An input mechanism for a portable electronic device includes a rotational manipulation mechanism, such as a cap or shaft. The input mechanism also includes a sensor having first capacitive elements coupled to the manipulation mechanism, second capacitive elements, and a dielectric positioned between the first and second capacitive elements. Movement of the manipulation mechanism alters the positions of the first and second capacitive elements with respect to each other and is determinable based on capacitance changes resulting therefrom. In some implementations, the second capacitive elements may be part of an inner ring or partial ring nested at least partially within an outer ring or partial ring.

An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a rotatable mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises sense electrode positioned proximate to the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising drive circuitry operatively coupled to the mechanical input mechanism and configured for driving a drive signal onto the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising sense circuitry operatively coupled to the sense electrode and configured to measure an amount of coupling between the rotatable mechanical input mechanism and the sense electrode. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing, wherein the sense electrode is included in a gasket for connecting a display to the housing.

A key structure includes a housing, a mounting seat, a key component, a clamping holder, a switch device, and a flexible printed circuit, where the mounting seat is mounted on the housing, the clamping holder and the key component are both mounted on the mounting seat, and the switch device is mounted on the clamping holder. The mounting seat and the clamping holder are between the switch device and the key component.

An electronic device with waterproof structure includes an assembly and a manipulation member movably disposed on an outer surface of the assembly. The assembly includes a case and an optical detection module. The case defines a waterproof space and has a translucent region. The optical detection module is arranged in the waterproof space. The optical detection module has a lighting unit and a sensor array. Light emitted from the lighting unit enables to travel out of the waterproof space by penetrating through the translucent region. At least part of the manipulation member is corresponding in position to the translucent region. The lighting unit is configured to emit light onto the manipulation member, and the sensor array is configured to receive the light reflected from the manipulation member.

An electronic apparatus includes a structure and an optical navigation circuit. A first end of the structure is located inside the electronic apparatus and its second end corresponds to a user's control. The structure can be moved forward/backward in a specific direction and/or rotated in another direction. The optical navigation circuit emits light to the structure, captures reflected light from the structure to sense/receive an image from the surface of the structure, detects displacement of the image along a specific axis of the structure, and determines the user's operating behavior as a specific operation according to a change of the sensed displacement of the image.

An apparatus is disclosed. In some examples, the apparatus comprises a mechanical input mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft. In some examples, the apparatus comprises an optical sensor configured to detect a rotation of the shaft and detect a movement of the shaft toward or away from the optical sensor. In some examples, the apparatus comprises an optical sensor configured to detect light incident on the optical sensor, the light having a position and an orientation, the orientation of the light based on at least a position of the rotatable shaft, detect a rotation of the shaft, and detect a movement of the shaft based on at least a change in the orientation of the light. In some examples, the apparatus comprises a housing. In some examples, a mechanical input mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft is coupled to the housing and configured to contact a force sensor coupled to the housing in response to a user input. In some examples, the force sensor is configured to detect a position of the shaft and detect an amount of force between the shaft and the force sensor that is based on the user input.

An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a rotatable mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises sense electrode positioned proximate to the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising drive circuity operatively coupled to the mechanical input mechanism and configured for driving a drive signal onto the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising sense circuitry operatively coupled to the sense electrode and configured to measure an amount of coupling between the rotatable mechanical input mechanism and the sense electrode. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing, wherein the sense electrode is included in a gasket for connecting a display to the housing.

An electronic device has a housing and a rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The housing has an aperture and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism has a shaft positioned at least partially within the aperture and a manipulation structure coupled to the shaft. The manipulation structure may be manipulated to rotationally and translationally move the shaft to provide rotational and translational input to the electronic device. A compressible seal is positioned in a gap between the housing and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The compressible seal may resist and/or prevent passage of contaminants into the aperture and/or obscure one or more internal components. The compressible seal may be configured to collapse or bend when the rotatable and translatable member translates.

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

An electronic watch may include a housing defining a side wall, a display, a front cover positioned over the display, and an input system configured to receive a rotational input and a translational input. The input system may include a crown including a knob external to the housing and a rotor coupled to the knob and configured to rotate in response to the rotational input and translate in response to the translational input. The input system may further include a first laser module configured to direct a first laser beam onto the rotor and receive first reflected light from the rotor, a second laser module configured to direct a second laser beam onto the rotor and receive second reflected light from the rotor. The electronic watch may further include a processing system coupled to the first and second laser modules and configured to determine a parameter of the rotational input.