EP0751444A1 - Time measuring instrument with analogue display, in particular watch, clock or table-clock, and method for controlling the automatic setting of this instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

A radio signal bearing time data is detected by an antenna (18) and then amplified (19,21) and filtered (22). The signal is then demodulated (23) and formed (24). A standard strength reference signal is produced by a generator (25) and this is compared with the incoming signal by a comparator (29). If the signal is satisfactory a processing and control unit (17) which may operate automatically or under manual control (28) drives a step by step motor (15) to correct the clock hands (12,13,14). If not the second hand is made to advance in an unusual and distinctive manner.

Description

The present invention relates to a time instrument, in particular a watch, a clock or a pendulum clock, comprising a housing provided with an analog display provided with at least one analog indicator such as an indicator for hours, minutes or seconds, a receiving device arranged to receive and demodulate radio signals and to supply a message containing time information, and a processing and control device arranged to decode this message and to control the display indicator.

It also relates to a method for controlling the automatic setting of a time instrument as defined above, in which radio signals containing time information in the form of a message are received and demodulated, and this is processed. message so as to decode the time information which is used to set the time instrument.

There are currently time instruments with exclusively analog, exclusively digital or analog and digital display automatically reset to the time by means of a radio signal containing time information. Such instruments pick up the signal, decode the time information and use this information to reset the time. Depending on the distance between the instrument and the transmitter, depending on the geographic area in which these instruments are placed and according to their orientation, it may happen that the strength of the signal received is insufficient to be used. On the other hand, the extraction of time information can sometimes lead to an unusable signal due to the presence of disturbing signals.

The German utility model published under the number DE-U-92 00 950 as well as the European patent application published under the number EP-A-0 455 183 describe two time instruments controlled by a radio signal. These two instruments are provided with a digital display making it possible to make visible the reception level of the signal received. This digital display degrades the aesthetic appearance of the time instrument and cannot be used on time instruments for which the aesthetic qualities are important.

The European patent application published under the number EP-A-0 180 155 describes a radio-controlled clock whose second hand is used to indicate whether a radio signal has been received completely or not. This indication does not however make it possible to obtain information on the reception level, or to know whether the signal has been decoded correctly, but only if it has been received completely. It is therefore possible that the clock has received a complete signal without being usable. It is therefore not possible to know whether the time instrument displays the exact time. The user can therefore have an instrument having an automatic time reset function, which displays erroneous indications without it being possible to verify it.

The present invention proposes to overcome the drawbacks of time instruments with exclusively analog display by making one of their indicators, for example the seconds indicator, perform unconventional movements when the level of the received signal or the decoding of the radio signal n did not allow a time reset.

This object is achieved by an instrument as defined in the preamble and characterized in that the reception device comprises a generator delivering a reference signal of constant level defining a threshold, and a comparator arranged to compare the level of the reference signal with the level means of the radio signal received, and in that the processing and control device comprises analog display means for indicating in an analog manner if the average level of the signal received is below said predefined threshold.

The means for indicating whether the average level of the signal received is lower than said predefined threshold preferably comprises a microcontroller arranged to control the displacement of the analog indicator chosen in an unconventional way when this average level is lower than said predefined threshold.

The processing and control device advantageously includes means for decoding the time information and for analyzing the validity of the message delivered by the reception device.

This object is also achieved by a process as defined in the preamble and characterized in that the time-setting of this instrument is checked by comparing the average level of the radio signal received at the level of a reference signal and by an analog indicator of the time instrument is moved in an unconventional way when the average level of the radio signal received is lower than the level of the reference signal.

According to one embodiment of the method, during reception of the radio signals, the analog seconds indicator is moved by two consecutive steps every two seconds when the average level of the radio signal received is lower than the level of the reference signal.

According to a complementary embodiment of the method, after the reception of the radio signals and the decoding of the time information of a message, the validity of said message is determined and the analog seconds indicator is moved in an unconventional way when this message does not is not valid.

According to a preferred embodiment, the analog indicator of the seconds is moved by two consecutive steps, followed after one second, by one step, then by no steps for two seconds when the message is not valid.

According to a preferred embodiment, a determined number of daily receptions of said radio signals is carried out and the displacement of the analog seconds indicator after the last daily reception is modified only when none of the daily receptions has allowed to get a valid message.

