PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10503258-B2
Application Number: US-201715449816-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Input mechanism with force and rotation inputs and haptic feedback

Abstract:
An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing and an input mechanism cooperatively engaged with the housing and configured to rotate in a first direction about a rotation axis. In some examples, the electronic device comprises an input sensor configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on rotation of the input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises an actuator coupled to the housing and configured to displace the input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a force sensor coupled to the input mechanism and configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on a force applied to the input mechanism along the second axis.

Claims:
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device comprising:
 a housing; 
 an input mechanism cooperatively engaged with the housing and configured to rotate in a first direction about an axis; 
 an input sensor configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on rotation of the input mechanism; and 
 a force sensor coupled to the input mechanism and configured to sense an amount of force applied to an external surface of the input mechanism along a second the axis in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and 
 an actuator coupled to the input mechanism and configured to displace the input mechanism with an applied displacement force along the axis, wherein:
 in accordance with the amount of force sensed by the force sensor being greater than a threshold amount of force, the applied displacement force is a first applied displacement force; and 
 in accordance with the amount of force sensed by the force sensor being less than the threshold amount of force, the applied displacement force is a second applied displacement force, wherein a first characteristic of the first applied displacement force is less than the first characteristic of the second applied displacement force. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the force sensor is a capacitive force sensor, and the amount of force is determined based on a change in capacitance. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator and the force sensor are coupled to the input mechanism at a first distal end of the input mechanism. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the force sensor is configured to determine a direction of the force applied to the input mechanism. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric element. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein first characteristic comprises an amplitude characteristic, a duration characteristic or a velocity characteristic. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein a second characteristic of the first applied displacement force is less than the second characteristic of the second applied displacement. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the force sensor is disposed between the actuator and the input mechanism. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an encoder wheel coupled to the input mechanism; and 
 a mounting plate coupled to the encoder wheel and the force sensor. 
 
     
     
       10. The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processor coupled to the force sensor and the actuator, the processor configured to compensate a measurement of the force sensor based on the applied displacement force along the axis by the actuator. 
 
     
     
       11. A method comprising:
 receiving a first input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to rotate in a first direction about an axis in response to the first input; 
 sensing the first input at the input mechanism based on a movement of the input mechanism in the first direction; 
 receiving a second input at the input mechanism at a force sensor, the input mechanism configured to move in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, in response to the second input; 
 displacing the input mechanism by a force actuator, with an applied displacement force along the axis, wherein:
 in accordance with the second input sensed by the force sensor being greater than a threshold amount of force, the applied displacement force is a first applied displacement force; and 
 in accordance with the second input sensed by the force sensor being less than the threshold amount of force, the applied displacement force is a second applied displacement force, wherein a first characteristic of the first applied displacement force is less than the first characteristic of the second applied displacement force. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the force sensor is a capacitive force sensor, and the second input comprises an amount of force determined based on a change in capacitance. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining whether an amount of movement resulting from the first input exceeds a threshold amount of movement; 
 wherein displacing the input mechanism is in accordance with a determination that the amount of movement exceeds the threshold amount of movement. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the force actuator and the force sensor are coupled to the input mechanism at a first distal end of the input mechanism. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 compensating a measurement of the force sensor based on the applied displacement force along the axis by the force actuator. 
 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 receiving a first input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to rotate in a first direction about an axis in response to the first input; 
 sensing the first input at the input mechanism based on a movement of the input mechanism in the first direction; 
 receiving a second input at the input mechanism at a force sensor, the input mechanism configured to move in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, in response to the second input; 
 displacing the input mechanism by a force actuator, with an applied displacement force along the axis, wherein:
 in accordance with the second input sensed by the force sensor being greater than a threshold amount of force, the applied displacement force is a first applied displacement force; and 
 in accordance with the second input sensed by the force sensor being less than the threshold amount of force, the applied displacement force is a second applied displacement force, wherein a first characteristic of the first applied displacement force is less than the first characteristic of the second applied displacement force. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the force sensor is a capacitive force sensor, and the second input comprises an amount of force determined based on a change in capacitance. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the force actuator and the force sensor are coupled to the input mechanism at a first distal end of the input mechanism. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 compensating a measurement of the force sensor based on the applied displacement force along the axis by the force actuator. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining whether an amount of movement resulting from the first input exceeds a threshold amount of movement; 
 wherein displacing the input mechanism is in accordance with a determination that the amount of movement exceeds the threshold amount of movement.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(3) of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/304,063, filed Mar. 4, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This relates generally to user inputs, such as mechanical inputs, and more particularly, to providing haptic feedback on such inputs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Many types of input devices are presently available for performing operations in a computing system, such as buttons or keys, mice, trackballs, joysticks, touch sensor panels, touch screens and the like. Touch screens, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular because of their ease and versatility of operation as well as their declining price. Touch screens can include a touch sensor panel, which can be a clear panel with a touch-sensitive surface, and a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) that can be positioned partially or fully behind the panel so that the touch-sensitive surface can cover at least a portion of the viewable area of the display device. Touch screens can allow a user to perform various functions by touching the touch sensor panel using a finger, stylus or other object at a location often dictated by a user interface (UI) being displayed by the display device. In general, touch screens can recognize a touch and the position of the touch on the touch sensor panel, and the computing system can then interpret the touch in accordance with the display appearing at the time of the touch, and thereafter can perform one or more actions based on the touch. In the case of some touch sensing systems, a physical touch on the display is not needed to detect a touch. For example, in some capacitive-type touch sensing systems, fringing electrical fields used to detect touch can extend beyond the surface of the display, and objects approaching near the surface may be detected near the surface without actually touching the surface. However, devices that accept non-mechanical inputs, such as capacitive touch input, often do not provide tactile feedback to a user. 
