PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11977683-B2
Application Number: US-202117200640-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Modular systems configured to provide localized haptic feedback using inertial actuators

Abstract:
An electronic device includes a housing defining an aperture. An input device extends through the aperture and has a user input surface external to the housing. An inertial actuator is mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device and positioned within the housing. A mechanical wave dampener provides mechanical wave dampening between the input device and the housing. The electronic device enables haptic feedback to be provided locally to the input device. In some cases, the mechanical wave dampener may dampen shaking of the input device with respect to the housing by at least an order of magnitude.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing defining an aperture; 
 an input device extending through the aperture and having a user input surface external to the housing; 
 an inertial actuator, mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device and suspended within the housing; and 
 a mechanical wave dampener positioned within the aperture and providing mechanical wave dampening between the input device and the housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to operate the inertial actuator, providing localized haptic feedback to the input device; and 
 a flexible interconnect, electrically coupling the inertial actuator to the controller. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a convex exterior surface. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical wave dampener comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical wave dampener comprises a foam. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical wave dampener comprises a spring. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the inertial actuator comprises a linear resonant actuator. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the inertial actuator comprises an eccentric rotating mass. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the input device is a crown. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the input device is a button. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the inertial actuator is mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device by a bracket. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the inertial actuator is mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device by glue. 
     
     
       13. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a haptic feedback device extending through the housing and comprising:
 an input module extending through an aperture of the housing, the input module having a user input surface; and 
 an inertial actuation module, rigidly attached to the input module; and 
 
 an elastomer positioned within the aperture and mechanically isolating the haptic feedback device from the housing. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein the housing defines an ear cup of a headset. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein the housing defines a watch body. 
     
     
       16. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having an interior volume and an aperture; 
 a haptic feedback device, comprising:
 an input device extending through the aperture; and 
 an inertial actuator attached to the input device and configured to shake the input device; and 
 
 a dampener positioned between the haptic feedback device and a portion of the housing and configured to dampen a propagation of mechanical waves traveling from the input device toward the housing. 
 
     
     
       17. The electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein the dampener comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein the dampener comprises a grommet that surrounds a cross-section of the input device. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a shared flexible interconnect configured to carry input signals generated by the input device and control signals provided to the inertial actuator.

Description:
FIELD 
     The described embodiments generally relate to providing haptic feedback. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to providing haptic feedback using inertial actuators. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Haptic feedback may be provided to a user of an electronic device in various ways. In some devices, haptic feedback may be provided by purely mechanical means, such as a buckling dome or spring-loaded mechanism that clicks, pops, or snaps as a button or key is depressed, or by a ball and detent mechanism that provides clicks as a crown or knob is rotated. In some devices, haptic feedback may be provided by electromechanical means, such as an inertial actuator that shakes an entire device, or by a piezoelectric actuator, shape memory alloy, or reluctance-based actuator that applies a force or vibration directly to a button, key, crown, or knob. 
     Factors that influence the selection of a haptic feedback device for a particular application include, for example, the size or cost of the electronic device, the available area or space on or within the device, the type of haptic feedback desired, whether haptic feedback can be provided globally or needs to be provided locally, the degree to which an input device (e.g., a button, key, crown, or knob) can move or needs to be water-proofed, and so on. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the systems, devices, methods, and apparatus described in the present disclosure are directed to modular systems for providing localized haptic feedback and, more particularly, modular systems that include inertial actuators. Typically, inertial actuators (e.g., linear resonant actuators (LRMs), eccentric rotating masses (ERMs), and so on) are used to provide global haptic feedback. That is, an inertial actuator is typically used to shake an entire device. As described herein, an input device may be separated from a device&#39;s housing by a dampening mechanism, and an inertial actuator may be coupled to the input device to shake the input device and provide localized haptic feedback to the input device (i.e., with minimal or significantly damped shaking of the housing). 
     In a first aspect, the present disclosure describes an electronic device. The electronic device may include a housing defining an aperture. An input device may extend through the aperture and have a user input surface external to the housing. An inertial actuator may be mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device and positioned within the housing. A mechanical wave dampener may provide mechanical wave dampening between the input device and the housing. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure describes another electronic device. The electronic device may include a housing, a haptic feedback device, and an elastomer. The haptic feedback device may extend through the housing and include an input module having a user input surface, and an inertial actuation module that is rigidly attached to the input module. The elastomer may mechanically isolate the haptic feedback device from the housing. 
     In still another aspect of the disclosure, the present disclosure describes another electronic device. The electronic device may include a housing having an interior volume, a haptic feedback device, and a dampener. The haptic feedback device may include an input device extending through the housing, and an inertial actuator that is attached to the input device and configured to shake the input device. The dampener may be positioned between the haptic feedback device and the housing, and may be configured to dampen a propagation of mechanical waves traveling from the input device toward the housing. 
