PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11181863-B2
Application Number: US-201816221549-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Conductive cap for watch crown

Abstract:
An electronic device, such as a watch, has a crown assembly having a shaft and a user-rotatable crown. The user-rotatable crown may include a conductive cap that is mechanically and electrically coupled to the shaft and functions as an electrode. The conductive cap may be coupled to the shaft using solder or another conductive attachment mechanism. The shaft may electrically couple the conductive cap to a processing unit of the electronic device. One or more additional electrodes may be positioned on the exterior surface of the electronic device. The conductive cap is operable to be contacted by a finger of a user of the electronic device while another electrode is positioned against skin of the user. The processing unit of the electronic device is operable to determine a biological parameter, such as an electrocardiogram, of the user based on voltages at the electrodes.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic watch, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a crown assembly comprising:
 a user-rotatable crown comprising:
 a conductive cap; 
 a crown body at least partially surrounding the conductive cap; and 
 an isolating component positioned between the conductive cap and the crown body; and 
 
 a shaft extending through an opening in the housing and mechanically and electrically coupled to the conductive cap; and 
 
 a processing unit coupled to the conductive cap by the shaft and operable to determine a biological parameter of a user based on a voltage at the conductive cap. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the crown assembly further comprises an attachment mechanism mechanically and electrically coupling the conductive cap and the shaft; 
 the shaft defines an orifice; 
 the conductive cap comprises a protrusion extending at least partially into the orifice; 
 the attachment mechanism comprises:
 solder disposed between the conductive cap and the shaft; and 
 a mechanical interlock formed by the protrusion, the orifice, and the solder. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic watch of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the protrusion comprises an interlock feature; 
 the orifice defines an undercut region; and 
 the interlock feature cooperates with the undercut region to form the mechanical interlock between the conductive cap and the shaft. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic watch of  claim 3 , wherein the solder is disposed in the orifice and at least partially surrounds the protrusion. 
     
     
       5. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the conductive cap forms a first portion of an exterior surface of the user-rotatable crown; 
 the crown body forms a second portion of the exterior surface of the user-rotatable crown; and 
 the isolating component forms a third portion of the exterior surface of the user-rotatable crown. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , wherein the isolating component and the shaft cooperate to form a mechanical interlock. 
     
     
       7. The electronic watch of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the isolating component is an external isolating component that defines a portion of an exterior surface of the user-rotatable crown; and 
 the user-rotatable crown further comprises an internal isolating component disposed within the user-rotatable crown between the shaft and the crown body. 
 
     
     
       8. An electronic watch, comprising:
 a housing defining an opening; 
 a processing unit disposed within the housing; 
 a first electrode disposed on a surface of the housing and configured to detect a first voltage; 
 a user-rotatable crown comprising:
 a crown body defining a cavity; and 
 a second electrode disposed in the cavity and configured to detect a second voltage; 
 
 a shaft mechanically coupled to the crown body and extending through the opening in the housing, and configured to electrically couple the second electrode and the processing unit; and 
 an attachment mechanism mechanically and electrically coupling the second electrode and the shaft; wherein:
 the processing unit is configured to generate an electrocardiogram using the first and second voltages. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The electronic watch of  claim 8 , wherein the user-rotatable crown further comprises an isolating component disposed in the cavity between the second electrode and the crown body and configured to electrically isolate the second electrode and the crown body. 
     
     
       10. The electronic watch of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the shaft is configured to rotate as the user-rotatable crown rotates; and 
 the electronic watch further comprises a sensor configured to detect rotation of the shaft. 
 
     
     
       11. The electronic watch of  claim 8 , wherein the attachment mechanism mechanically couples the second electrode to the crown body. 
     
     
       12. The electronic watch of  claim 8 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a mechanical interlock formed by the second electrode and the shaft. 
     
     
       13. The electronic watch of  claim 8 , wherein the crown body and the shaft cooperate to form the cavity. 
     
     
       14. The electronic watch of  claim 13 , wherein the user-rotatable crown further comprises:
 an external isolating component disposed in the cavity around a periphery of the second electrode and configured to electrically isolate the second electrode and the crown body; and 
 an internal isolating component disposed between the shaft and the crown body and configured to electrically isolate the shaft and the crown body. 
 
     
     
       15. An electronic watch comprising:
 a housing defining an opening; 
 a processing unit disposed in the housing; 
 a display at least partially surrounded by the housing and operably coupled to the processing unit; 
 a crown assembly comprising:
 a user-rotatable crown body; 
 a shaft mechanically coupled to the user-rotatable crown body and electrically coupled to the processing unit, and extending through the opening in the housing; 
 a conductive cap at least partially surrounded by the user-rotatable crown body and mechanically and electrically coupled to the shaft; and 
 
 a sensor configured to detect rotation of the user-rotatable crown body, wherein:
 the processing unit is configured to generate an electrocardiogram of a user in response to detecting a voltage at the conductive cap. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The electronic watch of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the shaft is configured to rotate as the user-rotatable crown body rotates; and 
 the sensor detects rotation of the user-rotatable crown body by detecting rotation of the shaft. 
 
     
     
       17. The electronic watch of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the display is configured to receive touch input and provide a graphical output; and 
 the graphical output of the display changes in response to detecting rotation of the user-rotatable crown body. 
 
     
     
       18. The electronic watch of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the electronic watch further comprises an electrode positioned on a surface of the housing and electrically coupled to the processing unit; 
 the conductive cap is configured to be contacted by the user of the electronic watch while the electrode is positioned against skin of the user; and 
 the processing unit is configured to generate the electrocardiogram based on voltages sensed at the conductive cap and the electrode while the user is in contact with the conductive cap and the electrode. 
 
     
     
       19. The electronic watch of  claim 15 , further comprising an isolating component positioned between the conductive cap and the user-rotatable crown body and configured to electrically isolate the user-rotatable crown body and the conductive cap. 
     
