Smart watch and method for controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656601-B2
Application number	US-201615741970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 9, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A smart watch, which simultaneously provides the two functions of a physical watch and a mobile terminal, and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The present invention provides a smart watch and a method for controlling the smart watch, the smart watch comprising; a case; at least one hand for displaying current time, the at least one hand being arranged to be adjacent to the inner periphery of the case; a movement for moving the hand along the inner periphery of the case, the movement being located inside the case; and a display unit configured to display various types of information, the display unit being located in the case, wherein the hand and a screen of the display unit are simultaneously shown to a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart watch comprising:
a case;
at least one hand configured to indicate current time;
a movement located inside the case and configured to move the at least one hand; and
a display unit located in the case and configured to display various kinds of information,
wherein the at least one hand is arranged to be spaced apart from a center of the case to adjoin an inner circumference of the case, and revolves around the center of the case along the inner circumference of the case to indicate the current time, and
wherein the at least one hand and a screen of the display unit are simultaneously viewable by a user.

2. The smart watch according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hand is arranged on an outer circumference of the display unit, and
wherein the at least one hand is extended from the inner circumference of the case to the center of the case.

3. The smart watch according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hand is configured to be pointed toward an index displayed on a bezel installed in the case to indicate the current time.

4. The smart watch according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hand includes a single hand simultaneously indicating hour and minute, or an hour hand and a minute hand, which respectively indicate hour and minute.

5. The smart watch according to claim 1 , wherein the movement is further configured to use mechanical energy or a second power source that is separate from a first power source for the display unit, and
the smart watch further comprises:
a first battery configured to supply the first power source to the display unit and components associated with the display unit;
a second battery configured to supply the second power source to the movement; and
a crown operably connected with the movement and configured to control the at least one hand.

6. The smart watch according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit is arranged to cover the at least one hand, and configured as a transparent display.

7. The smart watch according to claim 6 , wherein the display unit is further configured to control transparency of the transparent display.

8. The smart watch according to claim 6 , wherein the display unit is further configured to display a dark background screen such that the transparent display becomes opaque.

9. The smart watch according to claim 6 , further comprising a dispersion panel arranged between the display unit and the at least one hand and configured to scatter incident light to cause the transparent display to become opaque or to have reduced transparency.

10. The smart watch according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one hand is selectively viewable by the user.

11. The smart watch according to claim 6 , wherein any one of the at least one hand and the screen of the display unit is selectively viewable by the user.

12. The smart watch according to claim 6 , wherein the display unit has reduced transparency or becomes opaque so that the at least one hand is not viewable by the user, and
wherein the display unit displays the screen according to a predetermined operation performed when the display unit has the reduced transparency or becomes opaque.

13. The smart watch according to claim 6 , wherein the display unit has partially reduced transparency or partially becomes opaque so that an additional function provided from the movement is viewable by the user.

14. The smart watch according to claim 6 , wherein the display unit maintains a transparent state so that the at least one hand is viewable by the user, and
wherein the display unit is powered off to maintain the transparent state.

15. The smart watch according to claim 14 , wherein the display unit displays the screen according to a predetermined operation while maintaining the transparent state such that the hand is viewable by the user.

16. The smart watch according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit is further configured to:
display an auxiliary hand aligned with the at least one hand to indicate the same current time as the at least one hand; and
display capacity of a battery as soon as the display unit is powered on.

17. The smart watch according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit displays time related to a predetermined operation in addition to the current timed indicated by the at least one hand, the time related to the predetermined operation including time when the predetermined operation will be performed or time when the predetermined operation has been performed.

18. The smart watch according to claim 17 , wherein the display unit displays a marker or indicator pointing toward an index displayed on a bezel installed in the case to indicate the time related to the predetermined operation.

19. The smart watch according to claim 17 , wherein the display unit displays an image for highlighting the at least on hand when a difference between the current time and the time related to the predetermined operation is less than a threshold time.

20. The smart watch according to claim 17 , wherein the time related to the predetermined operation is set prior to display of the time related to the predetermined operation, and
wherein the time related to the predetermined operation is set by swiping the display unit toward an index of a corresponding time displayed on the bezel installed in the case or dragging an object on the display unit to the index of the corresponding time.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Cho Hangbeum
• Yu Joohyun

Classifications

• G04C10/00

  Arrangements of electric power supplies in time-pieces {(Mounting, assembling of components G04C3/008)} · CPC title

• G04B19/04

  Hands; Discs with a single mark or the like {(moving indicating arrangements which have scales or numbers with stationary hands or reading means G04B19/20; optical projection of the position of the hands G04B19/34)} · CPC title

• G04G21/08

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title

• G04C10/04

  with means for indicating the condition of the power supply · CPC title

• G04B1/12

  with several mainsprings {(installations with a mainspring and an auxiliary spring G04B1/225; winding-up several mainsprings simultaneously G04B3/008)} · CPC title