     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: 
         FIGS.  1 A- 1 C  show an example portion of an electronic device, including an input device; 
         FIG.  2    shows an example body of an input device; 
         FIG.  3    shows an example of an inertial actuator; 
         FIG.  4    shows an example two-piece dampener; 
         FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  show an assembled form of the housing, input device, inertial actuator, and dampener described with reference to  FIGS.  2 - 4   ; 
         FIG.  6    shows an example of a headset that includes a crown; 
         FIG.  7    shows an example of an electronic watch that includes a crown and a button; 
         FIG.  8    shows an example of a mobile phone that includes a pair of buttons; and 
         FIG.  9    shows a sample electrical block diagram of an 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, commonalities 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. 
     Haptic feedback is often provided by smaller mobile devices (e.g., phones, tablet or laptop computers, media players, and so on) and wearable devices (e.g., watches, headsets, earphones, fitness tracking devices, health monitoring devices, and so on) by shaking the entire device. The means for shaking the device is typically an inertial actuator, such as an LRA or an ERM. Inertial actuators are cost-effective and provide good haptic feedback. However, the haptic feedback is provided globally (i.e., the entire device is shaken), which may increase power consumption and, in some cases, provide a poor user experience. 
     Sometimes, it may be desirable to provide haptic feedback locally, such as to an input device (e.g., to a button, key, crown, or knob). In these cases, a force or vibration may be provided directly to the input device using a piezoelectric actuator, shape memory alloy, or reluctance-based actuator. However, to take advantage of the small form factor provided by these sorts of haptic feedback mechanisms, the input device and its haptic feedback mechanism need to be closely integrated—often requiring a custom-designed and design-intense solution. 
     In some devices, a user may be tricked into thinking haptic feedback is being provided locally when, in fact, it is being provided globally. For example, an inertial actuator may shake the entirety of a watch body when a user&#39;s finger is on a crown or button on the watch body, and the greater tactile sensitivity of a user&#39;s finger may cause the user to believe that haptic feedback is only being provided at the crown. In some cases, a higher frequency (or sharper) waveform may be used to mimic purely mechanical haptic feedback, which can sometimes improve the illusion of providing haptic feedback locally when, in fact, it is being provided globally. 
     Embodiments of the systems, devices, methods, and apparatus described in the present disclosure are directed to modular systems for providing localized haptic feedback and, more particularly, modular systems that provide localized haptic feedback using inertial actuators. The haptic feedback may be localized by coupling (e.g., attaching or anchoring) the inertial actuator directly to an input device, and using an elastomer, foam, springs, or other form of dampening material or mechanism to dampen the propagation of mechanical waves from the input device (or inertial actuator) to a device&#39;s housing. 
     These and other aspects are described with reference to  FIGS.  1 A- 9   . 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. 
     Directional terminology, such as “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “over”, “under”, “beneath”, “left”, “right”, etc. may be used with reference to the orientation of some of the components in some of the figures described below. Because components in various embodiments can be positioned in a number of different orientations, directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration only and is in no way limiting. The directional terminology is intended to be construed broadly, and therefore should not be interpreted to preclude components being oriented in different ways. The use of alternative terminology, such as “or”, is intended to indicate different combinations of the alternative elements. For example, A or B is intended to include A, or B, or A and B. 
       FIGS.  1 A- 1 C  show an example portion  100  of an electronic device. The portion  100  of the device includes a housing  102  and an input device  104 . The input device  104  extends through an aperture  106  defined by the housing  102 .  FIG.  1 A  shows a perspective view of the housing  102  and input device  104 , as might be seen by a user of the device.  FIG.  1 B  shows a cross-section of the housing  102  and input device  104 .  FIG.  1 C  shows a plan view of the housing  102  and input device  104 . 
     Referring primarily to  FIG.  1 A , the housing  102  is shown to have a convex exterior surface  108 . A well  110  may be formed in the convex exterior surface  108 , and the input device  104  may be disposed at least partially within the well  110  and at least partially outside the well  110  (e.g., outward from the convex exterior surface  108  of the housing  102 ). Alternatively, the input device  104  may be flush with the convex exterior surface  108 , or may be set back from the top of the well  110 . In other alternatives, the well  110  may not be provided, and the input device  104  may extend through the aperture  106  and extend outward from (or sit flush or inward from) the convex exterior surface  108 . In still other alternatives, the convex exterior surface  108  may be flat, concave, or have other surface features. In some cases, the housing  102  may be formed from one or more of a polymer (plastic), glass, metal (e.g., aluminum, steel, or chrome), or other materials. 