     
       20. The electronic watch of  claim 15 , further comprising a conductive material disposed between the conductive cap and the shaft and configured to electrically couple the conductive cap and the shaft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a non-provisional patent application of and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/722,796, filed Aug. 24, 2018 and titled “Conductive Cap for Watch Crown,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The described embodiments relate generally to an electronic watch or other electronic device (e.g., another type of wearable electronic device). More particularly, the described embodiments relate to techniques for providing, on or as part of a watch or other wearable electronic device, a crown assembly that includes a shaft and a separate conductive cap. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A crown assembly for a watch may be rotated or translated to provide inputs to the electronic device. The crown assembly may be electrically conductive to determine a set of biological parameters of a user that wears the watch or other electronic device. Providing a unitary component that forms an exterior surface and a shaft of a crown assembly results in complex processes for material selection, manufacturing, and finishing. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the systems, devices, methods, and apparatuses described in the present disclosure are directed to an electronic watch or other electronic device (e.g., another type of wearable electronic device) having a crown assembly that includes a conductive cap that is mechanically and electrically coupled to a shaft. 
     In a first aspect, the present disclosure describes an electronic watch. The electronic watch includes a housing. The electronic watch further includes a crown assembly. The crown assembly includes a user-rotatable crown comprising a conductive cap, a crown body at least partially surrounding the conductive cap, and an isolating component positioned between the conductive cap and the crown body. The crown assembly further includes a shaft extending through an opening in the housing and mechanically and electrically coupled to the conductive cap. A processing unit of the electronic watch is coupled to the conductive cap by the shaft and is operable to determine a biological parameter of a user based on a voltage at the conductive cap. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure describes an electronic watch. The electronic watch includes a housing defining an opening and a processing unit disposed within the housing. An electrode is disposed on a surface of the housing and is configured to detect a first voltage. The electronic watch further includes a user-rotatable crown that includes a crown body defining a cavity and a second electrode disposed in the cavity and configured to detect a second voltage. The electronic watch further includes a shaft mechanically coupled to the crown body, extending through the opening in the housing, and configured to electrically couple the second electrode and the processing unit. The electronic watch further includes an attachment mechanism mechanically and electrically coupling the second electrode and the shaft. The processing unit is configured to generate an electrocardiogram using the first and second voltages. 
     In still another aspect of the disclosure, another electronic watch is described. The electronic watch includes a housing defining an opening and a processing unit disposed in the housing. The electronic watch further includes a display at least partially surrounded by the housing and operably coupled to the processing unit and a crown assembly. The crown assembly includes a user-rotatable crown body, and a shaft mechanically coupled to the user-rotatable crown body and electrically coupled to the processing unit, and extending through the opening in the housing. The crown assembly further includes a conductive cap at least partially surrounded by the user-rotatable crown body and mechanically and electrically coupled to the shaft. The electronic watch further includes a sensor configured to detect rotation of the user-rotatable crown body. The processing unit is configured to generate an electrocardiogram of a user in response to detecting a voltage at the conductive cap. 
     In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following description. 
    
    
     
       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: 
         FIG. 1A  shows a functional block diagram of an electronic device; 
         FIG. 1B  shows an example of a watch that may incorporate a crown assembly; 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross-section view of an example of a crown assembly, taken through section line A-A of  FIG. 1B ; 
         FIG. 3A  shows a cross-section view of an example embodiment of a crown assembly; 
         FIG. 3B  shows a detailed view of area  1 - 1  shown in  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3C  shows a partial view of the example crown assembly of  FIG. 3A  with the conductive cap removed; 
         FIG. 3D  shows a bottom view of the conductive cap of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a cross-section view of an example embodiment of a crown assembly; 
         FIGS. 5A-7B  generally depict examples of manipulating graphics displayed on an electronic device through inputs provided by force and/or rotational inputs to a crown of the device. 
         FIG. 8  shows an elevation of a watch body capable of sensing a biological parameter; 
         FIG. 9  shows an example method of determining a biological parameter of a user wearing a watch or other wearable electronic device; and 
         FIG. 10  shows a sample electrical block diagram of an electronic device such as a watch or other wearable electronic device. 
     
    
    