     In addition to touch panels/touch screens, many electronic devices may also have mechanical inputs, such as buttons, switches, and/or knobs. These mechanical inputs can control power (i.e., on/off) and volume for the electronic devices, among other functions. However, sometimes these mechanical inputs also fail to give a user tactile feedback, such as the “click-click-click” feeling of winding a mechanical alarm clock with a knob or a mechanical watch crown. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Some electronic devices may include mechanical inputs, such as buttons, switches, and/or knobs. These mechanical inputs can control power (i.e., on/off) and volume for the electronic devices, among other functions. However, sometimes these mechanical inputs can fail to give a user tactile feedback, such as the “click-click-click” feeling of winding a mechanical alarm clock or watch with a knob. It can be beneficial to provide haptic or tactile feedback to a user who is interacting with a mechanical input of an electronic device to give the user a richer interaction experience with the device. Devices that accept non-mechanical inputs, such as touch input, can also provide a better user experience with haptic or tactile feedback provided to a user via their non-mechanical input mechanisms (e.g., via their touch screens). In some examples, such haptic feedback can constitute giving the user a sensation that the user&#39;s finger is moving over a ridge, bump or valley feature on an otherwise smooth surface. This type of sensation can simulate the feeling of the user rotating a mechanical knob against the teeth of an internal gear (e.g., the feeling of a detent when turning a rotary input, such as the “click-click-click” feeling of winding a mechanical watch). Haptic feedback as described above can give the user feedback about the effect of the user&#39;s input on the electronic device, such as changing the zoom-scale of content displayed on the device and scrolling through menu items displayed on the device in response to the user&#39;s rotary input. In some examples, the above haptic feedback can be provided to the user via displacement of a mechanical input that is orthogonal to the direction of the movement of the mechanical input provided by the user (e.g., displacement of a rotary input that is orthogonal to the rotary input&#39;s rotational movement). Various examples of the above are provided in this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-1C  illustrate exemplary devices in which the haptic feedback of the disclosure can be implemented according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary personal electronic device in which the haptic feedback of the disclosure can be implemented according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of components within an exemplary device according to examples of the disclosure 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of various components of an optical encoder that can be used to receive crown position information according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary finger interacting with a protruding rotary input according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary device including a mechanical input sensor and a mechanical input actuator according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates alternative exemplary device including a mechanical input sensor and a mechanical input actuator according to examples of the disclosure 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary haptic feedback mass implementation of a haptic feedback arrangement according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 9A-9B  illustrate an exemplary piezoelectric implementation of a haptic feedback arrangement according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an alternative exemplary piezoelectric implementation of a haptic feedback arrangement according to examples of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an example computing system for implementing mechanical input displacement according to examples of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description of examples, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which it is shown by way of illustration specific examples that can be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples can be used and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed examples. 
     Some electronic devices may include mechanical inputs, such as buttons and/or switches. These mechanical inputs can control power (i.e., on/off) and volume for the electronic devices, among other functions. However, sometimes these mechanical inputs can fail to give a user tactile feedback, such as the “click-click-click” feeling of winding a mechanical alarm clock or watch with a knob. It can be beneficial to provide haptic or tactile feedback to a user who is interacting with a mechanical input of an electronic device to give the user a richer interaction experience with the device. Devices that accept non-mechanical inputs, such as touch input, can also provide a better user experience with haptic or tactile feedback provided to a user via their non-mechanical input mechanisms (e.g., via their touch screens). In some examples, such haptic feedback can constitute giving the user a sensation that the user&#39;s finger is moving over a ridge, bump or valley feature on an otherwise smooth surface. This type of sensation can simulate the feeling of the user rotating a mechanical knob against the teeth of an internal gear (e.g., the feeling of a detent when turning a rotary input, such as the “click-click-click” feeling of winding a mechanical watch). Haptic feedback as described above can give the user feedback about the effect of the user&#39;s input on the electronic device, such as changing the zoom-scale of content displayed on the device in response to the user&#39;s rotary input. In some examples, the above haptic feedback can be provided to the user via displacement of a mechanical input that is orthogonal to the direction of the movement of the mechanical input provided by the user (e.g., displacement of a rotary input that is orthogonal to the rotary input&#39;s rotational movement). Various examples of the above are provided in this disclosure. 
       FIGS. 1A-1C  show exemplary devices in which the haptic feedback of the disclosure can be implemented.  FIG. 1A  illustrates an example mobile telephone  136  that includes a touch screen  124 .  FIG. 1B  illustrates an example digital media player  140  that includes a touch screen  126 .  FIG. 1C  illustrates an example watch  144  that includes a touch screen  128 . It is understood that the above touch screens can be implemented in other devices as well, such as tablet computers. Further, the above devices can include mechanical inputs, as described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     In some examples, touch screens  124 ,  126  and  128  can be based on self-capacitance. A self-capacitance based touch system can include a matrix of small, individual plates of conductive material that can be referred to as touch pixel electrodes. For example, a touch screen can include a plurality of individual touch pixel electrodes, each touch pixel electrode identifying or representing a unique location on the touch screen at which touch or proximity (i.e., a touch or proximity event) is to be sensed, and each touch pixel electrode being electrically isolated from the other touch pixel electrodes in the touch screen. Such a touch screen can be referred to as a pixelated self-capacitance touch screen. During operation, a touch pixel electrode can be stimulated with an AC waveform, and the self-capacitance to ground of the touch pixel electrode can be measured. As an object approaches the touch pixel electrode, the self-capacitance to ground of the touch pixel electrode can change. This change in the self-capacitance of the touch pixel electrode can be detected and measured by the touch sensing system to determine the positions of multiple objects when they touch, or come in proximity to, the touch screen. In some examples, the electrodes of a self-capacitance based touch system can be formed from rows and columns of conductive material, and changes in the self-capacitance to ground of the rows and columns can be detected, similar to above. In some examples, a touch screen can be multi-touch, single touch, projection scan, full-imaging multi-touch, capacitive touch, etc. 
