Electronic watch including capacitive keys on its crystal

• US 20020060953A1
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Published: 05/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asulab SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Asulab SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Farine, Pierre-Andre, Guanter, Jean-Charles, Rota, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 6,868,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/69
• 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: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces

Abstract

The watch is provided with a circular row of capacitive keys defined by transparent electrodes (21 to 32) arranged on the inner face of the crystal (5) of the watch and connected to a detection device via a multiplexer. These keys are activated by the person wearing the watch placing a finger (38) on the crystal facing one of the electrodes. The watch further includes means for detecting the position of at least one of the hands (8, 9) by means of the same detection device, using the electrodes (21 to 32) of the capacitive keys and/or other fixed electrodes (51).

Claims

1. An electronic watch including:

a case containing display means with hands and provided with a crystal made of dielectric material arranged in front of said hands,

manual control means comprising capacitive keys each provided with at least a transparent electrode arranged on the inner face of the crystal and forming a first plate of a capacitive sensor whose second plate is formed by placing a finger of the person wearing the watch on an external face of the crystal selectively opposite at least one of said capacitive keys, said control means further including a detection device for detecting capacitance variations in said sensors and consequently generating control signals in the watch, and

means for capacitive detection of position of at least one of said hands, on the basis of variations in capacitance between said hand and at least one of said transparent electrodes of the capacitive keys.

2. A watch according to claim 1, wherein said hand is electrically connected to a fixed potential and wherein said hand position detection is achieved by means of said detection device associated with the capacitive keys.

3. A watch according to claim 2, wherein said detection device is arranged to distinguish relatively strong variations in capacitance, caused by placing a finger opposite one of the transparent electrodes, from smaller variations in capacitance, caused by the passage of a hand in proximity to said transparent electrode.

4. A watch according to claim 1, wherein said transparent electrodes are separated from each other by spaces in the shape of radial strips.

5. A watch according to claim 4, wherein said spaces are located facing hour symbols of a dial.

6. A watch according to claim 1, wherein said transparent electrodes are substantially comb-shaped with teeth directed radially towards the centre of the watch.

7. A watch according to claim 2, wherein a capacitive key includes a group of said transparent electrodes, said detection device being arranged to distinguish variations in capacitance caused by placing a finger opposite several adjacent electrodes of said group, from the variation in capacitance caused by the passage of said hand in proximity to any of the electrodes of said group.

8. A watch according to claim 2, wherein said detection device includes a control mode, intended to detect a finger placed opposite one of said capacitive keys, and a hand detection mode, intended to detect the position of at least one of said hands, said detection device being capable of operating either simultaneously in both modes, or in a single mode at a time.

9. An electronic watch including:

a case containing display means with hands and provided with a crystal made of dielectric material arranged in front of said hands,

manual control means including capacitive keys each provided with at least a transparent electrode arranged on the inner face of the crystal and forming a first plate of a capacitive sensor whose second plate is formed by placing a finger of the person wearing the watch on an external face of the crystal selectively opposite at least one of said capacitive keys, said control means further including a detection device for detecting capacitance variations in said sensors and consequently generating control signals in the watch, and

means for capacitive detection of position of at least one of said hands on the basis of variations in capacitance between said hand and at least one fixed electrode, said hand position detection being achieved by means of said detection device associated with the capacitive keys.

10. A watch according to claim 9, wherein said fixed electrode is distinct from said transparent electrodes of the capacitive keys.

11. A watch according to claim 9, wherein said transparent electrodes are separated from each other by spaces in the shape of radial strips.

12. A watch according to claim 11, wherein said spaces are located facing hour symbols of a dial.

13. A watch according to claim 9, wherein said transparent electrodes are substantially comb-shaped with teeth directed radially towards the centre of the watch.

14. A watch according to claim 10, wherein said fixed electrodes are formed of radial strips arranged in a circular row on the inner face of the crystal and wherein each transparent electrode of the capacitive keys includes a narrow part in the shape of a radial strip, extending into said row of fixed electrodes, and an enlarged part arranged outside said row.

15. A watch according to claim 10, wherein said fixed electrode is placed on the watch dial.

16. A watch according to claim 9, wherein said detection device includes a control mode, intended to detect a finger placed opposite one of said capacitive keys, and a hand detection mode, intended to detect the position of at least one of said hands, said detection device being capable of operating either simultaneously in both modes, or in a single mode at a time.