Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04R—RADIO-CONTROLLED TIME-PIECES
  • G04R60/00—Constructional details
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
  • G04G21/00—Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
  • G04G21/04—Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces using radio waves
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04R—RADIO-CONTROLLED TIME-PIECES
  • G04R60/00—Constructional details
  • G04R60/06—Antennas attached to or integrated in clock or watch bodies
  • G04R60/10—Antennas attached to or integrated in clock or watch bodies inside cases

Definitions

• the present invention relates to watches, generally wristwatches, in the boxes of which are incorporated electronic modules for memorizing information which comprise an integrated circuit chip or "chip" connected to an antenna constituted by a coil and which can communicate by radio broadcast signals with a reading and / or writing device designed to at least 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.
• 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-broadcast signals of the reading and / or writing device with which they cooperate.
• Such watches are provided, for example, for simply storing an 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.
• the electronic module is placed in a hollow bezel, preferably removable, in order to be able to change the module if necessary.
• a hollow bezel preferably removable
• the module is placed in a space provided between the back of the movement of these watches and the bottom of their case, which necessarily increases their volume.
• the object of the invention is to provide a watch, in particular a wristwatch, which makes it possible, as the case may be, to completely eliminate the drawbacks of these known watches or at least to reduce their importance.
• the watch according to the invention comprises a box provided with a back, a movement contained in this box and an electronic module for memorizing information capable of communicating by radio signals broadcast with a reading device and / or writing and in which the electronic module comprises 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 and receiving antenna comprising a coil also fixed on the base and constituted by an electrically conductive wire having two ends connected respectively to the 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 in that the module electronics is housed at least for the most part in a cavity open to the outside that has the bottom of the box.
• the cavity and the module have an essentially cylindrical shape and are located in the center of the bottom of the box.
• the signals sent and received by the module coil are only through the base of this module whose thickness is much less than that of the bottom of the box.
• the base of the module is cup-shaped and has a flat bottom on which the coil and the integrated circuit chip are fixed and a side wall surrounding the coil .
• This embodiment is particularly suitable when the bottom of the box is made of a magnetic material such as steel.
• FIG. 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;
• FIG. 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;
• FIGS. 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.
• the invention is obviously not limited to such an application, the following description will be made in the case where the electronic module with which the watch is equipped is intended to store information relating to 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 and / or writing device with which it is brought to communicate.
• the base 3 is fixed to the middle part 2 by snap-fastening but it could just as easily be for example by screwing or by a bayonet system, so as to compress a gasket 5 'which seals the box at this bottom.
• the case 1 also includes a system for attaching a bracelet which is not visible in FIG. 1 and which can be constituted by two pairs of horns presented by the middle part-bezel 2.
• a movement 6 which drives a minute hand 8 and an hour hand 9 placed in front of a dial 7 and which comprises a control rod 10 which crosses the middle part-bezel 2 and is ends with a crown 11, the sealing of the case 1 at the place of the passage of this rod through the middle-bezel being ensured by an annular seal 12. If the watch is not of the type electromechanical or automatic winding, the rod 10 and the crown 11 are also used to wind this watch.
• the bottom 3 of the box 1 has a cavity 13 which is open towards the outside of the box and in which is housed an electronic module 14, this cavity and this module preferably being essentially cylindrical and located at bottom center 3.
• the electronic module 14 has a surface area significantly smaller than that of the bottom of the box and that, on the other hand, this module can be produced in different forms, is only shown in Figure 1 by a rectangle.
• FIG 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 electronic module 14 when it is intended to be inserted permanently in the cavity 13 of this bottom.
• the module 14 comprises a base 15 made of a non-magnetic and electrically insulating material.
• This material may for example be a plastic material such as high density polyethylene or a ceramic, the plastic material being rather reserved for low-end and mid-range watches and ceramic for high-end watches.
• the ceramic is preferably chosen so as to have substantially the same color and the same appearance as the metal which constitutes the bottom of the box unless a particular aesthetic effect is sought.
• the base 15 is bowl-shaped and has a flat bottom 16 and a substantially cylindrical side wall 17.
• This figure also shows that the thickness of the wall 17 increases slightly and continuously 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 an assembly system of the eagle tail or tail tail type. dove.
• 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.
• FIG 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.
• the side wall 17 of the base 15 has a truly cylindrical internal surface 22, which surrounds an annular coil, 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, preferably made of 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 are welded together when the coil is then allowed to cool.
• the coil 23 itself surrounds an integrated circuit chip 24, in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and smaller than it, which has on its front face 25 two connection terminals or "bumps" 26 and 27 on which are soldered or fixed by means of a conductive adhesive the two ends 29 of the metal wire of the coil 23.
• connection terminals 26 and 27 of the chip 24 are arranged opposite one another in the direction of the length of the chip 24 but it is quite clear that they could be placed otherwise on the front face of this chip, for example side by side in the direction of its width.
