Automatic system for setting digital watches
First Claim
1. A system for setting a digital watch having a divider chain including a plurality of counter registers and having an energy responsive means for receiving setting pulses comprising:
- a data entry unit including processing means for generating pulse bursts of a calculated number of pulses for selectively causing said counter registers to count a predetermined number of times from a reset count, a reference watch for time setting, a keyboard for entering messages to be set in said digital watch and means for providing commands as a pulse width modulated code, andan energy source responsive to said processing means for emitting said commands and said pulse bursts for reception by said energy responsive means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for automatically time setting and message setting or programming of a cased digital watch or a watch module and including both an external setting unit and a serial interface control circuit inside the cased digital watch. The system in accordance with the invention is compatible with either watches that require time setting or watches that require both time setting and message programming and is applicable to any type of manually controllable watch. The time and message set system has a data entry unit that includes a keyboard, a display, a reference time module, a memory, a light source such as a light emitting diode or an LED array as an output and a processor which provides central control of the other functional units. The LED array output supplies coded messages to a light or energy responsive device or phototransistor in position under the face of the watch. The watch includes a novel circuit for responding to the phototransistor and provides time setting and message setting.
26 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for setting a digital watch having a divider chain including a plurality of counter registers and having an energy responsive means for receiving setting pulses comprising:
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a data entry unit including processing means for generating pulse bursts of a calculated number of pulses for selectively causing said counter registers to count a predetermined number of times from a reset count, a reference watch for time setting, a keyboard for entering messages to be set in said digital watch and means for providing commands as a pulse width modulated code, and an energy source responsive to said processing means for emitting said commands and said pulse bursts for reception by said energy responsive means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A watch setting system comprising:
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a data entry unit for providing energy pulses of serial command pulses representing command codes and of pulse trains, said data entry unit including a watch holder for emitting said serial command pulses and said pulse trains, said data entry unit including a reference time source and a processor for calculating said command codes and the number of pulses to be emitted in said pulse trains for setting said watch, a digital watch including a time divider chain having a plurality of counter registers and including energy receiving means positioned on said watch for receiving said serial command pulses and said pulse trains for being selectively applied to said counter registers to count a predetermined number of times, said watch including interface means responsive to said energy receiving means for controlling said watch in response to said serial command pulses and said pulse trains for causing said registers to count a predetermined number of times, said watch having at least three buttons and including means for generating a master reset signal in response to said command codes from said interface means and means responsive to said master reset signal to convert said watch to a two button watch.
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7. An interface unit for a digital watch that includes a chain of counters for maintaining a sequence of time levels and for responding to a data entry unit that applies as energy pulses, control data as command codes and bursts of data pulses to said interface unit, said digital watch including an initial divider having a connecting point for controlling the frequency of said chain of counters, said watch responding to set and time signals for controlling, setting and displaying of said time levels comprising:
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energy sensitive means for receiving said energy pulses from said data entry unit; shift register means responsive to said control data from said energy sensitive means for providing said set and time signals; data timer means responsive to said control data for providing data control signals; latching means for receiving commands from said shift register means and coupled to said watch for passing said set and time signals thereto for selecting the counters of said chain of counters; gating means responsive to said control data and coupled to said watch for applying said bursts of pulses to said connecting point of said initial divider, and toggle means responsive to said data control signals for sequentially controlling said latching means to receive the command codes from said shift register means and controlling said gating means to pass said bursts of pulses to said initial divider. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A digital watch module for being set in response to data pulses received from a data entry unit at a first frequency comprising:
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an interface unit for receiving said data pulses, a counter chain in said watch module including a frequency divider having a connection point for transferring counter pulses through said frequency divider at a normal operating frequency being a relatively small fraction of said first frequency, and means coupling said interface unit to said connection point in said frequency divider. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A digital watch module being message set in response to data pulses received from a data entry unit at a selected frequency comprising:
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slewing means for slewing through a sequence of characters, memory means for storing selected characters received from said slewing means, an initial divider for developing slewing pulses at a normal operating frequency being at a pulse frequency such that said selected frequency is at least a plurality of integral multiples of said normal operating frequency, and an interface unit for receiving said data pulses and transferring selected groups of said data pulses to said slewing means at said selected frequency. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. An interface unit for a digital watch that includes a message display, a message memory and slewing means and an initial divider for providing clock signals to said slewing means, said digital watch responding to set and time signals from said interface unit for setting said message, said interface unit responding to a data entry unit that applies control data as command codes and bursts of data pulses to said interface unit, comprising:
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means for receiving said control data, data timer means responsive to said control data for generating data control signals, shift register means for receiving said command codes and providing said set and time signals, latching means for receiving commands from said shift register means and coupled to said watch for passing said set and time signals thereto, gating means for receiving said control data and coupled to said watch for applying said bursts of pulses to said initial divider, and toggle means responsive to said data control signals for sequentially controlling said latching means to receive the commands from said shiftregister means and controlling said gating means to pass said bursts of pulses to said initial divider. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification