EP0589353B1 - Analogical timepiece with means for displaying supplementary informations - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a timepiece analog, in particular an analog watch, which can display at least one other additional information only an indication of time.

The present invention relates more particularly an analog timepiece that can display at minus additional information other than time indication using the hands, and in particular at using the hour and minute hands.

We know from European patent EP-A-0 476 425 a analog timepiece in which we can modify the time reference in order to allow a user, to wear his watch, either on the left wrist, either on the right wrist, with an adequate positioning of the stem.

This timepiece does not display, at using needles, additional information other only an indication of time, since in this room the needles systematically provide information about time type which is either the standard time or the time reference which is noon or midnight, reference that you can move either to the 12 o'clock position or on the 3 o'clock position, i.e. on the 6 o'clock position of the dial.

So in this timepiece the position of the needles can be changed but to indicate a time reference used only in connection with time display, this time reference modified conditioning the correct subsequent display of the hour by the two hands.

In addition, American patent US-A-4,470,707 describes an electronic timepiece using the minute hand to indicate the hour alarm and the second hand to indicate the minute of alarm. Again, this timepiece does not does not propose and does not allow to display another information than hourly information.

We also know capable timepieces to display additional information other than a indication of hours, using the hands. The patent French FR-A-2 404 250, in particular, describes a part timepiece comprising an hour hand, a minute hand and external control means to display a number by the hands information other than time indications. When the user of such a watch triggers using external control means displaying information other than an indication of hours, a control circuit to the interior of the watch generates motor impulses which produce the displacement of one of the needles independently of each other, to bring this needle into a position where it displays this information. during this display of an additional function lasts second needle may, depending on the case, either remain in the position it was in before the onset of displaying this information other than an indication of hours, or move to display a second information of the same type.

Timepieces using a display mode such as the one described above, present disadvantages. Indeed, the presence of at least two needles occupying different positions on the dial, may cause reading errors.

Indeed, although the presence of several needles on the dial be necessary to provide an indication clear and precise analog of the time, this arrangement entails risks of confusion, since the needles are used to display information other than an indication of hours. The reason is that if the user has always been used, even conditioned to read the time in the form of information consisting of either a couple of parameters (hours, minutes) determined by the positions of two hands, either a triplet of parameters (hours, minutes, seconds) determined by the positions of three hands, it is not the same with other types information that should be displayed in the form a single parameter using an isolated indicator (disc, crown), if we don't want their reading is unnecessarily complicated. Under these conditions, the presence on a watch of several hands, occupying each a different position on the dial, and therefore each providing an indication, will constitute inevitably a source of confusion when the information displayed by them is not the time.

An object of the present invention is therefore to remedy to these disadvantages of the prior art by providing a analog timepiece that can display the time of conventional manner, in particular using two hands and can also display information other than a time indication using these hands in a way that lends itself to easy reading and which avoids the risks of confusion which have just been described.

Thus, the subject of the present invention is a part analog watchmaking comprising at least one hand hours and minute hand operated respectively by first and second electromechanical means, control means which can be actuated by a manual control member, and a electronic circuit comprising a time base, a counting circuit at least time information hour and minute, and electronic means of management to generate control signals for the displacement of the needles, this electronic circuit being furthermore intended to receive, manage and provide the means electronic management of at least one non-hourly information other than a time or reference indication temporal, the electronic management means being in additionally provided for in response to a control signal supplied by said control means, display by needles non-hourly information; the room of watchmaking being characterized in that the means management electronics are also provided to bring needles to display non-hourly information in coming to overlap and selectively occupy together a same angular position which is representative of said non-hourly information.

The display of information other than the hours being produced by the needles in the superimposed position and which therefore all simultaneously indicate the same position on the dial, no confusion is possible, and the reading information is made particularly easy.

Another advantage of the present invention is that displaying non-hourly information does not risk to be confused with an indication of hours.

• la figure 1 représente sous forme d'un schéma bloc une montre-réveil qui constitue un premier mode d'exécution de la présente invention,
• la figure 2 est un tableau ou organigramme des différentes fonctions d'affichage remplies par les aiguille de la montre-réveil représentée à la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est un schéma du fonctionnement d'un compteur de position identique aux trois compteurs de positions représentés sur la figure 1,
• la figure 4 représente sous forme d'un schéma bloc un deuxième mode d'exécution de la présente invention, et
• la figure 5 représente la pièce d'horlogerie de la figure 4 vue de dessus avec les deux aiguilles superposées pour indiquer le quantième.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description of two particular embodiments of the present invention. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of example only and in which:

• FIG. 1 shows in the form of a block diagram a clock watch which constitutes a first embodiment of the present invention,
• FIG. 2 is a table or flowchart of the different display functions fulfilled by the hands of the alarm clock shown in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a diagram of the operation of a position counter identical to the three position counters represented in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4 represents in the form of a block diagram a second embodiment of the present invention, and
• FIG. 5 represents the timepiece of FIG. 4 seen from above with the two superposed hands to indicate the date.

