Method for coding and transmitting at least one solar time

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899403-B2
Application number	US-201916454115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jul 24, 2018
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A method (P 1 ) for coding a solar time, called the initial solar time (Hs 1 ), associated with a geographical location (Loc) and with a day (J 1 ) of the year, wherein the method includes selecting SEL(Href, Nb 1 ) a reference time (Href) and an initial number of bits (Nb 1 ) as a function of the type of initial solar time (Hs), computing CALC(Nm 1 ) a number of minutes (Nm 1 ) separating the initial solar time (Hs 1 ) and the reference time (Href), coding COD(Hs 1 ) the number of minutes (Nm 1 ) in the initial number of bits (Nb 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for coding and displaying a solar time, called the initial solar time, associated with a geographical location and with a day of the year, said method comprising:
performing by an electronic device,
storing a plurality of types of initial solar times, including the following types: zenith, sunset, and sunrise;
storing a plurality of different reference times corresponding to each type of initial solar time;
storing a plurality of separate initial numbers of bits respectively for each type of initial solar time, wherein the initial number of bits is different between two of the types of initial solar times;
selecting one of the types of initial solar times and selecting a reference time and the initial number of bits as a function of the type of initial solar time,
computing a number of minutes separating said initial solar time and the reference time,
coding said number of minutes in the initial number of bits, and
transmitting the coded number of minutes in the initial number of bits from the electronic device to a timepiece via wireless communication,

performing by the timepiece,
decoding by the timepiece of the coded number of minutes and determining the solar time based on the decoded number of minutes and the initial number of bits, and
displaying the solar time on a display of the timepiece.

2. The coding method according to claim 1 , wherein if the solar time is of the zenith type, the reference time is 12 o'clock and the initial number of bits is 6.

3. The coding method according to claim 1 , wherein if the initial solar time is of the sunrise type, the reference time is midnight and the initial number of bits is 10.

4. The coding method according to claim 1 , wherein if the initial solar time is of the sunset type, the reference time is midnight and the initial number of bits is 10.

5. The coding method according to claim 1 , comprising a step of coding a first additional solar time of the same type as the initial solar time, associated with the same location but with a different day of the year, including:
selecting a number of additional bits as a function of the type of solar times,
computing a number of minutes separating the first solar time and the initial solar time,
coding said number of minutes in the number of additional bits.

6. The coding method according to claim 5 , comprising steps of coding a plurality of additional solar times such that the plurality of days associated with the initial and additional solar times correspond to the same day of the month but to different of the year, wherein each coding of an additional time includes a computation of a number of minutes separating it from the preceding additional time and the coding of said number of minutes in a number of additional bits.

7. A method for transmitting a plurality of solar times to the timepiece, said method comprising:
implementing, via the electronic device, the coding method of claim 6 , in order to code the initial solar time and a plurality of additional solar times relative to a reference time,
transmitting the coded solar times and the reference time from the electronic device to the timepiece,
decoding by the timepiece of the coded solar times.

8. The transmission method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
coding a second initial solar time, called the second initial solar time, and a second series of additional solar times, called second additional solar times relative to a second reference time, the second solar times and solar times being of a different type,
transmitting the coded second solar times and the second reference time from the electronic device to the timepiece,
decoding by the timepiece of the coded second solar times.

9. The transmission method according to claim 8 , wherein said second solar times are of the sunrise type and the solar times are of the zenith type, or the second solar times are of the sunset type and the solar times are of the zenith type, wherein the method includes, following the step of decoding the solar times and the step of decoding the second solar times, a computation by symmetry relative to the solar times of a series of other solar times of the sunset type if the second solar times are of the sunrise type, or of the sunrise type if the second solar times are of the sunset type.

10. The transmission method according to claim 7 , wherein the months associated with the solar times correspond to the first six months of the year, wherein the method includes, following the step of decoding said solar times, a computation by symmetry of a plurality of additional solar times (Hs 7 , Hs 8 , Hs 9 , Hs 10 , . . . ) associated with the months corresponding to the other six months of the year.

11. The transmission method according to claim 7 , wherein the transmission step, is performed via an optical communication, Bluetooth Low EnergyTM or near-field communication (NFC) link.

12. The transmission method according to claim 7 , wherein said electronic device is a smartphone.

13. The coding method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored initial number of bits for the zenith type of solar time is a first number of bits, the stored initial number of bits for the sunrise type is a second number of bits, and the stored initial number of bits for the sunset type is the second number of bits.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Bonnet Thierry
• Husak Jiri

Classifications

• G04B19/26 Primary

  Clocks or watches with indicators for tides, for the phases of the moon, or the like {(planetaria G09B27/00 - G09B27/06; arrangements for table reference, e.g. menstrual tables G06C3/00)} · CPC title

• G04G9/0076

  in which the time in another time-zone or in another city can be displayed at will · CPC title

• G04R20/06

  Decoding time data; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• H04L1/0041 Primary

  Arrangements at the transmitter end · CPC title

• G04G5/04 Primary

  by setting each of the displayed values, e.g. date, hour, independently · CPC title