CH688498GA3 - Timepiece with horometric information by not sound vibrations. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a timepiece delivering time information in a non-audible tactile manner. It relates more particularly to a watch of usual appearance, which can be worn by a visually impaired person in order to allow him to know the current time and to have access to other usual functions of a watch, such as the setting of '' one hour of alarm, without arousing the attention of a third party, or without having to call on his help.

The present invention therefore does not relate to essentially acoustic devices, such as timepieces with speech synthesis, the usefulness of which for the visually impaired cannot be disputed, but which has the disadvantage of clearly indicating the handicap. of the user.

Watches for the visually impaired, the use of which is still the most widespread, use an active tactile sense, such as locating the hands in relation to raised indexes positioned around the dial, reading the time s '' after switching the watch glass forming a cover. A watch of the above type corresponds, for example, to the device described in the German utility models No 7 435 930 and No 8 700 364. In the latter case, the watch has a 24-hour movement, a double inscription in Arabic numerals and in Braille. , and allows the establishment of an alarm time. In Japanese patent application No. 28 957/86, the hands are replaced by two sets of pushers for the twelve hour positions enabling the push button of each series to be identified by touch. with resistance for the positions of the hour hand and the minute hand.

Such watches, both by their overall aesthetic appearance and by the manipulations they require, clearly indicate that the user is visually impaired. In addition, even if this is satisfactory for most acts of everyday life, such watches only allow the time to be known with an accuracy of the order of 5 minutes.

Starting from the known principle of watches with a vibrator, in particular so-called non-audible alarm watches, such as the device described in patent CH 323 056, the designers have imagined coding the vibrations to enable a visually impaired person to know the time. by using its passive tactile sense, that is to say without requiring tracking. In the Swiss patent CH 618 827, the proposed device is provided with four vibrators distributed around the wrist in the positions 3, 6, 9 and 12 hours, which allows by counting a reduced number of pulses to know the time at 5 minutes. Such a watch has an external appearance which clearly differentiates it from watches ordinarily worn by sighted people. In US patent 3,938,317 a single vibrator is used, in relation to a line-point coding making it possible to code the numbers from 1 to 12 and zero by means of trains having at most three point-to-point vibrations. As disclosed, this device has the advantage of being able to deliver the hour with precision of the minute, but on the other hand has the drawback of requiring the learning of a complex code. In addition, although it is very detailed, the description does not include any teaching relating to the possibility of setting an alarm time.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by providing a watch whose external appearance does not allow, or very little to differentiate it from a usual watch, but which gives a person with a visual handicap the opportunity not only to know the current time but also, without calling on a third party, to have access to other usual functions, such as the correction of the internal time, or the establishment of an alarm time. electronic timepiece arranged to deliver time information in a non-audible tactile manner, and comprising: - a case closed by a crystal; - a timepiece circuit, associated with an analog or digital display, comprising in particular an oscillator and its maintenance circuit, a chain of divisions and counters; - at least two control members arranged outside said housing, each consisting of one of the following members: a bezel provided with tactile markers facing sensors, a crown, push-button buttons, a circuit for interpreting the manipulations carried out on said control members, electronic coding means intended to code in the form of pulse trains time signals received from said timekeeping circuit, and non-time signals received from said interpretation circuit, and - a device for generating non-sound vibrations, said timepiece being characterized in that said control members cooperate via said interpretation circuit with said electronic coding means for driving the device by means of pulse trains vibration generator so as to emit vibration trains representative of time information and to introduce an hourly or non-hourly instruction and verify its accuracy.

As will be seen below, one of the essential characteristics of the present invention is to allow a visually impaired person to have confirmation that the manipulation which he has carried out on a control member, which he sees little or no , is correct. To this end, it is important that the vibration trains coding each manipulation are easily understandable, as must also be the vibration trains which code the current time. Many coding principles can be used but it will be proposed in the detailed examples which will follow codings comprising signals having different durations and the sequence of which is designed according to a logic intended to promote learning and memorization.

