlighted objects or icons, or activate or deactivate functions (among other possible functions). 
     The crown  108  may also be associated with or include a contact sensor that is configured to detect contact between a user and the crown  108  (e.g., touch inputs or touch events applied to the crown  108 ). 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 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 be an electrode for conductively coupling a capacitive sensor to the user. 
       FIGS. 3A-3C  are partial cross-sectional views of the electronic device  100 , viewed along line A-A in  FIG. 2 . The cross-sectional views in  FIGS. 3A-3C  do not necessarily correspond to the exact structure of the electronic device  100  or any components thereof, and are instead intended as schematic views showing particular features of the crown  108  and in particular how the crown  108  may work with a contact sensor  302  to enable contact sensing via the crown  108 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , the electronic device  100  includes a contact sensor  302  configured to detect a contact between the user and the crown. Information from the contact sensor  302  may be used to initiate a rotation tracking window, as described herein. This allows the electronic device  100  to act on rotational inputs immediately upon detecting rotation. For example, a graphical output can be controlled or changed as soon as rotation is detected along with contemporaneously detected contact between a user and the crown. This may reduce or eliminate the need for (or the effects of) dead bands, delays, or other filters that may be used where the crown  108  is not contact-sensitive. 
     As noted above, the contact sensor  302  may be any suitable type of contact sensor, and/or may rely on any suitable contact sensing technology. As shown, the contact sensor  302  is a capacitive contact sensor that detects touch events by detecting capacitive coupling between the crown  108  (or an electrode associated with the crown  108 ) and external objects. 
     The contact sensor  302  may be conductively coupled to the crown  108 . As shown, the contact sensor  302  is in direct contact with the crown  108 , though the contact sensor  302  may be conductively coupled to the crown via any suitable component or mechanism, including a rotary electrical contact such as a slip ring, brush (e.g., graphite brush), biased leaf spring, or the like. The crown  108  may be formed from or include conductive material to define a conductive path from an external surface of the crown  108  to the contact sensor  302 . For example, the crown  108  may be formed from one or more pieces of metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel), graphite, carbon fiber, conductive ceramics, or the like. The crown may include non-conductive portions as well, including coatings, paints, caps, covers, or the like, so long as a conductive path exists between the contact sensor  302  and at least part of an exterior surface that is likely to be touched by a user when the user is manipulating the crown  108 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3B , when a user&#39;s finger  300  (or other skin or body part) contacts the crown  108 , a conductive path  304  is formed between the contact sensor  302  and the user&#39;s finger  300 , thus capacitively coupling the user&#39;s finger  300  to the contact sensor  302 . Where other types of contact sensors are used, such as inductive or resistive contact sensors, the capacitive coupling may be irrelevant or otherwise not used to sense touch events or contact with the user. 
       FIG. 3C  shows another example of the crown  108  that includes electrodes  306  incorporated into the crown  108 . The electrodes  306  may be conductively coupled to the contact sensor  302  via conductors  308  (or other conductive paths). The conductors  308  may be electrically isolated from the material of the crown  108  and from one another to provide isolated electrical paths from the electrodes  306  to the contact sensor  302 . The contact sensor  302  may be configured to detect continuity between the electrodes, which may occur when a finger  300  contacts two or more electrodes  306 . The contact sensor  302  may also or instead use multiple electrodes  306  to implement a mutual capacitance sensing scheme. 
     While  FIG. 3C  shows an example with two electrodes  306 , more or fewer electrodes may be used. For example, in some cases, only a single electrode  306  is used. In such cases, the single electrode  306  may be the only component on the crown  108  that is conductively coupled to a contact sensor. In other cases, both the single electrode  306  and the crown itself  108  may be conductively coupled to the contact sensor. For example, a crown formed of conductive material may include a single electrode  306  and single conductor  308  that are electrically isolated from the material of the crown. The contact sensor  302  may be conductively coupled to the single conductor and the material of the crown. Accordingly, contact sensing schemes using two conductive paths (e.g., continuity, mutual capacitance) may be implemented using a conductive crown with only a single electrode  306 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an electronic device, such as the electronic device  100  ( FIG. 1 ). The cross-sectional view in  FIG. 4  corresponds to a view of an electronic device along line A-A in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  shows details of a crown  408  (which may correspond to the crown  108 ) and how the crown  408  may be structurally integrated with a housing  402  (which may correspond to the housing  102 ) as well as rotation, translation, and contact sensors. As described herein, integrating a contact sensor with a rotatable crown as shown in  FIG. 4  allows the device to more definitively determine whether or not a rotational movement is intentional, which can produce faster and more precise responses to rotational inputs. 
