WO2008151458A1

WO2008151458A1 - Digital display method for an analogue watch and analogue watch using this method

Info

Publication number: WO2008151458A1
Application number: PCT/CH2008/000263
Authority: WO
Inventors: Laurent Boillod; Joël GUIBELIN
Original assignee: Isa Swiss S.A.
Priority date: 2007-06-15
Filing date: 2008-06-10
Publication date: 2008-12-18
Also published as: WO2008151458A4; CN101689040B; JP2010530064A; CN101689040A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of displaying the date on an analogue watch and the watch using this method. This watch (40) comprises two hands for displaying the time (43, 44), a time- and date-setting winding crown (45) connected to a time-setting stem, a first screen (41) for digitally displaying the date and a second screen (42) for digitally displaying the time in a second time zone by means of an EPD-type liquid crystal display, and a microprocessor designed to control all the functions of the watch. The display of the date and the time in a second time zone is made to contrast with the background of the display screens (41, 42), and the contrast is reversed at midday and at midnight to differentiate AM time from PM time. This contrast inversion is controlled electronically by the microprocessor of the watch.

Description

DIGITAL DISPLAY METHOD FOR ANALOG WATCH AND ANALOG WATCH USING THE SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method of digital display of a datum related to time, for example a time information or a date, on at least one digital display screen of the liquid crystal type or the like of an analog watch having at least two hands for displaying the hour and minutes, a time setting ring connected to a time setting and date setting rod and a microprocessor arranged to manage all the functions of said watch, wherein said data is displayed in a contrasting manner with respect to the bottom of said digital display screen.

It also relates to an analog watch having at least two hands for displaying the hour and minutes, a time-setting crown and the date linked to a time-setting rod, at least one screen for the digital display of a time-related data by means of a display of the type of liquid crystal or the like and a microprocessor arranged to manage all the functions of said watch, for the implementation of the method, said at least one screen being arranged to display said data in a contrasted manner with respect to the background.

Prior art

There are many types of analog watches equipped with mechanical means to display various information and in particular the calendar or other data such as the time in another time zone. In particular, watches are known that comprise one or two printed disks on which the date is marked. One of the drawbacks of these watches, when they display a date or time, besides the mechanical complexity related to the number of components that need to be housed in a small space, is that this date or time display does not allow the user to know if the time indication corresponds to the morning, namely before noon (AM) or evening, namely after noon (PM). It is therefore possible for the wearer, for example during an adjustment, to be mistaken, so that the passage of the date is erroneously, for example at 12 hours instead of 24 hours.

On the other hand, in the case of the digital display of a second time zone, it is not known whether the indicated time corresponds to the afternoon or the morning, unless displaying AM or PM or displaying the time. hour from 0 to 24H.

There are many ways to indicate the morning or afternoon or to mention the time on a second time zone on a watch. Some watches have an AM and PM display. Others display the image of the sun or the moon. Still others display a white disk and a black disk. There are also watches that display the hours from 1 to 24 hours instead of being limited to a display ranging from 1 to 12 hours.

An example of an analog watch arranged to display the date in a window provided in the dial is illustrated by the international publication WO 2007/031347 A1. This watch has two separate disks displaying, the first of the numbers from zero to nine and the second the numbers zero, one, two and three, in two copies each, a first time on a colored background and a second time on a light background. The objective is to differentiate the time indication between morning and afternoon. This display requires two mechanically driven disks and the differentiation is only at the level of the tens digit and not for the entire time indication.

Most display means of this type do not correspond to a refined aesthetic of certain watches. The use of a digital liquid crystal display makes it possible to improve this aesthetic.

However, when the display is performed by digital means, the servocontrol of the hands for marking the time must be done by a microprocessor. This enslavement can be realized in various ways but is mainly done manually by the crown, or by the actuation of pushers used by the user and driving motors.

A liquid crystal display is for example illustrated by the American publication US 2005/0243653 A1 which shows in fact two different types of marking of a date by LEDs, namely a first type of marking made by clear LEDs on a dark background and a second type of marking made by dark LEDs on a light background. Both solutions are offered, but they are not switchable and the choice is final.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention proposes to provide an analog watch, calendar, having at least one window for displaying an indication, including an indication of date or time, for example the display of the date which specifies in a simple and unambiguous manner whether the time is AM (AM) or PM (PM) or, in the case of second time zone, a display that indicates whether the second time displayed corresponds to the morning or afternoon in this second time zone.

This object is achieved by the method according to the invention as defined in the preamble and characterized in that the contrast is reversed at midday and midnight to differentiate between AM (morning) and PM. in that the servo-control of the needles for the display of said data by the microprocessor and the inversion of contrast of this display are obtained by the actuation of contacts during a rotation of said time-setting rod. .