     In some examples, touch screens  124 ,  126  and  128  can be based on mutual capacitance. A mutual capacitance based touch system can include drive and sense lines that may cross over each other on different layers, or may be adjacent to each other on the same layer. The crossing or adjacent locations can be referred to as touch pixels. During operation, the drive line can be stimulated with an AC waveform and the mutual capacitance of the touch pixel can be measured. As an object approaches the touch pixel, the mutual capacitance of the touch pixel can change. This change in the mutual capacitance of the touch pixel can be detected and measured by the touch sensing system to determine the positions of multiple objects when they touch, or come in proximity to, the touch screen. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates exemplary personal electronic device  200  in which the haptic feedback of the disclosure can be implemented according to examples of the disclosure. Device  200  can be any of mobile telephone  136 , digital media player  140 , watch  144 , or any other wearable and/or non-wearable electronic device. In the illustrated example, device  200  is a watch (e.g., watch  144 ) that generally includes body  202  and strap  204  (which can correspond to watch strap  146  above) for affixing device  200  to the body of a user. That is, device  200  can be wearable. Body  202  can be designed to couple to straps  204 . Device  200  can have touch-sensitive display screen  206  (hereafter touchscreen) (which can correspond to touch screens  124 ,  126 , and  128  above) and crown  208 . Device  200  can also have buttons  210 ,  212 , and  214 . In some examples, buttons  210 ,  212 , and  214  can be mechanical inputs, meaning that the buttons can be connected to a sensor for converting physical movement of the buttons into electrical signals. Though device  200  is illustrated as being a watch, it is understood that the examples of the disclosure can be implemented in devices other than watches, such as tablet computers, mobile phones, or any other wearable or non-wearable electronic device that can include a rotary input such as a crown  208  and/or a rotating bezel (not shown). 
     Conventionally, the term ‘crown,’ in the context of a watch, can refer to the cap atop a stem or shaft for winding the watch. In the context of a personal electronic device  200 , the crown can be a physical component of the electronic device, rather than a virtual crown on a touch sensitive display. Crown  208  can be mechanical, meaning that it can be connected to a sensor for converting physical movement of the crown into electrical signals (described in more detail below). In some examples, crown  208  can rotate in two directions of rotation (e.g., forward and backward, or clockwise and counter-clockwise). Crown  208  can also be pushed in towards the body  202  of device  200  and/or be pulled away from the device. Crown  208  can be touch-sensitive, for example, using capacitive touch technologies or other suitable technologies that can detect whether a user is touching the crown. Moreover, crown  208  can further be configured to tilt in one or more directions or slide along a track at least partially around a perimeter of body  202 . In some examples, more than one crown  208  can be included in device  200 . The visual appearance of crown  208  can, but need not, resemble crowns of conventional watches. Buttons  210 ,  212 , and  214 , if included, can each be a physical or a touch-sensitive button. That is, the buttons may be, for example, physical buttons or capacitive buttons. Further, body  202 , which can include a bezel, may have predetermined regions on the bezel that act as buttons. In some examples, body  202  can include a rotating bezel (not shown) that can be positioned around a perimeter of display  206 , and can be rotated around the perimeter by a user. In some examples, the visual appearance of rotating bezel can, but need not, resemble rotating bezels in conventional watches. In some examples, the rotating bezel can be configured to perform analogous input operations and behaviors as the crown  208  (i.e., rotation in two directions of rotation, pushing toward and/or pulling away from the device, etc.). In some examples, other rotating input configurations can be used analogously as mechanical inputs to device  200 . 
     Display  206  can include a display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, or the like, positioned partially or fully behind or in front of a touch sensor panel implemented using any desired touch sensing technology, such as mutual-capacitance touch sensing, self-capacitance touch sensing, resistive touch sensing, projection scan touch sensing, or the like. Display  206  can allow a user to perform various functions by touching or hovering near the touch sensor panel using one or more fingers or other objects. 
     In some examples, device  200  can further include one or more pressure sensors (not shown) for detecting an amount of force or pressure applied to the display  206 . The amount of force or pressure applied to display  206  can be used as an input to device  200  to perform any desired operation, such as making a selection, entering or exiting a menu, causing the display of additional options/actions, or the like. In some examples, different operations can be performed based on the amount of force or pressure being applied to display  206 . The one or more pressure sensors can further be used to determine a position of the force that is being applied to display  206 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of components within an exemplary device  300  according to examples of the disclosure. In some examples, crown  308  (which can correspond to crown  208  described above) can be coupled to encoder  304 , which can be configured to monitor a physical state or change of physical state of the crown (e.g., the position and/or rotational state of the crown), convert it to an electrical signal (e.g., convert it to an analog or digital signal representation of the position or change in position of the crown), and provide the signal to processor  302 . For instance, in some examples, encoder  304  can be configured to sense the absolute rotational position (e.g., an angle between 0-360°) of crown  308  and output an analog or digital representation of this position to processor  302 . Alternatively, in other examples, encoder  304  can be configured to sense a change in rotational position (e.g., a change in rotational angle) of crown  308  over some sampling period and to output an analog or digital representation of the sensed change to processor  302 . In these examples, the crown position information can further indicate a direction of rotation of the crown  308  (e.g., a positive value can correspond to one direction and a negative value can correspond to the other). In yet other examples, encoder  304  can be configured to detect a rotation of crown  308  in any desired manner (e.g., velocity, acceleration, or the like) and can provide the crown rotational information to processor  302 . The rotational velocity can be expressed in numerous ways. For example, the rotational velocity can be expressed as a direction and a speed of rotation, such as hertz, as rotations per unit of time, as rotations per frame, as revolutions per unit of time, as revolutions per frame, as a change in angle per unit of time, and the like. In alternative examples, instead of providing information to processor  302 , this information can be provided to other components of device  300 , such as, for example, a state machine. It should be understood that the encoder  304  can detect the physical state of the crown  308  by optical (described in more detail below), mechanical, capacitive, or magnetic sensing techniques, or combinations of two or more of the above techniques as well as analogous techniques for detecting a rotational position of a rotatable object. In some examples, the rotational position of the crown  308  can be determined by one or more position landmarks, such as protrusions, surface features, optically detectable patterns or markings (e.g., a collection of light and dark lines as described below), magnets and/or capacitive coupling electrodes. While the examples described herein refer to the use of rotational position of crown  308  to control scrolling or scaling of a view, it should be appreciated that any other physical state of the crown can be used to control appropriate actions. 
     In some examples, the state of the display  306  (which can correspond to display  206  described above) can control physical attributes of crown  308 . For example, if display  306  shows a cursor at the end of a scrollable list, crown  308  can have limited motion (e.g. cannot be rotated forward). In other words, the physical attributes of the crown  308  can be conformed to a state of a user interface that is displayed on display  306 . The mechanisms for controlling the physical attributes of the crown are described in further detail below. In some examples, a temporal attribute of the physical state of crown  308  can be used as an input to device  300 . For example, a fast change in physical state can be interpreted differently than a slow change in physical state. These temporal attributes can also be used as inputs to control physical attributes of the crown. 