To facilitate learning, another object of the invention is to allow adaptation of the product to the storage capacities of each by incorporating in the electronic coding means means making it possible to vary the speed of emission of the vibration trains. .

Likewise, to adapt the product to everyone's needs with regard to the desired degree of precision in indicating the current time, it is provided, according to another characteristic of the invention, that the control member in front be manipulated to know the time can be activated in two different modes to deliver the time with an accuracy of 5 minutes, or with an accuracy of 1 minute. It is for example possible to vary the duration of the pressure exerted on said control member and / or the number of pressures exerted on it.

The vibration generating device can be one of the known devices used in silent alarms, such as a piezoelectric vibrating element of the type described in patent EP 0 349 230, or an electromagnetic motor of the type described in Swiss patent CH 685 185 incorporated in the present application by reference.

The control members making it possible to introduce time or non-time information can be produced in the form of activatable tactile markers, located on the telescope, on the glass and / or on the middle.

According to a first embodiment, activatable markers are carried by a fixed bezel which comprises, opposite each mark, a position sensor, such as a capacitive, resistive or piezoelectric sensor, or simply an electrical contactor, said sensors being sensitive to positioning or pressure of a finger. Equivalently, said sensors can be carried by a crown of glass close to the telescope.

According to a second embodiment, marks are carried by a rotating bezel, said marks being activatable by bringing them by rotation opposite a fixed mark. In this case, it is advantageous to use micro-machined reed relays.

In this first and second embodiment, the confirmation of the selection of a mark is given by the emission of a train of vibrations coding said mark, either by maintaining the selection for a determined period, or by exerting a pressure on another control member, such as a push button carried by the middle part.

The marks carried by the fixed or rotating bezel can be divided into two ranges corresponding respectively to numerical marks and to marks of operating modes. To make it possible to modify the time values of the watch, the numerical marks may include 10 or 12 positions representative of the digits from 1 to 9 and zero, or of the digits 1 to 12 depending on the coding used for the vibration trains. The range comprising markers for the operating modes can for example make it possible to modify the speed of transmission of the vibrations, to activate or deactivate the alarm function or to call time information other than the time, such as a function calendar.

According to a third embodiment, the control members consist solely of the crown and push-button buttons carried by the middle part. One of these pushers is reserved for the entry of digital data by simple counting, either of the number of pressures exerted, or of the number of simple vibrations not coded, counted down to the desired number by maintaining the pressure on said pushbutton.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings which are given here by way of examples, and in which:

 - fig. 1 shows a top view of a first embodiment of a watch according to the invention in which marks are carried by a fixed bezel;  - fig. 2 shows a sectional view along line II-II of FIG. 1;  - fig. 3 shows in the form of a block diagram the circuit of an embodiment of a watch according to the invention;  - fig. 4 shows a diagram of the operation of a counter of the type of those incorporated in the diagram of FIG. 3;  - fig. 5 represents a line-point coding of the twelve hour positions;  - fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a first variant of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1;  - fig. 7 is a schematic representation of a second variant of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1;  - fig. 8 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a watch according to the invention in which the pins are carried by a movable bezel; and  - fig. 9 is a schematic representation of a third embodiment in which the telescope does not bear any mark.

With particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a timepiece will first be briefly described, designated by the general reference 1, provided with a module comprising the device generating non-sound vibrations, designated under the general reference 2. The timepiece comprises a box 4, consisting of a middle part 5 and a bottom 6 conventionally fixed to the middle part. The middle part has a fixed bezel L provided with a first sector N with marks Ni corresponding to numerical values, and with a second sector M with marks Mi corresponding to operating modes.

As seen in fig. 2, each Ni or Mi mark is shaped like a bowl so that it can be identified by tactile means by a visually impaired person. Instead of cuvettes, it is easily understood that the location can be facilitated by bosses or by any other means combining for example cuvettes and bosses. In the example shown, there are at the same time Ni and Mi cups and bosses 3, on the one hand to separate the sector M from the sector N, on the other hand to group the Ni zones in pairs, in order to further facilitate d advantage of tracking.

The marks Ni correspond to the digits from 1 to 9 and zero, the digit 1 being positioned at 12 o'clock. The marks Mi correspond to the operating modes "ON" "OFF" and "S" which will be explained in more detail below. Next to each reference point, Ni or Mi, is a sensor 8, connected by a conductor 9 to the module 2. The sensors used are of the capacitive type, well known to those skilled in the art, and it is not necessary here. to describe them further. The timepiece 1 comprises a horometric movement 10 which is mounted in the middle part 5 and which is shaped to conventionally drive the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12. Equivalently, as will be seen in other alternative embodiments described below, the horometric movement 10 can also be associated with a digital display.

The box 4 is closed on the side opposite the bottom 6 by a glass 13, engaged in the middle part 5 with the interposition of a seal 14. As can be seen, the glass can in no case be tilted to give access to the dial, which guarantees its water resistance.

The middle part further comprises a crown C capable of driving in translation or in rotation a rod in a slow or fast mode, corresponding to several different commands, as is for example described in patent EP 0 175 961. The middle part also comprises two push buttons B1 and B2, each of which can also correspond to several different commands depending on the duration during which a pressure is maintained, or according to the number of pressures exerted.

The module 2 comprises an energy source 21, electronic coding means 22 and a vibrating device 23. The energy source 21 may be that which is also necessary for the movement. In the example described, the vibrating device 23 comprises an electromagnetic type motor capable of transmitting an oscillatory movement to a mass 24 via an elastic connecting element 25, said oscillatory movement being transmitted to the cover 6 to be perceived in the form of vibrations on the user's wrist. According to the characteristics of the electromagnetic motor and of the materials constituting the covering of the watch, these vibrations can also be perceived by a touch of the finger at any point of the watch, such as a point on the glass or on the bezel, or a B1 or B2 button.

Fig. 3 shows in the form of a block diagram the circuit of an embodiment of a watch according to the invention. It comprises a classic timepiece part, designated by the reference 30 and a part 40 intended for the coded production of non-sound vibrations.

The timepiece circuit 30 essentially comprises a quartz oscillator having a base frequency of 32,786 Hz and its maintenance circuit 31, a chain of divisions 32 delivering at its output a frequency signal 1 Hz, a counter 33 for seconds, a 34 minute counter, and a 35 hour counter. It is obvious that other counters could be added if one wished to provide the timepiece with a calendar function. The counters 33, 34 and 35 are counters by sixty, the operating mode of which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4.

As seen in fig. 4, the successive pulses of a signal S are counted by a binary register 38 of at least six bits, which they increment. The status of this register can be read at any time (signal Si). At each incrementation, the register 38 is tested in a circuit 39 constituted by a divider by sixty. When the number it contains is equal to sixty, a signal si is emitted on the one hand to cause the reset to zero of register 38 (RESET), on the other hand to constitute the input signal of another counter .

Referring again to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the signals if emitted by each counter are used by a management circuit 36 intended for the usual display of the time.

With regard to the signals Si, their processing takes place in the part 40 where they are received by the electronic coding means 22, which also receive signals S min, S min min and S min min min. The signal S min is emitted by a divider by twelve 42 in response to a minute signal at the output of the counter 33. As will be seen below, this signal will be particularly useful for a coding mode allowing the time to be delivered to the minute.

The signal S min min is transmitted by a binary division chain 43, in response to a signal extracted from the division chain 32, and chosen at a frequency greater than 1 Hz. This signal S min min constitutes the clock signal which will vary the speed of emission of vibration trains. Its useful frequency can be adjusted by means of a signal received from a circuit 41 for interpreting the manipulations carried out on the external control members B1, B2, C or L, said circuit 41 also transmitting to the electronic coding means 22 other signals representative of selected functions, other than the speed of emission of the vibrations. The interpretation circuit 41 can also control the management circuit 36.

On the block diagram of fig. 3, for a better understanding, the divider by twelve 42 and the binary division chain 43 have been shown separately from the electronic coding means 22, but those skilled in the art will readily understand that these elements can be integrated into a single programmed microprocessor. It could be the same for the management circuit 36 for the usual time display. The signal emitted by the electronic coding means 22 finally controls the emission of trains of non-sound vibrations by the vibrating device 23. The frequency of these non-sound vibrations is determined by a signal S min min min extracted from the division chain 32 With a base frequency of the resonator of 32768 Hz, we could for example give the signal S min min min a frequency of 128 Hz.

In the above it has been assumed that the time information delivered is the current time, or the alarm time installed, but by adding other counters in series with the counters 33, 34, 35 it is also possible to know the day of the week and the month with pulse trains coded as the hours, and know the calendar of the month with pulse trains coded as the minutes, when coding to the nearest minute.

The electronic coding means 22 can advantageously be produced in the form of a programmed microprocessor. The person skilled in the art will be able, from the preceding information and from the examples below, to carry out the programming of the microprocessor so as to cause it to execute the appropriate codings.

With reference to fig. 1 and 5 to 9, 5 examples will be described below illustrating various modes of operation of the invention.

Example 1

We will now briefly describe the operation of a timepiece with analog display, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, in which the external control members are formed on the one hand by a fixed bezel, comprising numerical marks 1 to 9 and zero and three functional marks "ON", "OFF" and "S", on the other starts with a crown C and two push buttons B1 and B2, located on the middle.

To perform a "reading" of the current time, pressure is applied to the crown C to obtain the emission of vibration trains coding the time. Depending on the arrangement of the interpretation circuit 41 and the programming of the microprocessor 22, it is possible to have a "reading" of the time over 12 hours, for example by exerting a single press, or a reading over 24 hours, for example by exerting a second pressure.

By acting on the duration during which the pressure is maintained, brief or long, it is possible to have an understanding of the time to the nearest five minutes or to one minute.

After carrying out the appropriate manipulation on the crown C, the time is delivered in the form of vibration trains according to a coding proposed to facilitate memorization and correspondingly simplify the construction of the timepiece.

With reference to fig. 5, it can be seen that the numbers from 1 to 12 are coded as a function of their position logic on the turn of the dial, logic which a visually impaired person already knows by opening glass watches requiring tactile identification. This code is of the dot-line type and each pulse train contains at most only three signals. For the digits of the first and second quadrant, priority is given to short pulses, so that all digits from 1 to 6 start with a short pulse and a long pulse is only used when progression to a value increasing does not allow another choice. Conversely in the third and fourth quadrant priority is given to long pulses so that all the digits from 7 to 12 start with a long pulse and a short pulse is only used when progression to an increasing value does not allow another choice. The numbers from 1 to 12 thus coded make it possible to deliver a first pulse train representative of the hour, and a second pulse train representative of the minutes to the nearest five minutes, that is to say values multiple of 5 .

It follows from this coding that each group of three digits contained in each quadrant has the same drive signals, which signals are used to code the values from 1 to 4, which must be added to the integer values multiple of 5 in order to reach a minute accuracy. The pulse train coding 12h, 24h and 60mn also codes zero.

It will also be observed that the traitpoint codifications of the diametrically opposite figures are complementary, which also facilitates memorization. Two additional codifications are free to allow delivery of the time over 24 hours by AM and PM coding. Fig. 5 can therefore also be represented in the form of the table below: <tb> <TABLE> Columns = 8 <tb> Head Col 1 to 4 AL = L: hour / minutes <tb> Head Col 5 to 8 AL = L: hour / minutes <tb> <SEP> 1 <SEP> / <SEP> 5 <SEP>. <SEP> 7 <SEP> / <SEP> 35 <CEL AL = L> - <tb> <SEP> 2 <SEP> / <SEP> 10 <SEP>. . <SEP> 8 <SEP> / <SEP> 40 <SEP> - - <tb> <CEL AL = L> 3 <SEP> / <SEP> 15 <SEP>. . . <SEP> 9 <SEP> / <SEP> 45 <SEP> - - - <tb> <SEP> 4 <CEL AL = L> / <SEP> 20 <SEP>. - <SEP> 10 <SEP> / <SEP> 50 <SEP> -. <tb> <SEP> 5 <SEP> / <SEP> 25 <CEL AL = L>. -. <SEP> 11 <SEP> / <SEP> 55 <SEP> -. - <tb> <SEP> 6 <SEP> / <SEP> 30 <SEP>. - - <SEP> 12 <SEP> / <SEP> zero <SEP> - .. <tb> </TABLE> <tb> <TABLE> Columns = 4 <tb> <SEP> Start of 1st quadrant coding, or value <SEP> + 1 <SEP>: <SEP>. <tb> <SEP> Start of 2nd quadrant coding, or value <SEP> + 2 <SEP>: <SEP>. - <tb> <SEP> Start of 3rd quadrant coding, or value <SEP> + 3 <SEP>: <CEL AL = L> - <tb> <SEP> Start of 4th quadrant coding, or value <SEP> + 4 <SEP>: <SEP> -. <tb> <SEP> AM:. . - <SEP> PM: - -. <tb> </TABLE>

