Patent Application
20170082978
The present invention is directed to wearable electronic devices generally, and in particular, to a wearable electronic device that comprises an analog display for the display of time information by using one or more indicators (e.g. hands) and a digital display having one or more digital indicators for displaying at least current time on the digital display, wherein the digital display is used to facilitate synchronization of the indicators of the analog display.
Generally speaking, in many electronic analog watches of a first type, it is not always the case that the microcontroller “knows” precisely where the indicators (e.g. hour and/or minute hands) are positioned. Watches of this first type are generally quartz analog watches. An easy example of this perceived “problem” can be seen in watches of this first type where a user pulls out a mechanical crown to (e.g.) adjust the hands. From the time that the crown is pulled out and/or rotated so as to adjust the position of the hour and minute hands (i.e. adjusting the displayed time), the microcontroller no longer “knows” where the hands are. Thus, in conventional analog watches of this quartz analog type and construction, there can be no signaling, via an internal or external signal or the like, for the watch to move its hands to 3:00 p.m. from an initial position if the watch is not already accurately displaying the correct time at the time such instruction or signal is given. That is, for example, if the microcontroller “thinks” the hands are at 2:00 p.m. but were previously manually adjusted to 1:30 p.m., having the watch move the hands ahead one (1) hour to the perceived 3:00 p.m. would still leave the hands inaccurately positioned, i.e. they would be off the requested setting by ½ hour.
Said a bit differently, there is an important distinction between “time adjustment” and “hand synchronization,” with examples of the former being more wide-spread in the prior art. That is, “time adjustment” may be accurate only if the indicator hands on the watch of this first type are positioned exactly where the microcontroller believes them to be (i.e. the indicator hands are indicating the correct time). In other words, the current state of the art does not adequately account for the situation when/if the microcontroller inside the watch of this first type believes the time is X but the actual position of the hands is indicating time Y (i.e. with X and Y being different times). In this latter situation, a “hand synchronization” in accordance with the present invention must be carried out so that the hands are synchronized to the correct time.
On the other hand, there are watches of a second type in which the indicator hands are always electronically coupled to the microcontroller, examples of which are known as “electroset” type watches. Such watches do not necessarily suffer from this perceived deficiency.
Analog radio controlled watches may be thought of as watches of yet a third type. Here the microcontroller “knows” where the hands are, and periodically, the watch's receiver may obtain local time. In such watches of this third type, hand position deviation can thus be periodically corrected. Such watches of this type may thus provide for synchronization between watch and the actual time.
Combination digital and analog watches are also known of the type illustrated in
While the present invention primarily concerns itself with synchronizing the hands of an analog display of a watch of the first type, the present invention is applicable to watches of these other types as would be understood in the art.
More specifically, it is believed that further advances to the state of the art are both desirable and achievable. In particular, it is desirable to provide watches with a hand synchronization functionality to more easily and accurately provide for accurate current time information and time adjustability on an analog display. It is also desirable to provide methodologies to carry out the foregoing functionality.
It is thus an objective of the present invention to overcome the perceived deficiencies in the prior art.
Specifically, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a user with a hand synchronization function in a wearable electronic device that permits for the synchronization of analog hands to an accurate time.
Still a further objective of the present invention is to provide methodologies for carrying out and/or facilitating the foregoing.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, arrangement of parts and sequence of steps which will be exemplified in the construction, illustration and description hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
Therefore, to overcome the perceived deficiencies in the prior art and to achieve the objects and advantages set forth above and below, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is, generally speaking, directed to a wearable electronic device comprising (i) an analog display for the display of time information by at least one analog time indicator and (ii) a digital display having at least one digital indicator for displaying at least current time on the digital display; a receiver for receiving, from a remote source, current time information data representative of a current time; a controller, operatively coupled to the receiver, wherein the controller processes the current time information data received from the remote source and provides for the current time information data to be displayed by the at least one digital indicator on the digital display as the current time; an analog time indicator rotating arrangement for causing the rotation of the at least one analog time indicator until the at least one analog time indicator is aligned with the at least one digital indicator; whereby the alignment of the at least one analog time indicator with the at least one digital indicator indicates that the at least one analog time indicator is synchronized with the correct time information.