     The crown  408  may include a knob  407  and a stem  400 , with the stem  400  extending into the housing  402 . The knob  407  and stem  400  may be a monolithic structure, including a single structure formed by machining, casting, molding, or otherwise forming a single piece of material into a crown  408  defining the knob  407  and stem  400 . In other cases, the knob  407  and the stem  400  may be formed separately and attached to each other via adhesive, welding, mechanical fasteners, or the like. The crown  408  may also include other materials, components, coatings, or the like, which may or may not be conductive. For example, the stem  400  may be coated with an insulating material, a low-friction coating (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene), or the like. Or a cap or disk may be placed on an exterior face  411  of the crown  408  (or positioned in an opening or recess in the exterior face  411 ). If any such components or materials are nonconductive, they may be integrated with the crown  408  so that a conductive path is formed between a contact sensor  409  and an interface surface or portion of the crown  408  (e.g., the portion that is usually or most likely contacted by a user when the user is manipulating the crown  408  to provide inputs to the device). 
     The crown  408  may be coupled to the housing  402  such that the crown  408  can translate and rotate relative to the housing  402 . Rotational movements may be about a rotation axis, as indicated by arrow  414 , while translational movements may be along the rotation axis, as indicated by arrow  412 . To facilitate these movements, the electronic device may include one or more interface components  416  between the crown  408  (e.g., the stem  400 ) and the housing  402 . The interface components  416  may be any suitable material or component, including an O-ring formed from or including rubber, elastomer, silicone, or any other suitable material. The interface components  416  may slide, deform, or translate relative to the housing  402  and the crown  408 , thus allowing the crown  408  to move relative to the housing  402 . The interface components  416  may also maintain a seal between the stem  400  and the housing  402  during rotation and translation of the crown  408 . 
     The electronic device includes sensors for detecting rotational and/or translational movement of the crown  408 . For example, a rotation sensor  406  may detect rotational movement of the crown  408 , while a switch  404  may detect translational movement. The switch  404  may be a collapsible dome or any other suitable switch that can detect translational movement. Where the switch  404  is a collapsible dome, the dome may provide a tactile response to the crown  408  as well as a biasing or return force that forces the crown  408  towards an unactuated (e.g., rest) state. 
     The rotation sensor  406  may be any suitable type of rotation sensor, including an optical sensor, an encoder, a hall-effect sensor, a resolver, or any other suitable sensor that can detect rotational movements of the crown  408 . In some cases, the stem  400  (or another portion or component of the crown  408 ) may include features to assist in rotation tracking. For example, the stem  400  may have grooves, teeth, or optical features (e.g., a printed pattern) that an optical sensor can detect. In some cases, the rotation sensor  406  detects defects in the surface finish of the stem  400 , including scratches, indentations, or other irregular features that do not adhere to a regular or periodic pattern. 
     The rotation sensor  406  may provide various information about rotational movements of the crown  408 , including speed of rotation, direction of rotation, acceleration of rotation, and the like. Such information may be used to control the operation of an electronic device in various ways. For example, a graphical output of a display (e.g., the display  106 ) may be responsive to rotational inputs from the crown. As one example, a rotational input may cause a list of items that is being displayed on a display (e.g., the display  106 ) to scroll across the display at a speed and/or direction dictated by a speed and/or direction of rotation of the crown  408 . As another example, a zoom level of a graphical user interface, image, or other displayed object may be controlled by rotating the crown  408 . The zoom or magnification level may change based on the speed and/or direction of rotation of the crown. Rotational inputs may be used to control other aspects of a device in addition to or instead of those examples provided. Further, as noted herein, rotational inputs detected by the rotation sensor  406  may control the graphical output of the device only when a contemporaneous touch event is detected on the crown  408  via the contact sensor  409 . 
     The contact sensor  409  may be any suitable contact sensor. In some cases, the contact sensor  409  is a capacitive sensor that is conductively coupled to the crown  408 . Other types of contact sensors may also be used, including resistive sensors, magnetic sensors, inductive sensors, or the like. The crown  408  may be conductively coupled to the contact sensor  409  via a conductor. Because the crown  408  is rotatable, the contact sensor  409  may be conductively coupled to the crown  408  (e.g., the stem  400  of the crown  408 ) via an electrical connector that allows the crown  408  to rotate. For example, a slip ring, brush (e.g., a graphite brush), biased leaf spring, or any other suitable rotary electrical contact or connection technique, may conductively couple the contact sensor  409  to the stem  400 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the contact sensor  409  is adjacent the stem  400 , though this is merely for illustration. In other cases, the crown  408  may be conductively coupled to a contact sensor  409  that is located elsewhere within the housing  402 . 