     Processor  302  can be further coupled to receive input signals from buttons  310 ,  312 , and  314  (which can correspond to buttons  210 ,  212 , and  214  above, respectively), along with touch signals from touch-sensitive display  306 . Processor  302  can be configured to interpret these input signals and output appropriate display signals to cause an image to be produced by touch-sensitive display  306 . While a single processor  302  is shown, it should be appreciated that any number of processors or other computational devices can be used to perform the functions described above. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of various components of an optical encoder  404  that can be used to receive crown position information according to examples of the disclosure. The optical encoder  404  shown in  FIG. 4  may correspond to the encoder  304  described above, or may be used in conjunction with the encoder  304  described above. In various electronic devices, rotational and/or axial movement of a component (e.g., a crown) of the electronic device may need to be determined. In such instances, an optical encoder  404  may be used to detect the rotational movement and the axial movement of the component. For example, an optical encoder  404  according to examples of the disclosure can include a light source  418  that shines on a wheel  416  (also referred to as an encoder wheel) or a shaft of the optical encoder. The wheel  416  (or shaft) may include an encoding pattern, such as, for example, a collection of light and dark lines that are arranged in a particular sequence or in a particular pattern. In some examples, the wheel  416  may be integrated with or attached by a shaft to the crown  208  described above. 
     When light from the light source  418  hits the encoding pattern, the encoding pattern can modulate the light and reflect it onto one or more sensors  420  associated with the optical encoder. In certain examples, the one or more sensors  420  may be an array of photodiodes (PD). As light from the light source  418  is reflected off the wheel  416 , one or more photodiodes of the photodiode array  420  can produce a voltage measurement associated with an amount of light received at a given sample time. Once the light is received by the photodiode array  420  at a given time period, an analog-to-digital circuit  410  can convert the analog signal received from the photodiode array to a digital signal. The corresponding digital signals can be processed, and a determination may be made as to the direction, speed and/or movement (rotational and/or axial) of the wheel. In some examples, the direction and/or speed of the rotation information can be used in combination with the haptic feedback mechanisms described in the disclosure to improve interactivity of the user experience. For example, as the user rotates the crown, the haptic feedback circuit can provide a small movement of the crown. This movement can provide the user with a “click-click-click” feeling of winding a mechanical watch, for example, and will be described in more detail below. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary finger  514  interacting with a protruding rotary input  508  according to examples of the disclosure.  FIG. 5  further depicts an exemplary rotary input  508  (which can correspond to crown  208  and/or rotating bezel above) that can rotate in rotational direction  522  as well as be displaced in direction  524 , i.e. translated along the direction of the rotation axis (e.g., z-axis) toward and/or away from a device (e.g., device  100  above), according to examples of the disclosure. In some examples, it can be beneficial to provide haptic or tactile feedback to a user interacting with a device (e.g., providing a mechanical input to the device), to give the user a richer interaction experience with the device. Finger  514  can be resting on rotary input  508 , and can be providing rotational input to the rotary input in rotational direction  522 . In addition to being able to rotate in rotational direction  522 , rotary  508  input can also have the ability to be displaced along direction  524 , (corresponding to movement along the z-axis in  FIG. 4 ), orthogonal to rotational direction  522  and the movement of finger  514 . In some examples, displacement or translation along direction  524  can be used to activate a translational input (e.g. pushing the rotary input inward along direction  524  can activate a button input or pressure sensitive input). In some examples, the translational input can be activated when a translational input component is compressed. In some examples, rotary input  508  can be displaced by an actuator in direction  524  orthogonal to the rotational input provided by finger  514 . Examples of these actuators and their operation are described in further detail below. The displacement of rotary input in the direction  524  can cause stretching and/or compression of portion  516  of finger  514  that is touching rotary input  508 , and can simulate the feeling of a ridge or detent (e.g., the clicking of a rotary input) associated with the rotary input. In some examples, limiting the displacement of rotary input  508  along the direction  524  to be a relatively small displacement (e.g., 1 mm or less) can be most effective in simulating the above ridges or detents. In some examples, providing the displacement of rotary input  508  along the direction  524  for a relatively short duration (e.g., 100 milliseconds or less) can be most effective in simulating the above ridges or detents. The speed, duration, strength, density and any other characteristic of the displacement of rotary input  508  along direction  524  can be adjusted dynamically to provide a range of haptic feedback to the user, from continuous texture-like sensations to individual clicks or ridges on the rotary input to no haptic feedback at all to allow a smooth rotation of the rotary input. Alternatively, rotation of rotary input  508  can be resisted, for example by providing a sustained displacement along the direction  524  causing an increase in the amount of friction resisting rotation of the rotary input. Additionally, while the examples of the disclosure are provided in the context of a rotary input, the examples of the disclosure can analogously be implemented in the context of other mechanical inputs, such as a slider that slides along a first direction and is displaced along a second, orthogonal direction, and can be implemented in the context of non-mechanical inputs (e.g., inputs provided via a touch-sensitive surface), to provide haptic feedback to a user. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates exemplary device  600  including rotary input  604  (which can correspond to crown  208  above) that can be rotated along rotational direction  622  and displaced along direction  624  orthogonal to the rotational direction according to examples of this disclosure. In some examples, device  600  can include rotary input  604  to provide various input functionalities such as to increase or decrease a volume output of the device, scroll up/down through content displayed on the device, and/or zoom into/out of content displayed on the device, for example; other functionalities are similarly contemplated. Rotary input  604  can be coupled to mechanical input sensor and actuator  626  in device  600 , which can both sense the rotational movement of the rotary input along rotational direction  622 , and provide displacement of the rotary input along direction  624 . In some examples, mechanical input sensor and actuator  626  can also detect displacement of the rotary input  604  along direction  624 . Mechanical input sensor and actuator  626  can be programmable, such that any number of characteristics of the displacement of rotary input  604  along direction  624  can be adjusted, as desired. For example, the amplitude of the displacement, the duration of the displacement, the frequency of the displacement (e.g., every 30 degrees of rotation), the velocity of the displacement, and any other characteristic of the displacement can be dynamically varied to provide the desired user experience on device  600 . 