In another preferred embodiment, a wearable electronic device may comprise (i) an analog display for the display of time information by at least one analog time indicator and (ii) a digital display having at least one digital indicator for displaying at least current time on the digital display; a controller, wherein the controller maintains current time information and provides for the current time information to be displayed by the at least one digital indicator on the digital display as the current time; an analog time indicator rotating arrangement for causing the rotation of the at least one analog time indicator until the at least one analog time indicator is aligned with the at least one digital indicator; whereby the alignment of the at least one analog time indicator with the at least one digital indicator indicates that the at least one analog time indicator is synchronized with the correct time information.
In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device is a timepiece in the form of a wristwatch.
The above set forth and other features of the invention are made more apparent in the ensuing Description of the Preferred Embodiments when read in conjunction with the attached Drawings, wherein:
Identical reference numerals in the figures are intended to indicate like parts, although not every feature in every figure may be called out with a reference numeral.
It should first be understood that
Reference will first be made to
In the embodiment where digital display assembly 20 resides above the analog display 34, it is both desirable and possible to provide for the easy displaying of time information using the analog display while also being able to switch on and off the digital display at desired times for hand synchronization in accordance with the present invention. It is believed that the functionality of providing a digital display that provides the viewer the ability to see through the digital display assembly 20 to an analog display is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,231, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. However, for the convenience of the reader, the following is set forth.
With reference to
Switching digital display 24 between the first state to the second state where the digital hands may be visible while the analog display underneath remains visible (and vice versa among the states) is achieved by a microcontroller, generally indicated at 100, with the operational coupling to digital display 24 being achieved by conventional connectors to supply it with appropriate control voltage(s) and signaling.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, digital display 24 may be a twisted nematic type liquid crystal cell. Digital display assembly 20 may also include a transparent front substrate, a transparent back substrate, and a sealing frame and a closed cavity in which there is a layer of liquid crystals. For example, opposite faces of substrates may include transparent electrodes made for example of indium/tin oxide. It goes without saying that digital display 24 may be of another type provided that in a first switching state, digital display 24 is transparent, and that in a second switching state, the hands 26A, 26B of the digital display 24 is opaque and reflective or diffusing. It is well known in the art how to program and arrange for microcontroller 100 to control the display of digital time on digital display 24. Again, a further state wherein the digital display 24 completely blocks the display of the analog display would thus also be known to those skilled in the art.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the hand synchronization feature is carried out with respect to time information (e.g. “time of day”), but other time information may be displayed by the digital display 24, and thus hand synchronization thereof by the constructions and methodologies set forth herein is equally applicable. In addition, heartrate, moonphase and altitude indications, or other types of information displayable on digital display 24, may also be provided herein, with thus functionality achievable to synchronize the indicators (e.g. hands) of the analog display 34 to the actual or current value or indicia being shown on the digital display.
Regarding the analog display assembly 30, the construction thereof should also be known to those skilled in the art. For example, a preferred construction of analog display assembly 30, including analog display 34, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,450, entitled “Wearable Electronic Device With Multiple Display Functionality,” the subject matter of which is also incorporated by reference as fully set forth herein. Therefore, the present disclosure omits, for purposes of brevity, certain basic and very well-known concepts regarding the construction of analog timepieces. For example, the basic construction and arrangements of gears and/or gear trains to rotate a plurality of “standard” hands all supported on a center stem, such as an hour hand and a minute hand, are omitted as being well within the purview of one skilled in the art.