     By way of example, the input device  104  may take the form of a crown. The crown may have a user input surface  112  external to the housing  102 . In some cases, the crown may be immovable. As a user attempts to rotate, push, or pull the crown, electromechanical haptic feedback may be provided to a user to acknowledge the user&#39;s attempted rotations, pushes, or pulls. In some cases, the electromechanical haptic feedback may simulate mechanical haptic feedback to give the illusion that the crown is actually being rotated, pushed, or pulled. In other examples, the crown may actually be rotated, pushed, or pulled, and electromechanical haptic feedback may be used to acknowledge or accentuate the user&#39;s rotations, pushes, or pulls of the crown. 
     In alternative embodiments, the input device  104  may take the form of a button, knob, or other type of input device. 
       FIG.  1 B  shows an aperture  106  through which the input device  104  may extend. The aperture may be formed by a singular piece of the housing  102 , as shown, or the aperture may be formed by two abutting pieces of the housing  102 . For example, the aperture  106  may be formed between a sidewall and a front or rear cover of the housing  102 . 
     The input device  104  may have a user input surface  112  external to the housing  102 , and a body  114  (or shaft) that protrudes into an interior volume  116  of the housing  102 . In some cases, the input device  104  may have a cap  118  that provides the user input surface  112 , and the cap  118  may be attached to (e.g., screwed onto, snapped onto, or glued to) the body  114 . In some cases, the fitment of the body  114  and the cap  118 , in combination with a dampener  120 , may secure the input device  104  to the housing  102 . In other cases, the input device  104  may further include a fastener  122  (e.g., a nut or spring clip) that, in combination with the body  114  and the dampener  120 , secures the input device  104  to the housing  102 . In these latter cases, the cap  118  may be configured to provide a more pleasing user input surface  112 , and the cap  118  need not necessarily be a structural member. 
     In some embodiments, the input device  104  may include, or be integrated with, electrical or electromechanical circuits (e.g., capacitive, resistive, ultrasonic, magnetic, pressure-sensitive, or other types of circuits) that are used to detect or quantify user input provided on or near the user input surface  112 . 
     An inertial actuator  124  may be mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device  104  and positioned within the housing  102 . In some cases, the inertial actuator  124  may be mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device  104  using glue, weld, or a crimp. For example, the inertial actuator  124  may have a pair of spaced apart tabs  126  that are glued or welded to opposite sides of the body  114  of the input device  104 . In some cases, the inertial actuator  124  may be mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device  104  using a bracket, screws, or nuts and bolts. In some cases, the inertial actuator  124  may be mechanically and fixedly coupled to the input device  104  by a connector, which connector may or may not carry electrical signals to or from the input device  104 . The “fixed” aspect of the inertial actuator  124  to input device  104  coupling may take the form of a rigid attachment (i.e., a coupling that transfers substantially all of the inertial actuator&#39;s movement (&gt;90%) to the input device  104 ) or a semi-rigid coupling (i.e., a coupling that transfers a majority (&gt;50%) or high percentage (&gt;80%) of the inertial actuator&#39;s movement to the input device  104 ). 
     The inertial actuator  124  may take various forms, and in some cases may be or include an LRA or ERM. The inertial actuator  124  may be suspended from the input device  104  within the housing  102 , and may lack any sort of rigid or semi-rigid coupling with the housing  102 . In some cases, a foam, gel, or other type of padding or filler may be provided between the inertial actuator  124  and the housing  102 . However, padding or fillers that tend to dampen versus propagate motion of the inertial actuator  124  are not deemed to couple the inertial actuator  124  to the housing  102 . 
     A flexible interconnect  128  may be coupled to the inertial actuator  124  and configured to carry control signals provided to the inertial actuator  124 . Conductors included in or on the flexible interconnect  128  may be electrically coupled to both the inertial actuator  124  and a controller  130  (e.g., a circuit, microcontroller, or processor). In some cases, the flexible interconnect  128  may be shared with the input device  104  (e.g., the flexible interconnect  128  may be a shared flexible interconnect). In these cases, the flexible interconnect  128  may also carry input signals generated by the input device  104  (and, in some cases, control signals provided to the input device  104 ) from/to the controller  130  (or to a different controller). The flexible nature of the flexible interconnect  128  may enable the inertial actuator  124  to move freely (or relatively freely) and may tend not to propagate mechanical waves generated by the inertial actuator  124 . 
     When activated, the inertial actuator  124  may shake the input device  104 . The shaking may produce periodic or somewhat random vibrations. In some cases, the controller  130  may operate the inertial actuator  124  in accord with a periodic or aperiodic activation signal (or waveform). In some cases, the controller  130  may apply different activation waveforms to the inertial actuator  124 . For example, a first activation waveform, having a first profile, may be applied to the inertial actuator  124  when a user initiates a scroll operation on the input device  104 , and a second activation waveform, having a second profile different from the first profile, may be applied to the inertial actuator  124  when the user initiates a push operation on the input device  104 . Because the input device  104  is separated from the housing  102  by the dampener  120 , the controller  130  is able to provide localized haptic feedback to the input device  104 , with less or none of the haptic feedback being provided to the housing  102 . 
