An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a printed circuit board disposed inside the housing and including a first face and a second face that faces away from the first face, a connection member disposed on the first face and electrically connected to the printed circuit board, a switch member disposed on the first face and at least partially overlaps the connection member when viewed from above the first face, and a button member including an electrically conductive member, and disposed to be capable of operating the switch member. The electrically conductive member is electrically connected to the connection member.

An electronic watch includes a housing and a crown assembly including a rotatable actuation member. The rotatable actuation member includes a knob external to the housing and configured to receive a rotational input and a shaft assembly coupled to the knob and positioned at least partially within the housing, the shaft assembly defining a sensing surface configured to rotate in response to the rotational input. The electronic watch further includes an optical sensing system configured to detect the rotational input, the detecting including directing light onto the sensing surface, receiving reflected light from the sensing surface, and producing a signal corresponding to a rotational motion of the sensing surface, the signal based at least in part on an interference between the light directed onto the sensing surface and the reflected light.

To prevent an erroneous operation and improve operability, a button device and a timepiece including the button device are provided. The button device includes: a cylindrical first guide protector 11 protruding from the lateral face of a wristwatch case 1; and a first button 12 disposed in the first guide protector 11 to be slidable inward and outward of the wristwatch case 1. The first button 12 includes a first button head 13 disposed in the first guide protector 11, and a first button shaft 15 passing through a first through hole 14 of the wristwatch case 1. The first button head 13 is inclined obliquely upward relative to the lateral face of the wristwatch case 1. The first guide protector 11 protects the outer periphery of the first button head 13, and this prevents accidental and erroneous operation of the first button 12. The first button head 13 is inclined obliquely upward relative to the lateral face of the wristwatch case 1, and this allows the user to easily place a fingertip on the outer end face of the first button head 13, and so improves the operability of the first button 12.

An electronic device and a control method are provided. The electronic device includes: a housing with an accommodating space, where the housing is provided with a groove surrounding the accommodating space, and a first dielectric and a second dielectric are disposed on a sidewall of the groove; and a bezel, where at least part of the bezel is disposed in the groove; and the bezel is capable of rotating around an axial direction of the housing in the groove.

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device comprises: a housing; a protrusion from a side surface of the housing including a first window and a second window; a first board disposed inside the housing; a second board connected to one surface of the first board; a first sensor circuit mounted on a first surface of the second board, disposed in the protrusion, and spaced apart from and under the first window; and a second sensor circuit mounted on a second surface of the second board facing in a direction opposite to the first surface of the second board, disposed in the protrusion, and spaced apart from and above the second window.

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.

A switch device including a base member provided with a stem insertion hole, an operation member which has an engaging groove provided in an outer circumferential surface thereof, and is slidably and rotatably inserted into the stem insertion hole of the base member, a stopper member having an engaging portion which is arranged in the engaging groove of the operation member and moved along with sliding of the operation member, and a release member which releases the engaging portion from the engaging groove, in which the release member includes a pressing portion which is operated from one surface side of the base member so as to release the engaging portion from the engaging groove.

A watch including a control member that is able to manage at least one first function of the watch and at the same time to control one or more additional electronic functions. The control member, for example a crown or a push-piece head, is mounted on the elongate element defining a central axis and passing through a wall of the watch middle. At least one strain gauge is mounted around the elongate element and arranged so as to produce an electrical signal representing a radial force exerted by the elongate element on the strain gauge when a user laterally exerts a force on the control member. A processor generates at least one command on the basis of the electrical signal, for example to enable the user to navigate in a menu or a calendar displayed on a digital screen.

A method of an optical sensor apparatus which is to be used with a controlling device arranged for controlling an object having a long shape and flexible form of a material, includes: using a light emitting circuit to generate and output a light ray to a surface of a portion of the object; sensing the light ray reflected from the surface for multiple times to generate multiple images; detecting at least one motion image in the generated multiple images; and, determining a motion, an offset, or a rotation angle of the object, which is controlled by the thread controlling device, according to the detected at least one motion image.

An electronic watch includes a housing, a user-operable watch crown mounted to the housing, an electromagnetic radiation source emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation toward a watch crown surface, and a sensor. The beam of electromagnetic radiation depends on a coherent mixing of electromagnetic radiation within a resonant cavity of the electromagnetic radiation source. The coherent mixing includes a mixing of a first amount of electromagnetic radiation generated by the electromagnetic radiation source and a second amount of electromagnetic radiation redirected into the resonant cavity by the watch crown surface. The sensor measures a first parameter of the beam of electromagnetic radiation and determines, using the measurement of the first parameter, a value of a second parameter characterizing movement of the watch crown. The second parameter may include a direction of rotation or speed of rotation of the watch crown, or other parameters.