     The use of cross-hatching or shading in the accompanying figures is generally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elements and also to facilitate legibility of the figures. Accordingly, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, element proportions, element dimensions, commonalties of similarly illustrated elements, or any other characteristic, attribute, or property for any element illustrated in the accompanying figures. 
     Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions and dimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries, separations, and positional relationships presented therebetween, are provided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments described herein and, accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale, and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for an illustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described with reference thereto. 
     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 following disclosure relates to embodiments and techniques for mechanically and electrically coupling a conductive cap of a crown assembly to a shaft of the crown assembly. In various embodiments, an electronic device such as an electronic watch, includes a crown assembly having a shaft and a user-rotatable crown that may be used to provide rotational and/or translational inputs to the electronic device. 
     The user-rotatable crown may include one or more conductive components (e.g., a conductive cap) that function as an electrode to sense voltages or signals indicative of one or more biological parameters of a user who is in contact with the conductive cap. The conductive components of the crown may be electrically and mechanically coupled to a conductive rotatable shaft that extends through an opening in a device housing. An end of the shaft interior to the housing, or a conductive shaft retainer interior to the housing, may be in mechanical and electrical contact with a connector (e.g., a spring-biased conductor) that carries electrical signals between the shaft or shaft retainer and a circuit (e.g., a processing unit), thereby providing electrical communication between the crown and the circuit. 
     In some devices, a conductive cap and the shaft may form a unitary component made of the same material. However, in many cases different material properties are useful and/or desired for the conductive cap than those of the shaft, making desirable a solution in which the conductive cap and the shaft are separate components. As described herein, in various embodiments, the conductive cap is a separate component from the shaft, and may be formed of a different material from the shaft (for example, in embodiments having different needs or features for each such component). As one non-limiting example, the conductive cap may define at least a portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, so the material for the conductive cap may be selected for its cosmetic appearance in addition to its conductivity and ability to resist corrosion. The shaft may not be externally visible, so the material for the shaft may be selected without regard for its cosmetic appearance, and may instead be selected for other properties such as a combination of strength, conductivity, and ability to resist corrosion. 
     In various embodiments in which the conductive cap and the shaft are separate components, the conductive cap and the shaft must be mechanically and electrically coupled. As described herein, the conductive cap may be mechanically and/or electrically coupled to the shaft using a mechanical interlock, solder, another attachment mechanism, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the same attachment mechanism mechanically and electrically couples the conductive cap to the shaft. In some embodiments, separate attachment mechanisms mechanically and electrically couple the conductive cap to the shaft. 
     In some embodiments, the user-rotatable crown further includes a crown body that at least partially surrounds the conductive cap. The crown body may be electrically isolated from the conductive cap, for example by an isolating component positioned between the conductive cap and the crown body. In various embodiments, electrically isolating the crown body from the conductive cap may improve the function of the electronic device by reducing signal noise in signals received at the conductive cap, avoiding grounding of the conductive cap with the device housing, and the like. In some embodiments, one or more attachment mechanism(s) may attach the conductive cap to the crown body. In some cases, an attachment mechanism that mechanically and/or electrically couples the conductive cap to the shaft also mechanically couples the conductive cap to the crown body. 
     In some embodiments, one or more additional electrodes besides the conductive cap may be positioned on the exterior surface of the electronic device. Providing electrodes on different surfaces of a device may make it easier for a user to place different body parts in contact with different electrodes. In some embodiments, for example, the conductive cap is operable to be contacted by a finger of a user of the electronic device while another electrode is positioned against skin of the user. For example, a user may place one or more of the additional electrodes in contact with their wrist, and may touch the conductive cap (or another electrode) with a finger of their opposite hand (e.g., an electronic watch may be attached to a wrist adjacent one hand, and the crown may be touched with a finger of the opposite hand). 
     The conductive cap and/or the additional electrode(s) may sense voltages or signals indicative of one or more biological parameters of a user who is in contact with the conductive cap and/or the additional electrode(s). As discussed above, the shaft may electrically couple the conductive cap to a processing unit or other circuit of the electronic device. One or more electrically transmissive elements may couple the additional electrode(s) to the processing unit  106  or other circuit of the electronic device. 
     The processing unit of the electronic device, or a processing unit remote from the electronic device, may determine, from the voltages or signals at the electrodes (e.g., from stored digital samples or values representing the voltages or signals), the biological parameter(s) of the user. The biological parameter(s) may include, for example, an electrocardiogram (ECG) for the user, an indication of whether the user is experiencing atrial fibrillation, an indication of whether the user is experiencing premature atrial contraction or premature ventricular contraction, an indication of whether the user is experiencing a sinus arrhythmia, and so on. 
     These and other embodiments are discussed with reference to  FIGS. 1-8 . However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. 
       FIG. 1A  shows a functional block diagram of an electronic device  100 . In some examples, the device  100  may be an electronic watch or electronic health monitoring device. The electronic device  100  may include one or more input devices  102 , one or more output devices  104 , and a processing unit  106 . Broadly, the input devices  102  may detect various types of input, and the output devices  104  may provide various types of output. The processing unit  106  may receive input signals from the input devices  102 , in response to inputs detected by the input devices. The processing unit  106  may interpret input signals received from one or more of the input devices  102  and transmit output signals to one or more of the output devices  104 . The output signals may cause the output devices  104  to provide one or more outputs. Detected input at one or more of the input devices  102  may be used to control one or more functions of the device  100 . In some cases, one or more of the output devices  104  may be configured to provide outputs that are dependent on, or manipulated in response to, the input detected by one or more of the input devices  102 . The outputs provided by one or more of the output devices  104  may also be responsive to, or initiated by, a program or application executed by the processing unit  106  and/or an associated companion device. 
     In various embodiments, the input devices  102  may include any suitable components for detecting inputs. Examples of input devices  102  include audio sensors (e.g., microphones), optical or visual sensors (e.g., cameras, visible light sensors, or invisible light sensors), proximity sensors, touch sensors, force sensors, mechanical devices (e.g., crowns, switches, buttons, or keys), vibration sensors, orientation sensors, motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers or velocity sensors), location sensors (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) devices), thermal sensors, communication devices (e.g., wired or wireless communication devices), resistive sensors, magnetic sensors, electroactive polymers (EAPs), strain gauges, electrodes, and so on, or some combination thereof. Each input device  102  may be configured to detect one or more particular types of input and provide a signal (e.g., an input signal) corresponding to the detected input. The signal may be provided, for example, to the processing unit  106 . 
     The output devices  104  may include any suitable components for providing outputs. Examples of output devices  104  include audio output devices (e.g., speakers), visual output devices (e.g., lights or displays), tactile output devices (e.g., haptic output devices), communication devices (e.g., wired or wireless communication devices), and so on, or some combination thereof. Each output device  104  may be configured to receive one or more signals (e.g., an output signal provided by the processing unit  106 ) and provide an output corresponding to the signal. 
     The processing unit  106  may be operably coupled to the input devices  102  and the output devices  104 . The processing unit  106  may be adapted to exchange signals with the input devices  102  and the output devices  104 . For example, the processing unit  106  may receive an input signal from an input device  102  that corresponds to an input detected by the input device  102 . The processing unit  106  may interpret the received input signal to determine whether to provide and/or change one or more outputs in response to the input signal. The processing unit  106  may then send an output signal to one or more of the output devices  104 , to provide and/or change outputs as appropriate. Examples of suitable processing units are discussed in more detail below with respect to  FIG. 10 . 
