The present invention relates to a watch with a timepiece for displaying at least the hour and minute by means of hands on a dial surrounded by a bezel, a receiver capable of receiving radio-broadcast search messages for persons, reception triggered by dialing at least two distinct and specified telephone numbers, a memory for storing such calls, an acoustic transducer for indicating at least the arrival of a message, and a control device containing at least a rod from a cord capable of being operated manually.
A watch part meeting the above generic definition has already been described in several documents published on behalf of the same applicant (see also WO-A-88/05184, US-A-5 061 921). The general arrangement of the antenna confined in the case is described in EP-B-0 339 482 (US-A-4 884 252). The assembly of the movement, body and bottom of such a watch part is described in EP-A-0 460 526. Finally, the arrangement of the battery supplying the radio frequency part of the watch is described in EP-A-0 460 525.
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Figure 1 is a plan view of the watch case in question. This piece features a timepiece that displays the time of day using 4 hour and 5 minute hands. It also features a pager system, i.e. a device including a receiver for broadcast messages and a memory to store these messages. The messages are picked up by an antenna appearing as a 6 wire, antenna coiled around the case's turntable. The piece is controlled by a control device 3 which features a 10-handed crown on a non-represented rod on the one hand and pushers 1 and 2 on the other. The crown can receive three different positions. The pusher, set at 1, 8 o'clock, allows the two different positions to be set in the first position (on the first position) or on the second position (on the second position) without the need for a single pusher (on the second position) to be set in the first position.
The pager is a personal wristwatch equipped with an integrated radio receiver, capable of receiving people-search messages by radio broadcast, as already mentioned above.
To activate or trigger the pager, press the first pusher 1. A long beeper confirms the activation and interruption of the pager. By pressing the crown 10, a short beeper will be heard if the pager is activated, two short beeps if it is turned off. In off mode, the pager consumes little energy, but does not receive a message either.
The following acoustic alarms are triggered for approximately 16 seconds, alarms represented in Figure 2, letters E, F, G and H: 1st call number: one (long) beep every second, Figure 2, letter E; 2nd call number: two beep (one short and one long) every second, Figure 2, letter F; 3rd call number: three beep (short) every second, Figure 2, G, and 4th call number: four beep (short) every second, Figure 2, letter H.
To stop the alarm, just press the button 10.
The pager, however, automatically stores incoming messages that are not interrupted by pressing the 10th bar. These messages can be returned at any time by simply pressing the 10th bar in the order of the call numbers.
The message can be received without sounding the sound alarm. For this, the second pusher 2 is pressed, which sets the pager in standby or silent mode (SIL). This mode change is also confirmed by a long beeper. This function can only be activated if the pager is on (ON mode). To have a confirmation of the silent mode, just press the crown 10 which will have the effect of three short beeps.
To stop the sound alarm inhibition and return to normal alarm mode (ON mode), press the second pusher 2 (SIL) again. A long beep will confirm the return to ON mode and messages, if any, will be returned in the order of the call numbers.
The above description shows that different sound codes are used depending on the dialling numbers (see Figure 2). Different sound codes (one, two or three short beeps) are also used to control the mode in which the pager is located (ON, OFF or SIL respectively). This may be confusing if the wearer is not attentive or if his ear is not trained to memorize the received codes. To remedy this, the clockwork of the present invention is characterized by the fact that at least the dialling numbers are clearly indicated in a specified form on the dial or the dial and that at least the means are in place to show the incoming call and the message of the last call, at least in the event that the last call is received in the last minute.
The invention will now be explained by means of examples illustrated by the drawing in which:Figure 1 is a plan view of a pager clock executed according to the previous art,Figure 2 is an illustration of the sound alarms returned by the pager clock of Figure 1,Figure 3 is a plan view of the pager clock executed according to a first mode of execution of the invention,Figures 4 and 5 show different implementations of glasses applicable to the pager clock of Figure 3,Figure 6 shows the crown rod mechanism of the two forms of executions of the first clock, this in a position taken from the pager,Figure 7 shows the same mechanism in a second neutral, stable position of the rod,Figure 8 shows the same mechanism in a third pushed, unstable position of the rod,Figure 9 is a cut according to line IX-IX of Figure 7 of the flowing gear collaborating with the rod,Figure 10 is a view of the flowing gear according to the arrow in Figure 9,Figure 11 X is a flat view of the mechanism shown in Figure 6,Figure 12 is a view below Figure 11 where the rod's cranking system appears,Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the electronic part of the pager clock in Figure 3, Figure 14 is a diagram explaining the functions of the pushers 1 and 2 with which the pager clock in Figure 3 is equipped, Figure 15 is a diagram explaining how a message is received in the pager clock in Figure 3, when the receiver is switched on, Figure 16 is a diagram explaining how at least two messages are received in the pager clock in Figure 3, when the receiver is in standby or silent mode, Figure 17 is a view in plan of the pager clock made in a second mode of execution of the invention, according toFigure 18 is a diagram showing how to operate the crown of the pager clock in Figure 17 to call the various states in which the said clock can be set, Figure 19 is a diagram explaining how at least two messages from the pager clock in Figure 17 are received when the receiver is in silent mode, and Figure 20 presents a variant of the running of the pager clock illustrated in Figure 17.
