Timepiece including an antenna

• US 4,884,252 A
• Filed: 04/14/1989
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ETA SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
• Original Assignee: ETA SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
• Inventors: Joss, Bernard, Teodoridis, Viron
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US07/338,192
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/276, 368/278, 368/282-282, 455/344-351
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/025 in musical instruments or loudspeakers sounding bodies with chimes G04B21/08; in alarm clocks G04B23/028; cases with arrangements for enhancing the sound production G04B37/0075
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence

Abstract

A timepiece (4), adapted to be worn on a part of the body, for example on the wrist, is provided with an antenna capable of capturing an electromagnetic field bearing radio-diffused messages. Measurements have shown that when close to the wrist the radial electric component (E_r) and the azimuthal or tangential magnetic component (H.sub.φ) were predominant. Consequently, in order to capture the first, a capacitive antenna the electrodes of which are parallel to the back cover (2) of the timepiece will be provided and, to capture the second, an inductive antenna including a winding the axis of which is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bracelet (3) will be provided.

Claims

1. A timepiece adapted to be worn on a portion of the body having a cylindrical form such as the arm or the trunk, said timepiece including an antenna capable of capturing an electromagnetic field which includes a magnetic field H and an electrical field E, said electromagnetic field bearing radio-diffused messages and a case having at least a glass and a back cover, said case comprising, in addition to the elements necessary to display the time of day, a micro receiver which receives the messages captured by the antenna in order to transform such messages into data perceptible to the wearer of the timepiece, the antenna being situated within the space bounded by the case and being constituted by a coil including at least one winding said winding being arranged and oriented to capture the component (H.sub.φ

) of the magnetic field tangential to said cylinder, the axis of said winding being arranged parallel to the back cover of the case.

2. A timepiece as set forth in claim 1 in the form of a wristwatch having a bracelet, the axis of said winding being furthermore oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bracelet.

3. A timepiece as set forth in claim 1 in the form of a pendant watch, the axis of said winding being furthermore oriented perpendicularly to the vertical of a plumb line.

4. A timepiece as set forth in claim 1 wherein the winding includes a plurality of sections coupled end to end by connections.

5. A timepiece as set forth in claim 4 wherein the winding includes a first section sunk into the back cover of the case and a second section metallized under the glass, the first and second sections being coupled end to end by means of flexible connectors located between the back cover and the glass.

6. A timepiece adapted to be worn on a portion of the body having a cylindrical form such as the arm or the trunk, said timepiece including an antenna capable of capturing an electromagnetic field which includes a magnetic field H and an electrical field E, said electromagnetic field bearing radio-diffused messages and a case having at least a glass and a back cover, said case comprising, in addition to the elements necessary to display the time of day, a micro receiver which receives the messages captured by the antenna in order to transform such messages into data perceptible to the wearer of the timepiece, the antenna being situated within the space bounded by the case and being formed by first and second substantially planar electrodes placed parallel to one another and separated by a dielectric, said electrodes being arranged and oriented so as to capture the component E_r of the electrical field E radial to said cylinder, the planes of said electrodes being parallel to the back cover of said case.

7. A timepiece as set forth in claim 6 in the form of a wrist watch or pendant watch and including metallization applied under the glass to constitute said first electrode, the back cover and the glass being supported on a caseband formed of insulating material.

8. A timepiece adapted to be worn on a portion of the body having a cylindrical form such as the arm or the trunk, said timepiece including an antenna capable of capturing an electromagnetic field which includes a magnetic field H and an electrical field E, said electromagnetic field bearing radio-diffused messages and a case having at least a glass and a back cover, said case comprising, in addition to the elements necessary to display the time of day, a micro receiver which receives the messages captured by the antenna in order to transform such messages into data perceptible to the wearer of the timepiece, the antenna being situated within the space bounded by the case and formed by the combination of a coil including at least one winding, said coil being arranged and oriented so as to capture the component H.sub.φ

of the magnetic field H tangential to said cylinder, the axis of said coil being arranged parallel to the back cover of said case and of first and second electrodes substantially planar placed parallel to one another and separated by a dielectric, said electrodes being arranged and oriented so as to capture the component E_r of the electrical field radial to said cylinder, the planes of said electrodes being arranged parallel to the back cover of said case.

9. A timepiece as set forth in claim 8 wherein the coil and the first and second electrodes are connected in parallel.