There is shown in Figure 1, in the form of a block diagram, an alarm clock constituting a mode of realization of the present invention. This alarm clock includes in series a quartz oscillator 2, a chain of division 4 delivering a signal at 1 Hz, a counter position of the second hand 6 and a counter position of the minute hand 8. It still includes a divider by twelve referenced 10, receiving the signal from second hand position counter 6, and a hour hand position counter 12 of which the input is connected to the output of the divider 10. The counters 6, 8 and 12 are counters by sixty of which the operating mode is described schematically by Figure 3.

As seen in Figure 3, pulses to count are supplied to the counter (arrow on the far left on the drawing). These successive pulses are counted by a binary register of at least six bits, which they increment. The status of this register can be read at any time moment (down arrow on the drawing). Every increment, the registry is tested to see if the number it contains is equal to sixty. If it is the case, a pulse is emitted by the test circuit and this pulse causes the reset of the register. The test circuit therefore constitutes a divider by sixty whose signal can be sent to another counter (right arrow on the drawing).

Counters 8 and 12 (Figure 1) define, in normal, the position of the minute hands and hours relative to the coin dial turn of watchmaking. The alarm watch described here does not include no second hand, the position counter of the second hand is only used to generate a signal to increment the other counters 8, 12.

The timepiece is furthermore provided with two motors 18 and 20 controlled respectively by circuits of power 14, 16 to train respectively the minute hand and the hour hand (figure 2). The circuits 14, 16 receive, in normal mode, the pulses applied respectively to the inputs of position indicators for the 8 minute hand and 12 hours.

The arrangement of the motors and gears of the this alarm watch will not be described here. Indeed, we already know clock movements including several motors to individually activate the needles. Patent EP-0 393 606 in particular describes a timepiece movement comprising two capable motors independently drive the minute hand and the hour hand.

The elements of the alarm clock represented by the block diagram of FIG. 1 which have just been described, explain how this timepiece works for normal time display. However, in accordance with the present invention, the watch described here can also display information other than time indications. Elements of the Figure 1 which will now be described, allow on the one hand to display information on the other hand to put back the needles in the exact time display position when this is necessary.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the timepiece includes electronic management means 22 to allow the alarm clock to fulfill various display functions and an alarm function. These electronic management means 22 include inputs MN and H for receiving the contents of the minute counters 8 and hours 12, two activation inputs AN, EN and two inputs D ⁺ , D ^- for the movement data of the hands forward and backward respectively.

The signals applied to the inputs AN, EN, D ⁺ and D ^- are supplied by a circuit 24 for interpreting the position and movement of the control rod. The operation of the control rod and the interpretation circuit 24 will not be described in detail here since the person skilled in the art already knows devices of this type. Patent EP-0 175 961 in particular describes a control rod associated with an interpretation circuit which can easily be adapted to be used with the timepiece described here.

The electronic management means 22 also include two outputs Mmn and Mh for delivering pulses to the motors 18 and 20, and a control output C for managing the state of two switches 26, 28 arranged at the input of the power circuits 14 , 16 and arranged to transmit to them, either the pulses applied to the inputs of the position indicators of the minute hand 8 and hours 12 when the switches are in a first position referenced a , or the pulses delivered by the electronic means of management 22 when the switches are in a second position referenced b .

Electronic management means can be advantageously produced in the form of a circuit integrated with a programmed microcontroller. The man of the trade will know, from the indications provided here, programming the microcontroller, so that make him perform the functions described.

In normal time display mode, the means management electronics are inactive and the motors 18, 20 receive the pulses applied to the inputs of the position indicators for the minute hands and hours 8, 12.

The table or flowchart in Figure 2 includes seven drawings or stages (referenced from A to G) representing each one of the different display functions that can be filled by the watch hands. The arrows which connect the different stages A, ..., G and the some indications which accompany them allow to understand how you operate the control rod to select one of the different display functions.