According to an advantageous embodiment, a digital liquid crystal display of the EPD (Electronic Paper Display) type is used to display the date. For example, one can display a dark color on a light background in the morning and a light color on a dark background in the afternoon or, conversely, one can display a color display light on a background of dark color in the morning and dark on a background of light color in the afternoon.

In a particularly advantageous manner, it controls the rotation of the hands for displaying the hour and minutes of the watch in one direction or the other by rotating the time setting rod. an angle of a few degrees in one direction or in the opposite direction.

The analog watch according to the invention and as defined in the preamble is characterized in that it comprises means arranged to slave the hands for displaying the hour and minutes and to invert the contrast of the display of said given at midday and midnight by the microprocessor, these means having contacts arranged to be actuated during the rotation of the time setting rod.

In a preferred manner, said means for displaying said data in a contrasting manner comprise a digital display of the EPD (Electronic Paper Display) type.

Advantageously, the microprocessor is arranged to enable setting the time and date by controlling motors actuating the rotation of the hands for displaying the hour and minutes in one direction or the other, said setting the time and date by rotating the time setting rod an angle of a few degrees in one direction or in the opposite direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the watch, the means for slaving the hands for displaying the hour and minutes and for inverting the contrast of the display screen of said data comprise a mechanism comprising the setting rod. at the time arranged to drive a free sliding pinion in translation on said rod, a friction cam mounted on said sliding pinion, the sliding pinion and cam assembly being held in a horizontal position by means of a cam spring which press, in the rest position, on a plane of a platinum of the watch and which is arranged to close one of the two contact pads of an electronic circuit connected to the microprocessor of said watch, each contact pad corresponding to a direction of rotation of the time-setting rod .

Preferably, said friction cam is a recessed part in its central part, and comprises two symmetrical arms, each of these arms being arranged to bring into contact a contact paddle of the electronic circuit with said cam spring.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the digital display screen of the watch can be arranged to display the date in positive in the morning and negative in the afternoon or vice versa, the inversion being performed automatically at noon and midnight .

According to a particularly interesting variant, the watch may include a first digital display screen on which is displayed the positive date in the morning and negative in the afternoon or vice versa, and a second digital display screen on which is displayed the time in a second time zone, positive in the morning and negative in the afternoon or vice versa, the inversion being performed automatically at noon and midnight

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the detailed description of preferred implementations of the method of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings given by way of indication and not limitation, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a calendar analog watch having a conventional date display, FIGS. 2A and 2B show an analog calendar watch according to the invention, seen at 10 o'clock and 10 o'clock respectively,

FIGS. 3A and 3B show another analog watch according to the invention, displaying a date and another time in another time zone respectively seen at two different times in two different time zones, and

Figure 4 shows the adjustment mechanism of the watch according to the invention.

Ways to realize the invention

With reference to FIG. 1, the analog calendar watch 10 known according to the prior art comprises a window 11 in which the date 12 is displayed, in this case the number twenty-eight corresponding to the twenty-eighth day of the month. . This date is written, for example, in dark on a light background. The hour hand 13 is set to ten and the position of the minute hand 14 indicates about ten minutes. It is impossible to tell by the mere sight of the dial of the watch if the time is ten past ten or twenty-two past ten. In other words, it is not possible to distinguish AM hours from PM hours. In this way, during a setting of the watch, it is possible for the user to make a mistake, so that the passage of the day to the next day is done twelve hours ahead or twelve hours late.

The method of displaying a datum, for example of the date, according to the invention makes it possible to correct this defect by displaying the date in a contrasting manner with respect to the bottom of the display window, in this case a screen of digital display, liquid crystal or the like, and inverting the contrast at noon and midnight to differentiate the morning hours (AM) and the afternoon hours (PM). The same method can be used to display the time in another region of the world corresponding to a second time zone, or to have two or more screens for performing these two displays simultaneously. The watch 20 represented by FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrates this method and comprises, as previously, an hour hand 23, a minute hand 24, and a digital display screen 21 on which the date 22 is displayed, for example the number 28 corresponding to the twenty-eighth day of the month, and a time-setting crown 25. The number 28 is displayed on the digital screen in a dark color on a background of light color, for example in black on a white background, that is to say positive in Figure 2A. In Figure 2B, the number 28 is displayed in clear on a dark background, that is to say in negative. By this means, if we decide that the positive display corresponds to the morning hours and that the negative display corresponds to the afternoon, it is possible to distinguish the morning hours (AM) from those in the afternoon. midday (PM) with a displayable and easy to implement convention. It is then necessary to automatically manage the inversion of the negative to the positive, for example the passage of the day to the next day at midnight and in this case, the inversion of the positive to the negative at noon. It is of course conceivable to do the opposite.