     As noted above, some types of sensors, such as capacitive sensors, rely on a conductive path between the sensor and a sensed object in order to detect touch events. In order to isolate contact-sensitivity to the crown  408 , the crown  408  may need to be electrically isolated from other conductive components of the electronic device (e.g., the housing  402 ). Accordingly, in some cases, the interface components  416  may electrically isolate the crown  408  from the housing  402 . For example, the interface components  416  may be formed from dielectric or nonconductive material (e.g., rubber, silicone, ceramic, plastic), thus preventing a conductive path between the crown  408  and the housing  402  under normal use conditions, and isolating the contact sensing functionality to the crown  408  itself. If the crown  408  was not electrically isolated from the housing  402 , the contact sensor  409  may be unable to distinguish between touch events on the housing  402  and touch events on the crown  408 , which may reduce the effectiveness of such inputs. 
       FIG. 5  shows a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an electronic device, such as the electronic device  100  ( FIG. 1 ). The cross-sectional view in  FIG. 5  corresponds to a view of an electronic device along line A-A in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  shows details of a non-movable crown  508  (which may correspond to the crown  108 ) and how the crown  508  may be structurally integrated with a housing  502  (which may correspond to the housing  102 ) and a contact sensor  509 . As noted, the crown  508  is fixed in position relative to the housing  502 , and thus does not rotate or translate relative to the housing  502 . Rather, user inputs such as presses and swipes (e.g., a user sliding a finger over the peripheral rim of the crown  508 ) may be detected by force sensors, optical sensors, or any other suitable type of sensor. 
     The contact sensor  509  may be a capacitive sensor (or any other suitable sensor), and may be conductively coupled to the crown  508  in any suitable way, as described above with respect to the crown  408 . Despite being fixed to the housing  502 , the crown  508  may be electrically isolated from the housing  502  to isolate the contact sensing functionality to the crown  508 . For example, a dielectric or nonconductive material  504  may be disposed between the crown  508  and the housing  502 . The material  504  may be any suitable material, including plastic, rubber, silicone, adhesive, epoxy, ceramic, or the like. 
       FIG. 6  depicts an example process  600  for operating a wearable electronic device, such as the electronic device  100  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), or any other suitable wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device may have a display (e.g., the display  106 ) and a crown configured to receive rotational or dial-based input (e.g., the crown  108 ), as described above. The process  600  may be implemented as processor-executable instructions that are stored within memory of the wearable electronic device. The process  600  leverages the contact-sensitivity of the crown to determine when to respond to rotational movement of the crown (e.g., when to modify a graphical output of the display based on the rotational movement), and when to ignore rotational movement. The process  600  may also use the contact-sensitivity of the crown to trigger discrete user-interactions, such as activating and deactivating a display. 
     In operation  602 , a rotation-tracking mode is initiated based on a detection of a contact between a user and the rotatable crown. Detecting the contact between the user and the rotatable crown may include detecting an electrical characteristic of the rotatable crown that is indicative of contact between a user and the rotatable crown. The electrical characteristic may be, for example, a capacitance, a resistance, or the like, and may be measured by a contact sensor within the electronic device (e.g., a capacitive sensor that is conductively coupled to the crown). 
     Detecting contact between a user and the rotatable crown (e.g., via a capacitive sensor) indicates that a user likely has a finger or hand on the rotatable crown, and thus that any motion of the crown (such as rotational or translational motions) are likely intentional inputs to the crown. Accordingly, at operation  604 , in response to initiating the rotation-tracking mode, the electronic device may control a graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown as detected by a rotation sensor (e.g., the rotation sensor  406 ) associated with the crown. Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown may be referred to as controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with a first user-interface control scheme. Controlling the graphical output may include moving (e.g., scrolling) an element or item displayed on the display, or zooming in or out on an image, user interface, or other content displayed on the display. Yet another example of controlling the graphical output may include changing a color or other visible property (e.g., shape, size, saturation, contrast) of a displayed element or item. Other ways of controlling and/or modifying a graphical output are also contemplated. 
     By waiting until a rotation-tracking mode is initiated before controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the rotatable crown, may facilitate more responsive graphical outputs. For example, as noted above, the detection of a contact between the user and the crown indicates that the user is intentionally touching the crown. As a result, the electronic device may react immediately or more quickly to signals from a rotation sensor, because any rotation that is contemporaneous with a touch input is likely an intentional rotation. In some cases, using a contact-triggered rotation tracking mode may reduce or eliminate the need for heuristics to guess whether a detected rotation is likely intentional. Such heuristics may include timers, delays, or filters, all of which may introduce delay and lag between rotation of crown and modification of the graphical output. 
     One particular example of controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the rotatable crown (e.g., according to the first user-interface control scheme) may include causing a list of items to scroll across the display in accordance with a direction of rotation of the rotatable crown. For example, if a list of items such as words (e.g., names, contacts), images (e.g., thumbnails, photographs), icons, or the like, is displayed on the display, the rotational movement of the crown may cause the list of items to scroll. Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement of the rotatable crown may also or instead include causing the list of items to scroll across the display in accordance with a speed of rotation of the rotatable crown. Controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown (e.g., according to the first user-interface control scheme) may include causing the list of items to remain stationary when no rotation is detected. Examples of scrolling (or not scrolling) a list of items during a rotation-tracking mode are described herein with reference to  FIGS. 7A-8D . 