     In some examples, the input devices  102  may include a set of one or more electrodes. The electrodes may be disposed on one or more exterior surfaces of the device  100 . The processing unit  106  may monitor for voltages or signals received on at least one of the electrodes. In some embodiments, one of the electrodes may be permanently or switchably coupled to a device ground. The electrodes may be used to provide an ECG function for the device  100 . For example, a 2-lead ECG function may be provided when a user of the device  100  contacts first and second electrodes that receive signals from the user. As another example, a 3-lead ECG function may be provided when a user of the device  100  contacts first and second electrodes that receive signals from the user, and a third electrode that grounds the user to the device  100 . In both the 2-lead and 3-lead ECG embodiments, the user may press the first electrode against a first part of their body and press the second electrode against a second part of their body. The third electrode may be pressed against the first or second body part, depending on where it is located on the device  100 . 
       FIG. 1B  shows an example of a watch  110  (e.g., an electronic watch) that incorporates a crown assembly as described herein. The watch may include a watch body  112  and a watch band  114 . Other devices that may incorporate a set of electrodes include other wearable electronic devices, other timekeeping devices, other health monitoring or fitness devices, other portable computing devices, mobile phones (including smart phones), tablet computing devices, digital media players, or the like. 
     The watch body  112  may include a housing  116 . The housing  116  may include a front side housing member that faces away from a user&#39;s skin when the watch  110  is worn by a user, and a back side housing member that faces toward the user&#39;s skin. Alternatively, the housing  116  may include a singular housing member, or more than two housing members. The one or more housing members may be metallic, plastic, ceramic, glass, or other types of housing members (or combinations of such materials). 
     A cover sheet  118  may be mounted to a front side of the watch body  112  (i.e., facing away from a user&#39;s skin) and may protect a display mounted within the housing  116 . The display may be viewable by a user through the cover sheet  118 . In some cases, the cover sheet  118  may be part of a display stack, which display stack may include a touch sensing or force sensing capability. The display may be configured to depict a graphical output of the watch  110 , and a user may interact with the graphical output (e.g., using a finger or stylus). As one example, the user may select (or otherwise interact with) a graphic, icon, or the like presented on the display by touching or pressing (e.g., providing touch input) on the display at the location of the graphic. As used herein, the term “cover sheet” may be used to refer to any transparent, semi-transparent, or translucent surface made out of glass, a crystalline material (such as sapphire or zirconia), plastic, or the like. Thus, it should be appreciated that the term “cover sheet,” as used herein, encompasses amorphous solids as well as crystalline solids. The cover sheet  118  may form a part of the housing  116 . In some examples, the cover sheet  118  may be a sapphire cover sheet. The cover sheet  118  may also be formed of glass, plastic, or other materials. 
     In some embodiments, the watch body  112  may include an additional cover sheet (not shown) that forms a part of the housing  116 . The additional cover sheet may have one or more electrodes thereon. 
     The watch body  112  may include at least one input device or selection device, such as a crown assembly, scroll wheel, knob, dial, button, or the like, which input device may be operated by a user of the watch  110 . In some embodiments, the watch  110  includes a crown assembly that includes a crown  120  and a shaft (not shown in  FIG. 1B ). For example, the housing  116  may define an opening through which the shaft extends. The crown  120  may be attached to the shaft, and may be accessible to a user exterior to the housing  116 . The crown  120  may be user-rotatable, and may be manipulated (e.g., rotated) by a user to rotate or translate the shaft. The shaft may be mechanically, electrically, magnetically, and/or optically coupled to components within the housing  116  as one example. A user&#39;s manipulation of the crown  120  and shaft may be used, in turn, to manipulate or select various elements displayed on the display, to adjust a volume of a speaker, to turn the watch  110  on or off, and so on. The housing  116  may also include an opening through which a button  122  protrudes. In some embodiments, the crown  120 , scroll wheel, knob, dial, button  122 , or the like may be conductive, or have a conductive surface, and a signal route may be provided between the conductive portion of the crown  120 , scroll wheel, knob, dial, button  122 , or the like and a circuit within the watch body  112 . In some embodiments, the crown  120  may be part of a crown assembly as described with reference to  FIGS. 2-4 . 
     The housing  116  may include structures for attaching the watch band  114  to the watch body  112 . In some cases, the structures may include elongate recesses or openings through which ends of the watch band  114  may be inserted and attached to the watch body  112 . In other cases (not shown), the structures may include indents (e.g., dimples or depressions) in the housing  116 , which indents may receive ends of spring pins that are attached to or threaded through ends of a watch band to attach the watch band to the watch body. The watch band  114  may be used to secure the watch  110  to a user, another device, a retaining mechanism, and so on. 
     In some examples, the watch  110  may lack any or all of the cover sheet  118 , the display, the crown  120 , or the button  122 . For example, the watch  110  may include an audio input or output interface, a touch input interface, a force input or haptic output interface, or other input or output interface that does not require the display, crown  120 , or button  122 . The watch  110  may also include the afore-mentioned input or output interfaces in addition to the display, crown  120 , or button  122 . When the watch  110  lacks the display, the front side of the watch  110  may be covered by the cover sheet  118 , or by a metallic or other type of housing member. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown an example of a crown assembly  200 , taken through section line A-A of  FIG. 1B .  FIG. 2  shows an assembled cross-section of a crown assembly  200 , as viewed from the front or rear face of a watch body. The crown assembly  200  may include a conductive rotatable shaft  202  configured to extend through an opening in a housing  250 , such as the housing described with reference to  FIG. 1B . A user-rotatable crown  204  may be mechanically and/or electrically coupled to the shaft  202  exterior to the housing  250 . The crown  204  may be rotated by a user of an electronic watch, to in turn rotate the shaft  202 . As used herein, “mechanically coupled” includes direct attachment and indirect connection using one or more additional components, and “electrically coupled” includes direct conductive connection and indirect conductive connection using one or more additional components. In some cases, the crown  204  may also be pulled or pushed by the user to translate the shaft  202  along its axis (e.g., left and right with respect to  FIG. 2 ). The crown  204  may be electrically coupled to a circuit within the housing  250  (e.g., a processing unit  296 ), but electrically isolated from the housing  250 . 
     In some cases, the crown  204  includes a conductive cap  214  at least partially surrounded by a crown body  216 . In some cases, the conductive cap  214  is electrically and mechanically coupled to the shaft  202 . The conductive cap  214  may function as an electrode as discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 1A-1B . The conductive cap  214  may be formed of any suitable conductive material or combination of materials, including titanium, steel, brass, ceramic, doped materials (e.g., plastics). In various embodiments, it is advantageous for the conductive cap  214  to resist corrosion, so material(s) may be selected that are resistant to corrosion, such as titanium. In some embodiments, one or more attachment mechanism(s) may mechanically couple the conductive cap to the crown body. In some cases, an attachment mechanism that mechanically and/or electrically couples the conductive cap to the shaft also mechanically couples the conductive cap to the crown body. 
     As discussed above, in some cases, the conductive cap  214  is electrically and mechanically coupled to the shaft  202 . In various embodiments, one or more attachment components  212  mechanically and/or electrically couple the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . The attachment component  212  may include one or more fasteners, mechanical interlocks, adhesives, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, multiple components mechanically and/or electrically couple the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . For example, the crown  204  may include a component  220  disposed between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . The component  220  may at least partially surround the attachment component  212 . The component  220  may include one or more fasteners, adhesives, or the like to mechanically couple the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  and/or a conductive material for electrically coupling the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . 
     In various embodiments, the component  220  may include additional or alternative functionality and structure. For example, the component  220  may serve as a standoff or spacer between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . Additionally or alternatively, the component  220  may prevent the ingress of contaminants and other substances into the space between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . For example, the component  220  may include one or more adhesives (e.g., liquid glue, heat-activated film, pressure-sensitive adhesive) or other substances (e.g., oil) for forming a barrier to exclude contaminants. 
