公开(公告)号：US11194298B2

公开(公告)日：2021-12-07

申请号：US16215607

申请日：2018-12-10

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Steven C. Roach ,  Sameer Pandya ,  Erik G. de Jong ,  Erik L. Wang ,  Peter J. Kardassakis ,  Steven P. Cardinali

IPC: G04G21/08 ,  G04G21/02 ,  G04G17/08 ,  G01D5/30 ,  G04G9/00 ,  G04B37/10

Abstract: An electronic watch may include a housing defining a side wall having a through-hole and a crown assembly including an actuation member. The actuation member may include a crown shaft extending through the through-hole and having an exterior portion defining an input surface and a crown ring coupled to the exterior portion of the crown shaft and electrically isolated from the crown shaft. The crown assembly may further include an optical encoder component attached to the actuation member and defining a group of optical features. The electronic watch may further include an optical detector configured to detect rotation of the crown assembly by detecting motion of the group of optical features and an electrocardiograph sensor comprising a sensing component. The sensing component may be conductively coupled to the actuation member via a conductive path at least partially defined by the crown shaft.

公开(公告)号：US20210255590A1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-19

申请号：US17187573

申请日：2021-02-26

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Colin M. Ely ,  Erik G. De Jong ,  Steven P. Cardinali

IPC: G04G21/00 ,  G04G9/00

Abstract: An input device includes a movable input surface protruding from an electronic device. The input device enables force inputs along three axes relative to the electronic device: first lateral movements, second lateral movements, and axial movements. The input device includes force or displacement sensors which can detect a direction and magnitude of input forces.

公开(公告)号：US11079812B1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-03

申请号：US15702721

申请日：2017-09-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tyler S. Bushnell ,  Colin M. Ely ,  Erik G. de Jong ,  Trevor J. Ness ,  James G. Horiuchi ,  Steven P. Cardinali

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  H03K17/96 ,  G06F3/0362 ,  G04G21/08 ,  G06F3/02 ,  G06F3/0354

Abstract: A modular button assembly includes a button housing that may be disposed in an opening of an enclosure of an electronic device. The modular button assembly may include an input member that forms an exterior surface of the button housing and is configured to receive inputs, for example from a user of the electronic device. The modular button assembly may further include a sensor for detecting the received inputs and transmitting a signal to a processor of the electronic device. The modular button assembly may be configured such that disposing the button housing in the opening of the enclosure forms a seal that prevents contaminants from entering the button housing and the enclosure.

公开(公告)号：US10831299B1

公开(公告)日：2020-11-10

申请号：US15792601

申请日：2017-10-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： William C. Lukens ,  Adam T. Clavelle ,  Steven P. Cardinali

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/01

Abstract: An input device for an electronic device includes one or more pressure sensors for detecting inputs. In one embodiment, a pressure sensor is operably coupled to a compression chamber and configured to detect changes in pressure in the compression chamber. The changes in pressure in the compression chamber may be registered as inputs by the electronic device. The pressure sensor may be located next to, instead of below, the input member, and therefore, the thickness of the button assembly can be reduced compared to conventional designs.

公开(公告)号：US10707032B1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-07

申请号：US15829629

申请日：2017-12-01

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Colin M. Ely ,  Daniel William Jarvis ,  Benjamin J. Pope ,  Erik G. de Jong ,  Tyler S. Bushnell ,  Christopher T. Cheng ,  Trevor J. Ness ,  William C. Lukens ,  Steven P. Cardinali ,  Robert D. Turner

IPC: H01H13/14 ,  H05K5/00 ,  H01H13/04

Abstract: Electronic devices having input structures that are operative to translate a relatively small travel of an input surface to a larger travel elsewhere. For example, force exerted on an input surface of an input body may cause a corresponding input body to move a first distance. An arm, lever mechanism, or the like may have an end or other portion that moves a second distance in response to the input body's motion. The second distance may be greater than the first; in some embodiments, the second distance may be an order of magnitude or more than the first distance. The travel may close or open a switch in response to the force exerted on the input surface.

