Apple is looking into methods for providing more haptic feedback on iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. The company has been granted a patent (number 10,503,258) for an “input mechanism with force and rotation inputs and haptic feedback.”
In the patent data, Apple notes that touch screens are becoming increasingly popular as an input method for an electronic device because of their ease and versatility of operation, as well as their declining price.
However, in addition to touch panels/touch screens, many electronic devices may also have mechanical inputs, such as buttons, switches, and/or knobs. These mechanical inputs can control power (i.e., on/off) and volume for the electronic devices, among other functions. Apple says that, however, sometimes these mechanical inputs also fail to give a user tactile feedback, such as the “click-click-click” feeling of winding a mechanical alarm clock with a knob or a mechanical watch crown. The company apparently wants to change this.
Here’s the summary of the invention: “An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing and an input mechanism cooperatively engaged with the housing and configured to rotate in a first direction about a rotation axis.
“In some examples, the electronic device comprises an input sensor configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on rotation of the input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises an actuator coupled to the housing and configured to displace the input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a force sensor coupled to the input mechanism and configured to sense an input at the input mechanism based on a force applied to the input mechanism along the second axis.”