     At operation  606 , the rotation-tracking mode is terminated based on a termination of the contact between the user and the rotatable crown (e.g., when the user lifts his or her finger off of the crown). For example, a contact sensor may detect a change or end of the electrical characteristic (e.g., a capacitance, resistance, etc.) that is indicative of contact between the user and the rotatable crown. Terminating the rotation-tracking mode may correspond to the electronic device simply ignoring further signals, or lack thereof, from the rotation sensor (e.g., encoder). In some cases, the rotation sensor may be deactivated, turned off, or placed in a low-power mode when the rotation-tracking mode is not active (e.g., after the rotation-tracking mode is terminated). In other cases, the rotation sensor may remain in a normal operating mode, and any signals or other data or signals indicative of rotation or lack of rotation of the crown may be ignored (e.g., they might not be used to control a graphical output of the device). 
     At operation  608 , in response to terminating the rotation-tracking mode, the graphical output of the display is controlled without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown. Controlling the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown may be referred to as controlling the graphical output of the display in accordance with a second user-interface control scheme. 
     In some cases, controlling the graphical output without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement (e.g., according to the second user-interface control scheme) includes causing the graphical output to move or provide a simulation or appearance of motion even if there is no rotational motion detected by a rotation sensor. In other cases, controlling the graphical output without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement includes causing the graphical output to not move (e.g., maintaining a stationary display) even if rotational motion is detected by the rotation sensor. Thus, in some implementations, detecting contact between a user and the rotatable crown may be a logical or programmatic condition precedent to modifying a graphical output based on a state of the rotation sensor, such as speed and/or direction of motion, if any. Examples of controlling the graphical output without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement are described herein with respect to  FIGS. 7A-10D . 
     In some cases, controlling the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown includes causing a list of items to scroll across the display in a previously detected direction of rotation of the rotatable crown. For example, if a user is scrolling through a list of items by rotating the crown, and then quickly releases the crown (e.g., “flicking” the crown), the list may continue to scroll despite the crown no longer being rotated (or if the crown is rotated but there is no corresponding detection of a touch event on the crown). In this way, a user can rapidly scroll through a list without having to continue to turn the rotatable crown to cause the list to scroll. 
     Whether or not a list of items continues to scroll across the display in a previously detected direction may depend, at least in part, on a speed or acceleration of rotation immediately prior to detecting the termination of the contact between the user and the crown. For example, if the user is scrolling below a speed or acceleration threshold, detecting that a user&#39;s finger has been removed from the crown may cause the list to cease scrolling entirely. If the user is scrolling above the speed or acceleration threshold, detecting that the user&#39;s finger has been removed may cause the list to continue to scroll. This may provide an intuitive user interface technique, as a rapid rate or acceleration of scrolling followed by a removal of a finger (or fingers) may correspond to a user “flicking” the rotatable crown. A user may expect that this type of input will result in the fastest possible scrolling speed, and thus may naturally attempt this input even without a hint or other instruction. On the other hand, when a user is scrolling a list slowly, it may indicate that they are reading or viewing items in the list while the list is moving. Accordingly, the user may naturally expect the list to cease scrolling when they take their finger(s) off of the crown. This process thus produces a natural, intuitive user experience. 
     The speed or acceleration threshold may be determined by, based on, or otherwise correlate to a readability of the items being scrolled. For example, a speed at which scrolled items can be clearly read may be determined experimentally (or via any other analysis or calculation). The threshold may then be set at or below that speed. Accordingly, when the list items are readable when scrolling, releasing the crown will end the movement of the list, and when the list items are not readable when scrolling, movement of the list will continue after the crown is released. 
     When the list of items is scrolled after release of the crown, the initial scroll speed of the list may be substantially the same as the speed that was indicated by the rotation of the crown. In some cases, the scroll speed may decrease with time (e.g., decay) after the rotation-tracking window is terminated. For example, after the device detects removal of the user&#39;s finger(s), the list of items may continue to scroll, but the scroll speed may decrease for a period of time until the list becomes stationary. The period of time that the list continues to scroll may be any suitable duration. For example, in some cases it may be determined by a timer, so that the list continues to scroll for 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 4 seconds, or any other suitable duration. In some cases, the duration may be determined at least in part by a speed of rotation or scrolling immediately prior to the user releasing the crown. For example, a faster scroll or rotation speed may result in a longer scrolling duration after release of the crown, while a slower scroll or rotation speed may result in a shorter scrolling duration after release of the crown. 
     Once a list of items is scrolling after removal of a user&#39;s finger(s), such as while the list of items is scrolling due to a “flick” input on the rotatable crown, the user may wish to terminate the scroll. Accordingly, certain inputs or other events may result in termination of the scroll, such as a user touching the crown with or without rotating the crown. For example, while the list of items is scrolling across the display the electronic device may initiate a subsequent rotation-tracking mode based on a detection of a subsequent contact between the user and the rotatable crown. That is, when the electronic device detects a touch event on the crown while the list of items is scrolling, the device may once again begin using the rotational movement to drive device operations. During the subsequent rotation-tracking mode, the electronic device may determine if a speed of rotation of the rotatable crown is below a threshold value. In accordance with a determination that the speed of rotation of the rotatable crown is below the threshold value, for example if the crown is not being rotated at all or is only being rotated a negligible amount, the electronic device may cease scrolling the list of items across the display. Accordingly, a user can end an automatic or continuing scroll simply by placing a finger on the crown. The list of items may be stopped (e.g., if the crown is touched but not rotated), or it may be scrolled in accordance with a new rotational input (e.g., if the crown is touched and rotated to initiate a new scroll). A graphical example of scrolling a list of items (or any other object or user interface components) in accordance with the foregoing process is described with respect to  FIGS. 7A-7D . 
     The foregoing example relates to scrolling a list of items. The list of items may be lists or groups of icons (e.g., graphics corresponding to applications that are executable on the electronic device), words (e.g., names in a user&#39;s contact list, titles of posts in a social network, emails or portions thereof, documents, webpages), images (e.g., photographs, thumbnails), or any other items. However, the same process may apply to other graphical displays or user interface manipulations. For example, rotational movements may be used to zoom in and out of displayed images, interfaces, documents, webpages, or the like. Such zooming interactions may be controlled in the same or similar manner as described above. For example, a “flick” of the rotatable crown may produce a continuing zoom (in or out) of a graphical display, and a subsequent touch on the rotatable crown (with or without rotation) may terminate the zoom. 
     Another example operation that includes controlling the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown includes causing the list of items to scroll across the display in a direction opposite to a previously detected direction of rotation of the rotatable crown. This type of operation may be used when a user has scrolled to the end of a list. For example, when a user scrolls to the end of a list of items, the list may be scrolled past a final scroll position (e.g., where the last item in a list is at the bottom of a display). This may be an undesirable graphical state, as the user may lose the context of the list entirely. Accordingly, if a list is scrolled past a final scroll position and then the crown is released, the list may scroll in a direction opposite the prior scroll direction to return to the final scroll position. A graphical example of returning a list to a final scroll position by scrolling a list of items (or any other object or user interface components) in a direction opposite a prior scroll direction is described with respect to  FIGS. 8A-8D . 
       FIGS. 7A-7D  illustrate an example interaction between the electronic device  100  and a user (e.g., a user&#39;s finger  702 ). In particular,  FIGS. 7A-7D  show how a user interface may react to a “flick” input on a crown, as described above. As shown in  FIG. 7A , the electronic device  100  is displaying a list of items  706  on the display  106 . The items in the list may include words, objects, icons, images, or any other suitable displayable item, as described above. Moreover, while the list of items  706  is shown as a group of rectangles, this is merely an example illustration, and the list of items may take any other suitable form or appearance. 
     A finger  702  rotates the crown  108  in a direction that causes the list of items  706  to scroll in a first direction, followed by removal of the finger  702  from the crown  108 , as illustrated by the sequence from  FIG. 7A  to  FIG. 7B . The rotation of the crown  108  causes the list of items to scroll in a direction, as indicated by arrows  708 . 
     As long as the finger  702  is in contact with the crown  108 , the electronic device  100  may be in a rotation-tracking mode in which the list of items  706  is scrolled or not scrolled based on the presence or absence of rotational motion of the crown  108 . For example, the rotational motion of the crown  108  that is detected while the finger  702  is in contact with the crown  108  causes the list of items  706  to scroll. 
     If the speed (or acceleration) of the rotation of the crown  108  satisfies an optional threshold, as described above, the list of items  706  may continue to scroll in the same direction (as indicated by arrows  708 ) even after the finger  702  has been removed from the crown  108 . Once a contact sensor determines that the finger  702  is no longer in contact with the crown  108 , the electronic device  100  terminates the rotation-tracking mode and begins to control the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown  108 . For example,  FIG. 7C  shows the list of items  706  continuing to scroll even though the user&#39;s finger  702  is no longer contacting the crown  108 . 
     In particular, even though the crown  108  may no longer be rotating (or even if it is rotating due to inertia after removal of the finger  702 ), the electronic device  100  may control how and whether the list of items  706  scrolls without regard to the rotation or lack of rotation of the crown. In this way, the electronic device  100  uses the additional contact sensitivity of the crown  108  to determine when and whether to use the rotational status of the crown  108  to control or modify the graphical output of the device  100 . 