公开(公告)号：US10411329B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-10

申请号：US15002236

申请日：2016-01-20

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Steven P. Cardinali ,  James G. Horiuchi

IPC: H01Q1/38 ,  H01Q1/24 ,  H05K3/28 ,  H01Q9/42 ,  H05K1/18 ,  H05K3/18

Abstract: A packaged device may include electrical components such as integrated circuits that are mounted to a substrate such as a printed circuit substrate. Plastic may be molded to the printed circuit substrate over the integrated circuits. The molded plastic may include one or more shots of plastic and may include laser-sensitizable plastic material. Antenna structures may be supported by molded plastic such as molded plastic in a packaged device. The antenna structures may be formed from metal foil, flexible printed circuit substrate material with metal antenna traces, and metal traces that are formed on exposed surfaces of the plastic. The metal traces may be electroplated metal traces that are formed on regions of a laser-sensitizable plastic material that have been exposed to laser light. A package may have a protrusion that supports an antenna structure.

公开(公告)号：US10250289B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-02

申请号：US15257521

申请日：2016-09-06

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yi Jiang ,  Jiangfeng Wu ,  Lijun Zhang ,  Siwen Yong ,  Jiaxiao Niu ,  Mattia Pascolini ,  Jayesh Nath ,  Carlo Di Nallo ,  Zheyu Wang ,  Mario Martinis ,  Eduardo Jorge Da Costa Bras Lima ,  Steven P. Cardinali ,  Rex Tyler Ehman ,  James G. Horiuchi ,  Trevor J. Ness ,  Scott D. Morrison ,  Siddharth Nangia ,  Mushtaq A. Sarwar

IPC: G06F1/16 ,  H01Q9/30 ,  H04B1/40 ,  H04M1/02 ,  H04B1/3888

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display cover layer mounted to a metal housing. Electrical component layers such as a display layer, touch sensor layer, and near-field communications antenna layer may be mounted under the display cover layer. An antenna feed may have a positive feed terminal coupled to the electrical component layers and a ground feed terminal coupled to the metal housing. The electrical component layers may serve as an antenna resonating element for an antenna. The antenna may cover cellular telephone bands and may receive satellite navigation system signals. A system-in-package device may be mounted to the metal housing. A flexible printed circuit may extend between the electrical component layers and the system-in-package device. A mounting bracket for the system-in-package device may be provided with electrical isolation to enhance antenna performance in bands such as a satellite navigation system band.

公开(公告)号：US10132706B2

公开(公告)日：2018-11-20

申请号：US15246471

申请日：2016-08-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Ryan C. Perkins ,  Tyler S. Bushnell ,  David M. Pelletier ,  William C. Lukens ,  Steven P. Cardinali ,  Rex T. Ehman

IPC: G01L19/06 ,  G01L9/00 ,  G01L9/04

Abstract: An electronic device having a pressure detection system is disclosed. The electronic device may include one or more elements designed to detect pressure exerted on the electronic device. In some embodiments, the electronic device includes a membrane and a detection mechanism, both of which bend in response to a pressure change at the membrane. The membrane may be electrically coupled with a circuit that detects the bending of the membrane and correlates the bending with a pressure change at the membrane. A can may be hermetically sealed with the membrane and surround the circuit to shield the circuit from liquid ingress. In some embodiments, a light transmitter and light receiver are used to detect the bending of the membrane. The light may reflect from the membrane at different angles, based upon a shape of the membrane, and contact the receiving element at different locations, corresponding to pressure change.

公开(公告)号：US20170084133A1

公开(公告)日：2017-03-23

申请号：US15249516

申请日：2016-08-29

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Steven P. Cardinali ,  Katherine E. Tong ,  Trevor J. Ness ,  William C. Lukens

IPC: G08B5/36 ,  H05K5/00

CPC classification number: G04G21/00 ,  G04G9/0064 ,  G04G21/025

Abstract: A wearable electronic device includes a housing and a band attached to the housing. The band has an indicator with a variably and/or progressively illuminable portion. The indicator of the band conveys to a user an analog representation of the completion progress of an activity or task tracked by wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device also includes a processing unit within the housing, and a sensor operatively coupled to the processing unit. In some cases, the sensor is a motion sensor such as an accelerometer or a gyroscope. In other examples, the sensor is a health sensor or a biometric sensor. Sensor data is used to update the indicator.