     In various embodiments, an isolating component  218  may electrically isolate the conductive cap  214  from the crown body  216 . The isolating component  218  may help prevent shorting of the crown  204  to the housing  250  and/or the crown body  216 . The crown body  216  may be formed of any suitable material, including conductive and non-conductive materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, or the like). In some embodiments, one or more components of the crown  204  may have a conductive surface covered by a thin non-conductive coating. The non-conductive coating may provide a dielectric for capacitive coupling between the conductive surface and a finger of a user of the crown  204  (or an electronic watch or other device that includes the crown assembly  200 ). In the same or different embodiments, the crown  204  may have a non-conductive coating on a surface of the crown  204  facing the housing  250 . In some examples, the conductive material(s) may include a PVD deposited layer of aluminum titanium nitride (AlTiN) or chromium silicon carbonitride (CrSiCN). 
     In some embodiments, the crown body  216  is conductive and functions as an electrode. For example, the conductive cap  214  may be a first electrode and the crown body  216  may be a second electrode for use in an ECG (e.g., a 2-lead ECG). In some embodiments, the conductive cap  214  and the crown body  216  may be the only electrodes on the watch  110 . In some embodiments, there may be one or more additional electrodes in addition to the conductive cap  214  and the crown body  216 . For example, the crown body  216  (or the conductive cap  214 ) may function as an electrode (e.g., a third electrode in a 3-lead ECG) that grounds the user to the watch  110 . 
     In various embodiments, the shaft  202  may be mechanically and/or electrically coupled to one or more additional components of the crown  204 , including the conductive cap  214  and/or the crown body  216 . The shaft  202  may be mechanically coupled to the crown  204  using a mechanical interlock, adhesives, fasteners, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the isolating component  218  mechanically couples the shaft  202  with the crown body  216 . For example, as shown and described below with respect to  FIG. 4 , the isolating component  218  may form a mechanical interlock between the shaft  202  and the crown body  216 . The isolating component  218  may be formed of any suitable electrically isolating or other non-conductive material, such as plastic. In some embodiments, the isolating component  218  may be insert molded between the shaft  202  and the crown body  216 . 
       FIG. 3A  shows a cross-section view of an example embodiment of the crown assembly  200 . As discussed above with respect to  FIG. 2 , the crown assembly  200  includes a crown  204  and a shaft  202 . The conductive cap  214  of the crown  204  is mechanically and electrically coupled to the shaft  202  by attachment mechanism  312 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the conductive cap  214  may form a first portion of an exterior surface of the crown  204 , the crown body  216  may form a second portion of the exterior surface of the crown  204 , and the isolating component may form a third portion of the exterior surface of the user-rotatable crown. In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism  312  is a solder joint (e.g., formed of solder), but may be any suitable conductive material, including conductive adhesives or the like. 
     The attachment mechanism  312  may be formed of any suitable conductive material, and may mechanically and electrically couple the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . The attachment mechanism  312  may electrically couple the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  by contacting both the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  to form a signal path between the two components. This allows the watch  110  to measure a biological parameter such as an ECG by coupling to a user&#39;s finger. 
     In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism  312  mechanically couples the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  by forming (or functioning as) a mechanical bond between the two components. In some embodiments, the shaft  202  and/or the conductive cap  214  include one or more features (e.g., openings, orifices, protrusions, threads, teeth, or the like) to facilitate mechanical and/or electrical coupling. For example, the conductive cap  214  may include one or more protrusions and the shaft  202  may include one or more orifices.  FIG. 3B  shows a detailed view of area  1 - 1  shown in  FIG. 3A . As shown in  FIG. 3B , the shaft  202  includes an orifice  313  and the conductive cap  214  includes a protrusion  317  to facilitate mechanical and/or electrical coupling of the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . In some embodiments, the protrusion  317  may be positioned at least partially within the orifice  313 , and the attachment mechanism  312  (e.g., the solder joint) may be positioned between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  to mechanically and/or electrically couple the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism  312  is not a separate material or component, and the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  are mechanically and/or electrically coupled directly, for example using a press fit or molding process. In some embodiments, the orifice  313  may be a through hole. In some embodiments, the orifice  313  may be a blind hole. 
     In some cases, the attachment mechanism includes a mechanical interlock. For example, the protrusion, the orifice, and/or the solder may cooperate to form a mechanical interlock (e.g., a mechanical coupling) between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . In some embodiments, the orifice  313  includes an undercut region  315 , another indentation, or another feature to facilitate a mechanical interlock between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . Similarly, in some embodiments, the protrusion  317  may include an interlock feature  319  to facilitate a mechanical interlock between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . Example interlock features include a flare, a skirt, and the like. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the undercut region  315  and the interlock feature  319  create a stronger mechanical coupling by creating a mechanical interlock between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . In some embodiments, the interlock feature extends all the way around the protrusion. In some embodiments, the interlock feature include one or more features positioned at different locations around the protrusion. In some embodiments, the undercut region  315  and/or the interlock feature  319  may be shaped differently than the embodiment of  FIG. 3B . For example, the interlock feature  319  may form a T-shape, and the undercut region  315  may form a corresponding T-shape configured to receive the interlock feature  319 . In some embodiments, the shaft  202  may include one or more protrusions and the conductive cap  214  may include one or more orifices configured to receive the protrusion(s). 
     As discussed above, in one embodiment, the attachment mechanism  312  is a solder joint. The solder may be disposed on the protrusion  317  such that when the protrusion  317  is positioned within the orifice  313  and the solder is heated, the solder melts to occupy the space(s) between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  to mechanically and/or electrically couple the two components. As shown in  FIG. 3B , in some embodiments, the attachment mechanism  312  (e.g., the solder joint) is disposed at least partially within the orifice  313 . In various embodiments the isolating component  218  may thermally insulate the crown body  216  as the solder is heated to avoid damage to the crown body  216 , such as cracking. Additionally or alternatively, the shaft  202  may act as a heat sink to cool the solder to avoid damage to the crown body  216 . 
     In various embodiments, the conductive cap  214  may include multiple protrusions  317 . Similarly, the shaft  202  may include multiple orifices  313 . The protrusions  317  and the orifices  313  may be arranged such that each protrusion  317  may be positioned at least partially within an orifice  313 .  FIG. 3C  shows a partial view of the example crown assembly  200  with the conductive cap  214  removed. As shown in  FIG. 3C , the shaft  202  may include four orifices  313  arranged in a square or rectangular pattern.  FIG. 3D  shows a bottom view of the conductive cap  214 . As shown in  FIG. 3D , the conductive cap  214  may include four protrusions  317  arranged in a similar pattern as the orifices  313  shown in  FIG. 3C . As described above, a solder joint or another attachment mechanism may be positioned on the protrusions  317 , within the orifices  313 , or some combination thereof to facilitate mechanical and/or electrical coupling of the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202 . 
     In the examples shown in  FIGS. 3C and 3D , four orifices  313  and four protrusions  317  are shown for illustrative purposes. In various embodiments, any number of orifices or protrusions may be included. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3C , the crown body  216  and/or the shaft  202  may define a cavity  360 . The conductive cap  214 , the isolating component  218 , and/or one or more additional components of the crown assembly  200  may be disposed in the cavity and at least partially surrounded by the crown body  216 . In some embodiments, the isolating component  218  is at least partially disposed in the cavity  360  around a periphery of the conductive cap  214 . In some embodiments, the crown body  216  defines a through hole and the shaft extends at least partially through the through hole, and the shaft  202  may cooperate with the crown body  216  to define the cavity  360 . 