Setting the time

The elements which have just been described make it possible to correct the time displayed by the hands (which corresponds to step B on the table in FIG. 2). When the watch is in the normal time display mode (illustrated by step A), the time correction function is activated by pulling the rod. The displacement towards the outside of the rod causes the transmission by the interpretation circuit 24 (FIG. 1) of a signal towards the input EN of the electronic management means 22. The reception of this signal by the electronic means of management 22 causes switches 26, 28 to pass into state b . Simultaneously, the electronic management means 22 emit a high signal on the reset line of the second position counter 6 to keep it at zero so that it no longer provides the signal for incrementing the hand position counters 8 minutes and 12 hours.

The interpretation circuit 24 then sends pulses corresponding to the different rotational movements printed on the rod by the user towards the inputs D ⁺ , D ^- electronic management means 22 which in turn send control pulses to increment or decrement the position counters of the 8 and 12 hour hands and to simultaneously control the motors 18, 20 to move the hands. When at the end of the time setting operation the rod is pushed back, the interpretation circuit 24 supplies a deactivation signal to the electronic management means 22 which in turn supply a signal by their output C for switch switches 26, 28 to state a . Simultaneously the signal on the reset line returns to zero and the position counter of the second hand 6 starts again.

Alarm mode

As we said before, the timepiece described here is intended to perform a function of awakening. For this purpose, it includes two counters 27, 29 (figure 1) to memorize the position of the minute hand and the hour hand corresponding to the alarm time, and a acoustic signal synthesizer circuit 30, which is linked to electronic management means 22.

When he wishes to consult or adjust the time of alarm clock and when he wishes to activate or deactivate the alarm, the user must perform a number of manipulations of the control rod. The functions that can be called with the control rod being relatively numerous, the succession of manipulations sometimes can be long, which involves necessarily a certain risk of errors. To make up for this problem, every manipulation of the control rod is accompanied by a movement of the hands on the dial to inform the user about the effect of the manipulation he just performed. It is obviously important that these indications of the effect of an order are easily understood by the user and without ambiguity. It is particularly important that the display information other than a time indication does not cannot be confused with a time indication. In this context, the display of information other than time indications by means of the two hands in overlapping positions, in accordance with this invention is particularly advantageous. Indeed, on the one hand this display mode is particularly readable, and on the other hand, it cannot be confused with an indication of time.

The different functions that can be called at using the control rod as well as the functions associated display will now be described with reference to Figure 2.

Entering alarm mode

When the watch is in the normal time display mode A (FIG. 2), and the interpretation circuit 24 (FIG. 1) transmits towards the input AN of the electronic management means 22 a signal activation corresponding to a pressure exerted on the rod, the electronic management means 22 emit a signal on their output C to place the switches 26 and 28 in state b (FIG. 1), that is to say block the pulses corresponding to counters 8 and 12, and simultaneously, read the content of counters 8 and 12 to know the position of the minute and hour hands. They then emit the number of pulses required on the outputs Mmn and Mh to cause the hands to overlap in the position corresponding to the alarm indication on the dial as shown in step C (this does not affect the operation of the counters 6, 8 and 12). As an example, if the alarm indication is placed at 9 o'clock as is the case in FIG. 2, the electronic management means cause the hands to be superimposed above the "alarm" indication by emitting a number of pulses equal to the number of pulses that would be required to make the contents of counters 8 and 12 both equal to 45.

Indication of entry into alarm mode by two hands superimposed at 9 o'clock on the dial is very clear and can in no way be confused with a time indication.

Once the electronic management means 22 have brought the two needles to the position which indicates entering alarm mode, these remain in a mode wait until they have determined, by counting 1 Hz pulses from the division chain 4, that two seconds had passed. If these two seconds have passed without the control rod having been actuated, the electronic management means will display the alarm activation status by the watch, step D (Figure 2).

Display and change of alarm activation status

An alarm clock timepiece always includes a means of activating and deactivating the alarm signal acoustic. When we say that the alarm of a room alarm clock is activated, this means that this last will beep as soon as the time displayed by the hands in normal display mode of the time coincides with the programmed alarm time. If the alarm signal is on the contrary deactivated, no signal acoustic will not be emitted even if the time displayed by the hands coincide with the programmed alarm time. In the present embodiment, these are the means management electronics 22 which are set by the user either in a state in which the alarm is activated, or in a state in which it is disabled.

As we said before, when the watch is filled the display function of the entry indication in the alarm mode C (Figure 2), and two seconds have passed passed without the rod being actuated, the means management electronics 22 issue the number of pulses required on the outputs Mmn and Mh for cause the needles to move together either up the "ON" position, ie up to the "OFF" position corresponding respectively to 8h and 10h on the dial, depending on whether the alarm is activated or deactivated. The position taken by the two needles superimposed on the dial, gives the user information perfectly clear about the state of the alarm of the watch, moreover this information also cannot be confused with a time indication.