     If the user&#39;s finger  702  touches the crown  108  while the list of items  706  is still moving, as illustrated in the sequence from  FIG. 7C  to  FIG. 7D , the electronic device  100  may reinitiate the rotation-tracking mode and once again begin scrolling or not scrolling the list of items  706  based the rotation or lack of rotation of the crown  108 . In particular, as shown in  FIG. 7D , the list of items  706  may cease scrolling when the finger  702  is determined to be in contact with the crown  108  (e.g., when a touch event is detected) without accompanying rotation of the crown  108 . Alternatively, as noted above, if the finger  702  touching the crown  108  is accompanied by a rotation of the crown  108 , the list of items  706  may scroll across the display according to a speed and/or direction of the accompanying rotation.  FIG. 7D  shows a static (e.g., not scrolling) list of items  706  after a contact sensor associated with the crown  108  detected a touch event without concurrent rotation or with only incidental or nominal rotation of the crown  108 . 
       FIGS. 8A-8D  illustrate another example interaction between the electronic device  100  and a user (e.g., a user&#39;s finger  802 ). In particular,  FIGS. 8A-8D  show how a user interface may react to a rotational motion that causes a list to scroll past a final scroll position, as described above. As shown in  FIG. 8A , the electronic device  100  is displaying a list of items  804  on the display  106 . The items in the list may include words, objects, icons, images, or any other suitable displayable item, as described above. Moreover, while the list of items  804  is shown as a group of rectangles, this is merely an example illustration and the list of items may take any other suitable form or appearance. 
     A finger  802  rotates the crown  108 , as indicated by arrow  805 , in a direction that causes the list of items  804  to scroll in a first direction, as indicated by arrows  808 . In particular, the electronic device  100  may detect that the finger  802  has contacted the crown  108 , and in response initiate a rotation-tracking mode. While the rotation-tracking mode is active, the list of items  804  may be moved in accordance with rotational movement, or absence of rotational movement, of the crown  108 . For example, if the crown  108  is rotated, the list of items  804  will move in a speed and/or direction corresponding to the rotational movement. Similarly, if the crown  108  is stationary (e.g., because the user is touching but not rotating the crown  108 ), the list of items  804  may remain in a static position. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8B , the finger  802  may cease rotating the crown  108  after the list of items  804  has scrolled past a final scroll position, resulting in the list of items  804  ceasing to scroll. As noted above, a final scroll position for a list of items  804  may be a position where a last item in the list of items  804  is positioned at or near a bottom of the display  106 . For example,  FIGS. 8A and 8D  may illustrate the list of items  804  in a final scroll position. In some cases, once the list of items  804  reaches a maximum scroll position, the list of items  804  ceases to scroll despite further rotational movement of the crown. A maximum scroll position may correspond to a position where only one list item is showing on the display  106 , or where a predetermined blank space is shown below the last list item. 
     The list of items  804  may remain in the scrolled position shown in  FIG. 8B  (which is past a final scroll position and may or may not be at a maximum scroll position) as long as the finger  802  remains in contact with the crown  108 , as detected by a contact sensor associated with the crown  108 . This operation is consistent with the electronic device  100  operating in a rotation-tracking mode and thus controlling the graphical output of the display  106  in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the rotatable crown. More particularly, the electronic device  100  is detecting an absence of rotational movement while also detecting contact between the user&#39;s finger  802  and the crown  108 , and thus is controlling the graphical output of the display  106  by not moving the list of items  804 . If no contact sensing capability were provided, the electronic device  100  may be unable to determine whether the lack of rotational movement of the rotatable crown is due to the user continuing to hold the crown in a particular position, or due to the user having removed their finger from the crown. Accordingly, by incorporating contact sensing into the crown  108 , such ambiguity can be eliminated or reduced and a more natural user experience may be provided. 
       FIG. 8C  shows how the graphical output may be controlled once the user&#39;s finger  802  is removed from the crown  108 . In particular, once the user&#39;s finger  802  is removed from the crown  108 , the rotation-tracking mode may be terminated, and the graphical output of the display  106  may be controlled without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement. In the illustrated example, the list of items  804  that was previously being held in a position away from a final scroll position (e.g., a maximum scroll position) due to the continued presence of the finger  802  on the crown  108 , may move to the final scroll position once the finger  802  is removed, as shown in  FIG. 8D . Thus, because the rotation-tracking mode has been terminated the list of items  804  is moved despite there being no corresponding rotation of the crown  108 . 
     Moving to the final scroll position may include scrolling the list of items  804  in a direction that is opposite the previous direction of movement. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 8A-8B , the list of items  804  may be scrolled in a first direction in response to rotational movement of the crown  108 , as indicated by arrows  808 . When the user&#39;s finger  802  is released, the list of items  804  may be scrolled in a second direction opposite the first direction, as indicated by arrows  810  ( FIG. 8C ). 