     In some examples, the characteristics of the displacement of rotary input  604  along direction  624  can be based on the context of device  600 . For example, if device  600  is running and displaying a mapping application, rotary input  604  can be used to zoom into and out of a displayed map. In such circumstances, mechanical input sensor and actuator  626  can provide a linear displacement of rotary input  604  along direction  624  each time the scale of the map is changed in response to the rotational input of the rotary input (e.g., switching from a five-mile scale to a one-mile scale), so as to simulate a click of the rotary input (e.g., a detent) and to provide the user haptic feedback that the scale of the map has been changed. 
     As another example, if device  600  is running and displaying a timing application, rotary input  604  can be used to set the duration of a timer. In such circumstances, mechanical input sensor and actuator  626  can provide a linear displacement of rotary input  604  along direction  624  each time the duration of the timer is changed by a predetermined amount (e.g., every minute, every five minutes, etc.) in response to the rotational input of the rotary input, so as to simulate a click of the rotary input (e.g., a detent) and to provide the user haptic feedback that the duration of the timer has been changed by a predetermined amount. Other circumstances in which the characteristics of the displacement of rotary input  604  along direction  624  can be based on the context of device  600  (e.g., the current state of the device, what application(s) are running on the device, what user interface(s) are being displayed on the device, etc.) are similarly within the scope of the disclosure. In non-mechanical examples, element  626  can be an actuator responsive to signals from a touch controller (not shown) indicating that a certain type of touch input is being detected (e.g., rotational or circular touch inputs). In these examples, the actuator may provide haptic feedback to the entire device, or may provide localized haptic feedback if permitted by the structural elements of the device. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates alternative exemplary device  700  including mechanical input sensor  728  (which can correspond to encoder  304  above) and mechanical input actuator  730  according to examples of the disclosure. Instead of single mechanical input sensor and actuator  626  in  FIG. 6 , device  700  can include a separate mechanical input sensor  728  and a separate mechanical input actuator  730 . Mechanical input sensor  728  can be coupled to rotary input  704  (which can correspond to crown  208  above) and can sense the rotational movement of the rotary input along rotational direction  722 . In some examples, mechanical input sensor  728  can also detect displacement of the rotary input  704  along direction  724 . Mechanical input actuator  730  can be coupled to mechanical input sensor  728  and can provide displacement of mechanical input sensor  728 , and thus rotary input  704 , along direction  724 . Mechanical input actuator  730  can be in communication with mechanical input sensor  728  such that the mechanical input actuator can have access to the input information provided by rotation of rotary input  704 . Mechanical input actuator  730  and/or mechanical input sensor  728  can be programmable such that any number of characteristics of the displacement of rotary input  704  along direction  724  can be adjusted, as discussed above with respect to  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary haptic feedback mass arrangement for providing haptic feedback to a crown  804  of device  800  according to examples of the disclosure. In some examples, crown  804  (which can correspond to crown  208  above) can be coupled by shaft  806  to an encoder wheel  820  (which can correspond to wheel  416  above) that can be used for detecting rotation of the crown as described above in  FIG. 4 . The combination of the crown  804 , the shaft  806 , and the encoder wheel  820  will be referred to as the “crown assembly” hereafter. The shaft  806  can pass through an opening in housing  802  and can be rotatable within the opening. In some examples, encoder  824  (which can correspond to encoder  304  above) can be used to detect rotation of the crown  804  as described above. In some examples, shear plate  818  can be located at a distal end of the crown assembly and can be in contact with an edge of the encoder wheel  820 . In some examples, shear plate  818  can be built from and/or coated with a durable material for providing wear resistance as the crown assembly (e.g., the encoder wheel  820  edge) rotates and rubs against the shear plate. In some examples, a mounting plate  812  can be operatively coupled to housing  802  of the device. In some examples, the mounting plate  812  can be used for mounting components internal to the housing. In some examples, flex connector  814  can be coupled to the mounting plate  812  for providing electrical connections to internal circuitry of the device  800 . In some examples, movement of the crown  804  (e.g., by a user&#39;s touch) in the z-axis direction can move the crown assembly and shear plate toward the push-button  816  (e.g., in the negative z-axis direction) until the push-button depresses. In some examples, push-button  816  can be coupled to the flex connector  814  and in some examples, the push-button, when depressed, can create electrical contact between traces on the flex connector  814 . Although a push-button is described in connection with the present example, it is understood that a variety of pressure sensitive components can be used to detect movement of the crown assembly due to force applied to the crown  804  along the z-axis. 
     In some examples, device  800  can be configured to provide haptic feedback to a user based on the user&#39;s interaction with the device (as described in more detail above). In some examples, device  800  can include a haptic feedback mass  807 , which can be coupled to a spring  808  (or multiple springs positioned on different sides of the haptic feedback mass). In some examples, the spring  808  and haptic feedback mass  708  can be located within an enclosure  810  in the device. In some examples, enclosure  810  can constrain the haptic feedback mass  807  to move along only one axis of motion. For example, the haptic feedback mass  807  could be constrained to move only the direction of compression of the spring  808  as illustrated (e.g., the z-axis direction in  FIG. 5 ). In other examples, multiple springs  808  and a different enclosure  810  shapes could allow movement of the haptic feedback mass  807  in multiple directions. In some examples, the haptic feedback mass  807  can be driven to move (e.g., physically, magnetically, etc.) and the movement of the haptic feedback mass can move the device  800  to provide a sensation of movement of the device to a user holding or wearing the device. In some examples, the crown assembly can be coupled to the haptic feedback mass  807  by having coupling spring  808  in contact with the mounting plate  812  (e.g., placing spring  808  in contact with the mounting plate as illustrated). In some examples, mounting plate  812  can be movable over a range of motion in the z-axis direction, and movement of the mounting plate can transfer to the crown assembly through the stack up of components between the mounting plate and the crown assembly (e.g., components  814 ,  816 , and  818 ). Accordingly, in some examples, movement of the haptic feedback mass  807  can be configured to result in movement of the crown  804  (e.g., toward and away from the housing  802 ). In some examples, a housing spring  822  can be positioned between the device housing  802  and the mounting plate  812  crown assembly for providing a counter spring force to movement of the crown assembly induced by the haptic feedback mass  807 . In another example (not illustrated), the housing spring  822  can instead be placed between the housing  802  and the edge of the encoder wheel  820  facing the housing to achieve a counter spring force (e.g., a ring shaped spring surrounding shaft  806 ). 