In fig. 5 there is shown an example of coding over 12 hours to the minute. In addition, the coding of four different hours over 24 hours is indicated below, the AM or PM coding being placed at the beginning. <tb> <TABLE> Columns = 5 <tb> <SEP> 0h <SEP> 42 min <SEP>: <SEP>. . - / -. . / - - /. - <tb> <SEP> 9 p.m. <SEP> 03 min <SEP>: <SEP> - -. / - - - / -. . / - <SEP> (= 9 p.m. + 00 min + 3 min) <tb> <SEP> 21h <SEP> 35 min <CEL AL = L>: <SEP> - -. / - - - / - <tb> <SEP> 9h <SEP> 01 min <SEP>: <SEP>. . - / - - - / -. . /. <tb> </TABLE>

The respective durations of a short vibration, of a space between two vibrations, of a long vibration and of a space between two trains of vibrations are advantageously multiples of the duration separating two pulses of the signal S min min. Still assuming a resonator with a frequency of 32,768 Hz, the above-mentioned durations could for example take the values 125 ms, 250 ms, 500 ms and 1250 ms. By acting on the frequency of the signal S min min through the divider 43, these durations can be varied proportionally to allow the transmission speed of the pulse trains to be adapted to the perception ability of each user.

To correct the internal time, it is planned to first press B1 for a long time, for example for more than 2 seconds, then enter the desired time in the form hh / mn.mn, by pressing successively on the digital markers on the crown, each press giving rise to the emission of a confirmation vibration. The accuracy of the correction made can be checked by pressing C immediately after the correction. In the case of an analog type display, the correction of the internal time does not generally modify the position of the hands 11, 12 and this correction must be carried out by turning the rod, which constitutes the only operation which requires intervention. of a third party without visual impairment.

According to a comparable process, an alarm time can be programmed after exerting a long press on B2. Once the alarm time has been programmed, it is activated by pressing the ON key. A short press on B2 delivers a vibration train coding the alarm time set as confirmation. This operation can be carried out at any time as a check on the activated or not state of the alarm. Conversely, by pressing the OFF mark, the alarm is deactivated, which can be checked by pressing briefly on B2, which should not cause any vibration.

In fig. 1 there is also represented by the letter "S" another function key for the selection of the speed of emission of the vibrations. After pressing "S", press a number chosen between 1 and 9. To check if the selected speed is suitable, you can either read the current time by pressing the crown C, or exert a brief pressure on B1 which can then deliver, depending on the speed selected, vibration trains programmed at the time of construction, such as the vibration trains that code each quadrant, constituting a sort of memory aid for the general coding.

As indicated at the beginning, the tactile identification of the different active areas of the telescope is facilitated by a conformation in a bowl. This identification can be made even easier by giving the cuvettes different shapes according to their assignment, digital or functional, or even by separating the two respective zones with bosses 3 and / or by also adding bosses 3 between the digital marks, for example every two digits.