The watch part shown in the plan in Figure 3 is very similar to the one described above in Figure 1. Here we find a control device 3 with a crown 10 and two pushers 1 and 2. The watch includes a timepiece for displaying the time using the hand 4 and the minute using the hand 5. This watch also has a receiver capable of receiving people-search messages by radio broadcast, messages received by the antenna 6.The messages may be stored in a memory. These receiver and memory will be described below. To reach the person wearing the watch, the caller dials a specific call number on his/her handset. According to the previous artwork mentioned above, the watch wearer can identify the caller by the particular sound attributed to it (e.g. 3 beeps in a second, this signal being repeated for about sixteen seconds). The sound is broadcast by an acoustic transducer.
According to the essential feature of the invention, the dialling numbers are inscribed on dial 80 or dial 7 of the watch case, and means are employed to enable the receipt of a message to be remembered and at least one hand (e.g. the minute hand) to leave its function of time-indicator in 5' to show in 5' the dialling number 81 which is emitting the message.
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Instead of the coded call numbers shown in Figure 3, one could have numbers written in plain text, i.e. the numbers that John, the family, the chief or the office must dial to reach the watch wearer. The coded call numbers shown in Figure 3 could be replaced by numeric numbers, as shown in Figure 5, reference 83, these numbers indicating, very usefully, which phone numbers the watch wearer must dial if he wants to reach John, the family, the chief or the office. Figure 4 shows yet another way of presenting the calls received by a simple number of the order of 82, and not necessarily arranged in a square, as is the case in Figures 3 and 4.
To make the invention more universal, it is useful to offer a pager watch with removable bezel 7 which is easily interchangeable, if not by the wearer of the watch at least by its manufacturer.
The above is true of the two examples of execution of the invention suggested in this document, i.e. a watch made according to Figure 3 or Figure 17. These two execution forms also use in common a control device with at least one rod suspended from a crown capable of being operated manually.
The first position is a stable position, shown in Figure 6, where the timepiece can be set to the time by rotating the crown; the second position, also a stable position, is shown in Figure 7. This position has no effect on the timepiece when the crown is rotated; and the third position, shown in Figure 8, is unstable and allows the message to be erased by acting in the longitudinal direction of the rod.
The crown rod 3 of Figures 6 to 8 has a rod 9 itself, which is handled at its end by a crown 10 on which either a rotational movement or pressure can be exerted. The rod 9 slides through an opening 11 made in the box cartridge 12 and a hole 13 made in a cubic element 14. The rod has a throat 15 in which a trim is placed 16. The rod has another throat 17 in which a basin 18 is fitted in solidarity with a pawn 19. Finally the rod includes a square 20 which can slide into a sliding pignon 21 held axially in place by the coud 14 and another fixed element 22.
The flowing piston 21 is shown in detail in Figures 9 and 10. As shown in Figure 10, it has two floors 27 and 28 and a hole 61 for the 20th square of the rod 9. Each of the floors has an oblong section as shown in Figure 9 on the hatched part of the floor 27. The floors 27 and 28 are angularly offset from each other by about 45°. As shown in Figure 7 and in Figure 11, which is a view in plane below Figure 7,elastic conductive blades 29 and 30 are supported on the 27th and 28th floors of the flowing gear 21 respectively, so that when the flowing gear is driven to rotate by the rod, these blades 29 and 30 come into contact alternately with conductive tracks designated by A and B respectively, these tracks being engraved on a printed circuit board 31. Figures 6 to 8 show that regardless of the axial position of the rod, with the flowing gear 21 remaining in place, there is always contact between blade 29 on track A and blade 30 on track B,The Commission has already taken the necessary steps to ensure that the information provided by the Member States is accurate and that the information is available to the public.
