EP1398676A1 - Timepiece comprising an electronic module suitable to store information and arranged in the case bottom - Google Patents

Abstract

The wrist watch incorporates an electronic module for memorizing information. The electronic module (14) is situated in a cavity (13) formed in the base of the watch casing, the cavity being open to the outside of this base surface. The wrist watch incorporates an electronic module for memorizing information. This includes an integrated circuit chip linked to an aerial comprising a coil which is able to pick up radio transmitted signals from a read/write unit. This enables reading of the information held in the memory, modification of the information and addition of further information. In order to avoid the difficulties encountered in fitting the electronic module within the casing of the watch, the electronic module (14) is situated in a cavity (13) formed in the base of the watch casing, the cavity being open to the outside of this base surface.

Description

The present invention relates to watches, generally wristwatches, in the boxes of which electronic modules are incorporated for memorizing information which includes an integrated circuit chip or "chip" connected to an antenna constituted by a coil and which can communicate by radio signals broadcast with a reading and / or writing device intended for less read the information contained in a memory of the integrated circuit chip and often to be able to additionally delete or modify at least part of these information and add more.

More specifically, the invention relates to watches in which the electronic modules are of the passive type, the term "passive" meaning that these modules do not need clean energy sources, such as batteries or accumulators, to be able to function, this energy being supplied to them by the radio signals from the reading and / or writing apparatus with which they cooperate.

Such watches are provided for example to simply memorize a access code to private or protected premises or to ski slopes. Others with electronic modules fitted with more complicated integrated circuit chips may contain the medical records of their owners.

Furthermore, in some of these known watches, the electronic module is placed in a hollow bezel, preferably removable, to be able to change the module if necessary. Such a solution cannot therefore be suitable for watches having any type of box. In addition, if the box actually has a bezel or a middle-bezel, this complicates the manufacture of the latter and consequently increases the cost price of the watch.

In other watches, the module is placed in a space provided between the back of the movement of these watches and the bottom of their case, which increases necessarily their volume. On the other hand, if the bottom of the box is made of a material which is not not really non-magnetic, for example in steel, the magnetic flux generated or received by the coil of the electronic module suffers significant losses and even if measures are taken to limit these losses, which are far from negligible. Finally, even if the bottom of the box is made of non-magnetic material, for example plastic, radio broadcast signals sent and received by the module coil which must cross the entire thickness of this bottom undergo attenuation important.

The object of the invention is to provide a watch, in particular a wristwatch, which, as the case may be, completely eliminates the drawbacks of these known watches or at least diminish their importance.

To achieve this goal, the watch according to the invention comprises a box provided from the bottom, a movement contained in this box and an electronic module for the storage of information capable of communicating by radio broadcast signals with a reading and / or writing device and in which the electronic module includes a base made of non-magnetic material, an integrated circuit chip having at least two connection terminals and fixed on this base and a transmitting antenna and receiving unit comprising a coil also fixed on the base and constituted by a electrically conductive wire having two ends connected respectively to terminals of the integrated circuit chip, the coil having an annular shape and surrounding a space in which the chip is placed and this watch is characterized by the fact that the electronic module is housed at least for the most part in a cavity open to the outside that has the bottom of the box.

Preferably, the cavity and the module have a shape essentially cylindrical and are located in the center of the bottom of the box.

So, unlike a watch in which the module is placed at the bottom of the box and entirely inside thereof, in the watch according to the invention the signals sent and received by the module coil only have to cross the base of this module whose thickness is much less than that of the bottom of the box.

On the other hand, to obtain a watch according to the invention, it is possible to leave of an existing watch, to form in its bottom a blind hole of a shape adapted to that of the electronic module.

In addition, when the bottom of the box is removable, it is possible to replace this background for switching from an ordinary watch to a watch according to the invention.

That said, in one embodiment of the watch according to the invention, the base of the module is bowl-shaped and has a flat bottom on which the coil and integrated circuit chip and a side wall surrounding the coil.

This embodiment is particularly suitable when the bottom of the box is made of a magnetic material like steel.