• la figure 1 représente de façon schématique l'instrument horaire selon la présente invention,
• la figure 2 est un diagramme temporel illustrant les impulsions envoyées au moteur entraînant l'indicateur des secondes lorsque le niveau de réception est élevé,
• la figure 3 est un diagramme similaire à celui de la figure 2, lorsque le niveau de réception est bas,
• la figure 4 est un diagramme temporel des impulsions du moteur entraînant l'indicateur des secondes en fonction du niveau de réception,
• la figure 5 illustre les impulsions envoyées au moteur entraînant l'indicateur des secondes en fonction du temps, lorsque le message délivré par le dispositif de traitement est correct,
• la figure 6 est un diagramme similaire à celui de la figure 5, lorsque le message est incorrect, et
• les figures 7a et 7b représentent de façon schématique, les différentes étapes du procédé selon la présente invention.

The present invention and its advantages will be better understood with reference to the description of exemplary embodiments and to the accompanying drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 schematically represents the time instrument according to the present invention,
• FIG. 2 is a time diagram illustrating the pulses sent to the motor causing the seconds indicator when the reception level is high,
• FIG. 3 is a diagram similar to that of FIG. 2, when the reception level is low,
• FIG. 4 is a time diagram of the pulses of the motor driving the seconds indicator as a function of the reception level,
• FIG. 5 illustrates the pulses sent to the motor driving the seconds indicator as a function of time, when the message delivered by the processing device is correct,
• FIG. 6 is a diagram similar to that of FIG. 5, when the message is incorrect, and
• Figures 7a and 7b schematically show the different steps of the method according to the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, the time instrument 10 comprises an analog display 11 formed of at least one analog indicator 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the instrument 10 comprises three analog indicators which are the indicator 12 displaying the seconds, a minute indicator 13 and an hour indicator 14. These indicators can be meshed and driven by a motor 15, by two motors, or be independent and driven by three independent motors.

The motors used are generally stepper motors. The analog indicator 12 for example performs a displacement of a single step of 6 ° each second. The instrument 10 also comprises a device 16 for receiving radio signals containing time information and a device 17 for processing the radio signals and controlling the display.

The time instrument can be a watch such as a wristwatch, a clock or a pendulum. The reception device 16 comprises an antenna 18 which is generally placed in the time instrument so that it is not visible. The radio signals are for example signals of the type of those emitted by the transmitter Télédiffusion de France, known by the abbreviation TDF and containing time information. They are picked up by the reception device 16 which comprises means 19 for amplifying the radio signals, formed by a first amplifier 20 and a second amplifier 21, filtering and discrimination means 22, demodulation means 23 and means 24 for shaping these signals. It further comprises a generator 25 delivering an electrical reference signal of constant level.

The processing and control device 17 comprises a microcontroller 26 provided with a memory 27 which stores various data used in the control process. This processing and control device 17 is connected to the stepping motor 15 driving the analog seconds indicator 12. The time instrument further comprises a manual switch 28 arranged to manually activate the reception device 16.

The method for checking the time setting of the time instrument is described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

This control method comes into operation on each reception request triggered manually by actuating the manual switch 28, or automatically, for example several times a day, at regular intervals or at predetermined times.

The antenna 18 of the reception device 16 permanently receives a radio signal originating, for example, from the TDF transmitter. When the reception request has been triggered, this signal is introduced into the first amplifier 20, passes through the filtering and discrimination means 22, the second amplifier 21, the demodulation means 23 and the shaping means 24. These different elements make it possible to obtain the message contained in the radio signal in the form of a succession of signals of high and low logic levels. This message is transmitted to the processing and control device 17 for decoding the time information.

Simultaneously, part of the average value of the demodulated electrical signal is transmitted to an input of a comparator 29 which receives, on its other input, the reference voltage of the generator 25. The output of this comparator delivers a high level signal if the average value of the demodulated electrical signal is greater than the reference voltage, and a low level signal otherwise. This signal is representative of the signal strength received by the antenna and will be referred to below as the reception level.

The processing and control device 17 uses the message to set the time instrument, in a conventional manner well known to those skilled in the art.

The processing and control device 17 analyzes the reception level every second and this for the entire time that the reception device 16 is activated.

When the reception level is low, it is not certain that the time instrument can be set to the time. In order to indicate this to the user, the processing and control device 17 sends two pulses every two seconds to the stepping motor 15 controlling the movement of the analog seconds indicator. The user can thus see, without any additional display, that the reception level is insufficient to allow the automatic setting of the time instrument. However, this movement keeps the display of seconds since the average displacement of the seconds indicator is one step per second.

FIG. 2 illustrates the pulses that the processing and control device 17 sends to the stepping motor 15 when the reception level is high, while FIG. 3 illustrates these same pulses when the reception level is low.

In order not to lose a second, after receiving a low level, the analog seconds indicator is advanced two steps during the next second, regardless of the reception level at this time. This is illustrated in Figures 4 and 7a.