To obtain this inversion of contrast, a digital display of the EPD (Electronic Paper Display) type is used. The EPD display devices are known and allow a simple and effective invertible contrast display on an extremely small support thickness.

One possible solution for adjusting the time setting and the inversion of the contrast of the display on the screen of such a watch advantageously consists in using the crown of the watch in the pulled position. Rotating the setting ring a few degrees in one direction causes the hands to rotate in one direction. A rotation of a few degrees in the other direction causes the rotation of the needles in the other direction. Since there is no mechanical connection between the time setting ring and the hands, the time setting is done by stepper motors, the microprocessor can handle both the passage of date at midnight and inversion of contrast at noon and midnight. The watch 40 represented by FIGS. 3A and 3B also illustrates this method and comprises, as previously, an hour hand 43, a minute hand 44, a first digital display screen 41 on which, for example, the date is displayed, a second digital display screen 42 on which is displayed for example the time in another time zone and a time-setting ring 45. In FIG. 3A, the date displayed on the screen 41 is the number 28 corresponding to the twenty-eighth day of the month. This number 28 is displayed on the digital screen 41 in a dark color on a background of light color, for example black on a white background, that is to say positive in Figure 3A. In Figure 3B, the number 28 is displayed in clear on a dark background, that is to say in negative. As for the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B, if it is decided that the positive display corresponds to the morning hours and that the negative display corresponds to the afternoon, it is possible to distinguish the hours of the morning (AM) of the afternoon (PM) by a displayable and easy to implement convention. It is then necessary to automatically manage the inversion of the negative to the positive, for example the passage of the day to the next day at midnight and, in this case, the inversion of the positive to the negative at noon. It is of course conceivable to do the opposite.

On the watch 40, the time indicated is ten hours and ten minutes. On the watch represented by FIG. 3A, it is ten past ten in the morning and on the watch represented by FIG. 3B, it is ten past ten in the evening, namely twenty two past ten, according to the convention of the positive display for AM hours and negative PM hours.

The second screen 42 is for example provided to display the time in a second time zone, which is shifted by twelve hours relative to the time of the spindle where the wearer of the watch is. In the case of FIG. 3A, while respecting this same display convention, the time of the second time zone is twenty-two hours past ten, which appears on the second screen 42 in the form (10: 10) in negative, ie in light letters on a dark background. On the other hand, if, as shown in Figure 3B, the time displayed in the carrier's time zone is twenty two hours past ten, the time of the second time zone is ten past ten the next morning, which appears on the second screen 42 in the form (10: 10) in positive, or in dark letters on a light background.

To obtain this function, the watch according to the invention comprises a mechanism such as that illustrated in FIG. 4. This mechanism 30 comprises the time-setting rod 31, linked to the time-setting ring, of which the free end is shaped in square to drive a sliding pinion 32 free in translation on this rod. A friction cam 33 is mounted on the sliding pinion 32. The sliding pinion and cam assembly is held in a horizontal position by means of a cam spring 35 which is supported, in the rest position, on a plane of the plate. 34 of the watch. Two contact vanes 36 are fixed on either side of the sliding pinion 32 and friction cam 33, on the electronic circuit 37 of the watch. The friction cam 33 is a recessed part in its central part and comprises two arms 33a and 33b, symmetrical, making it possible to establish contact between the electronic circuit 37 and the cam spring 35.

When setting the time-setting function, the user rotates the time-setting rod 31, via the crown, in one direction or the other, by about 25 ° by driving the friction cam 33 of the sliding pinion 32. This cam acts on the cam spring 35 by lifting one of the two arms 33a or 33b. The cam spring 35 comes to the end of travel push one of the two contact vanes 6, in the direction of rotation, to establish electrical contact with the electronic circuit 37 connected to the microprocessor which controls the motor of the needles and the contrast of the display. As soon as the crown is released, the sliding pinion 32 returns to a horizontal position and removes the contact. The friction between the cam 33 and the sliding pinion 32 is necessary in the case where the user would apply too much torque to the rod 31. In this case, the cam 33 slides on the sliding pinion 32 and avoids the risk of shearing. the time setting rod 31 or damage to one or the other part of the time setting mechanism. The setting of the date can be done in two stages. First a brief press on the crown allows entering the date setting mode. The input information in this mode is given by a flashing date. The adjustment is made by turning the crown a few degrees in one direction or the other to increment or decrement the date. The date will scroll with the same number twice a day, once in negative and once in positive: It can thus directly set the watch in morning or afternoon mode.