Example 2

According to a first variant of the embodiment of Example 1, there is shown schematically in FIG. 6 a watch comprising on a fixed bezel twelve marks Ni corresponding to the twelve time positions, said marks being opposite capacitive sensors 8a carried by the glass. Positions 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock also have a boss to facilitate location. According to this variant, the "reading" of the time is carried out both by a tactile location of the time positions and by the emission of vibration trains according to a simplified coding, as indicated below.

To read the time, first press the crown C to initialize this function, without this causing the emission of vibrations. Then, the perimeter of the ice is touched on the sensors 8a, until perception of a vibration, or of several vibrations representative of the position of a hand, or of those of the two hands, then the time position is identified by the corresponding Ni reference and the vibrations emitted are decoded. The microprocessor 22 is also programmed to execute a coding by means of three types of vibrations having durations which cannot be confused, namely: - a long vibration for hours, for example lasting 2 seconds; a short vibration for the minutes, for example of a duration of 0.5 seconds, and - a train of very short vibrations, for example five vibrations lasting 0.1 seconds each, for the value zero or for an entire hour.

For a current hour, for example 11:48 am, two markings are necessary. By following with his finger the periphery of the glass of the user will first identify the 11 o'clock position by perceiving long vibrations, as long as he maintains the finger on this position. By following the periphery of the ice a second time, it will perceive in the 9 o'clock position, i.e. 45 minutes, trains composed of as many short vibrations as it is necessary to add units to the multiple integer value of five already identified to know the hour to the minute, namely in this example trains made up of three short vibrations. In the case where the number of minutes is an integer multiple of five, for example 11.45 am, the short vibrations are replaced by very short vibrations, coding the value zero.

Two categories of time situations allow the time to be known by a single tracking.

For an entire hour, for example 6:00 p.m., the vibrations emitted for the identified position consist of a succession of very short vibrations.

For an hour in which the two hands depend on the same time position, for example 6:32 am, the vibrations emitted for the identified position are constituted by the succession of a long vibration and a train composed of as many short vibrations as it is necessary to add units to the integer value multiple of five, already identified to know the hour to the nearest minute, namely in this example trains composed of a long vibration and two short vibrations. As before, when the number of minutes corresponds to an integer multiple of five, the short vibrations are replaced by very short vibrations coding zero.

As we can see, learning and memorizing are limited to recognizing the twelve time positions by touch, identifying vibrations of three different durations and knowing how to count up to four.

To correct the internal time, long press B1, then touch the desired time on the bezel and move your finger on the corresponding sensor 8a. The same is done to install the minutes to the nearest five minutes, then activates as many times as necessary a sensor 8b placed in the center to have a correction of the internal time to the nearest minute. To confirm this selection, briefly press B1 if you are before noon (AM), or two short presses if you are after noon (PM).

We will do the same to program an alarm time, having previously exerted a long press on B2. The alarm will be activated by pressing B2 briefly, and deactivation by pressing it a second time. To adjust the vibration emission speed, the interpretation circuit 41 is designed to initialize this function when the rod is pulled by means of the crown C, the speed then being selected by means of the marks 1 to 12 crown, the selection made also being validated by a short press on B1. This provision is particularly useful for avoiding false operations, knowing that, for a given user, this setting once made, should no longer be modified.

Example 3

According to a second variant of the embodiment of Example 1, there is shown schematically in FIG. 7 a watch whose fixed bezel has ten numerical marks preceded by bosses corresponding to the writing in Braille of the numbers from 1 to 9 and zero. In order to achieve one of the aims of the invention, namely not to make it obvious that the user is visually impaired, the braille coding of each digit, inscribed in the corners of a square, is masked by an appearance decoration. granita arranged on the entire surface of the telescope, the difference appearing in fig. 6 having been deliberately exaggerated for a better understanding. The "reading" of the time is carried out as indicated in example 1, by means of coded vibration trains, emitted after having exerted a pressure on the crown C.

In the watch shown, the usual display is of the digital type, so that a visually impaired person can correct the displayed time himself by correcting the internal time as indicated above, after exerting a long press on B1. Likewise, to set the alarm, long press B2, then program the selected time by pressing successively on each area identified by touch using braille coding. Once the alarm time has been set, the alarm is activated by a short press on B2, and deactivation by a second short press.

