Watch with digital display

• US 7,272,077 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pierre Nobs
• Original Assignee: Pierre Nobs
• Inventors: Nobs, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAYES, SEAN PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US10/718,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20040100872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 368/82, 368189-190, 368/69, 368206-216
• US Class Current: 368/69
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/02 at preselected times, e.g. alarm clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0076 in which the time in another time-zone or in another city can be displayed at will

Abstract

Watch with digital display capable of being adjusted by a control device sensitive to rotation and to axial pressure. The watch comprises two lines of alphanumeric characters, of which one is used exclusively for displaying the current time and the other is used exclusively for displaying indications relative to auxiliary functions.

Claims

1. Digital watch, comprising a face side having a digital display, said display comprising a first line of alphanumeric characters and a second line of alphanumeric characters, said watch further comprising control means for keeping and displaying the current time on said digital display and an interface device sensitive to rotation around its axis and to a pressure along the direction of its rotational axis, and connected to said control means, said interface device having a lateral surface, at least one sector of the lateral surface being accessible and protruding from said face side for allowing the rotation of the interface device.

2. Digital watch according to the claim 1, wherein said control means are arranged to supply a plurality of functions and wherein the current time is always displayed on said first line of alphanumeric characters and the indications relative to said functions are optionally displayed on said second line of alphanumeric characters.

3. Digital watch according to claim 2, wherein said functions comprise a standard display mode and at least one additional mode from among:

calendar, alarm, countdown, second time zone and chronograph.

4. Digital watch according to claim 3, comprising at least one time zone function for keeping and displaying the time of an auxiliary time zone and the time of a main time zone, wherein said time zone function comprises a second display option wherein said time of an auxiliary time zone is displayed on said first line of alphanumeric characters and said time of a main time zone is displayed on said second line of alphanumeric characters.

5. Digital watch according to claim 4, comprising an alarm function, wherein the alarm is triggered according to said time of a main time zone when said second display zone is inactive and the alarm is triggered according to said time of an auxiliary time zone when said second display option is active.

6. Digital watch according to claim 2, wherein all the parameter definitions and the function selection are performed only by rotation and pressure of said interface device.

7. Digital watch according to claim 1, wherein said control means are capable of discriminating between a short pressure and a prolonged pressure on said interface device.

8. Digital watch according to claim 1, wherein said display can also display other non-alphanumerical graphical symbols.

11. Method of management and control of a watch according to claim 2, comprising the steps of:

reacting to the rotation of said interface device by selecting in a cyclical fashion an operating mode from among a set of operating modes, each of said operating modes corresponding to one of said functions supplied by the control module;

displaying the indications relative to the function corresponding to the selected operating mode on said second line of alphanumeric characters.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said operating modes comprises a subsidiary definition mode and reacts to pressure exerted on said interface device by activating said subsidiary definition mode.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein said at least one operating mode comprising a subsidiary definition mode reacts to a prolonged pressure exerted on said interface device by activating said subsidiary definition mode.

14. Method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said operating modes is adapted for keeping and displaying the time of an auxiliary time zone and the time of a main time zone and reacts to pressure exerted on said interface device by activating a second display option, in which said time of an auxiliary time zone is displayed on said first line of alphanumeric characters and said time of a main time zone is displayed on said second line of alphanumeric characters.

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein one of said operating modes is an alarm mode for triggering an acoustic signal at a predetermined alarm time, wherein said signal is triggered according to said time of a main time zone when said second display option is inactive and said signal is triggered according to said time of an auxiliary time zone when said second display option is active.

16. Computer program product, comprising a computer program stored in the memory of a digital processor, comprising software portions for performing the method of claim 11 when it is executed on said digital processor.

9. Digital watch, comprising a face side having a digital display, said display comprising a first line of alphanumeric characters and a second line of alphanumeric characters, said watch further comprising control means for keeping and displaying the current time on said digital display and a roller sensitive to rotation around its axis and to a pressure along the direction of its rotational axis, and connected to said control means, wherein said roller is capable of turning around its axis, said roller having at least one sector of its lateral surface accessible and protruding from said face side for allowing the rotation around the axis of the roller to be communicated with a finger tip, said roller having an extremity accessible for allowing pressure along the direction of its rotation axis to be exerted with a finger tip.

10. Digital watch, comprising a face side having a digital display, said display comprising a first line of alphanumeric characters and a second line of alphanumeric characters, said watch further comprising control means for keeping and displaying the current time on said digital display and a roller sensitive to rotation around its axis and to a pressure along the direction of its rotational axis, and connected to said control means, wherein said roller is fastened on the face side of said watch, so as to be capable of turning around its axis, said roller having at least one sector of its lateral surface accessible and protruding from said face side for allowing the rotation around the axis of the roller to be communicated with a finger tip, said roller having an extremity accessible for allowing pressure along the direction of its rotation axis to be exerted with a finger tip.