     As discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 3A-3B , the isolating component  218  may electrically isolate the conductive cap  214  from the crown body  216  and it may thermally insulate the crown body  216  as the attachment mechanism  312  or another component of the crown assembly is heated. As shown in  FIG. 3A , the isolating component  218  may also define a portion of an exterior surface of the crown assembly  200 . In various embodiments, it may be advantageous to include a separate component that defines the portion of the exterior surface of the crown assembly  200 . For example certain materials may offer better thermal and/or electrical isolation, but lack cosmetic features required for an exterior component.  FIG. 4  shows an example cross-section view of an embodiment of the crown assembly  200  that includes an external isolating component  440  that defines a portion of the exterior surface of the crown assembly  200  and/or electrically isolates the conductive cap  214  and the crown body  216 .  FIG. 4  also shows an internal isolating component  442  positioned between the shaft  202  and the crown body  216 . 
     The internal isolating component  442  may be substantially similar to the isolating component  218  as discussed above, and may include similar materials and installation techniques. The external isolating component  440  may include similar materials as discussed above with respect to the isolating component  218 . It may be insert molded similar to the isolating component  218  or it may be placed within the crown body and otherwise attached to the crown assembly  200 . For example, the crown assembly  200  may include a component  420 , similar to the component  220  discussed above with respect to  FIG. 2 . The component  420  may include an adhesive or other fastener configured to mechanically couple the external isolating component  440  to the internal isolating component  442 , the shaft  202 , and/or another component of the crown assembly  200 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , a gap between the conductive cap  214  and the shaft  202  may expose the attachment mechanism  312  to an exterior environment and/or contaminants from an exterior environment. For example, solder may be corroded or otherwise damaged by contaminants or other substances contacting it. Returning to  FIG. 4 , in various embodiments, in addition to or in the component  420  may form a seal to prevent the ingress of contaminants. For example, the component  420  may include a gasket disposed around a top surface of the shaft  202 . Additionally or alternatively, the component  420  may serve a variety of functions, including acting as a spacer or standoff, electrically isolating components of the crown assembly  200 , electrically coupling components of the crown assembly, or the like. 
     As discussed above, in some embodiments, the external isolating component  440  and the internal isolating component  442  are combined as a single component. In various embodiments, the external isolating component  440 , the internal isolating component  442 , and/or a combined isolating component may form a mechanical interlock between any or all of the isolating component, the shaft  202 , and one or more components of the crown  204 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the crown body  216  may cooperate with the internal isolating component  442  to form a mechanical interlock  482 . The shaft  202  may cooperate with the internal isolating component  442  to form a mechanical interlock  484 . The crown body  216 , the internal isolating component  442 , and the shaft  202  may cooperate to form a mechanical interlock (e.g., a combination of mechanical interlocks  482 ,  484 ). In some embodiments, the isolating component  218  may be insert molded between the shaft  202  and the crown body  216  In some embodiments, the shaft is directly mechanically coupled to the crown body  216 , for example, using a mechanical interlock, adhesives, fasteners, or some combination thereof. 
     In various embodiments, some of the components shown and described with respect to  FIGS. 2-4  may be omitted, arranged differently, or otherwise different. For example, in some embodiments, the shaft  202  and the crown body  216  are combined as a single component. 
     Returning now to  FIG. 2 , a shaft retainer  206  may be mechanically connected to the shaft  202 , interior to the housing  250  (e.g., interior to a watch body housing), after the shaft is inserted through the opening in the housing  250  with the crown  204  positioned exterior to the housing  250 . In some cases, the shaft retainer  206  may include a nut, and the shaft  202  may have a threaded male portion that engages a threaded female portion of the nut. In some cases, the shaft retainer  206  may be conductive, or have a conductive coating thereon, and mechanical connection of the shaft retainer  206  to the shaft  202  may form an electrical connection between the shaft retainer  206  and the shaft  202 . In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the shaft retainer  206  may be integrally formed with the shaft  202 , and the shaft  202  may be inserted through the opening in the housing  250  from inside the housing and then attached to the crown  204  (e.g., the crown  204  may screw onto the shaft  202 ). 
     A washer  230  may be positioned between the shaft retainer  206  and the housing  250  or another component of the electronic device. For example, a non-conductive (e.g., plastic) washer, plate, or shim may be mechanically coupled to the interior of the housing  250 , between the shaft retainer  206  and the housing  250 . The washer  230  may provide a bearing surface for the shaft retainer  206 . 
     In some embodiments, a collar  208  may be aligned with the opening in the housing  250 . In some embodiments, the collar  208  be coupled to the housing  250  or another component internal to the housing (not shown) via threads on a male portion of the collar  208  and corresponding threads on a female portion of the housing  250 . Optionally, a gasket made of a synthetic rubber and fluoropolymer elastomer (e.g., Viton), silicone, or another compressible material may be disposed between the collar  208  and the housing  250  to provide stability to the collar  208  and/or provide a moisture barrier between the collar  208  and the housing  250 . Another gasket  234  (e.g., a Y-ring) made of Viton, silicone, or another compressible material may be placed over the collar  208 , before or after insertion of the collar  208  through the opening, but before the shaft  202  is inserted through the collar  208 . The second gasket  234  may provide a moisture barrier between the crown  204  and the housing  150  and/or the crown  204  and the collar  208 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , one or more O-rings  222 ,  224  or other gaskets may be placed over the shaft  202  before the shaft  202  is inserted into the collar  208 . The O-rings  222 ,  224  may be formed of a synthetic rubber and fluoropolymer elastomer, silicone, or another compressible material. In some cases, the O-rings  222 ,  224  may provide a seal between the shaft  202  and the collar  208 . The O-rings  222 ,  224  may also function as an insulator between the shaft  202  and the collar  208 . In some embodiments, the O-rings  222 ,  224  may be fitted to recesses in the shaft  202 . 
     In some embodiments, a rotation sensor  232  for detecting rotation of the crown  204  and/or the shaft  202  is disposed within the housing  250 . The rotation sensor  232  may include one or more light emitters and/or light detectors. The light emitter(s) may illuminate an encoder pattern or other rotating portion of the shaft  202  or shaft retainer  206 . The encoder pattern may be carried on (e.g., formed on, printed on, etc.) the shaft  202  or the shaft retainer  206 . The light detector(s) may receive reflections of the light emitted by the light emitter(s), and the processing unit  296  may determine a direction of rotation, speed of rotation, angular position, translation, or other state(s) of the crown  204  and shaft  202 . In some embodiments, the rotation sensor  232  may detect rotation of the crown  204  by detecting rotation of the shaft  202 . The rotation sensor  232  may be electrically coupled to the processing unit  296  of the electronic device by a connector  228   a.    
     In some embodiments, a translation sensor  210  for detecting translation of the crown  204  and/or the shaft  202  is disposed within the housing  250 . In some embodiments, the translation sensor  210  includes an electrical switch, such as a tactile dome switch, which may be actuated or change state in response to translation of the shaft  202 . Thus, when a user presses on the crown  204 , the shaft  202  may translate into the housing  250  (e.g., into the housing of a watch body) and actuate the switch, placing the switch in one of a number of states. When the user releases pressure on the crown  204  or pulls the crown  204  outward from the housing  250 , the switch may retain the state in which it was placed when pressed, or advance to another state, or toggle between two states, depending on the type or configuration of the switch. 
     In some embodiments, the translation sensor  210  includes one or more light emitters and/or light detectors. The light emitter(s) may illuminate an encoder pattern or other portion of the shaft  202  or shaft retainer  206 . The light detector(s) may receive reflections of the light emitted by the light emitter(s), and a processing unit  296  may determine a direction of rotation, speed of rotation, angular position, translation, or other state(s) of the crown  204  and shaft  202 . In some embodiments, the rotation sensor  232  may detect translation of the crown  204  by detecting rotation of the shaft  202 . The translation sensor  210  may be electrically coupled to a processing unit  296  of the electronic device by a connector  228   c.    
     In various embodiments, the shaft  202  and the conductive cap  214  are in electrical communication with a processing unit  296  and/or one or more other circuits of an electronic device. One or more connectors may electrically couple the shaft  202  to the processing unit  296  and/or one or more other circuits. In some cases, the shaft retainer  206  is conductive and cooperates with one or more connectors to couple the shaft  202  to the processing unit  296  and/or one or more other circuits. In various cases, a connector  228   d  is in mechanical and electrical contact with the shaft retainer  206  (or in some cases with the shaft  202 , such as when the shaft extends through the shaft retainer (not shown)). In some cases, the connector  228   d  may be formed (e.g., stamped or bent) from a piece of metal (e.g., stainless steel). In other cases, the connector  228   d  may take on any of several forms and materials. When the shaft  202  is translatable, translation of the shaft  202  into the housing  250  (e.g., into the housing of a watch body) may cause the connector  228   d  to deform or move. However, the connector  228   d  may have a spring bias or other mechanism which causes the connector  228   d  to maintain electrical contact with the shaft retainer or shaft end, regardless of whether the shaft  202  is in a first position or a second position with reference to translation of the shaft  202 . 