As before, each maneuver is confirmed by the emission of a train of vibrations, or on the contrary by its absence. To regulate the speed of emission of the vibration trains, the push button B1 can be used by exerting successive short pressures, which allow access to a loop on which determined speeds have been programmed in the electronic coding means.

Example 4

According to a second embodiment shown schematically in FIG. 8, a watch according to the invention comprises a rotating bezel provided with twelve marks corresponding to the twelve time positions. The time is read as shown in example 1, after pressing the crown C. This rotating bezel allows selectively activating twelve contacts carried by the ring of the middle opposite the bezel, when one of the marks Ni is brought by rotation of the bezel opposite a fixed mark of the middle, such as the button B1. The selection is validated by briefly pressing B1 if you are in the time slot before noon (AM) and by pressing twice briefly if you are in the afternoon time slot (PM).

The contactors making it possible to make the selection may advantageously be formed by micro-machined Reed relays, the magnet allowing their activation then being embedded in the material forming the telescope. As indicated above, the identification of these twelve positions will be made possible by giving them a conformation in a bowl or a boss, by additionally providing for an automatic return to a neutral position as indicated in FIG. 8, after each selection.

According to a variant, it can be provided that any angular displacement of a step corresponding to a reference point causes the emission of a vibration that the user can count, until its validation by a brief pressure on B1, pressure which will cause at the same time resetting the count.

Thus in this second embodiment, the correction of the internal time can be carried out by exerting a long press on B1, then by selecting by rotation of the bezel and confirming by one or two short presses on B1 two numbers between 1 and 12 providing accuracy to the nearest five minutes. We will do the same to program an alarm time by having previously exerted a long press on B2. The activation and deactivation of the alarm can be carried out as indicated above by pressing B2 briefly.

The vibration emission speed can be adjusted as shown in example 2.

Example 5

According to a third embodiment shown schematically in FIG. 9, the control members consist only of the crown C and the push-button function buttons B1 and B2.

Pressing crown C allows the time to be read as shown in example 1.

To correct the internal time, first press B1 briefly, then press and hold it a second time, count the number of vibrations emitted up to the desired values to obtain the time. to the nearest minute in the form hh / mn.mn.

Likewise, to set the alarm time, first press B2 for a long time and count as previously indicated using button B1. Activation and deactivation can be carried out as indicated in examples 2 to 4 above by successive short presses on B2.

To adjust the transmission speed of the vibration trains, the interpretation circuit 41 is designed to initialize this function when the rod is pulled by means of the crown, the speed then being selected by exerting a long press on B2 to access a loop containing predetermined speeds.

According to the general principle of the invention, a vibration or a train of vibrations serves as a means of checking the accuracy of the manipulation carried out. In this third embodiment, the vibrating member 23 can also be connected to the button B1 to deliver vibrations not only to the wrist through the case, but also to the finger which maintains the pressure.

In the preceding examples, the same members B1, B2 and C fulfill substantially the same functions, only for the purpose of ensuring better understanding, but it is obvious that the skilled person is able, by an appropriate arrangement of the interpretation circuit, to make them fulfill functions other than those which have just been described.

Similarly, although the entire description of the present invention has essentially been made with reference to a person with a visual handicap, it is obvious that this same timepiece can also prove to be very useful for a sighted person. in certain situations where it is not possible to consult the time visually.