Figures 6 to 8 and Figure 11 further show that the rod mechanism has two other switches. A first switch 32 is formed by a conductive blade 33 which is likely to come into contact with a conductive track C formed on the printed circuit board 31. A second switch 35 is formed by a conductive blade 36 which is likely to come into contact with a conductive track D also formed on the printed circuit board 31. When driven by the pawn 19, the blades 33 and 36 come into contact with the tracks C and D respectively, the pawn 19 being driven at its turn by the swing 18 cooperating with the throat 17 of the rod 9, as shown in Figures 6 and 8.
Figure 6 shows the first stable position taken from the crown rod. This is the timing position of the timepiece regardless of its mode of execution (according to Figure 3 or according to Figure 17). Here the first switch 32 is closed and if the crown 10 is rotated, the first 29 and second 30 conductive blades are driven alternately to come into contact with the first A and second B conductive tracks respectively.The means of making these corrections are described in detail in CH-A-643 427 (US-A-4'398'831) and are used in both modes of the present invention. It is further stated that in this first position the correction of the stable time zone is based on the actual time from the activation of the position of the crown,The method of calculating the time of the time-scale of the clock is based on the following equation: the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock is the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the time-scale of the clock, the time-scale of the time-scale
Figure 7 shows the second stable and neutral position of the crown rod. This is a neutral position for which the rotation of the crown remains without effect. In this position the first 32 and second 35 switches are open, while the rotation of the rod causes the first 29 and second 30 blades to alternately come into contact with the first A and second B conductive tracks, respectively.
Figure 8 shows the third unstable and pushed position of the crown rod. This is the position for which the displayed message can at least be erased from memory when the crown is pressed. In this position, the second switch 35 is closed.
If we refer again to Figure 11, we see that the blades 29, 30, 33 and 36 are one and the same element with a common base 37. These blades are cut into a sheet of metal and then folded to the square in relation to the blades 33 and 36.
Figure 12, which is a view from below Figure 6, shows that the swing 18, driven by the neck 17 of the rod 9, rotates around a holding axis 38. The swing is extended by a first nose 39 which cooperates with two notches 40 and 41 in a first elastic element 42. The swing in Figure 12 is shown in a second neutral position where the nose 39 is notched in the notch 40. By pulling on the swing to bring it into the first pull position, the nose 39 will notch into the notch 41. By contrast, by pressing on the swing 9 from the position it occupies in Figure 12, the swing 39 rises on a ramp 43 that features the first only elastic element 42, which pulls the swing back into the neutral position when the movement of the nose 39 is notched in the notch. To increase the pressure of the second piece of the swing, the swing has a second nose 46 which is notched in the second piece, but is supported by a second elastic element.
The same crown rod, which has just been described, will be used in two modes of execution of the watch-pager according to the invention, executions which will be described in detail now. In summary, we have seen that the functionality of the rod is the same for both executions in question with regard to a) the watch time setting function, b) the neutral function and c) the message erasure function. For point c) the rod will have different functions depending on whether it is used in either of the executions in question.
1) First method of executionFigure 3 is a plan view of the first mode of operation of the pager clock according to the invention. In this design, the pager clock has, in addition to the crown rod described in detail above, two additional pushers 1 and 2. The first pusher 1, located at 8 o'clock, allows the pager to be started and fired. The second pusher 2, located at 10 o'clock, allows the pager to be placed in a standby state for which the received messages are at least stored in memory without being signaled by the audible warning 8 or shown by the hands 4 and 5.
As already mentioned, the timepiece of the invention has two independent motors for the indication of time and minute in order to cause the two hands to overlap to show the call number inscribed on the dial or dial. Such a mechanism is described in EP-A-0 393 605 (= US-A-4 969 133) and the reader may refer to it if he wishes to obtain details of construction.This latter document concerns a piece of analogue watchmaking in which the hands are in a fixed position, e.g. superimposed at 12 o'clock to mark a predetermined time reference, e.g. noon, this piece including an adjustment means to change the position, in relation to the dial, of the time reference, this new position being e.g. 6 o'clock.Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the electronic part of the pager watch shown in Figure 3. The messages received by antenna 6 are received by an RF 64 circuit (e.g. Philips UAA type 2033), which is connected to a special circuit 101 by a three-wire bus 102.The special circuit 101 combines an ordinary microprocessor with a decoder to decode messages at the output of the RF 64 circuit (e.g. PCF 5001 type from Philips). This special circuit also has a clock circuit (e.g. H 5026 type from EM Microelectronic-Marin SA) with a clock oscillator 67, a frequency divider, a first driver attacking, by a three-wire bus 77, a two-way stepper motor driving the 4-hour needle and a second driver attacking by a three-wire bus 77' a two-way stepper motor driving the 5-minute needle.The decoder is associated with an external EEPROM memory 103 which can be programmed by the two-wire line 104 of so-called programming to signal only messages intended for this particular pager, having its own radio identification code (RIC) and responding in this case to a radio call code, for example one bearing the No 1 of the CCIR (based on the CCIR recommendation 584-1, Dubrovnik, 1986).