     In some examples, housing spring  822  can have a variable stiffness, such that the coupling between the crown assembly and the haptic feedback mass  807  can be adjustable. In some examples, when the housing spring  822  is configured with a high stiffness, the housing spring can prevent movement of the haptic feedback mass  807  transferring into movement of the crown  804  (e.g., by stiffening the mounting plate  812 , and/or the crown assembly). In some examples, when the housing spring  822  is configured with a low stiffness, the movement of the haptic feedback mass  807  can transfer into movement of the crown  804 . Although one arrangement for housing spring  822  is illustrated and another alternative is described above, it is understood that the housing spring can be placed in many different locations while performing the same functions. In addition, while an implementation is described where a high stiffness of housing spring  822  can prevent movement of the crown and a low stiffness of the housing spring can allow movement, an opposite arrangement (e.g., crown allowed to move in high stiffness state) is also possible. For example, by placing the housing spring  822  between the haptic feedback mass  807  and the crown assembly, the housing spring can transfer movement of the haptic feedback mass to the crown assembly when the housing spring has a high stiffness. Further, while  FIG. 8  illustrates the springs  808  and  822  as coil or helical springs, it is understood that other types of springs (e.g., clock springs, tension springs, leaf springs, variable stiffness actuators, etc.) can be used. Furthermore, more than one spring can be used to perform the functions of springs  808  and/or  822  described above. For example, multiple housing springs  822  can be used to maintain a more uniform positioning of the crown assembly relative to the housing. 
       FIGS. 9A-9B  illustrate an exemplary piezoelectric implementation for providing a haptic feedback arrangement to a crown assembly including crown  904  (which can correspond to the crown assembly including crown  804  above) of device  900  (which can correspond to device  800  above) according to examples of the disclosure.  FIG. 9A  illustrates a side view of a portion of the device  900  that can be used for implementing the haptic feedback arrangement. Similar to the crown assembly of  FIG. 8 , the combination of the crown  904 , shaft  906 , and encoder wheel  920  will be referred to as the “crown assembly” hereafter. In some examples, crown  904  can be attached to rotatable shaft  906  (which can correspond to shaft  806  above). In some examples, the shaft  906  can pass through an opening in housing  902  (which can correspond to housing  802  above) of the device  900 . In some examples, shaft  906  can be attached to an encoder wheel  920  (which can correspond to wheel  416  above) on the inside of the housing  902 . In some examples, a mounting plate  910  (which can correspond to mounting plate  812  above) can be coupled to housing  902 . In some examples, mounting plate  910  can be coupled to a flex connector  912  (which can correspond to flex connector  814  above) for providing electrical connections to internal circuitry of the device  900 . In some examples, an additional flex tail  914  can extend from the flex connector  912  for providing electrical connections to a piezoelectric element  922  located apart from the mounting plate  910 . 
     In some examples, the piezoelectric element  922  (which can correspond to mechanical input actuator  726  above) can be disposed between housing  902  and the encoder wheel  920 . In some examples, piezoelectric element  922  can be formed as a ring shaped piezoelectric element having a central opening that allows the shaft  906  to pass through the center of the ring. In some examples, piezoelectric element  922  can be formed from multiple piezoelectric element segments formed into a ring shape that can similarly allow the shaft  906  to pass through. In some examples, piezoelectric element  922  can be fixedly attached to the housing  902 . An exemplary stack up for the piezoelectric element  922  is illustrated in  FIG. 9B  and described below. In some examples, when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element can expand and/or contract to create movement of the crown assembly along the z-axis direction (i.e., toward and away from the housing  902 ). In some examples, this movement of the crown assembly by piezoelectric element  922  can be used to provide haptic feedback (e.g., a detent) to a user as described above. In some examples, shear plate  918  (which can correspond to shear plate  818  above) can be located at a distal end of the crown assembly and can be in contact with an edge of the encoder wheel  920 . In some examples, shear plate  918  can be built from and/or coated with a durable material for providing wear resistance as the crown assembly rotates and rubs against the shear plate. In some examples, shear plate  918  can also provide a backing force (e.g., preloading) to help keep the desired position of crown  904 . In some examples, the shear plate  918  can be moveable such that the shear plate can comply with movement of the crown assembly in the z-axis direction. In some examples, a switch  916  can be positioned behind the shear plate. In some examples, movement of the crown assembly (e.g., by a user&#39;s touch) in the z-axis direction can move the crown assembly and shear plate  918  toward the push-button  916  until the push-button depresses. In some examples, the push-button  916  can include a spring that can provide a mechanical and/or audible sensation to a user indicating a push-button press. In some examples, actuation of the push-button may not result in any sensation to the user. In some examples, the piezoelectric element  922  can be used to provide haptic feedback to the user when the push-button  916  is actuated. 
