Claims
- 1. Electronic time-piece comprising:
- means for displaying time data;
- means for producing a time base signal;
- means for producing a first and a second manual command;
- means for producing a control signal;
- means responsive to said time base signal and to said control signal for driving said displaying means;
- means responsive to said time base signal and to said control signal for producing a displaying means position signal;
- means responsive to said first manual command and to said position signal for storing an alarm time signal;
- means responsive to said position signal and to said alarm time signal for producing a comparison signal;
- means responsive to said comparison signal for producing an alarm signal; and
- means responsive to said manual commands, to said control signal and to said time base signal for producing a difference signal:
- wherein said control signal producing means is responsive to said comparison signal, to said difference signal and to said manual commands for producing said control signal.
- 2. The electronic time-piece of claim 1 wherein said means for producing a control signal is constructed to control the application of said time base signal to one of said means for driving said displaying means and said means for producing a difference signal, in response to said means for producing a first and second manual command.
- 3. The electronic time-piece of claim 1 wherein said means for producing a control signal is constructed to provide rapid pulses to said means for driving said displaying means and said means for producing a difference signal in response to said means for producing a first and second manual command.
- 4. The electronic time-piece of claim 1 wherein said means for producing a control signal causes a transfer of a displaying means position signal to said means for storing an alarm time signal in response to said means for producing a first and second manual command.
- 5. The electronic time-piece of claim 1 wherein said means for producing a control signal is constructed to direct rapid pulses to said means for driving said displaying means and to said means for producing a difference signal in response to said means for producing a first and second manual command until said means for producing a difference signal is zero.
- 6. The electronic time-piece of claim 1 wherein said means for producing a control signal is constructed to direct rapid pulses to said means for driving said displaying means and to said means for producing a difference signal in response to said means for producing a first and second manual command and further wherein said means for driving said displaying means and said means for producing a displaying means position signal receive rapid pulses until said means for producing a comparison signal is zero so that said means for displaying time data displays a memorized alarm time and thereafter delivers rapid pulses to return said means for producing a displaying means position signal to a state corresponding to actual time.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 196,357, filed Oct. 14, 1980, now abandoned.
This invention relates to electronic timepieces, and more particularly to an electronic timepiece, especially a wrist watch, of the type having a stepping motor and an analog display.
The availability of integrated MOS circuits and other more recent technologies, especially microprocessor technology, has opened up very wide possibilities as concerns the addition of auxiliary functions to circuits suitable for use in wrist watches. However, the possibilities thus offered are not capable cf practical application unless appropriate input means are found, as well as interesting uses, making it possible to take advantage of the opportunities offered by such circuits under optimum conditions. Thus, the provision of coincidence circuits for ascertaining whether the rotor of the stepping motor has actually rotated one step when a pulse is supplied by the driving circuit allows the operation of the motor to be corrected automatically by making up for steps lost as a result of a shock or of the effect of an exterior magnetic field upon the watch. In order to provide such a function, however, the watch must include appropriate detector means. Detector gearing has already been proposed for this purpose, e.g., in the form of a disk having a peripheral hole which passes in front of an LED and allows a flash emitted by the diode to strike a photocell if there is synchronism between the rotation of the motor and the transmission of the output pulse from the frequency divider.
It is an object of this invention to provide an electronic timepiece, especially a wrist watch, which has an alarm device performing several functions, and which is both attractive and practical in its design, utilizing the simplest possible input means to actuate logic circuits incorporated in the timepiece.
To this end, the electronic timepiece according to the present invention comprises means for displaying time data; means for producing a time base signal; means for producing a first and a second manual command; means for producing a control signal; means responsive to the time base signal and to the control signal for driving the displaying means; means responsive to the time base signal and to the control signal for producing a displaying means position signal; means responsive to the first manual command and to the position signal for storing an alarm time signal; means responsive to the position signal and to the alarm time signal for producing a comparison signal; means responsive to the comparison signal for producing an alarm signal; and means responsive to the manual commands, to the control signal and to the time base signal for producing a difference signal; wherein the control signal producing means is responsive to the comparison signal, to the difference signal and to the manual commands for producing the control signal.
An electronic timepiece of this kind can be produced with a simplified display device comprising only one set of hands, so that the alarm time is set by moving the hands which usually indicate the time of day to the desired position on the dial. As will be explained below, a timepiece of this kind can be regulated and controlled simply by two control elements, viz., a stem, similar to the winding and setting stems of conventional mechanical watches, and a push button.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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196357 |
Oct 1980 |
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Patent Grant
4459031