• la figure 1 est une coupe diamétrale schématique d'une montre-bracelet à affichage analogique selon l'invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe diamétrale agrandie de la zone du fond de la boíte de la figure 1 dans laquelle se trouve une première forme possible d'exécution d'un module électronique incorporé dans ce fond;
• la figure 3 est une vue de dessus incomplète du module électronique représenté à la figure 2, montrant comment les extrémités du fil de sa bobine sont reliées à des bornes respectives de la puce de circuit intégré de ce module;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe analogue à celle de la figure 2 montrant une deuxième forme d'exécution dans laquelle les extrémités du fil de la bobine du module électronique sont reliées d'une autre façon aux bornes de sa puce de circuit intégré;
• la figure 5 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 3 pour le mode de liaison bobine-puce de circuit intégré de la figure 4;
• les figures 6 et 7 sont des vues analogues à celle de la figure 2, montrant d'autres formes possibles d'exécution de modules électroniques pouvant être incorporés dans le fond d'une boíte de montre selon l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of several possible embodiments given by way of examples, this description referring to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic diametral section of a wristwatch with analog display according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is an enlarged diametral sectional view of the bottom area of the box of Figure 1 in which there is a first possible embodiment of an electronic module incorporated in this bottom;
• Figure 3 is an incomplete top view of the electronic module shown in Figure 2, showing how the ends of the wire of its coil are connected to respective terminals of the integrated circuit chip of this module;
• Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 2 showing a second embodiment in which the ends of the wire of the coil of the electronic module are connected in another way to the terminals of its integrated circuit chip;
• Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 for the coil-chip connection mode of integrated circuit of Figure 4;
• Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to that of Figure 2, showing other possible embodiments of electronic modules that can be incorporated into the bottom of a watch case according to the invention.

Although the invention is obviously not limited to such an application, the description which follows will be made in the case where the electronic module whose watch is equipped to store information concerning the watch itself and to be placed at a very short distance (a few millimeters at most) from the coil which constitutes the transmitting and receiving antenna of a reading device and / or writing with which he is brought to communicate.

That said, the wristwatch shown schematically in Figure 1 includes a box designated by the general reference 1 which itself includes a metallic bezel 2, a base 3 also metallic and a glass 4 fixed in a conventional manner on the middle-bezel 2 by tightening by means of a lining 5 which serves at the same time to seal the box at the level of this glass.

As shown in Figure 1, the base 3 is fixed to the middle part 2 by snap-fastening but it could just as well be for example by screwing or by a bayonet system, so as to compress a 5 'seal which ensures the tightness of the box at this bottom.

Finally, the box 1 also includes a system for attaching a bracelet which is not visible in Figure 1 and which may consist of two pairs of horns presented by the middle-bezel 2.

On the other hand, in the box 1 is housed a movement 6 which drives a needle of minutes 8 and an hour hand 9 placed in front of a dial 7 and which includes a control rod 10 which crosses the middle-bezel 2 and ends with a crown 11, the tightness of the box 1 at the place of the passage of this rod through the middle-bezel being provided by an annular seal 12. If the watch is not of the type electromechanical or self-winding, the rod 10 and the crown 11 serve also to wind this watch.

According to the invention, the bottom 3 of the box 1 has a cavity 13 which is open to the outside of the box and in which is housed a module electronics 14, this cavity and this module preferably being essentially cylindrical and located in the center of the bottom 3.

Given that, on the one hand, in the application envisaged here, the module electronics 14 has a surface much smaller than that of the bottom of the box and that, on the other hand, this module can be realized in different forms, it is only shown in Figure 1 by a rectangle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the bottom area 3 of the box 1 of Figure 1 which shows a first possible embodiment of the module electronic 14 when it is intended to be permanently inserted in the cavity 13 of this bottom.

In this embodiment, the module 14 comprises a base 15 made of an amagnetic and electrically insulating material. This material can be by example a plastic like high density polyethylene or a ceramic, the plastic being rather reserved for low-end watches and mid-range and ceramics to high-end watches. In the second case the ceramic is preferably chosen so as to have substantially the same color and the same aspect as the metal which constitutes the bottom of the box except if a particular aesthetic effect is sought.

As shown in Figure 2, the base 15 is bowl-shaped and has a flat bottom 16 and an essentially cylindrical side wall 17. This figure also shows that the thickness of the wall 17 increases slightly and so continues from its base to its top so that its outer surface 18 has a particular shape which allows it to cooperate with the internal wall 19 of the cavity 13 which has a complementary shape to constitute a system assembly type of eagle tail or dovetail.

In addition, the outer edge 20 of the wall 17 of the base and the edge 21 of the wall 19 of the cavity 13 are rounded to facilitate the introduction of the module 14 into this cavity.