The circuit 101 is connected to conductive tracks A and B corresponding to conductive blades 29 and 30 respectively and conductive tracks C and D corresponding to conductive blades 33 and 36 forming switches 32 and 35 respectively, these tracks and blades having been described above and discussed in Figures 6 to 12. The blades 29, 30, 33 and 36 are all connected to a common potential Vpp. The fact that the crown is rotated results in the tracks A and B being connected alternately to the potential Vpp. This alternation is taken into account by the circuit 101 which is then able to know first the fact that the crown is being driven in rotation and then in which direction this rotation takes place.
The RAM 103 in Figure 13 is of a classic bill. In this RAM the messages are stacked on top of each other. Since the RAM can only hold a limited number of messages, it is clear that if the said memory is full, a new incoming message repeated for the second time will cause the loss of the identical oldest message.
Figure 13 shows that the special circuit 101 is connected to the pushers 1 and 2 connected to the same potential Vpp.
Figures 14 to 16 will now describe how to use the pager clock by acting on the 10th crown and on the 1st and 2nd pushers.>1: pressure on the pusher 1>2 : pressure on the pusher 2<10: pressure on the crown 10
Figure 14 explains the functions of pushers 1 and 2. If the pager is in the on position and pusher 1 (> 1) is pressed, the pager is triggered (OFF), this operation being accompanied by a long beep from the sound transducer. Conversely, if the pager is in the off position and pusher 1 (> 1) is pressed, the pager is triggered (ON), this operation also being accompanied by a long beep.The pager is in standby or silent mode (SIL) for which the incoming messages are only recorded in memory. From standby (SIL) you can return to the activation state (ON) by pressing the button 2 (>2). Here also the switch from ON to SIL and vice versa causes a long beeper to be triggered by the transducer. Finally, to know in which state the pager is, you press the 10 column and collect one, two or three short beeps depending on whether the pager is in the ON, OFF or SIL state respectively.
Figure 15 is a diagram of how a message is received by the clock when the pager is turned on. For this it is initially in the ON state and therefore waiting 100. Then a message 110, detected as corresponding to one of the RICs of the receiver, arrives. This message is stored in 111, and triggers an acoustic alarm in 112. Hands 4 and 5 leave their time display function and come to show the caller's call number (or code) in 113. The display 113 and the alarm 112 will last for a predetermined time frame, for example 12 seconds.A test centre 114 assesses whether the signal has lasted more than 12 seconds (>12s). If yes, the hands return to the display of the 115th hour, the message is kept in memory and the receiver returns to standby 100 of a new message. If not, the message is erased from memory in 116, the hands return to the display of the 115th hour and the receiver returns to standby 100 of a new message. The signal interruption before 12 seconds have elapsed is caused by placing the crown 10 (<10) in its third unstable position (Figures 8 and 13,The test shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 5.3.3.
Figure 16 is a diagram of how two messages 1 and 2 are received by the clock when the pager is in standby or silent mode. For this it is initially in the SIL 120 state and therefore on hold. If a first message 121 arrives, it is stored in 122 without display or alarm. The pager then returns to the SIL 120 standby state. If a second message 123 : arrives, the same cycle repeats memory 124 and then SIL 120 standby state.
If the wearer of the watch now wants to know the calls received during the sleep period, he presses the pusher 2 (>2, reference 125) to set the pager to standby ON 100. If messages have been memorized, the pager starts by returning the first message 121 which is announced acoustically and displayed by the overlay of the 4 hour and 5 minute hands (reference 126). As explained about Figure 15, a test center 127 evaluates whether the signal lasted more than 12 seconds (>12s). If so, the message is kept in memory and the display of the second message 123 is announced acoustically and displayed by the hands (reference 128).If no (pressing on crown 10 (<10) before the 12-second timeout), announcement and display 128 of the second message occur, but with deletion (reference 129) of the first message. An identical cycle then repeats for the second message with or without deletion depending on whether crown 10 was pressed or not before the 12-second timeout has elapsed. Once all messages have been externalized, the hands return to their time display function (reference 130) and the receiver waits for new messages (100) unless it is triggered (OFF) by pressing the button 1 (<1).