However, for completion, the following is set forth for the convenience of the reader. In order to carry out all the functionality set forth and/or contemplated herein, wearable electronic device 10 may be provided with one or more subassemblies, each of which may comprise at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotateably engaged with the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism causes the rotation of the one or more gears. As illustrated in the figures, the preferred actuation mechanisms are stepper motors. As would be understood, rotation of only a minute hand and an hour hand requires only one stepper motor (e.g. M1). The figures illustrate additional motors simply as a matter of design choice, and which may be used to rotate additional indicators, hands, rings or the like. As would also be understood in the art, the specific location of such motor(s) is one of design choice and dictated by constraints such as spacing, power and torque requirements and the desired positioning of the display hands and/or rings, as the case may be. As positioned, the respective motors rotate respective pinions as would be understood in the art. It should thus now be understood that as exemplary illustrated herein, motor M1 is provided to rotate at least hour hand 36 and minute hand 38 in a known manner.
For example,
As would be understood in the art and exemplary shown in the figures, the actuation mechanism(s) (e.g. stepper motor M1, M2, M3 and/or M4) comprises a rotor, and is/are operatively coupled to microcontroller 100, wherein the stepper motor steps in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction in predefined increments in response to commands from the microcontroller 100, wherein the rotor of the stepper motor is operatively coupled to the at least one analog time indicator, and wherein the rotation of rotor causes the rotation of the at least one analog time indicator in at least one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions and in the predefined increments.
In a preferred embodiment, wearable electronic device 10 further comprises a receiver 50 for receiving, from a remote source, current time information data representative of a current time. In contemplated embodiments, the remote source may be one or more of the following: cell towers, cellphones, base stations or satellites, by way of example and not limitation. Receiver 50 receives such time information data from one or more of such remote sources in a manner that would be understood by those skilled in the art, and similar if not exactly as such time information data is received by smartphones or the like.
Wearable electronic device 10 also provides that microcontroller 100 is operatively coupled to receiver 50. Microcontroller 100 processes the current time information data received from the remote source and provides for the current time information data to be displayed by the one or more digital indicators 26A, 26B on the digital display 24 as the current time (e.g. actual time in the geographical location in which device 10 is located).
Wearable electronic device 10 also comprises an indicator rotating arrangement for causing the rotation of the at least one analog time indicator (e.g. hand 36 and/or 38) until the at least one analog time indicator is aligned with the at least one digital indicator 26A and/or 26B. In this way, the alignment of the at least one analog time indicator (e.g. hand 36 and/or 38) with the at least one digital indicator indicates that the at least one analog time indicator has been synchronized and is indicating correct time.
In one preferred embodiment, the indicator rotating arrangement comprises a rotating stem 60 and one or more rotating gears, as illustrated generally in
In another preferred embodiment, the indicator rotating arrangement utilizes both the actuation mechanism (e.g. stepper motor M1) and a setting mechanism, such as pushers or features of a rotating stem assembly, also operatively coupled to the controller 100, wherein the actuation of the setting mechanism can produce first electrical pulses and second electrical pulses, wherein said first and second electrical pulses are received by the microcontroller 100 which in turn causes the actuation mechanism to rotate the at least one analog time indicator clockwise or counterclockwise in response to said first and second electrical pulses. Such can be achieved using pushers 160 (see
In yet an alternative preferred embodiment, wearable electronic device 10 may, but need not, comprise a receiver as disclosed above. Rather, controller 100 may itself maintain the current time information and provide for the current time information to be displayed by the digital indicators on the digital display as the current time. Nevertheless, like the aforementioned embodiments, such a device 10 will provide that the indicator rotating arrangement will similarly cause the rotation of the at least one analog time indicator until the analog time indicator is aligned with the digital indicator. Thus, and in a similar manner, the alignment of the at least one analog time indicator with the digital indicator indicates that the at least one analog time indicator is indicating correct time information.