     The input device  104 , together with the inertial actuator  124 , may provide a haptic feedback device  132  that extends through the housing  102 . In some cases, the input device  104  may extend through the housing  102 , as shown. In other cases, the inertial actuator  124  may additionally or alternatively extend through the housing  102 . 
     The dampener  120  (e.g., a mechanical wave dampener) may be positioned between the haptic feedback device  132  and the housing  102 . In some cases, the dampener  120  may be positioned between the input device  104  and the housing  102  and, in some cases, the dampener  120  may additionally or alternatively be positioned between the inertial actuator  124  and the housing  102 . The dampener  120  may be configured to mechanically isolate the haptic feedback device  132  from the housing  102 , such as by dampening a propagation of mechanical waves traveling from the input device  104  toward the housing  102 . In some cases, the dampener  120  may be configured to dampen the mechanical waves by an order of magnitude or more before they reach the housing  102 , and in some cases the dampener  120  may totally prevent mechanical waves generated by the haptic feedback device  132  from reaching the housing  102 . 
     In some embodiments, the dampener  120  may take the form of a grommet (e.g., an elastomer grommet) that surrounds a cross-section of the haptic feedback device  132  (e.g., a cross-section of the input device  104 ) and fits around a lip  134  ( FIG.  1 C ) of the housing  102 . The lip  134  may have a circular or other-shaped perimeter. The grommet may extend over interior and exterior surfaces of the lip  134 , with the lip  134  sandwiched between opposing surfaces of the grommet. Opposing interior surfaces of the grommet may extend over interior and exterior surfaces of the lip  134 , with the lip  134  sandwiched therebetween. Opposing surfaces of the input device  104  (e.g., opposing surfaces of the body  114  and the fastener  122 ) may be seated against opposing exterior surfaces of the grommet and compress the grommet and lip  134  therebetween. 
     In alternative embodiments, the dampener  120  may include a pair of elastomers that respectively seat against the opposing interior and exterior surfaces of the lip  134 , or one or more springs (e.g., one or more coil springs or spring washers), or other components. Instead of an elastomer component, or in addition to an elastomer component, the dampener  120  may include one or more foam, gel-filled, or paper (e.g., cardboard) components; or in the case of spring-type dampeners, the dampener  120  may include one or more metal components. 
     The dampener  120 , or components thereof, may be tuned to dampen a particular type or range of mechanical waves, generated by a particular type or range of haptic feedback provided by the inertial actuator  124 . Properties of the dampener  120  that may be tuned include its composition, thickness, hardness, width, cross-section, fill, spring constant, and so on. In some cases, the dampener  120  may be fluid-filled (e.g., air-filled or gel-filled). In some cases, the dampener  120  may have nubs, dimples, rings, or other features that provide a stand-off (e.g., air-filled gaps) between the housing  102  and portions of the dampener  120 . In some cases, the dampener  120  may allow for more movement, or for particular kinds of movement, in some directions but not others. If the inertial actuator  124  is configured to move the input device  104  in and out with respect to the housing  102 , the dampener  120  may be relatively thicker than if the inertial actuator  124  is configured to move the input device  104  side-to-side or tilt the input device  104 . When the dampener  120  includes an elastomer, the elastomer may in some cases be silicone rubber. 
     The modular nature of the haptic feedback device  132  can enable it to be implemented in a variety of devices and used for a variety applications. In some cases, a designer of the haptic feedback device  132  may select an input module (i.e., a module including an input device, such as a crown, button, keycap, or knob) from a set of off-the-shelf input modules, and select an inertial actuation module (i.e., a module including an inertial actuator), and then mechanically and fixedly attach the modules together to form the haptic feedback device  132 . The modular haptic feedback device  132  may then be inserted into the aperture  106  of the housing  102 , and may be separated from the housing  102  by the dampener  120 . In addition to a modular solution enabling a combination of off-the-shelf components, a modular solution makes it possible to test the operation of the components individually (e.g., as compared to a custom-designed integrated solution). 
       FIGS.  2 - 5 B  illustrate specific examples of an input device, an inertial actuator, a dampener, and an assembled haptic feedback device that extends through a housing. 
