GB2526884A

GB2526884A - Wristwatch data animation method

Info

Publication number: GB2526884A
Application number: GB1410134.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard George Hoptroff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-06-07
Filing date: 2014-06-07
Publication date: 2015-12-09
Also published as: GB201410134D0

Abstract

A timepiece (102, figure 1) comprises means for receiving a series of temporally varying data points, means for storing the data points 202, means for displaying the data points (105) and a controller configured to receive and store the data points and cause the means for displaying the data points to display the data points in time order. The series of data points may comprise a series of measured, recorded or predicted values corresponding to a quantity that varies over time, wherein the quantity preferably comprises a weather-related quantity, a speed, an exercise-related quantity, a sports score, a stock value or earnings. The data points may be received from a sensor, a smartphone, a personal computer or a server (103). Also disclosed is a method for operating a timepiece comprising the steps of receiving and storing a series of temporally varying data points, determining an order in which to display the data points and displaying the data points in the order.

Description

WRISTWATCH DATA ANIMATION METHOD

This invention relates to analogue wristwatches that additionally display information other than the passage of time. A first-in-first-out record of displayed data is stored in memory and the wearer is able to replay the stored data on demand.

Most wristwatches just show the linear progression of time. More sophisticated timepieces display information which is markedly more nonlinear. For example, a watch might have on-board sensors able to report quantities such as air pressure; Bluetooth-equipped timepieces might use a radio connection to a mobile phone to display data available to the phone, such as location or speed (using GPS). or a sports score for a match in play (using an Internet connection).

The state of the art is simply to display this information using a pointer on a dial.

A limitation of the state of the art is that it does not show how the quantity displayed evolves over time, which may be of interest to the user.

This invention provides an indication of the evolution of the quantity over the recent past. Accordingly. and with reference to figures 1 to 4 and 6. the invention is the following method: 1. Timepiece 101 displays time with pointers 102 in the conventional manner. It has access to temporally varying information from a source 103 such as a sensor or smartphone. In normal operation, the current value from the source is sent 104 to be displayed using pointer 105.

2. While processing the information received from source 103, timepiece 101 also stores 201 received data in first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer 202.

3. Upon activation of a replay event', for example by the press of a pusher 301, data in first-in first-out buffer 202 is sequentially sent 302 to he displayed on pointer 105. indicating the recent history of the source data 103.

4. Optionally, another simultaneously varying quantity captured by source/FIFO system 401, displayed on separate pointer 402. might synchronously replay its FIFO data during the replay event.

5. Optionally, the time associated with the stored data might be displayed on time indicators 102 during the replay event.

6. Optionafly, normal operation might display on dial 105 the value of an alternate location 604 in the FF0 buffer.

A typical embodiment is shown in figure 5. During a football match, data received via smartphone link allows the user's football team's score to he displayed by pointer 501. Similarly, the opponent's score is displayed by pointer 502, and the elapsed time of the match is displayed on pointer 503.

After the match, if the pusher is pressed. the match is replayed on pointers 501, 502 and 503, using the data in the FIFO buffers, at the rate of three minutes of match time per one real-time second.

A second embodiment is shown in figure 6. Rain radar system 601 determines the likelihood of rain in the present location in two hours' time, awl sends this data to FIFO buffer 602, which stores two hours' worth of data. In normal IS operation, pointer 603 indicates 606 the value at the final location 604 of the buffer, i.e. the likelihood of rain now. When pusher 605 is pressed, the data in the FIFO buffers is replayed 607 on pointer 603 from the final location to the first location, thus indicating the evolving likelihood over the next two hours.

Claims

CLAIMSA timepiece comprising: means for receiving a first. series of temporally varying data points; means for storing the first series of temporally varying data points: means for displaying the first series of temporally varying data points: and a controller configured to receive the first. series of temporally varying data points from the means for receiving the first series of temporally varying data points, store the first series of temporally varying data points in the means for storing the first series of temporally varying data points, and cause the means for displaying the first series of temporally varying data points to display the first series of temporally varying data points in time order.
2. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for storing the first series of temporally varying data points comprises a first-in, first-out memory and the first series of temporally varying data points is stored in the memory.
3. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the order of the data points in the first series of temporally varying data points is indicated by order parameters associated with the data points in the first series of temporally varying data points.
4. A timepiece as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising means for displaying a data point from the first series of temporally varying data points.
5. A timepiece as daimed in daim 4, comprising means for displaying an order parameter associated with the data point from the first senes of temporally varying data points.
6. A timepiece as claimed in claim 5, comprising means for displaying a data point from a second series of temporally varying data points, wherein the data point from the second series of temporally varying data points is associated with the order parameter.
7. A timepiece as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first series of temporally varying data points comprises a series of measured, recorded or predicted values corresponding to a quantity which varies over time.
8. A timepiece as claimed in claim 7. wherein the quantity comprises a weather-related quantity, a position, a speed. an exercise-related quantity. a sports score, a stock value or earnings.
9. A timepiece as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first series of temporally varying data points is received from a sensor, a srnartphone. a personal computer, a server, or a combination thereof.
10. A timepiece as claimed in any preceding claim, including an analogue display, a digital display or a combination of an analogue display and a digital display.
11. A timepiece as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising means for causing the first series of temporally varying data points to be displayed in time order by the means for displaying the first series of temporally varying data points.
12. A timepiece as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for causing the first series of temporally varying data points to be displayed in time order comprises a user input means such as a button, a knob, a touchscreen, an accelerometer, or a combination thereof
13. A method for operating a timepiece comprising the steps of: rcceiving a first serics of temporally varying data points; storing the first series of temporally varying data points; determining an order in which to display the first series of temporally varying data points; and displaying the first series of temporally varying data points in the order.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13. wherein determining the order in which to display the first series of temporally varying data points comprises performing a comparison among order parameters associated with the first series of temporally varying data points.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein performing a comparison among order parameters comprises comparing a magnitude of a first order parameter and a magnitude of a second order parameter and determining which order parameter is indicative of an earlier time.
16. A method as claimed in claim 13. wherein determining the order in which to display the first series of temporally varying data points comprises determining the order in which the data points in the first series of temporally varying data points were stored.
17. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein determining the order in which to display the first series ol temporally varying data points comprises determining a mapping between one data point in the first series of temporally varying data points and another data point in the first series of temporally varying data points.