That is, in these alternative preferred embodiments, the indicator rotating arrangements may likewise comprise a rotating stem 60 and one or more rotating gears that are likewise operatively coupled to the rotating stem as set forth above and exemplary shown in
Reference is next made to first made to Figs, 8-9 which are directed to a wearable electronic device constructed in accordance other preferred embodiments of the present invention. For example,
In accordance with this embodiment, electronic display 10′ comprises a digital display assembly, indicated generally at 120, comprising a digital display 124, which is preferably of the LCD or OLED type, by way of example and not limitation. An analog display assembly, generally indicated at 130, is provided in a case or housing 132. An analog display, generally indicated at 134, is part of analog display assembly 130. Analog display 134 of this preferred embodiment is part of a watch that is also of the aforementioned first, i.e. quartz analog, type.
In the embodiment where digital display 124 resides below the analog display 134 (e.g. hands 136, 138), it is both desirable and possible to provide for the easy displaying of time information using the analog display while also being able to switch on and off the digital display at desired times for hand synchronization in accordance with the present invention.
For example and with reference to
Switching digital display 124 from the first state to the second state and vice versa is similarly achieved by microcontroller 100, likewise with the operational coupling to digital display 124 being achieved by conventional connectors to supply it with appropriate control voltage(s) and signaling.
Digital display 124 may likewise comprise a liquid crystal display cell of the diffusing or reflective type in the second switching state. According to an exemplary embodiment of this embodiment, digital display 124 may likewise be a twisted nematic type liquid crystal cell. It similarly goes without saying that digital display 124 may be of another type provided that in a first switching state, the digital indicators of digital display 124 are not visible through dial 135, and in a second switching state, the digital indicators 126A, 126B of digital display 124 are visible through dial 135. Here too, it is well known in the art how to program and arrange for microcontroller 100 to control the display of digital time on digital display 124.
In yet still an alternative embodiment, the dial itself in
In the embodiment of electronic device 10′, analog display assembly 130 is constructed similarly to that of analog display assembly 30. Similarly, microcontroller 100 is the same for that of electronic device 10′, as is the functionality of the gears, motors, and the like. Thus, it should be understood that the features of
Wearable electronic device 10′ may likewise comprise a receiver 150 that operates, constructed and functions identically to receiver 50. Microcontroller 100 is also operatively coupled to receiver 150 in the same way. And finally, wearable electronic device 10′ preferably comprises at least one of the multiple indicator rotating arrangements as disclosed above with respect to device 10. That is, wearable electronic device 10′ may comprise rotating stem 60 and the same rotating gears operatively coupled to rotating stem 60 as set forth above, and/or likewise may comprise the combination of an actuation mechanism(s) (e.g. stepper motor M1 and/or M2) and setting mechanism, such as pushers or features of a rotating stein assembly, as also set forth above. And finally, wearable electronic device 10′ may alternatively provide that the microcontroller 100 itself maintain the current time information and provide for the current time to be displayed by the digital indicators on the digital display as the current time, all as set forth above.
Operation of the present invention will now be disclosed with reference to
More specifically,
For purposes of explaining the present invention, it is assumed that the “correct time” is 11:09. It can further be seen in the example of
However, with the indicating indicator rotating arrangements of the present invention, whether in the form of the rotating stem causing disengagement with the gearing assembly for manual setting or by using the setting mechanism embodiments disclosed above in the form of pushers or an pulse generating type rotating stem, the user can now easily and accurately adjust the analog hands 36, 38 (136, 138) to align (i.e. to synchronize) with the digital indicator hands, as shown moving from
In the preferred embodiments, the motors may be bi-directional stepper motors as appropriate, thus being able to rotate in either direction, and the construction of acceptable stepper motors to functionally operate in this manner are widely available and well within the understanding of those skilled in the art. Suitable dials are also well within the purview of the skilled artisan. One skilled in the art would recognize that varying the number of display hands can vary the number of needed stepper motors, all of which is within the scope of the present invention and disclosure and disclosed in those applications incorporated by reference herein.