       FIG.  2    shows an example body  200  of an input device. The body  200  includes a base  202  and a neck  204 . The base  202  may include various types of sensing or control circuitry. The neck  204  may extend from the base  202 , and in some cases may be configured to mate with a fastener. For example, the neck  204  may be threaded, and may receive a nut that helps retain the neck  204  within an aperture of a housing. A fixed or rotatable shaft  206  may in some cases extend through the neck  204 . A cap, such as the cap described with reference to  FIG.  1 B , may be attached to the shaft  206 . 
     A flexible interconnect  208  may be electrically connected to the circuitry housed within the base  202 . 
       FIG.  3    shows an example inertial actuator  300 . In some cases, the inertial actuator  300  may be an LRA or ERM. Moving components of the inertial actuator  300  may be housed within a cylindrical or other-shaped body  302 . A pair of tabs  304 ,  306  may extend from the body  302  and provide a means for mechanically and fixedly coupling the inertial actuator  300  to an input device (e.g., by gluing, welding, or crimping). In some cases, the tabs  304 ,  306 , or another form of bracket, may include holes through which screws or bolts may be inserted to attach the inertial actuator  300  to an input device. 
     A flexible interconnect  308 , and in some cases the same flexible interconnect that connects to an input device, may be electrically connected to the circuitry housed within the body  302 . 
       FIG.  4    shows an example two-piece dampener  400 , including a first washer or component  402  and a second washer or component  404 . The first component  402  may be seated against an exterior of a housing  406 , and the second component  404  may be seated against an interior of the housing  406 . The first and second components  402 ,  404  may be compressed between surfaces of an input device, and may function as a mechanical wave dampener. One or both of the components may have a neck or protrusion  408  around its aperture  410 , which neck or protrusion  408  may extend through an aperture  412  in the housing  406  and isolate an input device or haptic feedback device from the walls of the aperture  412 . 
     In alternative embodiments, the first and second components  402 ,  404  may be replaced by a grommet, as shown in  FIG.  1 B . 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  show an assembled form of the housing  406 , input device, inertial actuator  300 , and dampener  400  described with reference to  FIGS.  2 - 4   . As shown in  FIG.  5 A , the tabs (e.g., tab  306 ) of the inertial actuator  300  may be positioned against opposite surfaces of the base  202  of the input device  500 . The tabs  304 ,  306  may be glued or welded to the base  202 . 
     Although the body  302  of the inertial actuator  300  is shown to be positioned to one side of the base  202  (i.e., laterally offset from the base  202 ), the body  302  of the inertial actuator  300  may alternatively be positioned at an end of the base  202  or body  200  of the input device  500  (e.g., in an in-line configuration). The position of the body  302  of the inertial actuator  300  with respect to the base  202  or body  200  of the input device  500  may be adjusted, as desired, for a particular application. 
     The dampener components  402 ,  404  may be positioned against respective interior and exterior surfaces of the housing  406 , around the aperture  412  in the housing  406 . Then, the neck  204  of the input device  500  may be inserted into the aperture  412 . The neck  204  may be retained within the aperture  412  by threading a nut  502  onto the neck  204 . The nut  502  may be tightened to compress the dampener components  402 ,  404  and form a seal that prevents fluid or other environmental contaminants from entering the interior of a device through the aperture  412 . 
     A cap  504  may be snapped, glued, or threaded onto the neck  204  of the input device  500  and/or may be coupled to a shaft that extends through the neck  204  of the input device  500 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  5 B  (showing view  5 B- 5 B with respect to  FIG.  5 A ), the inertial actuator  300  may be configured to move along an axis  550  of its cylindrical body  302 , thereby providing haptic feedback to the cap  504  by causing the cap  504  to tilt one direction and then the opposite direction (e.g., to the left and to the right in  FIG.  5 B ). Linear movement within the inertial actuator  300  may be converted to nonlinear movement of the cap  504 . Alternatively, the inertial actuator  300  could be configured to generate movements that are more or less parallel to an axis of the neck  204  and cap  504 , such that the cap  504  moves inward and outward from a device to provide haptic feedback to a user of the device. 
       FIGS.  6 - 8    show various examples of devices that may incorporate a crown or button configured as described with reference to any of  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B . In particular,  FIG.  6    shows an example of a headset  600  that includes a crown  602 . The crown  602  may be used to turn the headset  600  on; to adjust the volume of the headset  600 ; or for other purposes. If an inertial actuator were to be anchored to the housing  604  of an ear cup  606  of the headset  600 , and haptic feedback were to be provided globally to the ear cup  606 , the haptic feedback may provide an unfavorable user experience to a user of the headset  600 . For example, shaking of the ear cup  606  might be felt on the user&#39;s ear instead of on the user&#39;s finger (e.g., as they operate the crown  602  with their finger. Perhaps worse, the shaking of the ear cup  606  might generate sound waves which interfered with the user&#39;s enjoyment of the audio produced by the headset  600 . Configuring the crown  602  similarly to the haptic feedback devices described with reference to  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B  enables haptic feedback to be provided to the crown  602 , while dampening the propagation of mechanical waves provided to the crown  602  so that they do not travel to the ear cup  606  (or are dampened as they travel from the crown  602  toward the ear cup  606 ). 
