Multi-functional portable device controlled by external information

• US 10,126,833 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Festina Lotus SA
• Original Assignee: Soprod SA (Festina Lotus SA)
• Inventors: Piquerez, Denis, Clivaz, Romain
• Primary Examiner(s): Eurice, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/759,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 13/105 setting the time-indicating means master-slave systems with setting means G04C13/03; adjusting independently-driven clocks G04C9/00, G04C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/00 Indicating the time optically by electric means G04C19/00 takes precedence; by mechanical means G04B19/00, G04B19/20
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/0066 electromagnetically driven, e.g. intermittently clocks incorporating a stepping motor G04C3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/0091 Combined electro-optical and electro-mechanical displays see provisionally also G04G9/0082
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/14 incorporating a stepping motor G04C3/02 - G04C3/12 take precedence generating timing pulses G04F5/00, G04G3/00; setting G04G5/00; synchronisation G04G7/00; generating commutating pulses in masterclocks G04C13/0463, G04C13/02; slave clocks actuated intermittently by electromechanical step advancing mechanisms G04C13/10; control circuits for stepping motors in general H02P8/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/146 incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 9/00 Electrically-actuated devices for setting the time-indicating means of slave clocks G04C13/03; mechanical setting devices G04B27/00; radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 5/00 Setting, i.e. correcting or changing, the time-indication radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/00 Visual time or date indication means
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/02 the radio signal being sent by a satellite, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/14 the radio signal being a telecommunication standard signal, e.g. GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/26 the radio signal being a near-field communication signal
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/02 Antennas also serving as components of clocks or watches, e.g. motor coils
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/14 specific to electromechanical timepieces, e.g. moving parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A multi-functional portable device including a display module driven by an actuator and configured to be able to display one or more display functions simultaneously or sequentially. A control unit is configured to receive outside information and control the display module according to said one or more display functions, based on the received outside information. The device also includes a computer medium including portions of code for a software application having a plurality of display functions, each of the display functions being configured to be executed in the multifunctional device.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a multi-functional portable device, the system comprising:

a remote control device with one or more selection means allowing users to select a plurality of time or non-time display functions the users wish to see executed on the multi-functional portable device and to generate corresponding external information;

a wireless connection module;

the multi-functional portable device comprising;

a display module driven by an actuator and comprising;

at least one first display of an analog type configured to display the plurality of time display functions and

at least one second display of an analog type configured to display the plurality of non-time display functions simultaneously with the plurality of time display functions displayed by said at least one first display; and

a transmission unit communicating with the wireless connection module and configured for transmitting internal information from the multi-functional portable device corresponding to an indication of the display module; and

a control unit configured to receive external information and control the display module according to said plurality of time or non-time display functions the users wish to see executed on the multi-functional portable device, based on the received external information; and

a non-transitory computer medium comprising portions of code for a software application comprising a library of functions comprising a plurality of display functions, each of the display functions being configured to be executed by a processor of the multi-functional portable device;

wherein said selection means is configured for selecting a subgroup of display functions from among the plurality of display functions, such as to generate the external information comprising the subgroup of display functions; and

wherein said at least one first display of the analog type and said at least one second display of the analog type are driven by the actuator in accordance with the external information such as to display simultaneously said subgroup of display functions.

2. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit comprises:

a control module for controlling the actuator;

and

a receiving unit communicating with the wireless connection module and the control module,

wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive the external information through the wireless connection module and transmit the external information to the control module.

3. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the multi-functional portable device is a timepiece.

4. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein said plurality of display functions comprise one of the following functions or a combination of these functions:

indexing, synchronizing, stopwatch, countdown, wakeup alarm, programmable alarm, time zone, calendar or battery state.

5. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless connection module comprises optical or radio wave communication means using a short-range wireless transmission protocol.

6. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

further comprising a storage unit for storing the internal information and/or the external information.

7. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the remote control device comprises a portable telephone, a PC, a numeric tablet or a console.

8. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the selection means comprise a touch screen configured for displaying a plurality of sensitive graphical elements that can be actuated by a manual action of a user in order to control the display module when the control unit controls the display module according to said predetermined display function.

9. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 8,

wherein each of the plurality of sensitive graphical elements is associated with one of the indicators, wherein each of the indicators can be controlled by a manual action of a user on the associated sensitive graphical element.

10. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of display functions comprises one of the following functions or a combination of these functions:

indexing, synchronizing, stopwatch, countdown, wakeup alarm, programmable alarm, time zone, calendar or battery state.

11. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 10,

wherein the plurality of display functions depends on indications supplied by one or several electronic sensors of the multi-functional portable device.

12. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

further comprising a control mechanism for selecting a predetermined display function from among the subgroup of display functions, so that the control unit can control the display module according to said predetermined display function.

13. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 12,

wherein the multi-functional portable device is a timepiece and wherein the control mechanism comprises a pushbutton or a crown of the timepiece.

14. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 13,

wherein the control mechanism can be actuated so as to select the predetermined display function following two consecutive pressing actions on the pushbutton or the crown.

15. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the display module comprises one or more mobile indicators.

16. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 15,

wherein the wireless connection module includes an antenna comprised in said one or-more mobile indicators.

17. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 15,

wherein each of said one or more mobile indicators comprises at least one hand and/or at least one rotating disc.

18. The system for controlling a multi-functional portable device according to claim 17,

wherein the hand and/or the rotating disc serve as antenna.

19. Method for controlling a multi-functional portable device comprising a display module driven by an actuator and comprising at least one first display of an analog type configured to display a plurality of time display functions and at least one second display of an analog type configured to display a plurality of non-time display functions simultaneously with the plurality of time display functions,

said method using a remote control device with one or more selection means allowing users to select the plurality of time or non-time display functions the users wish to see executed on the multi-functional portable device and to generate corresponding external information;

a control unit configured to receive said external information and control the display module according to said plurality of time or non-time display functions the users wish to see executed on the multi-functional portable device, based on the received external information;

a wireless connection module;

a transmission unit communicating with the wireless connection module and configured for transmitting internal information from the multi-functional portable device corresponding to an indication of the display module;

a non-transitory computer medium comprising portions of code for a software application comprising a library of functions comprising a plurality of display functions, each of the display functions being configured to be executed in the multi-functional portable device;

selection means for selecting a subgroup of display functions from among the plurality of display functions, so as to generate the external information comprising the subgroup of display functions; and

a control mechanism for selecting a predetermined display function from among the subgroup of display functions, so that the control unit can control the display module according to said predetermined display function;

the method comprising;

selecting a subgroup of display functions from among the plurality of display functions using the selection means;

selecting a predetermined display function from among the subgroup of display functions using the control mechanism so that the control unit controls the display module according to said predetermined display function.

20. The method according to claim 19,

wherein the multi-functional portable device is a timepiece, wherein the control mechanism comprises a pushbutton or a crown of the timepiece;

and

wherein selecting the predetermined display function is achieved by two consecutive pressing actions on the pushbutton or the crown.

21. The method according to claim 19,

wherein the multi-functional portable device further comprises a remote control device comprising visualization means;

wherein the method comprises the steps of visualizing the display module using the visualization means;

of determining a value displayed by the display module;

of modifying the value displayed by the display module by comparing the displayed value and a predetermined value.

22. The method according to claim 21,

wherein the selection means comprise input means comprised within the remote control device, wherein the input means comprise a touch screen configured for displaying a plurality of sensitive graphical elements that can be actuated by a manual action of a user in order to control the display module when the control unit controls the display module according to said predetermined display function;

wherein actuating the control mechanism comprises a manual action of a user in order to control the display module when the control unit controls the display module according to the predetermined display function.