CH712754A2 - Timepiece comprising an optical communication device. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a timepiece (1) comprising a housing (1a) in which an electronic module (10) providing at least one piece of information is arranged, said at least one item being displayed by display means on a dial (14). The electronic module further comprises a communication unit (15) comprising an optical reception device (150), said optical reception device comprising at least one photoelectric receiver (151) arranged opposite a first opening (152). performed on the dial so that an optical signal can be picked up by said optical receiver.

Description

Description: [0001] The present invention relates to a timepiece comprising a housing in which an electronic module providing at least one piece of information is arranged, said at least one item of information being displayed by display means on a dial, characterized in that the electronic module further comprises a communication unit comprising an optical reception device, said optical reception device comprising at least one photoelectric receiver arranged facing a first opening made on the dial so that an optical signal can be captured by said optical receiver.

PRIOR ART

[0002] There are currently two types of watches, mechanical watches including no electronics and so-called electronic watches operating with a battery and a microcontroller. Now, electronic watches have evolved enormously to become more and more so-called connected watches. These connected watches are equipped with a communication module using an NFC protocol and / or Bluetooth for the exchange of data with another mobile phone type device (also called smartphone) or laptop or tablet. This exchange of data currently allows the transfer of data from a sensor located in the watch to the mobile phone or the tablet, these devices have a much higher computing power. This data exchange also makes it possible to send data of the notification or email type of the telephone to the watch so as to warn the user.

These electronic watches can use, for the display of time information such as time or date, analog means such as hands or disks or electronic screens using LCD, LED or OLED technologies. However, the use of needles or disks require the use of at least one motor and gear so that the time setting is done manually that can cause inaccuracies and offsets.

Another means of communication is the use of optical technology using a phototransistor to receive an encoded light signal. However, this technology has the disadvantage of requiring openings in the dial for the passage of light and is subject to the risks associated with the external light environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a device for simple optical communication, effective and as invisible as possible.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a timepiece comprising a housing in which an electronic module providing at least one information is arranged, said at least one information being displayed by display means on a dial, characterized in that the electronic module further comprises a communication unit comprising an optical reception device, said optical reception device comprising at least one photoelectric receiver arranged next to a first opening made on the dial so that a signal The optical receiving device can be picked up by said optical receiver, said optical receiving device further comprising a concealment device interposed between the dial and the photoelectric receiver and movably mounted so as to be able to block or pass the external optical signal.

An advantage of this invention is that it allows optical communication between a portable object such as a watch and another device without distorting the original design. This then makes it possible to implement such a communication device in existing watches.

In a first advantageous embodiment, said optical reception device comprising two photoelectric receivers, each photoelectric receiver being opposite a first opening made on the dial, said optical reception device further comprising a occultation device interposed between the dial and each photoelectric receiver.

In a second advantageous embodiment, the concealment device comprises a flap in the form of a circular segment mounted on an axis at its pointed end, said axis being driven by a motor so that the flap can be rotated.

In a third advantageous embodiment, the display means comprise at least one disk rotatably mounted and rotated by at least one motor, said disk carrying information to be displayed through a window made on the dial, the disk and the aperture making, respectively, office obscuration device and first opening, and in that said disk further comprises a second opening arranged to be able to be opposite the first opening and the receiver photoelectric signal to pass an optical signal.

In a fourth advantageous embodiment, the disk of the display means comprises a plurality of positions in each of which information is disposed, the second opening being a slot located between two positions.

In a fifth advantageous embodiment, the disk of the display means comprises a plurality of positions in each of which information is disposed, said disk comprising an additional position in which a second opening is made.

In a sixth advantageous embodiment, the disk of the display means comprises a plurality of positions in each of which a marking is disposed, the second opening being a slot at least partially coincident with a marking.

In another advantageous embodiment, the disc of the display means comprises a plurality of positions in each of which a marking is disposed, the second opening being a slot at least partially coincident with a marking.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The objects, advantages and features of the invention will appear more clearly in the following detailed description of at least one embodiment of the invention given solely by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which: :

Figs. 1 and 2 schematically represent the portable object according to the invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 show schematically a first embodiment of the portable object according to the invention;

Fig. 5 schematically shows a first embodiment of the first embodiment of the portable object according to the invention;

Figs. 6 to 11 show schematically a second embodiment of the first embodiment of the portable object according to the invention;

Figs. 12a and 12b schematically represent a variant of the first embodiment of the portable object according to the invention;

Fig. 13 schematically shows a second embodiment of the portable object according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In figs. 1 and 2, a watch or timepiece 1 according to the invention is shown. The watch 1 thus comprises a housing 1a provided with a bracelet 1b. In this housing, an electronic module 10 which comprises a microcontroller 11 supplied with electricity by a power supply unit 12 such as a battery or a battery is arranged, said microcontroller 11 comprising a time base and memory areas. This microcontroller 11 is used to send control signals to display means 13, these display means 13 may comprise needles 13 'or disks cooperating with markings of a dial 14. These means of display 13 allow the display of time information such as the time but can also display the date, the date or the phase of the moon. The microcontroller 11 is also connected with control means 16 which may be a crown, pushers or tactile means. The electronic module 10 may also comprise a communication unit 15 for receiving data or at least one sensor 17.

According to the invention, the communication unit 15 is configured to allow optical communication. For this, the communication unit 15 comprises an optical reception device 150 for receiving a light signal.

This optical reception device 150 is advantageously placed at the level of the dial 14. This optical reception device 150 comprises at least one photoelectric receiver 151. This photoelectric receiver 151 is generally a phototransistor or photodiode it is that is, a semiconductor component having the ability to detect radiation from the optical domain and transform it into an electrical signal. In the case of a phototransistor, it is a bipolar transistor whose base is sensitive to light radiation. When the base is illuminated the phototransistor is equivalent to a closed switch between the transmitter and the collector and when the base is not illuminated, it is equivalent to an open switch.

According to a first embodiment visible in FIGS. 3 and 4, the photoelectric receiver 151 is placed under the dial 14, the latter having an opening called the first opening 152. This first opening 152 allows the light to pass through the dial 14 to be picked up by said photo receiver However, it becomes necessary to camouflage as much as possible this first opening 152 so as not to distort the aesthetics of the dial 14.

According to a first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the optical reception device 150 further comprises a concealment device 153. This concealment device consists of a flap 154 mounted to move in rotation or in translation. This flap 154 advantageously makes it possible to hide the phototransistor 151 when it is not used. For example, the flap 154 will have a circular segment shape attached to an axis 155 at its tip to be rotated by a motor 156 on demand.

In a second embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the occulting device 153 is part of the display means 13. In fact, these display means 13 may comprise a disk 13 ", for example the date disk, to display information via a window in the dial serving as the first opening 152. This disk 13 "is driven by a motor and includes information regardless of date (day, month) or moon phase information. Cleverly, this disc 13 "includes an opening called second opening 157. This second opening 157 allows the light signal to pass through the dial 14. For this, the watch is able to operate in an operating mode in which data can be This mode can be activated automatically or by means of control.When this mode of operation is activated, the disk is rotated so that the second opening of the disk is opposite the first opening of the dial. way, the light signal can be received by the photoelectric receiver.

In a first embodiment of this second embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the second opening 157 of the disc 13 "may be a slot 157a.In the case of a date disc that is to say provided with uniformly distributed marking, this slot 157a is placed between 2 positions (2 dates) This slot 157a is located in a non-visible zone when one displays the date or date.To establish the communication, the disk 13 "is controlled so as to present this slot 157a above the photoelectric receiver 151 : that is to say, we place ourselves between 2 date passages. Thus, the slot 157a is aligned with the window that is to say the first opening 152 and the photoelectric receiver 151. The optical communication can be performed. In a particular embodiment, the slot 157a will be merged into one of the markings to be as invisible as possible as visible in FIG. 9.

In a second embodiment of this second embodiment, the second opening 157 is to stamp an additional position Pi as visible in FIGS. 10 and 11. Indeed, for a disc 13 "of date, it is expected to have thirty-one position Pi called P1 to P31, one per day of a month.The goal here is to provide a 32nd position P32 for the second opening, this second opening 157 is then in the form of a cutout inscription 157b.The cutting of the inscription allows the light to pass to the photoelectric receiver 151. The stamping of the inscription appears dark / black like the rest of the indications on the disc.

In a variant of this second embodiment, the 32nd position will simply be a breakthrough made to the same disk. This breakthrough thus allows the passage of light.

Of course, it is conceivable that in the case where the date display uses two disks 13 "called D1 and D2 partially overlapping to display the date, each of the disks 13" is provided with this second opening 157 as a crack or opening or breakthrough. The disks are then rotated so that the openings / slots / holes they comprise are in view of each other as visible in FIGS. 12a and 12b.

In a second embodiment, the optical reception device comprises two photoelectric receivers 151 as shown in FIG. 13. This presence of two photoelectric receivers 151 makes it possible to receive the duplicate information and thus to compare the received messages. Thus, it is possible to detect an error. Therefore, the dial has two first openings: one for each photoelectric receiver 151. Each first opening of the dial is associated with a second opening arranged on a shading device which may be an information display disk (date , day, moon phase) or a moving flap.

For this second embodiment, it is possible that the presence of two photoelectric receivers 151 serve to allow the use of a synchronous data transmission. Indeed, such a data transmission uses a watchmaker signal in parallel to clock the sending of the data. This therefore requires having two separate receivers to send two separate signals.

According to the present invention, the occultation device is set in motion following the receipt of an order. This command can be activated via the control means of the timepiece. This may include push buttons or touch keys to act on the electronic module to activate functions including a communication function.

This activation of the optical data reception can be done via a radio signal. Indeed, the communication unit may further comprise an interface of the Bluetooth or NFC type. In this case, a radio signal, sent by a device of the smartphone type or a beacon, is received by the timepiece which will then activate the optical reception.

Furthermore, the timepiece may be compatible with LiFi technology. This technology consists of a wireless communication technology based on the use of f visible light between radiation (480 nm wavelength, 670 THz) (perceived blue) and radiation (650 nm, or 460 THz ) (perceived red). While Wi-Fi uses a radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum out of the visible spectrum, Li-Fi uses the visible (optical) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The principle of Li-Fi is based on coding and sending data via the amplitude modulation of light sources (scintillation imperceptible to the eye), according to a well-defined and standardized protocol.

It will be understood that various modifications and / or improvements and / or combinations obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the various embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims (8)

Indeed, it may be provided a variant of the various embodiments in which the communication unit 15 comprises, in addition to an optical receiving device 150, an optical transmission device for the emission of a light signal. . Such a device generally consists of a photodiode capable of generating a light signal following an electrical excitation. claims A timepiece (1) comprising a housing (1a) in which an electronic module (10) providing at least one piece of information is arranged, said at least one item being displayed by display means on a dial (14) , characterized in that the electronic module further comprises a communication unit (15) comprising an optical reception device (150), said optical reception device comprising at least one photoelectric receiver (151) arranged opposite a first opening (152) performed on the dial so that an optical signal can be picked up by said optical receiver, said optical receiving device further comprising a concealment device (153) interposed between the dial and the photoelectric receiver and mounted movably so as to be able to block or pass the external optical signal. 2. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that said optical receiver device (150) comprising two photoelectric receivers (151), each photoelectric receiver being opposite a first opening (152) made on the dial, said optical reception device further comprising a concealment device interposed between the dial and each photoelectric receiver. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the occulting device (153) comprises a flap (154) in the form of a circular segment mounted on an axis (155) to its pointed end, said axis being driven by a motor (156) so that the flap can be rotated. 4. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the display means (13) comprise at least one disc (13 ") rotatably mounted and rotated by at least one motor, said disc bearing information to be displayed through a window made on the dial (14), the disk and the aperture respectively acting as an occulting device and first opening (152), and in that said disk further comprises a second opening (157) arranged to be able to face the first aperture and the photoelectric receiver to pass an optical signal. 5. Timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the disk of the display means comprises a plurality of positions (Pi) in each of which information is disposed, the second opening (157) being a slot located between two positions. 6. Timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the disk of the display means comprises a plurality of positions (Pi) in each of which information is disposed, said disk comprising an additional position (P32) in which a second opening (157) is performed. 7. Timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the disc of the display means comprises a plurality of positions (Pi) in each of which a marking is arranged, the second opening being a slot at least partially merged with a marking. 8. Timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the disc of the display means comprises a plurality of positions (Pi) in each of which a marking is arranged, the second opening being a slot at least partially merged with a marking.