When the processing and control device 17 is in possession of a complete message, it performs on this message, the error tests well known to those skilled in the art. If no error is detected, the message is considered valid. In this case, the time instrument is automatically reset to the time, then the processing and control device sends one pulse per second to the stepping motor controlling the analog seconds indicator. This corresponds to the classic displacement of the analog seconds indicator and is illustrated in Figure 5.

In the automatic control mode, the memory 27 contains the maximum number of automatic activations of the processing device that the instrument must perform at most in one day. If the message received is not valid, the microcontroller 26 tests, using the memory 27, if it is in the process of carrying out the last daily activation. If this is not the case, the processing and control device 17 does not modify the rate of movement of the seconds indicator and the adjustment of the running of the device is that of its internal time base.

If the last daily activation is carried out and the message is not valid, the processing and control device 17 sends to the motor 15 two close pulses, then after one second, one pulse, then no pulse for two seconds, and repeat this cycle. This displacement jerky indicates to the user that no message could be used during the day to set the instrument to the time. As this displacement corresponds however to an average displacement of one step per second, the display of the seconds remains usable. The pulses used for this mode of movement are illustrated in Figure 6.

When the reception device 16 is not activated, the time instrument operates according to its own time base. When the reception device 16 is activated manually or during the first start-up, or during a battery change, the microcontroller does not check whether the last daily activation and the rate of movement of the needle are carried out. seconds depends on the validity of the last decoded message.

The set of operations performed from the decoding of the data is illustrated in FIG. 7b.

This device makes it possible, without the addition of an additional display, to indicate whether the watch, clock or clock is placed in a place where the level of reception of radio signals is sufficient. It also allows you to check whether the reception has been made correctly, which ensures that the time indicated by the hands is the correct time. These two functions are performed without losing the time display since this indication is given by a movement of the analog seconds indicator which performs on average, one step per second regardless of the type of movement.

The movement of the seconds indicator can be modified as long as it corresponds to an average movement of one step per second. On the other hand, in the case of analog time instruments which have only hour and minute indicators, the minute indicator can be made to perform, for example, appropriate movements which inform the user about the level of receipt or validity of the message. In particular, this indicator can be moved in the same way as the movement described above for the seconds indicator, during the reception phases. In this case, corrections must be made necessary in order not to lose the indication of the minute, which may come from the internal time base or from the last correct radio reception.

The indication concerning the reception level could also come from a consistency test of each data transmitted by the radio signal, carried out by the processing device, this in order to simplify the reception electronics and to be able to use receivers with no logic output of the reception level.

These indications of the level of reception of the radio signal and of the proper functioning of the radio device can be used in all radio-receiving devices having an analog display of the time with hands and / or discs, in particular in the reset devices. time, messaging or paging.

Claims (8)

Time instrument, in particular a watch, a clock or a pendulum clock, comprising a housing provided with an analog display provided with at least one analog indicator such as an indicator of the hours, minutes or seconds, a receiving device arranged for receiving and demodulating radio signals and for supplying a message containing time information, and a processing and control device arranged to decode this message and to control the display indicator, characterized in that the reception device (16 ) comprises a generator (25) delivering a reference signal of constant level defining a threshold, and a comparator (29) arranged to compare the level of the reference signal with the average level of the radio signal received, and in that the processing device and control (17) comprises analog display means for indicating in an analog manner if the average level of the signal received is lower than said predefined threshold i. Instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for indicating whether the average level of the signal received is lower than said predefined threshold comprise a microcontroller (26) arranged to control the displacement of the analog seconds indicator (12) in a non- conventional when this average level is lower than said predefined threshold. Instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing and control device (17) comprises means for decoding the time information and for analyzing the validity of the message delivered by the reception device (16). Method for controlling the automatic setting of a time instrument as defined in claim 1, in which radio signals containing time information in the form of a message are received and demodulated and this message is processed so as to decode the time information that is used to set the time instrument to the time, characterized in that the time setting of this instrument is checked by comparing the average level of the radio signal received at the level of a reference signal and in that the analog seconds indicator (12) of the time instrument (10) is moved in an unconventional manner when the average level of the radio signal received is lower than the level of the reference signal. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that, during the reception of the radio signals, the analog second indicator (12) is moved by two consecutive steps every two seconds when the average level of the radio signal received is lower than the level of the reference signal. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that, after reception of the radio signals and the decoding of the time information of a message, the validity of the said message is determined and the analog seconds indicator (12 ) in an unconventional way when this message is not valid. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the analog seconds indicator (12) is moved by two consecutive steps, followed after one second, by one step, then by no steps for two seconds when the message n is not valid. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that a determined number of daily receptions of said radio signals is carried out and in that the displacement of the analog seconds indicator (12) after the last daily reception only when none of the daily receptions made it possible to obtain a valid message.

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