Method for configuring a wristwatch strap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12357060-B2
Application number	US-201917295172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

The method for configuring a wristwatch strap for a given wearer includes: firstly, acquiring (E 1 ) at least one morphological data item ( 1; 2 ) of the wearer of the bracelet; intermediately, automatically determining (E 2 ) at least one optimal bracelet configuration (c*) adapted to the wearer, including determining the adjustment of the length of the bracelet on the basis of the at least one morphological data item ( 1; 2 ), the intermediate determining (E 2 ) of the at least one optimal configuration of the bracelet including determining configuration data; and secondly, preparing (E 3 ) the bracelet of the wearer according to an optimal configuration determined in the preceding step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a wristwatch having a watch case and a wriststrap, the wristwatch being configured for a given wearer, wherein the method comprises:
firstly, acquiring at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wristwatch, the acquiring being performed by a first item of equipment of an acquisition system located at a location of a wearer, and transmitting data representing the at least one morphological data item toward a second item of eqiupment of a configuration system located remotely from the acquisition system, the transmitting being performed by a communication device of the acquisition system;
secondly, automatically determining at least one optimal configuration for the wriststrap suited to the wearer, the automatic determining being performed by the second item of equipment of the configuration system located remotely from the acquisition system, the automatic determining comprising at least determining a length adjustment of the wriststrap, from the at least one morphological data item received from the acquisition system, the automatic determining of the at least one optimal configuration for the wriststrap comprising determining configuration data using at least one of the following:
determining a wriststrap type;
determining a wriststrap strand or strands;
determining a wriststrap clasp;
determining a number of links or linkages for at least one wriststrap strand;
determining a configuration or configurations of at least one link or of at least one linkage for at least one wriststrap strand;
determining a positioning of an end linkage of a wriststrap strand relative to a wriststrap clasp, relative to a watch case, or relative to both wriststrap clasp and the watch case;
determining one or more configurations of a wriststrap clasp;
determining a length adjustment or adjustments within a wriststrap clasp,

wherein the automatic determining of the at least one optimal configuration of the wriststrap suited to the wearer, from the at least one morphological data item, is performed automatically using a computer program of the configuration system,
wherein the computer program applies a first weighting coefficient to determine a circumference of the wristwatch case allowing the wristwatch to fit a geometrical shape of a wrist the wearer with an optimal amount of slack; and
thirdly, preparing the wristwatch for the wearer to the optimal configuration determined in the automatic determining, the preparing comprising assembling the wriststrap having at least one optimal configuration determined in the automatic determining and assembling the wriststrap with the wristwatch case having the optimal circumference determined in the automatic determining, the assembling being performed by at least one assembler located remotely from the location of the wearer.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the automatic determining of the at least one optimal configuration of the wriststrap suited to the wearer, from the at least one morphological data item, comprises identifying, in a database of the configuration system, wriststrap configuration data best suited to the at least one morphological data item.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the database is located in a location remote from the central processing unit, and connected to the central processing unit or to the acquisition system by a communications device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method implements, using a software algorithm, an iteration so as to form a plurality of possible combinations of configurations for a given wriststrap, from configuration rules stored in an electronic memory, the configuration rules being associated with each wriststrap strand, with each subcomponent of a wriststrap, or with each wriststrap strand and each subcomponent of a wriststrap, until convergence upon the optimal configuration of the wriststrap.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the subcomponents of a wriststrap include a link, a linkage and a clasp.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method implements the optimal configuration of the wriststrap from a configuration of a wristwatch already worn by the wearer, known either from a capture via a man-machine interface of the wriststrap configuration system, or from an automatic consultation of an electronic memory in which information on the configuration of the wristwatch already worn by the wearer is stored.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method comprises displaying the optimal configuration of the wriststrap on a screen of the configuration system.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acquiring of the at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wriststrap comprises acquiring a dimension of a wrist portion of the wearer likely to accommodate the wristwatch, a dimension of a hand portion of the wearer, or both a dimension of a wrist portion of the wearer likely to accommodate the wristwatch and a dimension of a hand portion of the wearer.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the acquiring of the at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wriststrap implements at least one of the following:
providing, by a man-machine interface, an indication representing a digital model, obtained by the acquiring of the at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wriststrap, of at least one wrist portion, of at least one hand portion, or of both at least one wrist portion and at least one hand portion to be considered; or
positioning an indicator on the wrist, on the hand, or on both the wrist and on the hand of the wearer during the acquiring of the at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wriststrap, to indicate the at least one portion to be considered;
automatically determining, by a computer, the at least one wrist portion, the at least one hand portion, or both the at least one wrist portion and the at least one hand portion to be considered on a digital model obtained by the acquiring of the at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wriststrap, from a measurement of at least a distance from a point identified on the digital model.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the acquiring of the at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wriststrap comprises acquiring a dimension of a wrist portion which is likely to accommodate the wristwatch, a dimension of a hand portion, or both a dimension of a wrist portion which is likely to accommodate the wristwatch and a dimension of a hand portion, by implementing automatically determining, by a computer, of the at least one wrist portion, of the at least one hand portion, or of both the at least one wrist and the at least one hand portion to be considered, on a digital model,
wherein a point identified on the digital model is an end of the hand or a joint in the wrist.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acquiring of the at least one morphological data item pertaining to the wearer of the wriststrap comprises a first operation of acquiring at least one morphological characteristic of the wrist of the wearer of the wriststrap, and a second operation of determining the at least one morphological data item from the at least one morphological characteristic acquired during the first operation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first operation comprises acquiring the at least one morphological characteristic from an acquisition system provided with at least one sensor, configured to perform

Assignees

• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Grozel Clément
• Haegy Franck
• Jaffré Julien

Classifications

• G06T2207/30196

  Human being; Person · CPC title

• G06V40/107

  Static hand or arm · CPC title

• G06T7/62

  of area, perimeter, diameter or volume · CPC title

• G04B37/1486 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet (building watches into bracelets (montre marquise) G04B37/12; arrangements for hanging pocket- or other watches on chains G04B37/1446) · CPC title

• A44C5/246 Primary

  having size adjusting means · CPC title