Wearable electronic device with multiple display functionality

• US 7,821,878 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Timex Group USA Incorporated (Tanager Group BV)
• Original Assignee: Timex Group BV (Tanager Group BV)
• Inventors: Stotz, Gerhard, Lizzi, Ronald S., Galie, Louis M., Plancon, Michel G., Schwartz, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit W
• Application Number:
  US11/981,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/11, 368/80, 368/82, 368/239, 368/223, 116/62, 116/1, 116/62.3, 116/62.4, 345/3.1, 345/4, 345/5, 345/87, 349/56, 349/73
• US Class Current: 368/80
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/02 Divers' equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/082 varying from the normal closed scale
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/23 by means of additional hands or additional pairs of hands simultaneous indication on several dials G04B19/025; indicating devices giving several simultaneous indications G04B19/048
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/008 combined with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/06 with attached measuring instruments, e.g. pedometer, barometer, thermometer or compass in combination with a tachometer which winds up the clockwork G04B5/206
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/065 with a compass compasses G01C17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/00 Indicating the time optically by electric means G04C19/00 takes precedence; by mechanical means G04B19/00, G04B19/20
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/146 incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 7/08 Watches or clocks with stop devices, e.g. chronograph
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0064 in which functions not related to time can be displayed digital output to display devices of digital computers G06F3/14

Abstract

A wearable electronic device for conveying information in an analog manner at least in part by the use of at least one display hand positioned on the dial side of a dial, wherein the wearable electronic device uses the display hand(s) to convey information that is stored in the controller of the device and/or provided by sensors and/or an external transmitter. An actuation mechanism, preferably a stepper motor, is used to rotate the display hands in the clockwise and/or counterclockwise directions in predefined increments to convey the information.

Claims

1. A wearable multimode electronic device of the type that is wristworn and wherein information is conveyed in an analog manner at least in part by the use of at least one display hand, wherein the wearable electronic device includes a non-transparent dial having a dial side and an opposite side, wherein the dial has at least one window, and the display hand is positioned on the dial side of the dial, wherein the wearable multimode electronic device comprises:

an actuation mechanism, operatively coupled to the at least one display hand, for rotating the at least one display hand in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction in predefined increments;

a controller, operable in a first mode and at least a second mode and operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism, for causing the actuation mechanism to rotate the at least one display hand in at least one of the clockwise and counterclockwise direction in the predefined increments; and

a display tat is operatively coupled to the controller, positioned on the opposite side of the non-transparent dial and viewable through the at least one window in the non-transparent dial, wherein the display displays informational indicia corresponding to the mode in which the electronic device is operating, and wherein the informational indicia is changeable based on the mode in which the wearable electronic device is operating;

wherein the positioning of the display hand as it rotates in the one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in the predefined increments conveys the information by referring to particular informational indicia, and wherein the controller operatively controls the positioning of the hand so that the hand can convey the information in the analog manner for each of the at least two modes.

2. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrode device comprises:

at least an hour hand and a minute hand for conveying time of day information and rotatable about an at least essentially center axis and wherein the display hand is rotatable about an axis other than the center axis; and

wherein the controller causes the actuation mechanism to rotate the at least one display hand in at least one of the clockwise and counterclockwise direction in the predefined increments based at least in part on data stored in the controller;

wherein the positioning of the display hand as it rotates in the one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in the predefined increments conveys information relating to the stored data.

3. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display is an LCD display.

4. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a stepper motor that itself comprises a rotor, the stepper motor operatively coupled to the controller, for stepping in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction in predefined increments based at least in part on the data stored in the controller;

wherein the rotor of the stepper motor is operatively coupled to the at least one display hand, and wherein the rotation of rotor causes the rotation of the at least one display hand in at least one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions and in the predefined increments.

5. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 1, including a receiver and memory for respectively receiving and storing data from an external source.

6. The wearable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted via a signal being transmitted by a transmitter over a wireless link, the transmitter being physically separated from the wearable electronic device, wherein the wearable electronic device comprises:

a receiver for receiving the signal from the transmitter;

wherein the increments and direction of the rotation of the at least one display hand are based at least in part on the signal being received by the receiver and transmitted by the transmitter;

wherein the positioning of the display hand as it rotates in the one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in predefined increments conveys information relating to the signal being received by the receiver; and

wherein the transmitter is located in a cheststrap, and wherein the signal being received is a function of a heartrate being measured by a sensor in the cheststrap, and wherein the display hand rotates in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise direction and in predefined increments as a function of the heartrate being measured.

7. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 2, including means for selectively displaying a plurality of modes in the at least one window.

8. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 7, including a user actuated pusher for selectively displaying each of the plurality of modes in the at least one window.

9. A wearable multimode electronic device of the type that is wristworn and wherein information is conveyed in an analog manner at least in part by the use of at least one display hand, wherein the wearable electronic device includes a dial assembly having a non-transparent dial side and an opposite side, wherein the display hand is positioned on the non-transparent dial side of the dial assembly, wherein the wearable multimode electronic device comprises:

an actuation mechanism, operatively coupled to the at least one display hand, for rotating the at least one display hand in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction in predefined increments;

a controller, operable in a first mode and at least a second mode and operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism, for causing the actuation mechanism to rotate the at least one display hand in at least one of The clockwise and counterclockwise direction in the predefined increments;

wherein the dial assembly;

is operatively coupled to the controller; and

is a liquid crystal display assembly;

wherein the liquid crystal display assembly comprises a display that displays informational indicia corresponding to the mode in which the electronic device is operating, and wherein the informational indicia is changeable based on the mode in which the wearable electronic device is operating;

wherein the positioning of the display hand as it rotates in the one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in the predefined increments conveys the information by referring to particular informational indicia, and wherein the controller operatively controls the positioning of the hand so that the hand can convey the information in the analog manner for each of the at least two modes.

10. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic device comprises:

at least an hour hand and a minute hand for conveying time of day information and rotatable about an axis; and

wherein the controller causes the actuation mechanism to rotate the at least one display hand in at least one of the clockwise and counterclockwise direction in the predefined increments based at least in part on data stored in the controller;

wherein the positioning of the display hand as it rotates in the one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in the predefined increments conveys information relating to the stored data.

11. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a stepper motor that itself comprises a rotor, the stepper motor operatively coupled to the controller, for stepping in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction in predefined increments based at least in part on the data stored in the controller;

wherein the rotor of the stepper motor is operatively coupled to the at least one display hand, and wherein the rotation of rotor causes the rotation of the at least one display hand in at least one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions and in the predefined increments.

12. The wearable multimode electronic device as claimed in claim 9, including a receiver and memory for respectively receiving and storing data from an external source.