Mechanical wristwatch bracelet with which an electronic function is associated

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9798291-B2
Application number	US-201615215799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2015
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Wristwatch comprising a mechanical device for executing a first mechanical function arranged to produce a first acoustic alarm signal, and an electronic device housed in a bracelet and arranged to produce a second acoustic alarm signal and/or a mechanical vibration, wherein the electronic device is arranged to produce the second acoustic alarm signal at the moment when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function produces the first acoustic alarm signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wristwatch comprising a watch case in which is housed a mechanical timepiece movement including a mechanical device for executing at least a first mechanical function, wherein the watch case is associated with a bracelet or strap in which is housed an electronic device arranged to execute at least a second electronic function, wherein the execution of the second electronic function is dependent on the execution of the first mechanical function.

2. The wristwatch according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function is a mechanical striking device arranged to produce a first acoustic alarm signal, and wherein the electronic device housed in the bracelet is arranged to produce a second acoustic alarm signal and/or a mechanical vibration, wherein the electronic device is arranged to produce the second acoustic alarm signal at the moment when the mechanical striking device produces the first acoustic alarm signal or after a predefined or user-selectable duration following the start of operation of the mechanical striking device.

3. The wristwatch according to claim 2 , comprising a transparent case back, wherein the electronic device for executing the second electronic function includes an image sensor arranged in the bracelet so as to be located beneath the transparent case back and capable of detecting the start of motion of a movable element of the mechanical striking device.

4. The wristwatch according to claim 3 , wherein the image sensor is arranged to be capable of detecting a change in the levels of grey in an image scanned by the sensor.

5. The wristwatch according to claim 4 , wherein the image sensor is of the CMOS type.

6. The wristwatch according to claim 3 , wherein the electronic device for executing the second electronic function includes a light source arranged in the bracelet in order to improve the conditions in which the image sensor takes shots.

7. The wristwatch according to claim 3 , wherein the image sensor is arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator as soon as the image sensor detects that the mechanical striking device starts to operate and emits the first acoustic alarm signal.

8. The wristwatch according to claim 7 , wherein the image sensor is arranged to send an electrical signal to the electronic control unit that is arranged to stop the electronic sound or vibration generator when the movable element scanned by the image sensor stops and when the first acoustic alarm signal stops.

9. The wristwatch according to claim 3 , wherein the image sensor is covered by a collimator lens.

10. The wristwatch according to claim 1 comprising an opaque non-electrically conductive case back, wherein the electronic device for executing the second electronic function includes a capacitive sensor, a magnetic sensor or an inductive sensor arranged in the bracelet so as to be located beneath the opaque non-electrically conductive case back and capable of detecting the start of motion of a movable element of the mechanical device.

11. The wristwatch according to claim 2 comprising an opaque non-electrically conductive case back, wherein the electronic device for executing the second electronic function includes a capacitive sensor, a magnetic sensor or an inductive sensor arranged in the bracelet so as to be located beneath the opaque non-electrically conductive case back and capable of detecting the start of motion of a movable element of the mechanical device.

12. The wristwatch according to claim 10 , wherein the capacitive sensor includes an RC oscillator, a demodulator and an output stage that are arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator as soon as the capacitive sensor detects a capacitance change caused by the start of operation of the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function and the emission of a first acoustic alarm signal.

13. The wristwatch according to claim 11 , wherein the capacitive sensor includes an RC oscillator, a demodulator and an output stage that are arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator as soon as the capacitive sensor detects a capacitance change caused by the start of operation of the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function and the emission of a first acoustic alarm signal.

14. The wristwatch according to claim 10 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a reed switch with flexible reeds that is arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator as soon as the flexible reeds attract each other and come into contact with each other as a result of the displacement of a magnet which starts to move when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function starts to operate.

15. The wristwatch according to claim 11 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a reed switch with flexible reeds that is arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator as soon as the flexible reeds attract each other and come into contact with each other as a result of the displacement of a magnet which starts to move when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function starts to operate.

16. The wristwatch according to claim 10 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a giant magnetoresistive sensor that is arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit which is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator as soon as the electrical resistance of the sensor varies as a result of the displacement of a magnet which starts to move when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function starts to operate.

17. The wristwatch according to claim 11 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a giant magnetoresistive sensor that is arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit which is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator as soon as the electrical resistance of the sensor varies as a result of the displacement of a magnet which starts to move when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function starts to operate.

18. The wristwatch according to claim 10 , wherein the inductive sensor includes a winding made around a magnetic circuit and is arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator soon as an electrical current is induced in the winding as a result of the displacement of a magnet which starts to move when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function starts to operate.

19. The wristwatch according to claim 11 , wherein the inductive sensor includes a winding made around a magnetic circuit and is arranged to send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that is arranged to actuate an electronic sound or vibration generator soon as an electrical current is induced in the winding as a result of the displacement of a magnet which starts to move when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function starts to operate.

20. The wristwatch according to claim 10 , wherein the inductive sensor includes an LC oscillator circuit ar

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Martin Jean-Claude
• Born Jean-Jacques
• Conus Thierry
• Eggen Jean-Claude
• Fleury Emmanuel
• Willemin Michel

Classifications

• G04G13/00

  Producing acoustic time signals · CPC title

• G04B37/0008 Primary

  for pocket watches and wrist watches · CPC title

• G04C21/00

  Producing acoustic time signals by electrical means · CPC title

• G04B23/00

  Arrangements producing acoustic signals at preselected times {(indicating the time by optical means G04B19/00, G04C17/00; indicating the time by acoustic means G04B21/00; indicating the time by means other than acoustic or optical, or by a combination of means G04B25/00; acoustic time signals produced electrically G04C21/00; coin-freed alarm clocks G07F17/0007; acoustic signalling means G08B3/00)} · CPC title

• G04G21/04 Primary

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title