Smart watch and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939788-B2
Application number	US-201615096131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A smart watch and method for controlling the same are disclosed, by which both a physical watch function and a mobile terminal function are provided. The present application includes a case, at least one physical hand situated in the case, the at least one physical hand configured to display a current time, a display unit situated below the hand in the case, the display unit configured to display various informations, and a movement configured to rotate the hand, the movement connected to the hand through the display unit in the case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart watch, comprising:
a case;
at least one physical hand disposed in the case and configured to indicate a current time;
a display configured to display information, wherein the display is disposed in the case and below the at least one physical hand;
a movement configured to rotate the at least one physical hand and connected to the at least one physical hand through the display in the case;
a window disposed above the at least one physical hand wherein a touch sensor is coupled to a surface of the window;
a crown operably coupled to the movement and configured to: mechanically control the at least one physical hand, and cause a control signal to be generated in response to manipulation of the crown; and
a processor configured to:
receive the generated control signal in response to manipulation of the crown, and control an operation of the display in response to the received generated control signal; and
control the at least one physical hand in response to a touch input to the touch sensor, wherein in response to a swiping touch to the window in a first direction, the at least one physical hand is rotated in a second direction that is the same as the first direction to select an object displayed on the display.

2. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical hand comprises a single hand simultaneously indicating an hour and minute or an hour hand and a minute hand configured to respectively indicate the hour and the minute.

3. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the movement is configured to be electronically controlled.

4. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the movement is configured to use a power source separate from a power source of the display.

5. The smart watch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first battery configured to supply a first power to the display; and
a second battery configured to supply a second power to the movement.

6. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the display is positioned between the at least one physical hand and the movement.

7. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical hand is disposed above the display and wherein the movement is disposed below the display.

8. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the display includes an opening configured to enable a connecting part of the movement and the at least one physical hand to pass through.

9. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the movement is configured to rotate the at least one physical hand and comprises a shaft passing through the display to connect to the at least one physical hand.

10. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the display is configured to entirely cover an opening formed in the case; and
information is displayed on an entire surface of the display viewable through the opening.

11. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to operate according to:
a first display setting during a first mode for providing an analog watch function; or
a second display setting during a second mode for providing functions different from the analog watch function,
wherein the first display setting is different from the second display setting.

12. The smart watch of claim 11 , wherein:
the first display setting comprises a watch face including an index indicated by the at least one physical hand to display a time; and
the second display setting comprises a screen configured for providing the functions.

13. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to operate according to:
a first hand setting during a first mode for providing an analog watch function; or
a second hand setting during a second mode for providing functions different from the analog watch function,
wherein the first hand setting is different from the second hand setting.

14. The smart watch of claim 13 , wherein the first hand setting includes different dispositions of the at least one physical hand and the second hand setting includes different transparencies of the at least one physical hand.

15. The smart watch of claim 13 , wherein:
the first hand setting comprises disposing the at least one physical hand to indicate a current time based on indices displayed on the display; and
the second hand setting comprises adjusting the at least one physical hand to maximize a viewable area of a screen of the display during the second mode.

16. The smart watch of claim 15 , wherein the second hand setting further comprises aligning the at least one physical hand in a line or changing the at least one physical hand to be transparent.

17. The smart watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the selected object displayed on the display is one of a plurality of displayed selectable options of a function executed at the smart watch;
each of the displayed selectable options is displayed at a corresponding selectable position along a rotation path of the at least one physical hand; and
the processor is further configured to execute the function according to an option corresponding to the selected object.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ko Dongseuck
• Kwon Hyeokjin
• Park Jinyung
• Han Junhee
• Kwon Jonghun
• Kim Jongcheol
• Lee Hanna
• Kang Pilgoo

Classifications

• G04G21/08 Primary

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title

• G04C3/001

  Electromechanical switches for setting or display · CPC title

• G04G21/04

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

• G04C17/00

  Indicating the time optically by electric means (G04C19/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G04C17/0091

  Combined electro-optical and electro-mechanical displays · CPC title