Optical Sensor Watch Input Eliminates Moving Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
User input components on portable electronic devices, such as watches, occupy space and are susceptible to wear and damage due to their moving parts, especially when exposed to impacts during normal use.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an optical sensor into the user input components of a watch to detect user inputs, reducing the number of moving parts and optimizing space usage, while providing a user experience similar to interacting with a rotatable or translatable crown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional input components with moving parts (such as crowns) are used, then user interaction capability is provided, but the components occupy space and are susceptible to wear and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical input components (crowns, buttons) with an optical sensor system that detects finger movements, gestures, or touches through optical fields rather than mechanical contact. This eliminates moving parts while maintaining user interaction capability, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The optical sensor creates an optical copy or representation of the user's input gesture, translating physical finger movements into digital signals without requiring mechanical transmission components. This copying mechanism eliminates the need for mechanical parts while preserving the essence of user interaction
2Ease of operation
If traditional input components are prominently featured for ready access, then ease of operation is improved, but space on the device is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing the physical crown with an optical sensor, the system eliminates the need for a prominent mechanical feature while maintaining ease of operation through gesture detection. The optical sensor can be integrated into the device surface without requiring the same spatial footprint as traditional mechanical inputs
Solution Approach 2:
The optical sensor serves multiple functions: it can detect various gestures (tapping, sliding, circling), replace the crown's rotational and pressing functions, and potentially enable additional input modes. This multi-functionality allows space savings while maintaining comprehensive user interaction capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The optical sensor-based input components efficiently utilize space, reduce wear and damage, and provide effective control over the watch's functions, enhancing user interaction without the need for traditional moving parts.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor configured to detect the user input
Data Source
AI summary
A watch can include a user input component that employs an optical sensor to receive input from a user. The input components provide an ability for a user to interact with the watch in a manner similar to how a user would interact with a crown that is rotatable and/or translatable. The user can provide motions and gestures near the input component that the input component can detect and interpret and user inputs to control an aspect of the watch. The motions and gestures provided by the user can be directly detected with optical systems of the input component, so that the number of moving parts are reduced and space within the watch is more efficiently utilized. While providing these benefits, the input component provides a user experience that simulates user interactions with a crown that is rotatable and/or translatable.