Future Apple Watch could have joystick-like Digital Crown

Posted:
in Apple Watch
The Apple Watch Digital Crown might be more flexible in the future, as Apple has come up with a way to turn the smartwatch button into a simple joystick by moving the rotational crown element laterally.




The Apple Watch offers users with a number of different interaction methods, including voice control, the touchscreen, the side button, and the Digital Crown. The latter is already a multi-purpose device, with it able to be clicked, rotated, and used as a contact point for ECG readings, but Apple thinks it could be improved further.

In a patent granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday titled "Capacitive gap sensor ring for an electronic watch," Apple suggests the Digital Crown could be turned into a form of joystick or directional controller.

The Digital Crown could be created from a cap or shaft that can be moved in multiple directions. This is then covered by a selection of capacitive elements across two surfaces, where one rotates and moves within another, such as a shaft within a socket or a ring.

By detecting changes in capacitance for each of the capacitive elements, namely where elements touch, it could be determined where the physical position of the internal element is in relation to the outer version. Therefore this informs the device of which direction the user has pressed the crown in.

The measurement largely relates to the values detected by the capacitive elements on the fixed-in-place structure, regardless of orientation of the other section in terms of rotation. It is plausible that some form of measurement could be used to detect which element of the central part is making contact with the outside section, therefore detecting how the crown is rotated at the time of contact.

Using multiple rows of the capacitive elements could also enable the detection of how far the crown is pressed into the smartwatch. On a basic level, this would be whether it is pressed in or not, but adding more rings of capacitors could provide more granular detection.

In a similar manner to joysticks and other control schemes, a return mechanism is employed to bring the central element back to the middle of the available space, in preparation for the next input attempt by the user, and to avoid constant inputs when not in use.

An illustration of a digital crown moving, changing the electrical values of elements on the inner shaft
An illustration of a digital crown moving, changing the electrical values of elements on the inner shaft


Apple proposes that, unlike the existing Apple Watch user interface that doesn't use a cursor, there could be graphical elements that are manipulated by the joystick-like lateral control of the crown, with vertical and horizontal movements translating into similar adjustments to the screen's interface.

The patent lists its inventors as Apple product designer Tyler S. Bushnell, sensor hardware design and integration engineer Collin R. Petty, and product design engineer Adam T. Clavelle. The trio have previously worked together on a similar patent, albeit with the slightly different name of "Capacitive gap sensor ring for an input device," again intended for the Apple Watch's Digital Crown.

Clavelle also has patent filings relating to wireless charging systems in portable devices, machining ceramic components, and an "wearable electronic device with electrodes for sensing biological parameters," all of which closely relate to the Apple Watch. Bushnell's Watch-related patent filings include "Sensing contact force related to user wearing an electronic device" and an "electronic watch with obscured sensor for detecting an applied force."

Apple files numerous patent applications on a weekly basis, but while the existence of a patent indicates areas of interest for the company's research and development efforts, they do not guarantee the existence of the feature in a future product or service.

Other filings relating to the Apple Watch include how EMG sensors could be used to measure muscle movements, the use of automatically-adjusting Watch bands, bands with hidden power sources and sensors, and gesture-based and hands-free tilt controls.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    I can see it being capacitive but not a moving crown (sounds like both). Moving parts wear down and break, which would be un-Apple like.
    netmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 13
    Love the Apple Watch but the Digital Crown is by far my least favorite part of it. Easy to bump it when hand bent so Siri comes on. Would prefer to just scroll on the screen and have a button in its place for a total of two buttons on that side.
    supadav03
  • Reply 3 of 13
    macmarcus said:
    Love the Apple Watch but the Digital Crown is by far my least favorite part of it. Easy to bump it when hand bent so Siri comes on. Would prefer to just scroll on the screen and have a button in its place for a total of two buttons on that side.
    I haven't had that happen, no matter how far back I bend my hand I can't depress it accidentally. I actually really like the crown, because it lets me manipulate the contents without obscure visibility with my finger. Also I find the crown is more refined when I need to adjust something down like a single point (dropping lights to 1%) than trying to swipe it to the same.
    lollivernetmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 13
    I just hope it's less easy to turn. The original through the 3 had a solid and firm feel that was hard to turn accidentally. The 4 is so easy that long sleeves and coats turn it constantly. I'm either turning the volume all the way down or up all the time. Not sure about the 5, but I assume it's the same.

    netmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 13
    I can see it being capacitive but not a moving crown (sounds like both). Moving parts wear down and break, which would be un-Apple like.

    Do you realize that the rotating crown is a moving part already? This is basically a variation on the pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard that some laptops use, and those are reliable enough.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 13
    macmarcus said:
    Love the Apple Watch but the Digital Crown is by far my least favorite part of it. Easy to bump it when hand bent so Siri comes on. Would prefer to just scroll on the screen and have a button in its place for a total of two buttons on that side.
    I've found it helpful to flip the watch so the crown is on the "elbow" side of my arm instead of the "wrist" side. (You can flip the orientation in Settings.)
    tallgrasstechiewatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 13
    I can see it being capacitive but not a moving crown (sounds like both). Moving parts wear down and break, which would be un-Apple like.

    Do you realize that the rotating crown is a moving part already? This is basically a variation on the pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard that some laptops use, and those are reliable enough.

    True, but it stable except for the rotation. If it can move up, down, left, right, etc., it might wear even more (and get snagged more).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 13
    The AW crown is a solution looking for a problem, implemented principally so that Apple Watch looks more like a, well, watch. And I guess as a place to put a mark for distinguishing newer and more expensive models... :# All of its functionality can be emulated with a scroll bar along the edge(s), eliminating the unnecessary protruding parts, while at the same time allowing for a transparent data manipulation on screen.
    supadav03
  • Reply 9 of 13
    macmarcus said:
    Love the Apple Watch but the Digital Crown is by far my least favorite part of it. Easy to bump it when hand bent so Siri comes on. Would prefer to just scroll on the screen and have a button in its place for a total of two buttons on that side.


    Im with you. Happens to me basically every day. Rather annoying. I honestly very rarely use the crown for scrolling and would not miss it if it disappeared from the watch. 
  • Reply 10 of 13
    I'm not sure what all the annoyance with the AW crown is. I figured everyone had flipped the orientation already. iMore (among many others) posted about this a long while back. A good video for those who haven't yet.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 13
    All of its functionality can be emulated with a scroll bar along the edge(s), eliminating the unnecessary protruding parts, while at the same time allowing for a transparent data manipulation on screen.
    The Crown provides three functions, only one of which could be mostly replaced by an invisible touch control on the case side:
    1. Scrolling/changing data values
    2. Single/double click & long press
    3. EKG electrode
    edited December 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 13
    Yeah, I have thought about turning it upside down like for right wrist but on the left wrist but that makes the digital crown even more awkward to use. Ive wasn't perfect regarding this concept.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,419member
    The crown works very well for me, as is. I don't have any problems with it and find it to be the most precise way of scrolling when reading something.

    Ive did a fine job with it. A joy stick sounds like a feature wanting application. It opens a greater area for debris to accumulate and I think in the long run, a great many people won't be able to control it as finely as the digital crown.

    Touch controls tend to get too– touchy. I see that more than I like with Touch ID and using the Watch face for navigation. I predict a touch control on a very small surface area will be a problem to control with the same granulation of the crown.

    Getting rid of the digital crown, for me, would be like getting rid of the earphone jack is for some other users.

    watto_cobra
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