Patent Application
20130329040
The invention concerns a method of measuring the accuracy of at least one timepiece, particularly a mechanical watch, comprising at least one visual display device.
The invention also concerns a device for implementing this method.
The invention concerns the field of horology, and devices for checking the operating performance of timepieces.
It is often difficult for a user to evaluate the proper operation of a timepiece, and in particular its time drift, known as “variation in rate”. The user has to rely upon the manufacturer in order to know the features of his watch or timepiece.
The performance of a timepiece may degenerate over time, particularly for reasons of lubrication, or due to wear in extreme conditions.
Software has appeared on the market for measuring the instantaneous rate of a mechanical watch, the principle of which consists in measuring ticking with the microphone of a mobile telephone and deducing therefrom the oscillation frequency and thus the rate of the watch, which provides an estimate of its variation in rate. However, the accuracy of this type of system is still not very good, i.e. around 5 seconds per day, and it is complex to use since it is impossible to detect the signal if there is ambient background noise.
Although providing an alternative to the professional laboratory means used to date, this software is therefore too limited.
The invention proposes to overcome the limitations of the prior art.
The invention therefore concerns a method of measuring the accuracy of at least one timepiece, particularly a mechanical watch, comprising at least one visual display device, characterized in that:
In a particular implementation of this method:
The invention also concerns a device for implementing this method, characterized in that it includes:
According to a feature of the invention, said device includes:
According to a feature of the invention, this device is formed by a mobile telephone or an iPhone® or a smartphone coupled to an internal or external time reference source.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following detailed description, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:
The invention concerns the field of horology, and devices for checking the operating performance of timepieces.
The invention concerns a method of measuring the accuracy of at least one timepiece, particularly a mechanical watch, comprising at least one visual display device.
According to the invention, the method includes the following steps:
In a particular implementation:
In a variant in which no particular attention is required from the user when shots are taken:
Preferably, the memory only stores the first display value in correlation with said first instant on the one hand, and the second display value in correlation with the second instant on the other hand. It is not necessary to store associated images to implement the invention, in the simplest execution thereof described here, once an image corresponding to a particular display has been converted into a stored display value. Naturally, if the memory capacity allows and if the user finds this advantageous, the corresponding images may be stored and used.
In this basic version of the method according to the invention, the method is implemented with a device 1, preferably an integrated device, which includes:
In a preferred implementation of the measuring method of the invention, since it is particularly economical, a mobile telephone or an iPhone® or a smartphone is used as device 1, coupled to an internal or external time reference source 3 and provided with a storage means 4 for storing images and/or display values corresponding to said images, and time reference points for the instants linked to said images, said time reference points being provided by the time reference source.
It is therefore possible, with a simple piece of equipment and at an affordable price, to carry out an Official Swiss Chronometer Test measurement (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres hereafter “COSC”). The method, in the most general case, consists in measuring the state of a mechanical watch by identifying the position of the hands at two moments, the time of which is very precisely known.
In a first implementation of the invention, the user needs simply to synchronise his watch with an application showing a watch dial on which he can position the virtual hands very accurately. The resolution of the software and display used for this application is at least as good as that of the watches to be evaluated. The object is to be able to correct the display on the screen until a perfect correlation is obtained with the mechanical watch whose rate is required to be measured. When this is achieved, an application of pressure to the screen precisely records the state of the watch and the time of the device, particularly a mobile telephone, iPhone® or smartphone. To determine the variation in rate, the operation has to be repeated a second time after a certain period of time. Since time measurement is very accurate in an iPhone® or a smartphone, the time difference between the two measurements and the two states of the watch is very accurately determined. It is therefore easy to accurately tell how fast or slow the watch is by comparison. To have a reliable measurement, it is possible to repeat the measurement as often as the user wishes. Moreover, so that the measurement is coherent, a minimum time interval must be set between two consecutive measurements.
In a second implementation of the invention, the user takes a photograph with the camera of the mobile telephone or iPhone® or smartphone. Next, the user superposes the virtual hands into a position matching the real time shown in the photograph. The operation simply has to be repeated a second time after a certain time period in order to determine the accuracy of the rate of the watch. The time reference for the period between two measurements is recorded at the same time as the photograph.
In these two implementations, it is also possible to follow the change in rate of each watch over time, which allows different watches to be compared at different times of the year or to observe any deterioration in a watch with time.
In a particular and particularly accurate implementation of the method:
To determine this variation in rate, preferably:
Preferably, to obtain high resolution as regards the accuracy of determination of the first display value and the second display value by the image analyser, the first instant is chosen so that, on the experimental display, the display of each of the time unit magnitudes is differentiated from the display of the other time unit magnitudes, so as to allow a properly differentiated image analysis for each time unit.
Likewise, it is advantageous to select a determined time interval so that the same is true at the second instant. In particular, when the experimental display is a display using hands, it is preferable to select very distinct angular positions for these hands so that they are properly differentiated, at the first instant and at the second instant, as seen in
To obtain a significant rate accuracy value, this determined time interval is preferably selected in a ratio of at least a thousand to one relative to the display step of the smallest time value visible on the experimental display. Naturally, it is also possible, especially for observation over a long period, of around a day, to choose a much higher factor, higher than or equal to 10,000 for example.
In a preferred application, this determined time interval is selected to be greater than or equal to a half day, or greater than or equal to one day, so as to obtain values comparable to those provided by the Swiss Chronometry Office. The choice of an exact multiple of twelve hours generally allows the display to return, in the final position, to a position comparable to the initial position.
However, the method may still be applied, with very satisfactory results compared to the prior art, for much shorter durations, of around a minute or an hour, for example.
