Linear digital-analog interactive wristwatch

• US 5,757,731 A
• Filed: 11/19/1993
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Burton A. Rosenberg
• Original Assignee: Burton A. Rosenberg
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Burton A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US08/160,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 368/240-242, 368/239, 368/82, 368/83, 368/84, 368/223
• US Class Current: 368/242
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/001 Electromechanical switches for setting or display in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0082 by building-up characters using a combination of indicating elements and by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the positions of which represents the time, i.e. combinations of G04G9/02 and G04G9/08

Abstract

A wristwatch linear time display (32) is disclosed which can be read at a glance and requires very little display space. Additional functions are described which use the remaining surplus display space. These functions substantially increase the usefulness of wristwatches. Devices for the wearer to interact with the added functions are disclosed.

The compact time display (32) may be located where it can be seen without turning a wrist. It may also be combined with other temporal displays to improve display clarity by eliminating clutter.

Claims

1. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a periphery, said watch face including a relatively narrow compact time display, and controls means for controlling said compact time display, said compact time display comprising:

A. a digital time display which presents the current hour and minute in spaced digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display adjoining and between said spaced digits, said display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said compact time display adjoining a portion of said periphery at one side of said watch face and extending across only a minor portion of said watch face, the remaining major portion of said watch face being unencumbered by said compact display and available for other functions.

2. The wristwatch of claim 1, wherein said current hour and minute digits are at respective ends of and aligned with said substantially straight route.

3. The wristwatch of claim 2, wherein said indicator has a dimension transverse to said defined route and wherein said hour and minute digits have substantially the same dimension as said indicator in a direction transverse to said defined route.

4. The wristwatch of claim 3, wherein the width of said narrow compact display comprises said dimension transverse to said route.

5. A wristwatch of claim 1, further including in said remaining major portion an auxiliary data display screen and a plurality of actuating keys.

6. The wristwatch of claim 5, wherein said keys comprise a sloped surface, said symbols being located on said sloped surface, thereby reducing the watch face space required for key identification.

7. A wristwatch comprising a time display and control means for controlling said time display, said time display comprising,

A. a display which presents the current minute in digits in response to said control means,

B. a linear hour progress display, said display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, and

C. a second linear display having a beginning and an end showing hour digits sequentially displayed in steps that proceed from said beginning of said second linear display to said end of said display thereby continuously displaying the current hour and the portion of the day that has elapsed and the portion that remains.

8. A wristwatch comprising a time display and control means for controlling said time display, said time display comprising,

A. a display which presents the current minute in digits in response to said control means,

B. a linear hour progress display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, wherein said linear hour progress display has one raised longitudinal edge to make said display visible to the wearer without turning a wrist.

9. A wristwatch comprising a time display and control means for controlling said time display, said time display comprising,

A. a display which presents the current minute in digits in response to said control means,

B. a linear hour progress display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, wherein said linear hour progress display is located on a periphery of said wristwatch at an angle so that it is visible to the wearer without turning a wrist.

10. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a periphery, said watch face including a relatively narrow compact time display, and controls means for controlling said compact time display, said compact time display comprising,

A. a digital time display which presents the current hour and minute in spaced digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display adjoining said spaced digits, said display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said compact time display adjoining a portion of said periphery at one side of said watch face and extending across only a minor portion of said watch face, the remaining major portion of said watch face being unencumbered by said compact display and available for other functions;

and

said wristwatch further including in said remaining major portion a data display screen with a plurality of actuating keys adjacent to each other, said keys being adjacent to said compact time display and to said screen, a recessed pocket in each actuating key for retaining the pointed end of a probe used to depress said keys, thereby eliminating the need for finger space between said keys, and further including identification symbols on said keys located above said recessed pocket, whereby contact wear will not affect legibility.

11. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a periphery, said watch face including a relatively narrow compact time display, and controls means for controlling said compact time display, said compact time display comprising,

A. a digital time display which presents the current hour and minute in spaced digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display adjoining said spaced digits, said display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said compact time display adjoining a portion of said periphery at one side of said watch face and extending across only a minor portion of said watch face, the remaining major portion of said watch face being unencumbered by said compact display and available for other functions;

wherein said narrow compact display extends with its longitudinal dimension adjoining a horizontal portion of said periphery as viewed by a user, wherein said defined route extends from one end of said narrow compact display to the other end thereof parallel to said horizontal portion of said periphery, and wherein said hour and minute digits are spaced a substantial distance apart and are positioned proximate to and on one side of said defined route, the height of said narrow compact time display being established by the sum of the width of said defined route and the height of said digits.

12. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a periphery, said watch face including a compact time display and control means for controlling said compact time display, said compact time display comprising:

A. a digital time display which presents the current hour and minute in spaced digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display adjoining and between said spaced digits including a substantially linear defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially linear route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially linear route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said compact time display adjoining a portion of said periphery at one side of said watch face facing the wearer and extending across only a minor portion of said watch face, the remaining major portion of said watch face being unencumbered by said compact display and available for other functions.

13. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a substantially rectangular periphery, a time display on said watch face and control means for controlling said time display,

said time display being a relatively narrow compact time display occupying substantially all of said watch face and adjoining said rectangular periphery on all sides, said compact time display comprising:

A. a digital time display which presents the current hour and minute in spaced digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display adjoining and between said spaced digits and including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said current hour and minute digits being aligned with said substantially straight route.

14. The wristwatch of claim 13, wherein said indicator has a dimension transverse to said defined route and wherein said hour and minute digits have substantially the same dimension as said indicator in a direction transverse to said defined route.

15. The wristwatch of claim 14, wherein the width of said narrow compact display comprises said dimension transverse to said route.

16. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a periphery, said watch face including a relatively narrow compact time display, and controls means for controlling said compact time display, said compact time display comprising;

A. a digital time display which presents the current hour and minute in spaced digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display adjoining said spaced digits and said display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said compact time display adjoining a portion of said periphery at one side of said watch face and extending across only a minor portion of said watch face, the remaining major portion of said watch face being unencumbered by said compact display and available for other functions and said linear hour progress display extending between at least one of said spaced digits adjoining one of said beginning and said end of said route and said other of said beginning and said end, said linear hour progress display and said at least one spaced digit adjoining said periphery.

17. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a periphery, said watch face including a relatively narrow compact time display, and controls means for controlling said compact time display, said compact time display comprising,

A. a digital time display means which presents the current hour and minute in spaced digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display means adjoining said spaced digits, said display means including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said compact time display adjoining a portion of said periphery at one side of said watch face and extending across only a minor portion of said watch face, the remaining major portion of said watch face being unencumbered by said compact display and available for other functions;

wherein one of said display means has one side adjoining said portion of said periphery and another side opposite to said one side, wherein said one display means lies between said other display means and said portion of said periphery, and wherein said other display means adjoins said other side of said one display means.

18. The wristwatch of claim 17, wherein said one display means is said linear hour progress display means, and wherein said portion of said periphery is a horizontal portion as viewed by a user, wherein said defined route extends parallel to said horizontal portion of said periphery and wherein said hour and minute digits are positioned proximate to and on said another side of said defined route, the height of said narrow compact time display being established by the sum of the width of said defined route and the height of said digits.

19. A wristwatch comprising a watch face having a periphery, said watch face including a relatively narrow compact time display having relatively long sides lengthwise thereof, and means for controlling said time display, said compact time display comprising:

A. a digital time display which presents the current hour and minute in space digits in response to said control means, and

B. a linear hour progress display adjoining said spaced digits, said display including a substantially straight defined route having a beginning and an end with an indicator in it, said indicator starting at said beginning of said substantially straight route at the beginning of each hour and moving at an unchanging rate of speed to said end of said substantially straight route in the course of each hour, thereby continuously displaying the portion of each hour that has elapsed and the portion remaining in response to said control means, said compact time display being positioned to place one of its relatively long sides adjoining a portion of said periphery at one side of said watch face and extending across only a minor portion of said watch face from said one side, leaving a substantial major portion of said watch face unencumbered by said compact display and available for other functions, said remaining major portion being of sufficient size that at least one additional display function is located therein.