       FIG.  7    shows an example of an electronic watch  700  or other wearable device (e.g., a health monitoring device or a fitness tracking device). The watch  700  may include a body  702  (e.g., a watch body) and a band  704 . The band  704  may be used to attach the watch body  702  to a body part (e.g., an arm, wrist, leg, ankle, or waist) of a user. A housing of the watch body  702  may include a sidewall  706  that at least partially surrounds a display  708 . The sidewall  706  may support other housing components, such as a front cover  710  or a rear cover. The front cover  710  may be positioned over the display  708 , and may provide a window through which the display  708  may be viewed. In some embodiments, the display  708  may be attached to (or abut) the sidewall  706  and/or the front cover  710 . In alternative embodiments of the watch  700 , the display  708  may not be included and/or the sidewall  706  may have an alternative configuration. 
     The various components of the device&#39;s housing (e.g., the sidewall  706 , the front cover  710 , and the rear cover) may be formed from the same or different materials. In some cases, the sidewall  706  may be formed using one or more metals (e.g., stainless steel), polymers (e.g., plastics), ceramics, or composites (e.g., carbon fiber). The front cover  710  may be formed, for example, using one or more of glass, a crystal (e.g., sapphire), or a transparent polymer (e.g., plastic) that enables a user to view the display  708  through the front cover  710 . In some cases, a portion of the front cover  710  (e.g., a perimeter portion of the front cover  710 ) may be coated with an opaque ink to obscure components included within the housing. The rear cover may be formed using the same material(s) that are used to form the sidewall  706  or the front cover  710 . In some cases, the rear cover may be part of a monolithic element that also forms the sidewall  706 . In still other embodiments, all of the exterior components of the housing may be formed from a transparent material, and components within the watch  700  may or may not be obscured by an opaque ink or opaque structure within the housing. 
     The front cover  710  may be mounted to the sidewall  706  to cover an opening defined by the sidewall  706  (i.e., an opening into an interior volume in which various electronic components of the watch  700 , including the display  708 , may be positioned). The front cover  710  may be mounted to the sidewall  706  using fasteners, adhesives, seals, gaskets, or other components. 
     A display stack or device stack (hereafter referred to as a “stack”) including the display  708  may be attached (or abutted) to an interior surface of the front cover  710  and extend into the interior volume of the watch  700 . In some cases, the stack may include a touch sensor (e.g., a grid of capacitive, resistive, strain-based, ultrasonic, or other type of touch sensing elements), or other layers of optical, mechanical, electrical, or other types of components. In some cases, the touch sensor (or part of a touch sensor system) may be configured to detect a touch applied to an outer surface of the front cover  710  (e.g., to a display surface of the watch  700 ). 
     The display  708  may include one or more light-emitting elements and may be configured, for example, as a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescent (EL) display, or other type of display. In some embodiments, the display  708  may include, or be associated with, one or more touch, force, and/or pressure sensors that are configured to detect a touch, force, and/or pressure applied to a surface of the front cover  710 . 
     The watch body  702  may include an input or selection device, such as a crown  712  or a button  714 . The crown  712  or the button  714  may be used to control various aspects of the watch  700 . For example, the crown  712  may be used to select an application displayed by the display  708 , select a watch function, adjust a volume of a speaker, adjust a brightness of the display  708 , provide a biometric, and so on. The button  714  may in some cases be used to turn the watch  700  on or off. In some cases, an inertial actuator may be attached to the crown  712  or the button  714 , or different inertial actuators may be attached to each of the crown  712  and the button  714 . In some cases, an inertial actuator may be attached to the crown  712  or the button  714  as described with reference to any of  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B . 
     The watch  700  may further include various sensor systems. For example, the watch  700  may include one or more cameras, speakers, microphones, or other components (e.g., audio, imaging, and/or sensing components) that are configured to transmit or receive signals to/from the watch  700 . In some embodiments, the watch  700  may have a port  716  (or set of ports) on the sidewall  706  (or elsewhere), and an ambient pressure sensor, ambient temperature sensor, internal/external differential pressure sensor, gas sensor, particulate matter sensor, or air quality sensor may be positioned in or near the port(s)  716 . 
       FIG.  8    shows an example of a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone). The phone  800  may include a housing  802  that at least partially surrounds a display  804 . The housing  802  may include or support a front cover  806  or a rear cover  808 . The front cover  806  may be positioned over the display  804 , and may provide a window through which the display  804  (including images displayed thereon) may be viewed by a user. In some embodiments, the display  804  may be attached to (or abut) the housing  802  and/or the front cover  806 . 
