Electronic apparatus including an analogue display device for displaying any position on a dial

• US 7,154,817 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Swatch Group Research And Development Ltd
• Original Assignee: Asulab SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Froidevaux, Raymond, Born, Jean-Jacques, Rey-Mermet, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAYES, SEAN PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US10/730,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 368/80, 368/150, 368/15, 368 16- 20, 368/223, D10127-128
• US Class Current: 368/80
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 45/0061 Moving parts of the clockwork, e.g. pendulum, hands in special form, mostly constructed as a figure cases and non moving parts of the clockwork in various forms G04B45/0069; decoration and manufacturing methods therefor, also for moving parts G04B45/0076; construction of normal pendulums G04B17/02; construction of normal hands G04B19/042
• 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: G04C 3/146 incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors

Abstract

The apparatus includes at least one information storing unit, a unit for processing said information, a management and control unit receiving control signals from the processing unit and a supply unit controlled by said management unit and controlling the movement of said two stepping motors above a dial bearing markings R_i representative of said information.

The apparatus is characterized in that said processing unit is provided with an algorithm or correspondence table between a marking R_i and angles α_iβ_i formed respectively by each hand from a measurement reference and in that the shape of said hands is such that when they have the angular orientations α_i β_i, their elongated parts can intersect above said marking R_i, or their tips can be aligned opposite said marking R_i.

The apparatus may be a wristwatch.

Claims

1. Portable electronic apparatus for displaying a piece of information in an analogue manner, by means of two hands driven independently by two stepping motors said piece of information being represented on the dial via a plurality of markings R_i, said apparatus including:

at least one information storing unit;

a unit for processing said information;

a management and control unit receiving control signals from the processing unit;

a supply unit controlled by said management unit, and controlling movement of said two stepping motors; and

an external control member enabling at least said piece of information to be displayed;

wherein said processing unit is provided with an algorithm or a correspondence table between a marking R_i, located in any position on the whole surface of the dial, and angles α

_i and β

_i formed respectively by each hand from a measurement reference wherein the shape of the hands is such that, when the hands have the angular orientations α

_i and β

_i, elongated parts of the hands can intersect above said marking R_i, or tips of the hands can be aligned opposite said marking R_i.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one hand is bent and delimits in rotation a small central circle comprising no markings R_i.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one hand has a curved shape with a radius of curvature decreasing towards the center of rotation of said hand.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein one hand is rectilinear and the other hand is heart-shaped, one branch of said other hand being active.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both hands are made of translucent material in two different colors.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a given value of an angle α

or β

corresponds separately to a determined number of steps of a stepping motor.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alignment of the tips of both hands corresponds to markings R_i borne by the dial at a periphery of the dial.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a time base supplying control signals to said management and control unit for displaying a first time related piece of information via said hands in connection with symbols provided at the periphery of the dial.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said measurement reference for angles α

and β

is the time reference at 12 o'"'"'clock, said angles α and

β

being measured between the time reference and a radius passing through the rotational axis of said hands and through the tips of said hands.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said time keeping circuit includes a calendar for the months and the dates, said calendar forming said storing unit for a second time related piece of information, and in that the markings R_i, are formed of the twelve months of the year and by the numbers from 1 to 31, the first twelve numbers corresponding to the hour-symbols.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an optical valve is placed above the dial for masking the markings R_i with the exception of the hour-symbols when the apparatus is in current time reading mode.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said storing unit contains the letters of the alphabet, corresponding to 26 marks distributed randomly on the dial and in that said management and control unit is arranged so as to make a random selection of said letters from the storing unit.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus includes two storing units, one for the vowels and one for the consonants, each storing unit being able to be selected by an appropriate manipulation of the external control member.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus further includes an electronic dictionary that can be consulted on the basis of the letters selected from the storing unit.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is a wristwatch able to continuously give a first time related piece of information and, upon actuation of the external control member, a second time related or non-time related piece of information.