       FIGS. 8A-8D  show how a list of items may be moved away from and subsequently return to a final scroll position based on a rotation of and subsequent release of the rotatable crown. Final positions or arrangements of displayed objects other than that illustrated in  FIGS. 8A-8D  are also possible. For example, a final scroll position of a list of items may correspond to any arrangement of objects that visually indicates or suggests an end of the list of items, and may be a position from which further scrolling may be limited in one or more directions. Moreover, while a final scroll position is shown at a bottom or end of a list of items, there may also be a final scroll position at the top or beginning of the list. Similar graphical operations may apply at any final scroll position. 
       FIGS. 7A-8D  show example graphical outputs relating to lists of items. The techniques described herein, and in particular using a contact sensor to enable a rotation-tracking mode, may also be used for other types of graphical outputs.  FIGS. 9A-10D  show example interactions in which an image zoom or magnification level is controlled by a rotatable crown associated with a contact sensor. 
     As shown in the sequence from  FIG. 9A  to  FIG. 9B , a finger  902  rotates the crown  108  in a direction that causes an image  904  to zoom in a first direction (e.g., magnifying the image or “zooming in”), followed by removal of the finger  902  from the crown  108 . Similar to the operations described above with respect to  FIGS. 7A-7B , as long as the finger  902  is in contact with the crown  108 , the electronic device  100  may be in a rotation-tracking mode in which the image  904  is magnified or not magnified based on the presence or absence of rotational motion of the crown  108 . 
     If the speed of the rotation of the crown  108  satisfies an optional threshold, the image  904  may continue to zoom in the same direction even after the finger  902  has been removed from the crown  108 . Once a contact sensor determines that the finger  902  is no longer in contact with the crown  108 , and optionally after the speed satisfies the threshold, the electronic device  100  terminates the rotation-tracking mode and begins to control the graphical output of the display without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown  108 . For example,  FIG. 9C  shows the image  904  continuing to be expanded even though the user&#39;s finger  902  is no longer contacting the crown  108 . 
     If the user&#39;s finger  902  touches the crown  108  while the image  904  is still expanding, as illustrated in the sequence from  FIG. 9C  to  FIG. 9D , the electronic device  100  may reinitiate the rotation-tracking mode and once again begin magnifying or not magnifying the image  904  based the rotation or lack of rotation of the crown  108 . In particular, as shown in  FIG. 9D , the image  904  may cease zooming when the finger  902  is determined to be in contact with the crown  108  (e.g., when a touch event is detected) without accompanying rotation of the crown  108 . 
       FIGS. 10A-10D  illustrate another example interaction between the electronic device  100  and a user (e.g., a user&#39;s finger  1002 ). In particular,  FIGS. 10A-10D  show how a user interface may react to a rotational motion that causes an image to be magnified or expanded past a maximum magnification. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10A , the electronic device  100  is displaying an image  1004  on the display  106 . A finger  1002  rotates the crown  108 , as indicated by arrow  1006 , in a direction that causes the image  1004  to be magnified. In particular, the electronic device  100  may detect that the finger  1002  has contacted the crown  108  and initiate a rotation-tracking mode. While the rotation-tracking mode is active, the image  1004  may be magnified or reduced in accordance with rotational movement, or absence of rotational movement, of the crown  108 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10B , the finger  1002  may cease rotating the crown  108  after the image  1004  has been magnified past a final magnification, resulting in the image  1004  ceasing to be further magnified. The final magnification may be determined in any suitable way and based on any available data or information, including an image size, an image resolution, a display size, a user-selected value, an image content, an image file or data type, or the like. As one example, the final magnification may correspond to a multiple of the display size, such as when the whole of the magnified image would be 500% of the size of the display  106  (or any other suitable magnification value). 
     In some cases, once the image  1004  reaches a maximum magnification, the image  1004  ceases to be magnified despite further rotational movement of the crown. A maximum magnification may correspond to a greater magnification value than the final magnification (e.g., 600% of the size of the display), and may be used only as a temporary magnification amount when a user attempts to zoom past the final magnification value. 
     The image  1004  may remain magnified, as shown in  FIG. 10B , as long as the finger  802  remains in contact with the crown  108 , as detected by a contact sensor associated with the crown  108 . This magnification may be past a final magnification and may or may not be at a maximum magnification. This operation is consistent with the electronic device  100  operating in a rotation-tracking mode and thus controlling the graphical output of the display  106  in accordance with rotational movement or absence of rotational movement of the crown  108 . More particularly, the electronic device  100  is detecting an absence of rotational movement while also detecting contact between the user&#39;s finger  1002  and the crown  108 , and thus is controlling the graphical output of the display  106  by not further magnifying the image  1004 . 
