Light emitting diode wristwatch with angular display

• US 3,974,637 A
• Filed: 03/28/1975
• Issued: 08/17/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Computer Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Time Computer Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Connor, Arthur H., McCullough, Robert E., Bergey, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Application Number:
  US05/563,105
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: D10/30, D10/31, D10/32, D10/38, 58/23 R, 58/50 R, 58/88 R
• US Class Current: 368/68
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/02 Component assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0017 in which the light emitting display elements may be activated at will or are controlled in accordance with the ambient light

Abstract

Disclosed is a solid state wristwatch having an active electro-optical display in the form of light emitting diodes. The display is mounted on one sloping side of a groove in a circular module frame and comprises a ceramic substrate having the display on one side and a large scale integrated circuit on the other. The angular orientation of the display coincides with the axis of an angularly oriented viewing window constructed so that the watch case shades at least part of the display. Viewing under bright daylight is enhanced and through ambient light responsive control of current to the display, battery energy under most viewing conditions is conserved.

Claims

1. A wrist watch comprising a watch case having a flat back plate and bezel, said bezel having a viewing window with a central axis intersecting the plane of said back plate at an acute angle, a plurality of light emitting diode digital display elements and a photosensor within said case adjacent said window, means coupled to said photosensor for controlling the electrical energy supplied to said display elements in response to the amount of ambient light passing through said window and impinging on said photosensor, said display elements being mounted on an electrically insulating substrate, a large scale integrated circuit on said substrate and electrically coupled to said display element, said large scale integrated circuit being mounted on the opposite side of said substrate from said display elements, and a module frame inside said case supporting said substrate, said module frame having a substantially V-shaped groove with long and short sides, said substrate being supported by the long side of said groove.

2. A wristwatch according to claim 1 including an oscillator crystal and a plurality of switches mounted on said module frame.

3. A wristwatch according to claim 2 including a pair of wells in the side of said module frame opposite said substrate for removably receiving a pair of battery cells.

4. A wristwatch according to claim 3 wherein said switches comprise reed switches.

5. A wristwatch according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a ceramic block having on one side said display elements and photosensor and on the other side said large scale integrated circuit, and a plurality of electrical leads extending outwardly for electrical connection to other components of said wristwatch.

6. A wrist watch comprising a watch case having a flat back plate and a bezel, said bezel having a viewing window with an central axis intersecting the plane of said back plate at an acute angle, a band pass optical filter in said window, a circular electrically insulating module frame in said case, said frame having thinner and thicker portions defining an outwardly extending wall at least substantially parallel with said filter, a plurality of light emitting diode digital display stations supported by said wall adjacent said filter, a photosensor in said case adjacent said window, and means coupled to said photosensor for controlling the electrical energy applied to said display elements in response to the amount of ambient light passing through said window and impinging on said photosensor.

7. A wristwatch according to claim 6 wherein said display stations are mounted on a ceramic substrate, a large scale integrated circuit on the side of said substrate opposite said display stations, said wall having a cut-away portion receiving said large scale integrated circuit.

8. A wristwatch according to claim 7 wherein said bezel is curved, said window lying at least substantially on one side of a transverse plane passing through its center.

9. A wristwatch according to claim 8 wherein said display stations give off red light, said filter passing only red light in the visible spectrum.

10. A wristwatch according to claim 8 wherein said thicker portions of said module frame includes a recess receiving an oscillator crystal, said cut-away portion of said wall having a notch for passing electrical leads from said recess to said substrate.

11. A wristwatch according to claim 6 wherein said means for controlling electrical energy comprises a variable duty cycle circuit.

12. A wristwatch according to claim 11 wherein said duty cycle circuit comprises a NAND gate having a first input for receiving a display enable signal and a second input for receiving a series of variable width pulses.

13. A wristwatch according to claim 12 wherein said photosensor is coupled to a capacitor, said photosensor acting as a variable charging resistor for said capacitor.

14. A wristwatch according to claim 13 including an MOS transistor coupled to said capacitor for periodically discharging it.