     In some embodiments of the crown assembly  200  shown in  FIG. 2 , the connector  228   d  may include a conductive brush that is biased to contact a side of the shaft  202  or a side of the shaft retainer  206 . The conductive brush may maintain electrical contact with the shaft  202  or shaft retainer  206  through rotation or translation of the shaft  202 , and may be electrically connected to the processing unit  296  and/or another circuit such that the shaft remains electrically coupled to the processing unit as the shaft rotates. This allows the crown  204 , and in particular the conductive cap  214  and/or the crown body  216 , to remain electrically coupled to the processing unit  296  as the crown  204  is manipulated (e.g., rotated and/or translated) by a user, which allows the electrode(s) on the crown  204  to maintain their functionality as the crown  204  is manipulated. 
     The processing unit  296  or other circuit of the electronic device may be in electrical communication with the crown  204  (e.g., the conductive cap  214 ) via the connector  228   d , the shaft retainer  206 , and the shaft  202  (or when an end of the shaft  202  protrudes through the shaft retainer  206 , the processing unit  296  or other circuit may be in electrical communication with the crown  204  via the connector  228   d  and the shaft  202 ). In some cases, the connector  228   d  is coupled to the processing unit  296  via an additional connector  228   b  (e.g., a cable, flex, or other conductive member). In some cases, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the connector  228   d  may be positioned between the shaft retainer  206  and the translation sensor  210 . The connector  228   d  may be attached to the shaft retainer  206  and/or the translation sensor  210 . In some cases, the connector  228   d  may be connected to the processing unit  296  via the translation sensor  210  and/or the connector  228   c . In some cases, the connector  228   d  is integrated with the translation sensor  210 . For example, the shaft retainer  206  may be electrically coupled to the translation sensor  210  to couple the crown  204  to the processing unit  296 . 
     In some embodiments, a bracket  226  may be attached (e.g., laser welded) to the housing  250  or another element within the housing  250 . The rotation sensor  232  and/or the translation sensor  210  may be mechanically coupled to bracket  226 , and the bracket  226  may support the rotation sensor  232  and/or the translation sensor  210  within the housing  250 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the rotation sensor  232  and the translation sensor  210  are shown as separate components, but in various embodiments, the rotation sensor  232  and the translation sensor  210  may be combined and/or located in different positions from those shown. 
     The bracket  226  may support a connector  228   b  (e.g., a spring-biased conductor) 
     The connectors  228   a - c  may be electrically coupled to the processing unit  296 , for example as discussed with respect to  FIG. 10  below. The processing unit  296  may determine whether a user is touching the conductive cap  214  of the crown  204 , and/or determine a biological parameter of the user based on a signal received from or provided to the user via the conductive cap  214 , or determine other parameters based on signals received from or provided to the conductive cap  214 . In some cases, the processing unit  296  may operate the crown and electrodes described herein as an electrocardiogram and provide an ECG to a user of a watch including the crown and electrodes. 
     As discussed above, graphics displayed on the electronic devices herein may be manipulated through inputs provided to the crown.  FIGS. 5A-7B  generally depict examples of changing a graphical output displayed on an electronic device through inputs provided by force and/or rotational inputs to a crown assembly of the device. This manipulation (e.g., selection, acknowledgement, motion, dismissal, magnification, and so on) of a graphic may result in changes in operation of the electronic device and/or graphical output displayed by the electronic device. Although specific examples are provided and discussed, many operations may be performed by rotating and/or applying force to a crown such as the examples described above. Accordingly, the following discussion is by way of example and not limitation. 
       FIG. 5A  depicts an example electronic device  500  (shown here as an electronic watch) having a crown  502 . The crown  502  may be similar to the examples described above, and may receive force inputs along a first lateral direction, a second lateral direction, or an axial direction of the crown. The crown  502  may also receive rotational inputs. A display  506  provides a graphical output (e.g., shows information and/or other graphics). In some embodiments, the display  506  may be configured as a touch-sensitive display capable of receiving touch and/or force input. In the current example, the display  506  depicts a list of various items  561 ,  562 ,  563 , all of which are example indicia. 
       FIG. 5B  illustrates how the graphical output shown on the display  506  changes as the crown  502  rotates, partially or completely (as indicated by the arrow  560 ). Rotating the crown  502  causes the list to scroll or otherwise move on the screen, such that the first item  561  is no longer displayed, the second and third items  562 ,  563  each move upwards on the display, and a fourth item  564  is now shown at the bottom of the display. This is one example of a scrolling operation that can be executed by rotating the crown  502 . Such scrolling operations may provide a simple and efficient way to depict multiple items relatively quickly and in sequential order. A speed of the scrolling operation may be controlled by the amount of rotational force applied to the crown  502  and/or the speed at which the crown  502  is rotated. Faster or more forceful rotation may yield faster scrolling, while slower or less forceful rotation yields slower scrolling. The crown  502  may receive an axial force (e.g., a force inward toward the display  506  or watch body) to select an item from the list, in certain embodiments. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate an example zoom operation. The display  606  depicts a picture  666  at a first magnification, shown in  FIG. 6A ; the picture  666  is yet another example of an indicium. A user may apply a lateral force (e.g., a force along the x-axis) to the crown  602  of the electronic device  600  (illustrated by arrow  665 ), and in response the display may zoom into the picture  666 , such that a portion  667  of the picture is shown at an increased magnification. This is shown in  FIG. 6B . The direction of zoom (in vs. out) and speed of zoom, or location of zoom, may be controlled through force applied to the crown  602 , and particularly through the direction of applied force and/or magnitude of applied force. Applying force to the crown  602  in a first direction may zoom in, while applying force to the crown  602  in an opposite direction may zoom out. Alternately, rotating or applying force to the crown  602  in a first direction may change the portion of the picture subject to the zoom effect. In some embodiments, applying an axial force (e.g., a force along the z-axis) to the crown  602  may toggle between different zoom modes or inputs (e.g., direction of zoom vs. portion of picture subject to zoom). In yet other embodiments, applying force to the crown  602  along another direction, such as along the y-axis, may return the picture  666  to the default magnification shown in  FIG. 6A . 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate possible use of the crown  702  to change an operational state of the electronic device  700  or otherwise toggle between inputs. Turning first to  FIG. 7A , the display  706  depicts a question  768 , namely, “Would you like directions?” As shown in  FIG. 7B , a lateral force may be applied to the crown  702  (illustrated by arrow  770 ) to answer the question. Applying force to the crown  702  provides an input interpreted by the electronic device  700  as “yes,” and so “YES” is displayed as a graphic  769  on the display  706 . Applying force to the crown  702  in an opposite direction may provide a “no” input. Both the question  768  and graphic  769  are examples of indicia. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the force applied to the crown  702  is used to directly provide the input, rather than select from options in a list (as discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 5A and 5B ). 
     As mentioned previously, force or rotational input to a crown of an electronic device may control many functions beyond those listed here. The crown may receive distinct force or rotational inputs to adjust a volume of an electronic device, a brightness of a display, or other operational parameters of the device. A force or rotational input applied to the crown may rotate to turn a display on or off, or turn the device on or off. A force or rotational input to the crown may launch or terminate an application on the electronic device. Further, combinations of inputs to the crown may likewise initiate or control any of the foregoing functions, as well. 
     In some cases, the graphical output of a display may be responsive to inputs applied to a touch-sensitive display (e.g., displays  506 ,  606 ,  706 , and the like) in addition to inputs applied to a crown. The touch-sensitive display may include or be associated with one or more touch and/or force sensors that extend along an output region of a display and which may use any suitable sensing elements and/or sensing techniques to detect touch and/or force inputs applied to the touch-sensitive display. The same or similar graphical output manipulations that are produced in response to inputs applied to the crown may also be produced in response to inputs applied to the touch-sensitive display. For example, a swipe gesture applied to the touch-sensitive display may cause the graphical output to move in a direction corresponding to the swipe gesture. As another example, a tap gesture applied to the touch-sensitive display may cause an item to be selected or activated. In this way, a user may have multiple different ways to interact with and control an electronic watch, and in particular the graphical output of an electronic watch. Further, while the crown may provide overlapping functionality with the touch-sensitive display, using the crown allows for the graphical output of the display to be visible (without being blocked by the finger that is providing the touch input). 