       FIG. 10C  shows how the graphical output may be controlled once the user&#39;s finger  1002  is removed from the crown  108 . In particular, once the user&#39;s finger  1002  is removed from the crown  108 , the rotation-tracking mode may be terminated, and the graphical output of the display  106  may be controlled without regard to rotational movement or absence of rotational movement. In the illustrated example, the image  1004  that was previously being magnified beyond a final magnification (and optionally at a maximum magnification) due to the continued presence of the finger  1002  on the crown  108 , may move to the final magnification once the finger  1002  is removed, as shown in  FIG. 10D . Thus, because the rotation-tracking mode has been terminated, the image  1004  is reduced (e.g., “zoomed out”) despite there being no corresponding rotation of the crown  108 . 
       FIGS. 11A-11D  illustrate yet another example interaction between the electronic device  100  and a user (e.g., a user&#39;s finger  1102 ). In particular,  FIGS. 11A-11D  show how a display may be activated in response to a touch input on a crown.  FIG. 11A  shows the electronic device  100  with nothing on its display  106 . The device  100  may be in a sleep mode, a low-power mode, or any other mode in which no graphical output is being displayed on the display  106 . 
     When the electronic device  100  detects contact between a user (e.g., the finger  1102 ) and the crown  108 , a graphical output may be displayed on the display  106 . Notably, the contact need not be accompanied by any rotational or translational movement of the crown  108 . As shown, the graphical output includes a list of items  1104 , though any other graphical output may be displayed, including a list or arrangement of icons corresponding to applications or programs, a watch face, a map, or any other suitable graphical output. 
     Once the contact is detected and the graphical output is displayed on the display  106 , the user may manipulate the crown  108  to interact with the user interface. For example, the user may rotate the crown  108 , as indicated by arrow  1106 , to cause the list of items  1104  to be scrolled in one or more directions, as indicated by arrows  1107 . 
     When the electronic device  100  detects that the finger  1102  is no longer in contact with the crown  108  (e.g., using the contact sensor), the graphical output may be terminated, as shown in  FIG. 11D . In some cases, the electronic device  100  may be placed in a sleep mode, a low-power mode, or any other mode in which no graphical output is displayed. 
     While several foregoing examples, methods, and techniques are described relative to a rotatable crown, the same or similar examples, methods, and techniques also apply to non-rotating crowns (e.g., the crown  508 ,  FIG. 5 ). In such cases, instead of physical rotational movement of the crown, analogous inputs may be detected by a touch sensor associated with the crown. 
       FIG. 12  depicts example components of an electronic device in accordance with the embodiments described herein, such as the electronic device  100 . 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. 1-11D . In particular, the processing unit  1202 , the memory  1204 , and/or the computer-readable media  1206  may be configured to cooperate with the touch sensor  1220 , rotation sensor  1226 , and/or rotation sensor  1230  to determine when to initiate or terminate a rotation-tracking mode, and how to control a graphical output of the device  1200  (e.g., via the display  1208 ) based on interactions with a rotatable crown (e.g., the crown  108 ). 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 touch sensor  1220  that is configured to determine a location of a touch over a touch-sensitive surface of the device  1200 . 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. As described herein, the touch sensor  1220  may be integrated with one or more layers of a display stack to provide the touch-sensing functionality of a touchscreen. 
     The device  1200  may also include a contact sensor  1212  (e.g., the contact sensors  302 ,  409 ,  509 ) that is configured to detect contact between a user and a crown or other component or portion of a device (such as the crown  108 ). The contact sensor  1212  associated with a crown may include a capacitive sensor that operates in accordance with a mutual-capacitance or self-capacitance scheme. Other types of contact sensors may also be used, including inductive sensors, resistive sensors, magnetic sensors, continuity sensors, or the like. 
     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  106 ). 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 device  1200  may also include one or more sensors  1224  that may be used to detect an environmental condition, orientation, position, or some other aspect of the device  1200 . Example sensors  1224  that may be included in the device  1200  include, without limitation, one or more accelerometers, gyrometers, inclinometers, goniometers, or magnetometers. The sensors  1224  may also include one or more proximity sensors, including a magnetic hall-effect sensor, inductive sensor, capacitive sensor, continuity sensor, and the like. 
     The sensors  1224  may also be broadly defined to include wireless positioning devices including, without limitation, global positioning system (GPS) circuitry, Wi-Fi circuitry, cellular communication circuitry, and the like. The device  1200  may also include one or more optical sensors including, without limitation, photodetectors, photosensors, image sensors, infrared sensors, and the like. 
     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: 20170619
Publication Date: 20200526
Grant Date: 20200526
Priority Date: 20170619
Inventors: MOUSSETTE, Camille
KERR, DUNCAN
ELY, COLIN M.
MORRELL, JOHN B.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F2203/04806", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0487", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0482", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04845", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0485", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0485", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/004", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04B3/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0362", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0482", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0482", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0362", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0482", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04806", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04845", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0485", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04B3/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0362", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/004", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0485", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0362", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/03547", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/004", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/038", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0482", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04806", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04845", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 62705690