     The display  804  may include one or more light-emitting elements or pixels, and in some cases may be an LED display, an OLED display, an LCD, an EL display, a laser projector, or another type of electronic display. In some embodiments, the display  804  may include, or be associated with, one or more touch and/or force sensors that are configured to detect a touch and/or a force applied to a surface of the front cover  806 . 
     The various components of the housing  802  may be formed from the same or different materials. For example, a sidewall  818  of the housing  802  may be formed using one or more metals (e.g., stainless steel), polymers (e.g., plastics), ceramics, or composites (e.g., carbon fiber). In some cases, the sidewall  818  may be a multi-segment sidewall including a set of antennas. The antennas may form structural components of the sidewall  818 . The antennas may be structurally coupled (to one another or to other components) and electrically isolated (from each other or from other components) by one or more non-conductive segments of the sidewall  818 . The front cover  806  may be formed, for example, using one or more of glass, a crystal (e.g., sapphire), or a transparent polymer (e.g., plastic) that enables a user to view the display  804  through the front cover  806 . In some cases, a portion of the front cover  806  (e.g., a perimeter portion of the front cover  806 ) may be coated with an opaque ink to obscure components included within the housing  802 . The rear cover  808  may be formed using the same material(s) that are used to form the sidewall  818  or the front cover  806 , or may be formed using a different material or materials. In some cases, the rear cover  808  may be part of a monolithic element that also forms the sidewall  818  (or in cases where the sidewall  818  is a multi-segment sidewall, those portions of the sidewall  818  that are non-conductive). In still other embodiments, all of the exterior components of the housing  802  may be formed from a transparent material, and components within the phone  800  may or may not be obscured by an opaque ink or opaque structure within the housing  802 . 
     The front cover  806  may be mounted to the sidewall  818  to cover an opening defined by the sidewall  818  (i.e., an opening into an interior volume in which various electronic components of the phone  800 , including the display  804 , may be positioned). The front cover  806  may be mounted to the sidewall  818  using fasteners, adhesives, seals, gaskets, or other components. 
     A display stack or device stack (hereafter referred to as a “stack”) including the display  804  (and in some cases the front cover  806 ) may be attached (or abutted) to an interior surface of the front cover  806  and extend into the interior volume of the phone  800 . In some cases, the stack may also include a touch sensor (e.g., a grid of capacitive, resistive, strain-based, ultrasonic, or other type of touch sensing elements), or other layers of optical, mechanical, electrical, or other types of components. In some cases, the touch sensor (or part of a touch sensor system) may be configured to detect a touch applied to an outer surface of the front cover  806  (e.g., to a display surface of the phone  800 ). 
     The stack may also include one or an array of sensors  816 , with the sensors positioned in front of or behind, or interspersed with, the light-emitting elements of the display  804 . In some cases, an array of sensors  816  may extend across an area equal in size to the area of the display  804 . Alternatively, the array of sensors  816  may extend across an area that is smaller than or greater than the area of the display  804 , or may be positioned entirely adjacent the display  804 . Although the array of sensors  816  is shown to have a rectangular boundary, the array could alternatively have a boundary with a different shape, including, for example, an irregular shape. The array of sensors  816  may be variously configured as an ambient light sensor, a light-emitting element (e.g., OLED) health sensor (e.g., age sensor), a touch sensor, a proximity sensor, a health sensor, a biometric sensor (e.g., a fingerprint sensor or facial recognition sensor), a camera, a depth sensor, and so on. The array of sensors  816  may also or alternatively function as a proximity sensor, for determining whether an object (e.g., a finger, face, or stylus) is proximate to the front cover  806 . In some embodiments, the array of sensors  816  may provide the touch sensing capability (i.e., touch sensor) of the stack. 
     In some cases, a force sensor (or part of a force sensor system) may be positioned within the interior volume below and/or to the side of the display  804  (and in some cases within the stack). The force sensor (or force sensor system) may be triggered in response to the touch sensor detecting one or more touches on the front cover  806  (or indicating a location or locations of one or more touches on the front cover  806 ), and may determine an amount of force associated with each touch, or an amount of force associated with the collection of touches as a whole. 
     In some cases, the front of the phone  800  may include one or more front-facing cameras  810 , speakers  812 , microphones, or other components  814  (e.g., audio, imaging, and/or sensing components) that are configured to transmit or receive signals to/from the phone  800 . In some cases, a front-facing camera  810 , alone or in combination with other sensors, may be configured to operate as a bio-authentication or facial recognition sensor. Additionally or alternatively, the array of sensors  816  may be configured to operate as a front-facing camera  810 , a bio-authentication sensor, or a facial recognition sensor. 