Figure 3 is a top view of the electronic module 14 of Figure 2 in the absence of an adhesive filling material which will be discussed later.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, it can be seen that the side wall 17 of the base 15 has a truly cylindrical internal surface 22, which surrounds a coil annular, more precisely cylindrical, flat and self-supporting 23. This coil is consisting in a known manner of several layers of contiguous and coaxial turns not visible in the drawing, produced by means of a very fine metallic wire 28, of preferably copper, surrounded by a sheath or insulating and heat-adhering material which partially melts by heating so that all the parts of this sheath which surround the turns of the wire weld together when the coil is then allowed to cool.

The coil 23 itself surrounds an integrated circuit chip 24, in the form of rectangular parallelepiped and smaller than it, which has on its front face 25 two connection terminals or "bumps" 26 and 27 on which are welded or fixed to the using a conductive adhesive the two ends 29 of the metal wire of the coil 23.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the two terminals of connection 26 and 27 of chip 24 are arranged opposite each other in the sense of the length of the chip 24 but it is quite clear that they could be placed otherwise on the front of this chip, for example side by side in the direction of its width.

In this first embodiment, the coil 23 and the chip 24 are fixed directly on the internal face 30 of the flat bottom 16 of the base 15 by means of a thin layer of adhesive material 31 (see FIG. 2) and the space left free by the chip the inside of the coil is filled with an adhesive, insulating material and thermosetting 32, for example an epoxy resin, to protect the ends 29 of the coil wire 23 and their means of attachment to the terminals of connection 26 and 27 as long as the module 14 is not incorporated in the bottom of the box of watch. In addition, the adhesive material 32 is preferably opaque to protect also the chip against the light before this incorporation.

To return to the base 15, it has or may have three functions.

The first is that if the bottom 3 of the box 1 is made of a material magnetic, for example steel, this base made of non-magnetic material serves as a screen between the bottom and the coil, not to eliminate completely but at least in large part the losses of magnetic flux in the bottom 3 when the coil emits or receives radio signals broadcast to and from a playback device and / or of writing with which it can be coupled.

The second function is due to the fact that, as shown in Figure 2, the module 14 is slightly projecting from the outer face 33 of the bottom 3 of the box 1 to form a boss 34 provided for positioning at best and quickly a head 35 of a reading and / or writing device partially shown and schematically using dashed lines in Figure 2 and which itself comprises a antenna 36 in the form of a coil. This head which has a 35 'shaped recess and of dimensions corresponding to that of the boss 34 can be connected by through an interface to a device specially designed to communicate with the memory of the watch, or preferably a personal computer (PC) fixed or portable

Obviously, the boss 34 of the module would place in the same way the watch on a support which would have a recess corresponding to the shape and to the dimensions of this boss.

In addition, when the module protrudes from the bottom of the box 1, its external edge 37 is preferably rounded to prevent the wearer of the watch is inconvenienced by the boss 34.

In any case, it is clear that since the radio waves emitted and received by the coil 23 of the module 14 no longer have to cross all the thickness of the bottom 3 of the case 1 of the watch but only that of the bottom 16 of the base of the module which is much weaker these waves will be much less attenuated and distorted only in the case of known watches in which the electronic module is placed at the bottom but inside the box.

Up to now, we have talked about integrated circuit 24 of a single memory. However, it is clear that this circuit could include several memories of different types, in particular memories for storing information that can only be read and others to store other information which can also be deleted and / or modified or supplemented by additional information.

This is the case in the application example previously provided where the module electronic to store information about the watch itself , more precisely its origins, its purchaser and, as for a car, its "maintenance booklet" which allows you to personalize it, which can be a selling point and to facilitate the interventions of a watchmaker when the watch is entrusted for inspection, repair or a simple battery change if the watch is electromechanical or electronic type.

1- "Marque" et modèle sous lesquels la montre est vendue et éventuellement un code propre à cette marque ainsi qu'une date et une adresse d'expédition de cette montre chez un détaillant.

2- "Usine" : nom ou symbole de la société ayant fabriqué le mouvement de la montre si celle-ci diffère de la société de vente et désignation interne de ce mouvement.

3- "Point de vente" : nom et adresse du détaillant, date de vente et nom de l'acheteur.

4- "Services client" : tout ou partie des informations précédentes plus date et indications des interventions effectuées par le vendeur ou un autre détaillant (ex. : réglage et contrôle de la marche, changement de pile) et dans la dernière hypothèse nom et adresse de l'autre détaillant.