When the alarm watch performs the function display of the alarm activation state, step D, which has just been described, the user can change alarm status by simply pressing the stem. When the interpretation circuit 24 transmits an impulse to the electronic management means 22 indicating that pressure was exerted on the rod, these emit the required number of pulses to move the two needles simultaneously the "ON" position to the "OFF" position or vice versa depending on the case.

When from the moment the needles are immobilized either on "ON" or on "OFF" depending on whether the alarm is activated or deactivated, no pressure has been been exerted on the rod for a period of three seconds the electronic management means 22 control moving needles to fill them the alarm time display function preprogrammed, step F (Figure 2).

Alarm time display and correction

The respective positions of the minute hand and that of the hours when these indicate the hour are stored in the counters 27, 29 alarm time. To display the alarm time, the electronic management means 22 will read the content counters 27, 29 and bring the needles into the positions corresponding to the content of these counters, in providing each of the motors with a number of pulses equal to the difference between the hour counter state corresponding alarm, and the value 40 or 50 depending on whether the needles were previously in the position "ON" or in the "OFF" position. As soon as the alarm time is displayed, the user has a period of five seconds during which he can pull the rod to correct the alarm time in step G. The correction of the alarm time is similar to the normal time correction described above. However, in this case, it is not the counter 12 o'clock position and the position counter of the 8 minutes, which are incremented when the hands are move, but the alarm hour counters 27, 29. Once the alarm time correction is complete, the user will push back the rod. When the stem is pushed back the interpretation circuit 24 sends to the means management electronics 22 a signal that has two functions, its first function is to activate the alarm, so that an acoustic signal is emitted as soon as the hour and hour hand position counters minutes will coincide with the hour counters alarm. The second function of the signal is to make by electronic management means 22, the hands in normal time display mode, step A, the electronic management means 22 calculate the number of pulses needed to achieve this operation by comparing the content of the counters of position of hands 8, 12 with the hour counters alarm 27, 29.

Alarm and alarm interruption

When the alarm clock is in the normal display of time A and that the alarm was activated, an acoustic signal is, as we have already said, issued as soon as the content of the position counters of hands 8, 12 corresponds to the content of the counters of alarm time 27, 29. The user can then interrupt the emission of the acoustic alarm signal by exerting pressure on the rod. The pressure on the rod causes the emission by the circuit of interpretation 24 towards electronic means management 22 of a signal to firstly interrupt the acoustic signal, and on the other hand deactivate the alarm which therefore, in the absence of further manipulation by the user, will not emit any acoustic signal when the next coincidence between the contents of the counters of position of hands 8, 12 and the hour counters alarm 27, 29 twelve hours later.

The alarm watch which has just been described does not constitutes, as we have already said, that a mode particular embodiment of the present invention that we have given here as an example. The invention as as defined by claim 1 relates to all analog timepieces that can display a information other than an indication of time using the needles. For information other than an indication time can be displayed in the way that characterizes the present invention it is only necessary on the one hand this information can be translated into a numerical value, and secondly that the means management electronics can have access to this numerical value.

We will now describe, still under example, a second embodiment of this invention with particular reference to Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 4 shows in the form of a block diagram a watch with an hour hand and a minute hand and can indicate either the time of conventional way be the date in the way which characterizes the present invention. This watch includes a crystal oscillator 2 and a chain of division and counting similar to that which has been described above in relation to Figure 1. For allow date display the watch shown at Figure 4 also includes a divider by two referenced 32 receiving the signal from the position counter of the hour hand, and a position counter of the date 34 whose input is connected to the output of the divider 32. The date position counter 34 and similar to counter 6, 8 and 12 and its mode of operation therefore also corresponds to that which is described by the diagram in figure 3.

Regarding the normal time display and of the time setting operation, the mode of operation of the watch described here is identical to that of the alarm watch which has been described above. We will now describe how the shows for display and delivery day of the calendar.

If, while the hands of the watch normally display the time, the user exerts a pressure on the control rod, the interpretation circuit 24 transmits towards the input AN of the electronic management means 22 a signal d 'activation. This signal causes the means 22 to send a signal to their output C to place switches 26 and 28 in state b , that is to say block the pulses corresponding to counters 8 and 12. Simultaneously the electronic management means 22 read the content of the minute hand position counter 8 and that of the hour hand position counter 12 to compare it with the content of the date position counter 34 to determine the number of steps to have each of the motors carried out in order to cause the two hands to be superimposed on the dial opposite the number corresponding to the day of the month, that is to say to the calendar, in accordance with what is shown in FIG. 5 (this does not affect the operation of counters 6, 8, 12, 34).

