Watch-type wearable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10222750-B2
Application number	US-201615365054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2016
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing including a first face that faces in a first direction, a second face that faces in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and a side face that at least partially encloses a space between the first face and the second face, a transparent substrate that forms at least a portion of the first face of the housing, a display disposed within the space of the housing, and exposed through at least a portion of the transparent substrate, a mechanical watch structure at least partially disposed between the transparent substrate and the display, and configured to be physically movable, at least one processor electrically connected to the display and the mechanical watch structure, and a memory electrically connected to the at least one processor. The memory may store instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to control the display and the mechanical watch structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including:
a first face that faces in a first direction,
a second face that faces in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and
an inner side face that at least partially encloses a space between the first face and the second face;

a transparent substrate that forms at least a portion of the first face of the housing;
a display disposed within the housing, the display exposed through at least a portion of the transparent substrate;
a mechanical watch structure at least partially disposed between the transparent substrate and the display, the mechanical watch structure being physically movable and includes a first member being movable to indicate an hour, and a second member being movable to indicate a minute;
at least one processor configured to control the display and the mechanical watch structure;
a memory for storing instructions and electrically connected to the at least one processor; and
a fixing member configured to fix a second end face of the first member or a second end face of the second member to the inner side face of the housing to be movable along the inner side face,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine whether the display is activated,
fix, when the display is activated, the first member and the second member to in a first shape that does not cover the display, and
fix, when the display is deactivated, the first member and the second member in a second shape that indicates time, and

wherein the first shape is a curved shape with a curvature and the second shape is a linear shape.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first member comprises:
a first end face configured to be in contact with a portion of the inner side face of the housing and to be movable along the inner side face, and
a second end face that is opposite to the first end face, and

wherein the second member comprises:
a first end face configured to be in contact with another portion of the inner side face of the housing and to be movable along the inner side face independently from the first member, and
the second end face that is opposite to the first end face.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
fix, when the display is activated, the first member and the second member in the first shape such that the second end face of the first member and the second end face of the second member are in contact with the inner side face of the housing that does not cover the display, and
fix, when the display is deactivated, the first member and the second member in the second shape such that the second end face of the first member and the second end face of the second member are adjacent to each other at a central portion of the display that indicates time.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second members do not overlap with each other when viewed from an end face of the housing.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first member is covered with a first color substance, and at least a portion of the second member is covered with a second color substance.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the portion covered with the first color substance in the first member is shorter than the region covered with the second color substance in the second member.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member comprise a shape memory material.

8. A wearable device comprising:
a main body;
a display region disposed on a front face of the main body;
a bezel region enclosing the display region;
a watch structure disposed in the display region in a display off state to indicate an hour, and disposed in the bezel region in a display on state be concealed, the watch structure includes a first member being movable to indicate an hour, and a second member being movable to indicate a minute;
a first driver and a second driver disposed in the bezel region to provide a force to move the watch structure to the bezel region;
a fixing member configured to fix a second end face of the first member or a second end face of the second member to an inner side face of the main body to be movable along the inner side face; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine whether the display region is activated,
fix, when the display region is activated, the first member and the second member in a first shape that does not cover the display region, and
fix, when the display region is deactivated, the first member and the second member in a second shape that indicates time,

wherein the first shape is a curved shape with a curvature and the second shape is a linear shape.

9. The wearable device of claim 8 ,
wherein the watch structure comprises:
a first rail disposed to be rotatable;
the first member including an hour hand being movable along the first rail to indicate the hour, and;
a second rail disposed to overlap with the first rail, and to be rotatable coaxially with the first rail;
wherein the second member is a minute hand movable along the second rail to indicate the minute; and
wherein the second driver is disposed on the second rail, and connected to the minute hand to move the minute hand,

wherein the first driver is disposed on the first rail and connected to the hour hand to move the hour hand, and wherein the fixing member is a part of the first rail or the second rail.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bang Hyosik
• Kwon Soon-Youl
• Shim Gyu-Seok
• Ha Dohyung
• An Jin-Wan
• Lee Jun-Taek

Classifications

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G04B45/046

  the driving mechanism of the hands being invisible because of special shielding (construction of the hands G04B19/042) · CPC title

• G04B19/042 Primary

  Construction and manufacture of the hands; arrangements for increasing reading accuracy (hands with illumination G04B19/305; specially shaped hands, e.g. figures or pictures G04B45/0061; clockwork in the hands G04B45/043; invisible drive of the hands G04B45/046) · CPC title

• G04G21/08

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title

• G04G17/045 Primary

  Mounting of the display · CPC title