Claims (18)

1. Electronic timepiece arranged to deliver time information in a non-audible tactile manner, and comprising: - a housing (4) closed by a crystal (13); - a timepiece circuit (30), associated with an analog or digital display, comprising in particular an oscillator and its maintenance circuit (31), a chain of divisions (32) and counters (33, 34, 35); - at least two control members formed outside said housing, each consisting of one of the following members: a telescope (L) provided with tactile markers (Ni, Mi) facing sensors (8, 8a), a crown, push-button buttons (C, B1, B2), an interpretation circuit (41) of the manipulations carried out on said control members (L, C, B1, B2), electronic coding means (22) intended to code in the form of pulse trains time signals received from said time-keeping circuit (30), and non-time signals received from said interpretation circuit (41), and - a device (23) generating non-sound vibrations, said timepiece being characterized in that said control members (L, C, B1, B2) cooperate via said interpretation circuit (41) with said electronic coding means (22) for controlling by means of pulse trains the vibration generating device (23) so as to emit vibration trains representative of time information and to introduce and verify a time or non-time instruction accuracy. 2. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the control members cooperating with the electronic coding means (22) for delivering time information are formed at least by a pusher (C, B1, B2) whose l activation enables the vibration generating device (23) to emit a vibration train representative of said time information at one time. 3. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the control members cooperating with the electronic coding means (22) for delivering time information consist of one or two tactile markers (Ni) representative of a value digital, whose activation by pressure or positioning of a finger allows the vibration generating device to emit one or two vibration trains representative of said time information. 4. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the push-button control members are provided with several activation modes recognizable by the interpretation circuit (41) to allow delivering different time information or making execute different time or non-time instructions. 5. timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic coding means (22) further comprises means for varying the transmission speed of the pulse trains. 6. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibration generating device (23) is of the electromagnetic type and in that it is entirely contained in the housing. 7. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that a control member making it possible to introduce time or non-time information is constituted by a bezel (L) external to the case and provided with marks (Ni, Mi) activatable touchscreen. 8. timepiece according to claim 7, characterized in that the bezel (L) is a fixed bezel and in that each mark is opposite a position sensor (8) activatable by pressure or positioning of a finger. 9. Timepiece according to claim 7, characterized in that the bezel (L) is a rotating bezel and in that each mark is activatable by bringing it in coincidence with another fixed tactile mark. 10. Timepiece according to claim 7, characterized in that the confirmation of the selection of a benchmark is effected by emission of the associated vibration train, either automatically or by pressing on a control member. 11. Timepiece according to claim 7, characterized in that the bezel has a range of 10 or 12 positions corresponding to tactile marks (Ni) representative of a numerical value and making it possible to correct the internal time or to adjust the alarm time, and a range corresponding to tactile marks (Mi) representative of a selectable operating mode to obtain a modification of the vibration transmission speed, the activation or deactivation of the alarm function or the call of a calendar function. 12. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the control members making it possible to introduce time or non-time information consist only of a crown and push-button buttons (C, B1, B2). 13. timepiece according to claim 12, characterized in that one of the push buttons (B1, B2) is designed to allow the introduction of time information by simple counting of vibrations to the desired number by now press with a finger. 14. Timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that the electronic coding means (22) are formed by a microprocessor programmed so as to code the twelve time positions in the form of pulse trains comprising at most three short pulses. or long, according to a logical progression giving priority to the selection of short pulses for the numbers 1 to 6 of the first and second quadrant, and a priority to the selection of long pulses for the numbers 7 to 12 of the third and fourth quadrant. 15. Timepiece according to claim 14, characterized in that the sequences of pulses common to the digits of each quadrant encode the trains of pulses representative of the values from 1 to 4 which must be added to a time information given at 5 minutes by the twelve hour positions to obtain minute accuracy. 16. Timepiece according to claim 3, characterized in that the tactile markers (Ni) are positioned on the twelve time positions and that the electronic coding means (22) are formed by a microprocessor programmed so as to emit one or more several long pulses when the activated digital reference point (Ni) corresponds to the hour, short pulse trains when the said reference point corresponds to the minutes, each train comprising 1 to 4 pulses depending on the value to be added to the number of minutes multiple of five immediately lower corresponding to the activated digital reference (Ni), and very short pulse trains when said reference corresponds to the value zero or an entire hour. 17. Timepiece according to claim 16, characterized in that the long pulses for the hours and the short pulse trains for the minutes are linked when the hour hand and the minute hand depend on a single tactile marker (Ni). 18. Timepiece according to any one of the preceding claims consisting of a pocket watch or a wristwatch intended for a visually impaired person.