If the calendar is perpetual, the user will first set the last two digits of the year in negative mode from 0 to 99. The months will scroll in positive mode from 0 to 12. The date will scroll with the same number twice a day. once in negative and once in positive. It can thus directly set the watch in morning or afternoon mode. Setting confirmations and setting mode changes can be made by briefly pressing the crown.

The invention is not limited to the described embodiments. It is possible to envisage other means of servocontrol of the hands for the display of the time and the inversion of the contrast of the date display. The servo mode described can also be used in an analog watch with a conventional LCD display. Regarding the displays on the digital display screen or displays, the indications may be different from the date and time in another time zone. The number of screens is limited only by questions of size or aesthetics. The negative or positive display is a choice. On the other hand, the principle of inversion of the display is automated and controlled by the microprocessor of the movement.

Claims

A method of digitally displaying time-related data, such as time information or date, on at least one LCD-like digital display screen or the like of an analog watch having at least two hands for the display of the hour and minutes, a time setting ring linked to a time setting and date setting rod and a microprocessor arranged to manage all the functions of said watch, method in which said data is displayed in a contrasting manner with respect to the bottom of said digital display screen, characterized in that the contrast is reversed at midday and midnight to differentiate the morning (AM) of the afternoon (PM), and in that the servo-control of the needles for the display of said data by the microprocessor and the inversion of contrast of this display are obtained by the actuation of contacts during a rotation of said rod of setting the time.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that one uses a liquid crystal display type EPD (Electronic Paper Display) to display the said data in a contrasted manner.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a dark color display is performed on a background of light color in the morning and light in color on a dark background in the afternoon.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that one carries out a display of light color on a background of dark color in the morning and dark color on a light-colored background in the afternoon.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that one controls the rotation of the hands for displaying the hour and minutes of the watch one way or the other by rotating the time setting rod an angle of a few degrees in one direction or in the opposite direction.

6. An analog watch (20, 40) having at least two hands for displaying the hour and minutes (23, 24; 43, 44), a time-setting crown and date (25; 45) connected to a time-setting rod, at least one screen (22) for digital display of a time-related data (21), by means of a liquid-crystal type display or the like and a microprocessor arranged to manage all the functions of said watch, for the implementation of the method according to any one of the preceding claims, said at least one screen (22) being arranged to display said data in a contrasted manner with respect to the background, characterized in that it comprises means arranged to slave the hands for displaying the hour and minutes (23, 24; 43, 44) and to reverse the contrast of the display of said data at noon and midnight by the microprocessor, these means comprising contacts arranged to be operated during the ro ting the time setting rod.

7. Analog watch according to claim 6, characterized in that said means for displaying the date in a contrasting manner comprise a liquid crystal display type EPD (Electronic Paper Display).

8. Analog watch according to claim 6, characterized in that the microprocessor is arranged to enable the setting time and date by controlling the motors actuating the rotation of the hands for displaying the hour and minutes ( 23, 24) in one direction or the other, said time setting and date being effected by rotating the time setting rod by an angle of a few degrees in one direction or in the opposite.

9. Analog watch according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for slaving the hands for displaying the hour and minutes and to invert the contrast at noon and at midnight comprise a mechanism (30) comprising the time setting rod (31) arranged to drive a sliding pinion (32) free in translation on said rod, a friction cam (33). ) mounted on said sliding pinion (32), the sliding pinion (32) and cam (33) being maintained in a horizontal position by means of a cam spring (35) which, in the rest position, rests on a plane of a plate (34) of the watch and which is arranged to close one of two contact pads (36) of an electronic circuit (37) linked to the microprocessor of said watch, each contact paddle (36) ) corresponding to a direction of rotation of the setting rod (31).

10. Analogical watch according to claim 9, characterized in that said friction cam (33) is a recessed part in its central part, and comprises two arms (33a, 33b) symmetrical, each of these arms being arranged to put in contact a contact paddle (6) of the electronic circuit (37) with said cam spring (35).

11. Analogic watch according to claim 6, characterized in that the digital display screen (22) is arranged to display the date in positive in the morning and negative in the afternoon or vice versa, the inversion being performed automatically at noon and midnight.

12. Analogical watch according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a first digital display screen (41) on which the date is displayed positive in the morning and negative in the afternoon or vice versa, and a second digital display screen (42) on which is displayed the time in a second time zone, positive in the morning and negative in the afternoon or vice versa, the inversion being performed automatically at noon and midnight.