• the coil 23 and the chip 24 are fixed directly to 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 inside the coil is filled with an adhesive, insulating and thermosetting material 32, for example an epoxy resin, to protect the ends 29 of the wire of the coil 23 and their means of attachment to the terminals connection 26 and 27 as long as the module 14 is not incorporated in the bottom of the watch case.
• the adhesive material 32 is preferably opaque to also protect the chip against light before this incorporation.
• the base 15 has or may have three functions.
• the first is that if the bottom 3 of the box 1 is made of a magnetic material, 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 of the losses of magnetic flux in the bottom 3 when the coil transmits or receives radio signals broadcast respectively to and from a reading and / or writing device with which it can be coupled.
• the second function is due to the fact that, as shown in FIG. 2, the module 14 is slightly protruding with respect to the external face 33 of the bottom 3 of the box 1 to form a boss 34 intended to position as best and quickly a head 35 of a reading and / or writing device shown partially and schematically using dashed lines in FIG. 2 and which itself comprises a antenna 36 in the form of a coil.
• This head which has a recess 35 'of shape and dimensions corresponding to that of the boss 34 can be connected via an interface to a device specially designed to communicate with the memory of the watch, either and preferably to a fixed or portable personal computer (PC)
• PC personal computer
• boss 34 of the module would allow the watch to be placed in the same way on a support which would have a recess corresponding to the shape and dimensions of this boss.
• this circuit could comprise several memories of different types, in particular memories for storing information which can only be read and others for storing other information which can in addition be deleted and / or modified. or supplemented by additional information.
• the electronic module makes it possible to memorize information which relates to the watch itself, more precisely its origins, its purchaser and, as for a car, its "booklet of maintenance "which allow to personalize it, which can be a selling point and to facilitate the interventions of a watchmaker when the watch is entrusted to him for an inspection, a repair or a simple battery change if the watch is of the electromechanical type or electronic.
• the information stored can be divided, for example, into four categories which are as follows:
• the others concerning "Points of sale” or “Customer services” can be stored in one or more dynamic memories of RAM, EPROM or EEPROM type in order to be able to be possibly erased, modified or supplemented.
• the information stored also depends on the type of watches in the boxes in which the electronic modules are incorporated. For example, in the case of a low-end watch whose case is monocoque with a welded glass which prevents any possibility of intervention inside the watch except possibly the possibility of changing oneself 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" headings can be stored in a ROM.
• the coil of a read head or of a support can be connected via a suitable interface to a fixed or portable computer which makes it possible to read the information contained in the memory or memories of the module. and if possible delete, modify and supplement some of them.
• this information can be disseminated on a protected Internet site or on an Intranet loop to which all those affected by the watch may have access.
• 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.
• the same elements and the corresponding elements are designated by the same references and only the new parts are indicated by new reference numbers.
• each end of the wire 29 of the coil 23 no longer directly connect this coil to the 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 welded or bonded by means of an electrically conductive adhesive to one of the pads 40 and the latter is in turn connected to a connection terminal 26 or 27 of the integrated circuit chip 24 by a conductive wire 41.
• the coil 23 and the integrated circuit chip 24 can be electrically connected using the conventional and automated method of "wire bonding".
• the external surface 18 of the side wall 17 of the base 15 as well as the internal wall 19 of the cavity 13 of the bottom 3 of the watch case are both truly cylindrical and the module 14 is fixed inside the cavity by driving out or by gluing.
• 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 to shape.
• 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 an external peripheral notch in which an internal edge of the bottom 3 would engage. This method of fixing the module could be used for example when bonding and driving are not possible .
• the base 15 is reduced to a simple rigid plate and of the same diameter as the outside diameter of the coil 23 which can be made of the same material as that of the bottom of the box, the module 14 can then be driven out or glued into the cavity 13 at the bottom of the box.
• the remark made previously about the connection between the ends of the coil wire and the terminals of the integrated circuit chip is also valid.
• 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.
• the electronic module is permanently fixed in the cavity at the bottom of the box, but it would be entirely possible to design a module with a base provided with a side wall which 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.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)
• Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
• Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)

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• 2002
  • 2002-09-10 EP EP02078737A patent/EP1398676A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2003
  • 2003-09-04 EP EP03794985A patent/EP1540427B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-09-04 AU AU2003275960A patent/AU2003275960A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-04 DE DE60330786T patent/DE60330786D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-09-04 AT AT03794985T patent/ATE453880T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-09-04 KR KR1020057003997A patent/KR101000508B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-04 US US10/527,151 patent/US7027359B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-09-04 JP JP2004535424A patent/JP4282020B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-04 CN CNB038213397A patent/CN100451879C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-04 CA CA002497140A patent/CA2497140A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-04 WO PCT/EP2003/009804 patent/WO2004025381A2/fr not_active Ceased

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