       FIG. 9B  illustrates an exemplary stack up for mechanically attaching and providing electrical connections for the piezoelectric element  922  to the housing  902  of device  900  according to examples of the disclosure. In some examples, one side of piezoelectric element  922  can be attached to flex tail  914  for providing electrical connections to electrodes of the piezoelectric element. In some examples, when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element  922 , the piezoelectric element can change in size and/or shape. In some examples, flex tail  914  can be coupled by an adhesive layer  926  to the housing  902  of the device. In some examples, a stiffening layer (not shown) can be added to increase rigidity of the flex tail and piezoelectric element  922  assembly. Although adhesive layer  926  is illustrated attaching directly to housing  902  in  FIG. 9B , other variations where the flex tail  914  is adhesively coupled to another component (e.g., a nut) coupled to the housing are within the scope of the present disclosure. In some examples, a durable coating  928  (e.g., diamond-like carbon) can be disposed on the surface of the piezoelectric element  922  that rubs against the edge of the encoder wheel  920  when the crown (e.g., crown  904  above) is rotated. This durable coating  928  can increase the wear resistance of the piezoelectric element  922 . In addition, if the coating  928  has a low coefficient of friction, the coating can also reduce shearing forces applied to the piezoelectric element  922  resulting from contact with the rotating encoder wheel  920 . Further, each time the piezoelectric element  922  is expanded and contracted by application of a voltage to its electrodes, there can be slight variations in the shape of the piezoelectric electrode. In some examples, these variations can induce a tilt in the encoder wheel  920  that can affect the readings of rotation of the crown assembly by the encoder  924  (shown above). In some examples, the encoder  924  and/or a processor can be configured to compensate for the variations resulting from such a tilt. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an alternative exemplary piezoelectric implementation of a haptic feedback arrangement for providing haptic feedback to a crown  1004  (which can correspond to crown  804  above). Housing  1002 , crown  1004 , shaft  1006 , mounting plate  1010 , flex connector  1012 , shear plate  1018 , encoder wheel  1020  each can have corresponding similarly named components described in  FIGS. 8 and 9A . In some examples, piezoelectric element  1022  (which can correspond to piezoelectric element  922  above) can be coupled to flex connector  1012  (which can correspond to flex connector  912  above) which can in turn be coupled to mounting plate  1010 . In some examples, a pressure sensitive element  1016  can be disposed between the piezoelectric element  1022  and a shear plate  1018 . In some examples, pressure sensitive element  1016  can be a capacitive sensor. In some examples, a force applied to the pressure sensitive element  1016  can result in a change in capacitance that can be measured and used to determine the amount of applied force. In some examples, the pressure sensitive element  1016  can be a parallel plate capacitance sensor having a compressible gap between two parallel plates. In this example, when pressure is applied to the pressure sensitive element  1016  (e.g., when a user presses on the crown), the pressure sensitive element can be compressed, causing change in the capacitance value that can correspond to the amount of pressure being applied. In some examples, the pressure sensitive element  1016  can be built from multiple sub-elements (not shown) to obtain additional information about the force applied, such as a direction of the force. In some examples, the direction of force can be calculated by comparing force measurements determined from the sub-elements of pressure sensitive element  1016 . 
     In some examples, the pressure sensitive element  1016  can replace and improve upon the functionality of push-button  916  above for providing a user input actuated by pressing the crown  1004  in toward the housing. In some examples, the pressure sensitive element  1016  can add further functionality by utilizing measured force information to enhance a user&#39;s experience. For example, device  1000  can perform a first function when a light press on the crown  1004  is detected and a different function when a strong press on the crown is detected. In some examples, the device can utilize the pressure sensitive element  1016  to differentiate between presses by the user of varying durations, intensities, and/or velocities to provide different types of inputs for the user. In some examples, a larger and/or more intense displacement of the crown  1004  by the piezoelectric element  1022  may be required for a user to feel the detent. For example, if the user is touching the crown  1004  very lightly, a small movement of the crown may not be noticeable. In some examples, a smaller and/or less intense displacement of the crown  1004  by the piezoelectric element  1022  may be required for a user to feel the detent. For example, if the user is touching the crown  1004  with a large amount of force along the z-axis, the user may recognize a relatively small movement in the crown. In some examples, the amount of force detected by pressure sensitive element  1016  can be used to vary the characteristics (e.g., amplitude, duration, and/or velocity) of the force applied by piezoelectric element  1022  for providing a variable detent feedback to the user. 
     In some examples, the piezoelectric element  1022  can perform some or all of the functions of the pressure sensitive element  1016  above. In some examples, when the piezoelectric element  1022  is compressed (e.g., when a user presses on the crown), a voltage can be generated across the piezoelectric element. In some examples, the voltage can be used to determine an amount of force applied to the crown  1004 , similar to the operation of the pressure sensitive element  1016  above. As described above, the piezoelectric element  1022  can be divided into multiple sub-elements for determining additional information about force applied to crown  1004  (e.g., the direction of the force). As described above, a piezoelectric element  1022  can also be driven with a voltage to change its size and/or shape for providing haptic feedback to a user. In some examples device  1000  can be configured to determine the amount of force applied to the piezoelectric element  1022  based on the voltage across the piezoelectric element when the piezoelectric element is not being driven. In some examples, a time division multiplexing technique can be used to alternate between pressure sensing functionality and haptic feedback functionality of the piezoelectric element  1022 . Accordingly, the present disclosure illustrates a multitude of configurations for providing haptic feedback to a user. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates an example computing system  1100  for implementing the mechanical input displacement according to examples of the disclosure. Computing system  1100  can be included in, for example, mobile telephone  136 , media player  140 , watch  144  or any mobile or non-mobile computing device and/or wearable device that includes an input mechanism (e.g., crown  208 ). Computing system  1100  can include a touch sensing system including one or more touch processors  1102 , touch controller  1106  and touch screen  1104 . Touch screen  1104  can be a touch screen adapted to sense touch inputs, as described in this disclosure. Touch controller  1106  can include circuitry and/or logic configured to sense touch inputs on touch screen  1104 . In some examples, touch controller  1106  and touch processor  1102  can be integrated into a single application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). 
     Computing system  1100  can also include host processor  1128  for receiving outputs from touch processor  1102  and performing actions based on the outputs. Host processor  1128  can be connected to program storage  1132 . For example, host processor  1128  can contribute to generating an image on touch screen  1104  (e.g., by controlling a display controller to display an image of a user interface (UI) on the touch screen), and can use touch processor  1102  and touch controller  1106  to detect one or more touches on or near touch screen  1104 . Host processor  1128  can also contribute to sensing and/or processing mechanical inputs  1108  (e.g., crown  208  or a rotating bezel), and controlling mechanical input actuator  1110  (e.g., crown displacement, haptic feedback, or a detent), as described in this disclosure. The touch inputs from touch screen  1104  and/or mechanical inputs  1108  can be used by computer programs stored in program storage  1132  to perform actions in response to the touch and/or mechanical inputs. For example, touch inputs can be used by computer programs stored in program storage  1132  to perform actions that can include moving an object such as a cursor or pointer, scrolling or panning, adjusting control settings, opening a file or document, viewing a menu, making a selection, executing instructions, operating a peripheral device connected to the host device, answering a telephone call, placing a telephone call, and other actions that can be performed in response to touch inputs. Mechanical inputs  1108  can be used by computer programs stored in program storage  1132  to perform actions that can include changing a volume level, locking the touch screen, turning on the touch screen, taking a picture, and other actions that can be performed in response to mechanical inputs. Host processor  1128  can cause displacement of mechanical inputs  1108  by mechanical input actuator  1110  based on the mechanical inputs and/or the context of computing system  1100  (e.g., what application(s) are running on the computing system, what user interface(s) are displayed by the computing system, etc.), as previously described. Host processor  1128  can also perform additional functions that may not be related to touch and/or mechanical input processing. 