     The phone  800  may also include buttons or other input devices positioned along the sidewall  818  and/or on a rear surface of the phone  800 . For example, first and second buttons  820 - 1 ,  820 - 2  may be positioned along the sidewall  818 , and in some cases may extend through apertures in the sidewall  818 . These buttons  820 - 1 ,  820 - 2  may be used to adjust the volume of a speaker, turn the phone  800  off or on, and so on. In some embodiments, one or both of the buttons  820 - 1 ,  820 - 2  may be part of a haptic feedback device, and may be configured as described with reference to any of  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B . 
     The sidewall  818  may include one or more ports  822  that allow air, but not liquids, to flow into and out of the phone  800 . In some embodiments, one or more sensors may be positioned in or near the port(s)  822 . For example, an ambient pressure sensor, ambient temperature sensor, internal/external differential pressure sensor, gas sensor, particulate matter concentration sensor, or air quality sensor may be positioned in or near a port  822 . 
       FIG.  9    shows a sample electrical block diagram of an electronic device  900 , which electronic device may in some cases take the form of one of the devices described with reference to  FIGS.  6 - 8    and/or include one or more of the haptic feedback devices described with reference to  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B . The electronic device  900  may include a display  902  (e.g., a light-emitting display), a processor  904 , a power source  906 , a memory  908  or storage device, a sensor system  910 , or an input/output (I/O) mechanism  912  (e.g., an input/output device, input/output port, or haptic input/output interface). The processor  904  may control some or all of the operations of the electronic device  900 . The processor  904  may communicate, either directly or indirectly, with some or all of the other components of the electronic device  900 . For example, a system bus or other communication mechanism  914  can provide communication between the display  902 , the processor  904 , the power source  906 , the memory  908 , the sensor system  910 , and the I/O mechanism  912 . 
     The processor  904  may be implemented as any electronic device capable of processing, receiving, or transmitting data or instructions, whether such data or instructions is in the form of software or firmware or otherwise encoded. For example, the processor  904  may include a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a controller, or a combination of such devices. As described herein, the term “processor” 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  900  can be controlled by multiple processors. For example, select components of the electronic device  900  (e.g., the sensor system  910 ) may be controlled by a first processor and other components of the electronic device  900  (e.g., the display  902 ) may be controlled by a second processor, where the first and second processors may or may not be in communication with each other. 
     The power source  906  can be implemented with any device capable of providing energy to the electronic device  900 . For example, the power source  906  may include one or more batteries or rechargeable batteries. Additionally or alternatively, the power source  906  may include a power connector or power cord that connects the electronic device  900  to another power source, such as a wall outlet. 
     The memory  908  may store electronic data that can be used by the electronic device  900 . For example, the memory  908  may 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  908  may include any type of memory. By way of example only, the memory  908  may include random access memory, read-only memory, Flash memory, removable memory, other types of storage elements, or combinations of such memory types. 
     The electronic device  900  may also include one or more sensor systems  910  positioned almost anywhere on the electronic device  900 . The sensor system(s)  910  may be configured to sense one or more types of parameters, such as but not limited to, light; touch; force; heat; movement; relative motion; biometric data (e.g., biological parameters) of a user; particulate matter concentration, air quality; proximity; position; connectedness; and so on. By way of example, the sensor system(s)  910  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, a particulate matter sensor, an air quality sensor, and so on. Additionally, the one or more sensor systems  910  may utilize any suitable sensing technology, including, but not limited to, magnetic, capacitive, ultrasonic, resistive, optical, acoustic, piezoelectric, or thermal technologies. In some cases, one or more of the sensor system(s)  910  may include one or more lasers and laser safety circuits as described herein. 
     The I/O mechanism  912  may transmit or receive data from a user or another electronic device. The I/O mechanism  912  may include the display  902 , a touch sensing input surface, a crown, one or more buttons (e.g., a graphical user interface “home” button), one or more cameras (including an under-display camera), one or more microphones or speakers, one or more ports such as a microphone port, and/or a keyboard. Additionally or alternatively, the I/O mechanism  912  may transmit electronic signals via a communications interface, such as a wireless, wired, and/or optical communications interface. Examples of wireless and wired communications interfaces include, but are not limited to, cellular and Wi-Fi communications interfaces. In some cases, the I/O mechanism  912  may include one or more lasers and laser safety circuits as described herein. 
     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, after reading this description, 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, after reading this description, that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20210312
Publication Date: 20240507
Grant Date: 20240507
Priority Date: 20210312
Inventors: TARELLI, Riccardo
HOSSAIN, MUHAMMAD F.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16F15/1203", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16F15/124", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B6/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16F1/3732", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16F15/1203", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16F15/124", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B6/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 83194797