2) Second method of executionFigure 17 is a plan view of the second mode of operation of the pager clock according to the invention. Compared to the first mode of operation, this second mode has only one crown rod 3 excluding any other pusher. Here the ON-OFF and ON-SIL functions described above are performed by the crown rod 3.
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The electronic part of the pager in this second mode of execution differs from that shown in Figure 13 only in the absence of the pushers 1 and 2 connected to the particular circuit 101. It was therefore not considered necessary to show such a diagram by a new figure. In this second mode of execution, only a particular arrangement of the microprocessor included in the circuit 101 allows the switch from the first to the second mode of execution, an arrangement which allows account to be taken of the time during which the crown 10 may be pressed into its unstable third position.
Figures 15, 18 and 19 will now describe how to use the pager clock by acting on the 10th crown alone.< 10: short pressure on crown 10. < 10: long pressure on crown 10.
As shown in Figure 18, by bringing the rod into its third unstable position (Figure 8) by a first pressure <<10, reference 140, for a period longer than a specified period, e.g. 2 seconds, the rod is moved from the OFF triggered state to the ON triggered state; by the same second pressure <<10, reference 141, from the ON triggered state to the standby state 142; by the same third pressure <<10, reference 142, from the standby state to the triggered state, and so on.
As shown in Figure 15, if the receiver is in the ON 100 switched on state, the input message 110 indicated by the hands at 113 is accompanied by an acoustic signal at 112 for a specified time interval, e.g. 12 seconds, after which the hands return to their hour indication position at 115 and the message remains recorded in memory. If the crown 10 is pressed for less than the specified time interval defined in paragraph < 10 before the 12 second interval expires, the first message is erased from memory at 116 and the hands return to the hour display at 115.
Figure 19 is a diagram of how two messages 1 and 2 are received when the pager is in silent mode. This reception is the same as that explained about Figure 16, so we will not expand on it here. If the wearer of the watch now wants to know the calls received during the sleep period, he will switch from SIL mode to ON mode by pressing the crown twice for a period longer than the specified period of 2 seconds (2 x <10) and this by switching to OFF mode. The pager will then return the memorized messages as described about Figure 16.
It should be noted that the condition of the pager can be inspected at any time by applying a short pressure (< 10) to the 10th crown when the pager indicates the time.
Figure 20 is a variant of the pager clock shown in Figure 17. The part of the clock between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. has been shown here in enlarged scale. In addition to the indices 81 and 84 carried by the bezel 7, the clock in Figure 20 bears the indication Y, referenced 85, and the indication BAT, referenced 86.
The Swatch pager tone only watch mentioned in the introduction to this description is equipped with a system to warn the wearer that the battery powering the receiver is depleted. In ON mode, as soon as the battery is below a limit voltage, a sixteen-second beep is sounded, which can be interrupted by pressing the crown 10. The wearer is thus warned that he must replace the battery within the following hours.
In the present invention, the hands which will indicate this state of exhaustion, which, as soon as a lower voltage threshold is reached, will, overlapping, show the BAT indication, referenced 86.
The watch face 7 in Figure 20 also has a Y indication, referenced 85, which symbolizes the pager antenna. In the case of insufficient signal quality, the hands overlap (references 4' and 5') to show the Y indication. This tells the wearer that he is in an area poorly covered by the transmitter broadcasting the messages and that he should move.
BAT and Y functions are possible thanks to a self-checking system of the pager which, for example, tests whether the battery voltage and the quality of reception are sufficient every four minutes.
The invention is not limited to the display of the auxiliary BAT and Y functions. Other functions may exist, e.g. a FULL function indicating that the memory is full and/or a NEW function indicating that a new message has arrived. These FULL and NEW indications are written on the bezel or dial and the hands are responsible for displaying them if necessary.
The above description is based on two examples of execution modes. It will be understood that other modes are possible without deviating from the spirit of the present invention. For example, one can imagine a crown rod having an additional stable position to the two described stable positions, this additional position allowing, by turning the crown, to choose the ON, OFF or SIL functions and display these functions by means of the hour-minute hands of the watch. However, in this particular execution, the spirit of the invention remains, namely, essentially the display of the call numbers by means of the hands to display the time and subsequently the display of the state in which the pager is located.