To smooth out the influence of external parameters, a series of cycles can thus be performed:
In production, it is advantageous to apply the method to a plurality of timepieces. Each cycle of storing a first display value stored in a memory in correlation with said first instant and a second display value stored in said memory in correlation with said second instant, is performed on each timepiece in the same conditions. The accuracy of each timepiece is calculated and, in the case where photographs are shot, the photographs are shot in the same conditions and the accuracy of each timepiece is calculated, which then allows the accuracy of the various timepieces to be compared and the timepieces to be classified in various accuracy categories.
In an advantageous variant implementation of the method according to the invention, the method is applied to a plurality of timepieces, wherein shots are taken at the same time and in the same conditions. The accuracy of each timepiece is calculated using an image discrimination means to process the shots of each timepiece independently of each other, and using a means of controlling the image analysis means and calculating means, said controlling means being arranged to allocate the results of the variation in rate calculation to each of the timepieces.
In this case, it is useful for a standard-watch or standard-clock to be selected as one of the timepieces.
In an alternative of this measuring method:
It is clear that, in this advantageous variant of the method of the invention, the determined time interval, after which the second image is taken at the second instant, is a minimum time interval determined by the user, according to his desired experiment duration, for example one day.
In another variant, all of the shots are taken in the form of a video, the first instant is determined on the fly, randomly, or semi-randomly to check that the display indicators, in particular hands, are clearly visible, and the second instant is determined by the image analyser as soon as it detects a new image identical to that stored at the first instant.
In yet another variant of the video version, the image analyser is controlled by a control system, which allows identical images to that of the first instant to pass several times and adds up the number of such passages. It is therefore possible to perform the analysis over a substantially longer duration, for example over the entire power reserve of the timepiece. It is also possible, and advantageous, for the analyses to be performed one after the other, to determine the influence of the letting down of the barrel on the variation in rate of the timepiece.
In a preferred implementation of the measuring method according to the invention, since it is particularly economical, a mobile telephone or an iPhone, or smartphone is chosen and used as the camera, coupled to an internal or external time reference source and provided with a storage means for storing images resulting from the shots and/or display values corresponding to these images, and the time reference points of the instants at which the shots are taken, said time reference points being provided by the time reference source.
According to this measuring method, a source internal to the analysing device, such as a clock, or an external time source transmitting a periodic or GPS or radio signal or similar, is chosen and used as the time reference source.
The invention also concerns a device 1 for implementing the method, which includes:
In particular, image analysis means 5 must include the hardware and/or software modules for interpreting the display of each timepiece concerned. Indeed, if image analysis means 5 is preferably dedicated to a conventional configuration of a timepiece 10 with three hands at the centre of the dial, it must be able to process the case of off-centre displays, retrograde or jumping displays, digital or other displays. Consequently, if the invention is preferably devised for checking mechanical timepieces, it is applicable to any type of timepiece comprising a visual display.
Image analysis means 5 further advantageously includes means arranged to take account of the geometrical position of the display means of timepiece 10.
Preferably, device 1 includes a control means 7 arranged to coordinate, with reference to the time reference source 3, the processing and analysis of shooting means 2, storage means 4, image analysis means 5, calculating means 6, to deliver to signalling means 7 and/or to another data processing unit 7A, a variation in rate calculated by calculating means 6.
For a particular application concerning the simultaneous observation of several timepieces, device 1 includes an image discrimination means, preferably integrated in image analysis means 5 and/or in calculating means 6, for processing the shots taken simultaneously of several timepieces independently of each other, and it includes a means 8 of controlling image analysis means 5 and calculating means 6, said control means 8 being arranged to allocate the results of the variation in rate calculation to each of the timepieces. Naturally, in this case, image analysis means 5 must comprise the hardware and/or software modules for interpreting the display of each of the timepieces.
In a preferred application, time reference source 3 includes a receiving and processing means arranged to receive and process signals transmitted by an external time source 3A to permanently update a clock relay internal to the device, the external time reference source 3A being formed by a GPS signal transmitter network, or by a telephone network delivering a periodic signal, or by a mother clock transmitting a hertz or radio signal.
Preferably, this device 1 is formed by a mobile telephone or iPhone or smartphone coupled to this type of internal or external time reference source 3.
In short, the system proposed is equivalent to a COSC type measurement. It consists, in its most common application, in measuring the state of a mechanical watch by identifying the position of the seconds hand at two moments, the time of which is known or can be determined very accurately. It uses the telephone camera to take a picture of the dial while storing the time at which the picture is taken. Accuracy over time is influenced by the fitting time and number of vibrations of the movement. Using visual recognition software, the position of the seconds hand, and that of the other hands if necessary, is determined with a high level of accuracy, typically around 0.1 seconds and thus the state of the watch is determined to within more than ±0.5 seconds. Given that a mobile telephone or iPhone or smartphone has access to very accurate time references, such as that provided by GPS, accuracy over the time interval between two pictures is determined by the accuracy of the shot. Assuming for example that the user photographs his watch at an interval of 1 day, he can therefore measure the rate of his watch with an accuracy of within less than 1 second per day.
The invention therefore provides the user with the possibility of measuring the accuracy of his mechanical watch by using his mobile telephone or iPhone or a smartphone, by taking two photographs of his watch dial at a time interval of around a day. The image analysis means includes analysis software, which thus visually recognises the position of the seconds hand and deduces therefrom the mean rate of the watch, with, as time reference, an accurate clock, such as for example that provided by the GPS signal.
With higher resolution means than that of a mobile telephone, the invention also allows the manufacturer to categorise production quickly and very economically.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10192725.9 | Nov 2010 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP11/70625 | 11/22/2011 | WO | 00 | 8/28/2013 |