When it comes to mid-range or high-end watches, the information stored can be divided, for example, into four categories which are as follows:

1- "Brand" and model under which the watch is sold and possibly a code specific to this brand as well as a date and a shipping address for this watch to a retailer.

2- "Factory": name or symbol of the company that manufactured the watch movement if it differs from the sales company and internal designation of this movement.

3- "Point of sale": name and address of the retailer, date of sale and name of the buyer.

4- "Customer services": all or part of the preceding information plus date and indications of the interventions carried out by the seller or another retailer (eg: adjustment and control of the operation, change of battery) and in the last hypothesis name and address from the other retailer.

Some of this information can be stored in a memory of ROM type so that it can only be read. This is the case for example for those the "Brand" and "Factory" sections above.

Others concerning "Points of sale" or "Customer services" can be stored in one or more dynamic memories such as RAM, EPROM or EEPROM in order to be able to be possibly erased, modified or supplemented.

On the other hand, the information stored also depends on the type of watches in the boxes of which the electronic modules are incorporated. Through example, in the case of a low-end watch whose case is monocoque with welded glass which prevents any possibility of intervention inside the shows except possibly the possibility of changing yourself or having it changed a battery if the watch is of the electromechanical or digital display type under warranty only the information concerning the "Brand" and "Factory" sections can be stored in a ROM.

In all cases, the coil of a read head or a support can be connected via a suitable interface to a fixed or portable computer which allows to read the information contained in the module memory (s) and if possible to delete, modify and complete some of them.

From there, this information can be disseminated on a protected Internet site or on an Intranet loop to which all people can have access affected by the watch.

Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to those of Figures 2 and 3 which show a second possible embodiment of the electronic module of a watch according to the invention. In these figures the same elements and the elements correspondents are designated by the same references and only the new parts are indicated by new reference numbers.

One of the differences between the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 and that of Figures 2 and 3 is that the coil 23 and the circuit 24 are no longer stuck directly on the internal face of the bottom 16 of the module 14 but on the substrate 38 of a circuit printed form 39 which can itself be glued to the bottom 16 of the base 15 of the module 14 or simply chased inside this plinth.

The other difference is due to the fact that the ends of the wire 29 of the coil 23 do not more directly connect this coil to terminals 26 and 27 of the integrated circuit chip 25 but via connection pads 40 formed on the substrate 38 of the printed circuit 39. More specifically, each end of the wire 29 is soldered or glued by means of an electrically conductive adhesive on one of the pads 40 and the latter 40 is in turn connected to a connection terminal 26 or 27 of the integrated circuit chip 24 by a conducting wire 41.

Thanks to this the coil 23 and the integrated circuit chip 24 can be electrically connected using the classic and automated "wire" method bonding "

In the embodiment shown in section in Figure 6 the surface outer 18 of the side wall 17 of the base 15 as well as the inner wall 19 of the bottom 13 cavity 3 of the watch case are both genuinely cylindrical and the module 14 is fixed inside the cavity by driving out or by bonding. In addition, the outer edge 21 of the wall 17 and that of the module 14 are no longer rounded as in the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3 but at right angles.

This embodiment is better suited when the bottom 3 of the box and / or the base 15 of the module 14 are made of very hard materials such as certain ceramics or sapphire which are difficult to machine or shape.

On the other hand, in this embodiment as in that of Figures 2 and 3, the ends of the wire of the coil 23 are directly fixed to the terminals of connection 26 and 27 of the integrated circuit chip 24 but it is quite obvious that these ends of the wire and these terminals 26 and 27 could be connected in the same way as in the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5.

Note that in another embodiment which is not shown on the drawing, the module 14 could be fixed in the cavity 13 of the bottom 3 of the box by crimping. The base 15 of the module would then present on the side of its bottom 16 a external peripheral notch into which an internal edge of the bottom would engage 3. This method of fixing the module could be used for example when the bonding and chasing would not be possible.

Unlike the embodiment of Figure 6 which is rather reserved for high-end watches, that also shown in section in FIG. 7, which is much simpler and more economical is well suited for watches of low-end whose bottom is made for example of plastic.

In this case, the base 15 is reduced to a simple rigid plate and likewise diameter than the outside diameter of the coil 23 which can be produced in the same material as that of the bottom of the box, the module 14 can then be driven out or glued in the cavity 13 of the bottom of the box.

For this embodiment, the remark made earlier about the connection between the ends of the coil wire and the terminals of the circuit chip integrated is also valid.

That said, it is clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or to the variants which have just been described or envisaged.