     Note that one or more of the functions described above can be performed by firmware stored in memory in computing system  1100  and executed by touch processor  1102 , or stored in program storage  1132  and executed by host processor  1128 . The firmware can also be stored and/or transported within any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “non-transitory computer-readable storage medium” can be any medium (excluding signals) that can contain or store the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer-readable storage medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (magnetic), a read-only memory (ROM) (magnetic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) (magnetic), a portable optical disc such a CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, or DVD-RW, or flash memory such as compact flash cards, secured digital cards, USB memory devices, memory sticks, and the like. 
     The firmware can also be propagated within any transport medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “transport medium” can be any medium that can communicate, propagate or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The transport medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic or infrared wired or wireless propagation medium. 
     Thus, the examples of the disclosure provide various ways to provide haptic feedback to a user by displacing a mechanical input in one direction to simulate a haptic feature in another direction. 
     Therefore, according to the above, some examples of the disclosure are directed to an electronic device comprising a housing, an input mechanism cooperatively engaged with the housing and configured to rotate in a first direction about a rotation axis, an input sensor configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on rotation of the input mechanism, and an actuator coupled to the housing and configured to displace the input mechanism in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the input mechanism, and a force sensor coupled to the input mechanism and configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on a force applied to the input mechanism along the direction orthogonal to the axis of rotation. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the electronic device further comprises: a position landmark proximate to one distal end of the input mechanism, wherein the input sensor is configured to determine rotation of the input mechanism based on the position landmark, and the actuator is configured to displace the input mechanism by applying a force along the direction orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the input mechanism. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the force sensor is a mechanical switch. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the mechanical input actuator is configured to apply the force to contact the input mechanism in a position different from the distal ends of the input mechanism. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the force sensor is located at a distal end of the input mechanism. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the actuator and the force sensor are positioned at a same distal end of the input mechanism. 
     Some examples of the disclosure are directed to an electronic device comprising a housing, a haptic feedback mass coupled to the housing, the mass configured for generating movement of the housing, an input mechanism cooperatively engaged with the housing and rotatable about a first axis, wherein the input mechanism is configured to have a variable amount of coupling to movement of the haptic feedback mass. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, varying the variable amount of coupling comprises adjusting a stiffness of a variable stiffness element configured to resist motion of the input mechanism. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, varying the variable amount of coupling comprises adjusting a stiffness of a variable stiffness element configured to transfer motion of the haptic feedback mass to the input mechanism. 
     Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a method comprising receiving a first input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a first direction in response to the first input, sensing the first input at the input mechanism based on the movement of the input mechanism in the first direction, and receiving a second input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a second direction, different from the first direction, in response to the second input, displacing the input mechanism in the first direction, an amount of displacement based on a value determined from the sensing the first input. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by an optical encoder. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by a capacitive sensor. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by a magnetic sensor. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the method further comprises: determining whether an amount of movement resulting from the second input exceeds a threshold amount of movement, wherein displacing the mechanical input is in accordance with a determination that the amount of movement exceeds the threshold amount of movement. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, wherein the value determined from sensing the first input is an amount of force applied to the input mechanism. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the first direction is along a first axis and the second direction is a rotation about the first axis. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, displacing the input mechanism is caused by a piezoelectric element. 
     Some examples of the disclosure are directed to an apparatus comprising means for receiving a first input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a first direction in response to the first input, means for sensing the first input at the input mechanism based on the movement of the input mechanism in the first direction, and means for receiving a second input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a second direction, different from the first direction, in response to the second input, and means for displacing the input mechanism in the first direction, an amount of displacement based on a value determined from the sensing the first input. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by an optical encoder. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by a capacitive sensor. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by a magnetic sensor. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the apparatus further comprises means for determining whether an amount of movement resulting from the second input exceeds a threshold amount of movement, wherein displacing the mechanical input is in accordance with a determination that the amount of movement exceeds the threshold amount of movement. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the value determined from sensing the first input is an amount of force applied to the input mechanism. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the first direction is along a first axis and the second direction is a rotation about the first axis. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, displacing the input mechanism is caused by a piezoelectric element. 
     Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising receiving a first input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a first direction in response to the first input, sensing the first input at the input mechanism based on the movement of the input mechanism in the first direction, and receiving a second input at an input mechanism, the input mechanism configured to move in a second direction, different from the first direction, in response to the second input, displacing the input mechanism in the first direction, an amount of displacement based on a value determined from the sensing the first input. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by an optical encoder. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by a capacitive sensor. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, sensing the first input is performed by a pressure sensitive element and sensing the second input is performed by a magnetic sensor. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the method further comprises determining whether an amount of movement resulting from the second input exceeds a threshold amount of movement, wherein displacing the mechanical input is in accordance with a determination that the amount of movement exceeds the threshold amount of movement. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the value determined from sensing the first input is an amount of force applied to the input mechanism. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the first direction is along a first axis and the second direction is a rotation about the first axis. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, displacing the input mechanism is caused by a piezoelectric element. 
     Although examples of this disclosure have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of examples of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20170303
Publication Date: 20191210
Grant Date: 20191210
Priority Date: 20160304
Inventors: HOLENARSIPUR, PRASHANTH
CAI, Xingxing
SWEET, STEPHEN N.
RUH, RICHARD
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F1/169", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04108", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04105", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0362", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0416", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04105", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04108", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0416", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/169", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0362", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/044", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0362", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/169", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 58348007