Although the preferred embodiments provide that microcontroller 100 is highly integrated wherein all timing and display functionality is controlled by microcontroller 100, alternate embodiments could separate the timekeeping functions from those processing and other functionality, as would be understood by one skilled in the art.
As should also be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the location, position and/or size of the display indicators and/or display hands are merely dictated, for example, by the position of pinions and the position of the respective subassemblies and thus the illustrations herein are shown by example and not limitation.
The gearing ratio to provide for the desirable display rotation or movement of the display hands would be one of design choice depending on the desired or required incremental rotation of the display indicator. Thus the number of wheels in any particular gearing assembly may be more or less than that disclosed herein, and are really one of design choice for the intended function and based upon a number of criterions known to the ordinary designer.
It can thus be seen that the present invention provides for an improved method and construction for synchronizing the analog indicator hands in a wearable electronic device, preferably of the quartz analog type, and the present invention provides an improved user interface therefore that is easy to use and which should be welcome to the user over any type of hand synchronization arrangements in the prior art.
As alluded to above, the present invention is applicable for synchronizing a wide range of parameters, not just conventional time information. As alluded to above, heartrate, moonphase and altitude indications are just some of the information that may be synchronized by the invention disclosed herein on the device. As such, the present invention is also applicable to a wearable electronic device comprising (i) an analog display for the display of information by at least one analog time indicator and (ii) a digital display having at least one digital indicator for displaying at least accurate and/or current information on the digital display, a receiver for receiving, from a remote source, at least accurate and/or current information data representative of current and/or accurate information; a controller, operatively coupled to the receiver, wherein the controller processes the current and/or accurate information data received from the remote source and provides for the current and/or accurate information data to be displayed by the at least one digital indicator on the digital display as the current and/or accurate information; an analog indicator rotating arrangement for causing the rotation of the at least one analog indicator until the at least one analog indicator is aligned with the at least one digital indicator; whereby the alignment of the at least one analog indicator with the at least one digital indicator indicates that the at least one analog indicator is synchronized with the current and/or accurate information.
In yet another embodiment therefore, the wearable electronic device may comprise (i) an analog display for the display of information by at least one analog indicator and (ii) a digital display having at least one digital indicator for displaying at least accurate and/or current information on the digital display; a controller, wherein the controller maintains accurate and/or current information and provides for the accurate and/or current information to be displayed by the at least one digital indicator on the digital display as the accurate and/or current information; an analog indicator rotating arrangement for causing the rotation of the at least one analog indicator until the at least one analog indicator is aligned with the at least one digital indicator; whereby the alignment of the at least one analog indicator with the at least one digital indicator indicates that the at least one analog indicator is synchronized with the accurate and/or current information.
In such additional embodiments, the analog indicators are envisioned to include rings, hands, moon images or other mechanical indicators that might not be the traditional hands disclosed and illustrated above. Corresponding digital indicators could likewise be easily configured. As such, the present invention easily lends itself to the accurate and/or current synchronization of such information (e.g. parameters) as blood pressure, heartrate, altitude and/or moonphases as discussed here and/or other time information such as dates, days or other displayable time related parameters.
Therefore, the drawings provided herein are equally applicable to the foregoing additional embodiments. For example, in connection with displays applicable to heartrate and/or altitude, only the surface indicia on the dial or bezel needs to be changed to accommodate the scale or parameter being displayed, with the underlying functionality of the displaying of such parameters being understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, such as from a reading of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,450. For example, even the surface indicia of the dials/bezels of
The other features, options and functionality disclosed above with respect to the embodiments of
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It should also be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention described herein and all statements of the scope of the invention that as a matter of language might fall therebetween.
To be sure, the present invention is applicable to a wide variety of devices and applications. That is, while the following embodiments have been disclosed with reference to quartz analog watches, the scope of the invention is not so limiting.