For example, instead of connecting the ends of the coil wire to the terminals of the integrated circuit chip via connection pads, according to the technique wire bonding, this bond could be obtained using another method of automated binding well known by the abbreviation TAB (Tape Automatic Bonding) which is described in European Patent No. 0 376 062.

Although this method is described in this patent for producing modules electronic devices intended to be fully incorporated into cards or keys electronic, it is very suitable for obtaining modules allowing to equip watches according to the invention.

Furthermore, in all of the embodiments described or envisaged above the bottom of the electronic module emerges from that of the outer surface of the bottom of the watch case but this is not an obligation.

In addition, in these forms and variant embodiments, the electronic module is fixed permanently in the bottom cavity of the box but it would be quite possible to design a module with a base fitted with a side wall that would allow it to cooperate with an internal wall of the bottom cavity so as to make this module removable and possibly interchangeable, for example by screwing or by a bayonet fixing system.

In this eventuality, it would obviously be necessary to provide means which would allow to extract the module from the cavity of the bottom of the box and to put back in places the same module or a replacement module. These means could be for example a groove in the outside of the module, like what is being done for battery door covers in electromechanical watches or e.

Finally, another possibility would be to modify the characteristics of the coil serving as antenna, in particular its diameter and its number of turns for it allow communication with the antenna of a reading device and / or no longer a few millimeters but a few centimeters or tens centimeters apart.

Claims (16)

Watch comprising a box (1) provided with a bottom (3), a movement (6) contained in said box and an electronic module (14) for memorizing information capable of communicating by radio signals broadcast with a communication device. reading and / or writing of said information, said module comprising a base made of non-magnetic material (15), an integrated circuit chip (24) having at least two connection terminals (26, 27) and fixed on said base and an antenna transmission and reception comprising a coil (23) also fixed on said base and constituted by an electrically conductive wire (28) having two ends (29) connected respectively to said connection terminals of said integrated circuit chip, this coil having a annular shape and surrounding a space in which said chip is placed, said watch being characterized in that said electronic module (14) is housed at least for the most part in an open cavity (13) outwardly presented by the bottom (3) of the box (1). Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that said cavity (13) and said module (14) have an essentially cylindrical shape and are located in the center of the bottom (3) of said box (1). Watch according to claim 2, characterized in that said base (15) is bowl-shaped and has a flat bottom (16) on which are fixed said coil (23) and said integrated circuit chip (24) and a wall side (17) surrounding said coil. Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that the thickness of said side wall (17) increases slightly and continuously from its base located on the side of said flat bottom (16) to its top to have an outer surface ( 18) cooperating with an internal wall (19) of complementary shape to said cavity (13) and constitute an assembly system of dovetail type between said electronic module (14) and the bottom (3) of said box (1 ). Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that said side wall (17) of the base (15) has a truly cylindrical outer surface (18) and said cavity (13) an internal wall (19) also cylindrical. Watch according to claim 5, characterized in that said module (14) is fixed by driving out said base (15) in said cavity (13). Watch according to claim 5, characterized in that said module (14) is fixed by gluing in said cavity (13). Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that said module (14) is fixed by crimping in said cavity (13). Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that said base (15) is made of plastic. Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that said base (15) is made of ceramic. Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that said base (15) is made of sapphire. Watch according to claim 2, characterized in that said base (15) is constituted by a substantially circular rigid plate on which are fixed said coil (23) and said integrated circuit chip (24). Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that said coil (23) is a self-supporting coil which comprises several layers of contiguous and substantially coaxial turns which are formed by a thin metal wire, surrounded by a sheath of electrically insulating material and which are linked together. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that said coil (23) and said integrated circuit chip (24) are fixed directly by bonding to said base (15) and that said ends (29) of the wire (28) of the coil are also fixed directly on said terminals (26, 27) of the integrated circuit chip by means of an electrically conductive material. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that said coil (23) and said integrated circuit chip (24) are fixed on the substrate (38) of a printed circuit (39), that said printed circuit has two pads connection (40) located between said coil and said chip, on which are fixed said ends (29) of the wire (28) of said coil and two ends of two conductive wires (41) the other ends of which are fixed on said connection terminals (26, 27) of said chip. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that said module (14) has a projecting part outside the bottom (3) of said box (1) provided for quickly and precisely positioning a head (35) of said device reading and / or writing, itself comprising a coil-shaped antenna (36) and having a recess (35 ') substantially of the same shape and the same dimensions as that of said boss (34).

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