       FIG. 8  shows an elevation of a watch body  800  capable of sensing a biological parameter. The watch body  800  may be an example of the watch body described with reference to  FIG. 1B . The watch body  800  is defined by a housing  802 , and the housing  802  may include a first cover sheet  804  that is part of or a display or display cover, a second cover sheet  806  having an exterior surface that supports one or more electrodes  808 , one or more other housing members  810  defining sidewalls of the watch body  800 , and a crown  812 . The watch body  800  may be abutted to a user&#39;s wrist  814  or other body part, and may be adhered to the user by a watch band or other element (not shown). When abutted to a user&#39;s wrist  814 , the electrode(s)  808  on the second cover sheet  806  may contact the user&#39;s skin. The user may touch the conductive cap (not shown) of the crown  812  with a finger  816 . In some cases, the user may touch the crown  812  while also touching their wrist. However, high skin-to-skin impedance tends to reduce the likelihood that signals will travel from the electrodes  808 , through their wrist  814  to their finger  816 , and subsequently to the crown  812  (or vice versa). The intended signal path for acquiring an ECG is between one of the electrode(s)  808  on the second cover sheet  806  and the crown  812  via both of the user&#39;s arms and chest. 
       FIG. 9  shows an example method  900  of determining a biological parameter of a user wearing an electronic watch or other wearable electronic device, such as a watch or wearable electronic device described herein. 
     At block  902 , a ground voltage is optionally applied to a user via a first electrode on the electronic device. The first electrode may be on an exterior surface of a cover sheet that forms part of a housing of the electronic device. The operation(s) at  902  may be performed, for example, by the processing unit described with reference to  FIG. 10 , using one of the electrodes described with reference to  FIGS. 1A-8 . 
     At block  904 , a first voltage or signal is sensed at a second electrode on the electronic device. The second electrode may also be on the exterior surface of the cover sheet. The operation(s) at  904  may be performed, for example, by the processing unit described with reference to  FIG. 10 , using one of the electrodes described with reference to  FIGS. 1A-8 . 
     At block  906 , a second voltage or signal is sensed at a third electrode on the electronic device. The third electrode may be on a user-rotatable crown of the electronic device (e.g., the conductive cap  214  discussed above), on a button of the electronic device, or on another surface of the housing of the electronic device. In some embodiments, the ground voltage is applied, and the first voltage or signal is sensed on a wrist of one arm of the user, and the second voltage or signal is sensed on a fingertip of the user (with the fingertip belonging to a finger on a hand on the other arm of the user). The operation(s) at  906  may be performed, for example, by the processing unit described with reference to  FIG. 10 , using one of the electrodes described with reference to  FIGS. 1A-8 . 
     At block  908 , the biological parameter of the user may be determined from the optional ground voltage, the first voltage or signal, and the second voltage or signal. The ground voltage may provide a reference for the first and second voltages or signals, or may otherwise be used to reject noise from the first and second voltages or signals. When the first and second voltages are obtained from different parts of the user&#39;s body, the biological parameter may be an electrocardiogram for the user. For example, the voltages may be used to generate an electrocardiogram for the user. The operation(s) at  908  may be performed, for example, by the processing unit described with reference to  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 10  shows a sample electrical block diagram of an electronic device  1000 , which electronic device may in some cases take the form of any of the electronic watches or other wearable electronic devices described with reference to  FIGS. 1-9 , or other portable or wearable electronic devices. The electronic device  1000  can include a display  1005  (e.g., a light-emitting display), a processing unit  1010 , a power source  1015 , a memory  1020  or storage device, a sensor  1025 , and an input/output (I/O) mechanism  1030  (e.g., an input/output device, input/output port, or haptic input/output interface). The processing unit  1010  can control some or all of the operations of the electronic device  1000 . The processing unit  1010  can communicate, either directly or indirectly, with some or all of the components of the electronic device  1000 . For example, a system bus or other communication mechanism  1035  can provide communication between the processing unit  1010 , the power source  1015 , the memory  1020 , the sensor  1025 , and the input/output mechanism  1030 . 
     The processing unit  1010  can be implemented as any electronic device capable of processing, receiving, or transmitting data or instructions. For example, the processing unit  1010  can be a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or combinations of such devices. As described herein, the term “processing unit” is meant to encompass a single processor or processing unit, multiple processors, multiple processing units, or other suitably configured computing element or elements. 
     It should be noted that the components of the electronic device  1000  can be controlled by multiple processing units. For example, select components of the electronic device  1000  (e.g., a sensor  1025 ) may be controlled by a first processing unit and other components of the electronic device  1000  (e.g., the display  1005 ) may be controlled by a second processing unit, where the first and second processing units may or may not be in communication with each other. In some cases, the processing unit  1010  may determine a biological parameter of a user of the electronic device, such as an ECG for the user. 
     The power source  1015  can be implemented with any device capable of providing energy to the electronic device  1000 . For example, the power source  1015  may be one or more batteries or rechargeable batteries. Additionally or alternatively, the power source  1015  can be a power connector or power cord that connects the electronic device  1000  to another power source, such as a wall outlet. 
     The memory  1020  can store electronic data that can be used by the electronic device  1000 . For example, the memory  1020  can store electrical data or content such as, for example, audio and video files, documents and applications, device settings and user preferences, timing signals, control signals, and data structures or databases. The memory  1020  can be configured as any type of memory. By way of example only, the memory  1020  can be implemented as random access memory, read-only memory, Flash memory, removable memory, other types of storage elements, or combinations of such devices. 
     The electronic device  1000  may also include one or more sensors  1025  positioned almost anywhere on the electronic device  1000 . The sensor(s)  1025  can be configured to sense one or more type of parameters, such as but not limited to, pressure, light, touch, heat, movement, relative motion, biometric data (e.g., biological parameters), and so on. For example, the sensor(s)  1025  may include a heat sensor, a position sensor, a light or optical sensor, an accelerometer, a pressure transducer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a health monitoring sensor, and so on. Additionally, the one or more sensors  1025  can utilize any suitable sensing technology, including, but not limited to, capacitive, ultrasonic, resistive, optical, ultrasound, piezoelectric, and thermal sensing technology. In some examples, the sensors  1025  may include one or more of the electrodes described herein (e.g., one or more electrodes on an exterior surface of a cover sheet that forms part of a housing for the electronic device  1000  and/or an electrode on a crown, button, or other housing member of the electronic device). 
     The  110  mechanism  1030  can transmit and/or receive data from a user or another electronic device. An  110  device can include a display, a touch sensing input surface, one or more buttons (e.g., a graphical user interface “home” button), one or more cameras, one or more microphones or speakers, one or more ports such as a microphone port, and/or a keyboard. Additionally or alternatively, an  110  device or port can transmit electronic signals via a communications network, such as a wireless and/or wired network connection. Examples of wireless and wired network connections include, but are not limited to, cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR, and Ethernet connections. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, uses 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.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20181216
Publication Date: 20211123
Grant Date: 20211123
Priority Date: 20180824
Inventors: ELY, COLIN M.
PANDYA, SAMEER
ROACH, STEVEN C.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G04B3/046", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/001", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/06", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/025", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/002", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/025", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/045", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04B3/046", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/045", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04C3/001", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G21/025", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04G17/06", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 69586220