Timepiece apparatus

• US 7,520,664 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Electronics & Watch Co. Ltd (National Electronics Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: National Electronics & Watch Co. Ltd (National Electronics Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Wai, Kwong Yuen
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit W
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAYES, SEAN PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US11/753,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20080181059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 368/69, 368/184, 368185-202, 368308-321
• US Class Current: 368/190
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/004 Magnetically controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces

Abstract

A timepiece apparatus (10) comprising: a rotatable shaft (30) operatively connected to a magnet (40); a magnetic detection device (50) to detect a magnetic field of the magnet (40) when proximal to the magnetic detection device (50); wherein if a predetermined sequence of magnetic fields is detected by the magnetic detection device (50), a predetermined operation is performed.

Claims

1. A timepiece apparatus comprising:

a casing having a cut-out portion defining a void in the casing along a portion of the peripheral edge of the casing and through a top surface of the casing substantially towards a bottom surface of the casing;

an elongate rotatable shaft mounted across the cut-out portion to rotate relative to the casing, the shaft having a portion of a first end held within the casing and a portion of a second end of the shaft opposite to the first end is held within the casing;

a magnet having a length at least the diameter of the shaft and operatively connected to the shaft such that the magnetic axis of the magnet is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis and longitudinal axis of the shift, where manual rotation of the shaft by the user causes the magnetic axis of the magnetic to rotate relative to the casing; and

a magnetic detection device to detect the magnetic fields of the magnet that is proximal to the magnetic detection device;

wherein if a predetermined sequence of magnetic fields is detected by the magnetic detection device, a predetermined operation is performed; and

wherein the position of the magnet relative to the magnetic detection device is fixed such that there is a one-to-one relationship between the magnet and the magnetic detection device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is rotated by the user via a knob to control the operation of the timepiece apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein if the knob is pressed, the apparatus is operable in another mode.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the another mode causes a predetermined operation to occur when the predetermined sequence of magnetic fields is detected by the magnetic detection device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the magnet is housed within the knob.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the shaft and magnet are located at a first location, and the magnetic detection device is located at a second location that is hermetically sealed from the first location.

7. The apparatus accordion to claim 6, wherein the first location is permanently hermetically sealed from the second location.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic detection device is a reed switch or Hall effect sensor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processor to analyse a sequence of signals transmitted by the magnetic detection device when the sequence of magnetic fields is detected by the magnetic detection device, and to cause a predetermined operation to occur corresponding to the detected sequence.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined operation is any one from the group consisting of:

input of data to the apparatus, controlling a function of the apparatus and through information stored in the apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of magnets operatively connected to the shaft and a plurality of magnetic detection devices, each magnetic detection device detecting a magnetic field of a respective magnet proximal to the magnetic detection device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of magnets is arranged such that the direction of the magnetic axis of one magnet is different to the direction of the magnetic axis of an adjacent magnet.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the rotational direction of the shaft is determined by analysing the order of magnetic detection devices which detects a magnetic field.