The indication of the date by the two hands superimposed and as we can see on the Figure 5, very clear and cannot in any case be confused with an indication of time.

As we said before, the position counter of calendar 34 works similarly to the others position counters 6, 8 and 12. The position counter of the date is therefore in particular a counter by sixty, to be reset manually at the end of each 28, 29, 30 or 31 day months.

We will now describe the operation for resetting the date of the date indication. When the watch is in the date display mode and the user exerts traction on the stem, the interpretation circuit 24 emits a signal towards the input EN of the electronic management means 22 to pass them through the update mode. The interpretation circuit 24 then transmits to the inputs D ⁺ and D ^- means 22 signals corresponding to the different rotational movements printed on the rod by the user. These signals cause the date position counter 34 to increment or de-increment and simultaneously move the two hands to superimposed positions forwards or backwards. When at the end of the updating operation the user pushes the rod back, the interpretation circuit 24 emits a signal in the direction of the electronic management means 22. The means 22 will then first read the content counters 8 and 12 to bring the hands to the position corresponding to the time it is, then place the switches 26 and 28 in state a .

• l'information supplémentaire peut par exemple être le jour ou une autre information horaire comme le mois ou l'année.
• l'information pourrait également être par exemple la température ambiante, pour autant que la pièce d'horlogerie soit munie d'un senseur thermique relié électriquement aux moyens électroniques de gestion.
• finalement, l'information autre qu'une indication d'heure peut être une indication d'entrée dans un mode particulier de fonctionnement de la pièce d'horlogerie, comme l'indication "alarm" sur la montre-réveil décrite ci-dessus qui indique l'entrée dans le mode alarme.

Among all the other types of information which can be displayed and which may relate to the present invention, we will also cite the following examples:

• the additional information can for example be the day or other hourly information such as the month or the year.
• the information could also be for example the ambient temperature, provided that the timepiece is provided with a thermal sensor electrically connected to the electronic management means.
• finally, the information other than an indication of time may be an indication of entry into a particular mode of operation of the timepiece, such as the indication "alarm" on the alarm watch described above which indicates entry into alarm mode.

Claims (10)

1. Analog timepiece comprising at least an hour hand and a minute hand, respectively driven by first (20) and second (18) electro-mechanical means, manual command means (24) able to be actuated by a manual control member, and an electronic circuit comprising a time base (2), a counter circuit giving information as to at least the hour (12) and the minute (8), and electronic control means (22) for generating command signals for the displacement of the hands, said electronic circuit further comprising means for acquiring, processing and providing said electronic control means with at least one piece of information (34) apart from the time of the day or time reference, said electronic control means (22) further being arranged so as to cause said hands to indicate said piece of information in response to a command signal generated by said command means (24), characterized in that the electronic control means (22) are further arranged so as to cause the hands (12,8) to indicate said piece of information by driving them to superpose themselves selectively and to occupy an angular position representative of said piece of information.
2. Analog timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises display means which carry at least one alphanumerical indication arranged on the axis of said angular position.
3. Analog timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said electronic control means (22) comprise access means to at least one numerical value representative of said piece of information, a same numerical value being used by the electronic control means to allow the selective display of said piece of information and to cause the hands (12,8) to move to their superposed configuration displaying this piece of information.
4. Analog timepiece according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said angular position in which the alphanumerical indication is arranged on said display means corresponds to said numerical value.
5. Analog timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that said electronic control means (22) are further arranged to drive the hands (12,8) to indicate, in the superposed configuration, several pieces of information apart from the time of the day.
6. Analog timepiece according to claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said electronic control means (22) are arranged to process several numerical values respectively corresponding to each of said pieces of information and to drive the hands (12,8) to selectively display these pieces of information together and in the superposed configuration, by making them occupy in this configuration several angular positions which are respectively representative of said pieces of information.
7. Analog timepiece according to claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the display means carry several alphanumerical indications arranged respectively on the axis of said angular positions.
8. Analog timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that said electronic control means (22) are arranged to cause the hands (12,8), in the superposed configuration, to move together and simultaneously, between the different angular display positions of said pieces of information.
9. Analog timepiece according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said piece or pieces of information are pieces of information indicating entry into a particular mode and/or pieces of information indicating states relative to the activation or deactivation of such mode.
10. Analog timepiece according to claim 9, characterized in that said timepiece is an alarm watch and in that said piece of information is either that the alarm is on or that the alarm is off.

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