HK1063857B - Electronic timepiece including a game mode - Google Patents

Description

Electronic timepiece including a game mode

Technical Field

The invention relates to an electronic timepiece, in particular a wristwatch, including a play mode using time display means. The invention also relates to a method for playing such a game with an electronic timepiece.

Background

Electronic watches having one or more modes of game operation are known. For example, GB patent application No.2205180 discloses having a table of numbers that can display a game like a lottery, and that can enable and display random drawing of numbers. By acting on the control buttons on the watch, the user can control the game and also preselect parameters such as the range of values considered and the number of digits drawn.

In CH patent No. 684456, an electronic chronograph watch is disclosed which has the same type of lottery drawing pattern and has an analog display for indicating the time and a liquid crystal digital display for displaying the number of lottery draws. The buttons of the chronograph watch also serve as control means for inputting data in the game mode.

Despite the popularity of lottery games, their implementation in a timepiece is less interesting than real lottery games played collectively, due to the fact that collective play, which constitutes the main attraction of the game, allows high profits.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to incorporate a game having the same level of interest even if one plays into a timepiece, in particular a wristwatch. A particular object is to use certain elements providing a timepiece with a common function for games, so as to be able to incorporate the game into an electronic watch with as few additional elements as possible.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic timepiece including a game mode and having display means capable of displaying time, controlled by an electronic unit having storage means; the timepiece also comprises manual control means allowing a user to input data to the electronic unit, characterized in that: the game mode is a memory-storing game mode in which the electronic unit generates, stores and temporarily displays one or more visible readings via the display means, and the user then provides an answer to the reading with a manual control means in an effort to reproduce the reading, the electronic unit comparing the stored indication with the answer.

In particular, the electronic timepiece of the invention comprises a play mode and has display means capable of displaying time, the display means comprising an analogue time display comprising a dial, hour symbols arranged around the dial, and at least two hands driven individually by different motor means controlled by an electronic unit equipped with memory means, manual control means allowing a user to input data to the electronic unit, the manual control means comprising control keys arranged to be aligned at least with a certain hour symbol. The play mode is a memory play mode, wherein the electronic unit is designed to generate, store and temporarily display one or more visual indications by means of the display means, then to compare the data entered by means of the manual control with said stored and temporarily displayed indications, and said visual indications are time values, each of said time values corresponding to one of said hour symbols around the dial, and wherein the display of time values in the play mode is effected by positioning at least one pointer facing an hour symbol.

The idea of integrating such a memory game into a personal item, such as a watch, has the advantage that the game can be played by an individual or several persons without losing interest. As long as the game is constituted by storing time values, i.e., numbers that can be displayed by the display member of the ordinary timepiece, an additional display member is not indispensable. Also, when the watch already has several control elements, as with timepieces and multifunction watches, the game can be integrated into the watch without the need for additional control elements. At best, the game can be integrated into a timepiece by simply incorporating special software into the microprocessor that manages the functions of the electronic timepiece.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using an electronic timepiece as a memory game, the timepiece comprising display means capable of displaying time, controlled by an electronic unit having memory means; the timepiece also comprises manual control means allowing a user to input data to the electronic unit, characterized in that: in a first phase of the memory game, the electronic unit generates, stores and temporarily displays one or more visual indications via the display means, and in a next phase, the user provides an answer with manual control means trying to reproduce said visual indications, the electronic unit comparing said stored indications with said answer.

Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description of preferred embodiments and variants presented below as non-limiting examples with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a multifunction watch in which the present invention is implemented in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the watch display device being shown in a time display mode;

figures 2 to 8 show different states of a watch display during a memory game;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the main parts of a watch for implementing a memory game;

FIG. 10 is a diagram of the steps of one embodiment of a memory game;

fig. 11 is a view similar to fig. 1, illustrating a variation.

Detailed Description

The electronic watch 1 shown in fig. 1 is a multifunction watch having an analog display and a digital display provided under a watch glass 2. The analog display comprises an hour hand 3 and a minute hand 4, both driven individually by a motor with two directions of rotation. Hands 3 and 4 rotate over a dial 5 supporting a scale 6, scale 6 being constituted by hour marks 7 and operating mode marks 8, hour marks 7 being six in number in this example and corresponding to 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 o' clock respectively, operating mode marks 8 also being six in number in this example and each being constituted by the name of the corresponding mode. The digital display is constituted by an alphanumeric liquid crystal display unit (LCD)9 located in a hole in the dial 5.

The control device of the watch 1 comprises three buttons 11, 12 and 13, each arranged in the middle part of the watch case in a conventional manner, in this example seven control keys 14 to 20 formed by transparent electrodes stuck under the watch glass 2. Six keys 14 to 19 are arranged above the six hour marks 7 and the six mode marks 8, juxtaposed to the latter, so that the user knows that the activation corresponds to the hour or mode mark visible behind the key. The seventh key 20 is located in the center of the watch glass 2, above the axis of the hands 3 and 4.

The keys 14 to 20 are of the capacitive type, the user triggering by placing his fingertip on the outer surface 2 of the glass 2 facing the selected key, the watch comprising a circuit able to detect the change in capacitance between the key electrode and the low resulting therefrom. To elaborate on such capacitive key control systems, the reader is referred to patent publications nos. US 4228534, US 4257115, US 5453960 and EP 1122620. It should be noted, however, that within the scope of the invention these keys may be replaced by other controls placed facing the sign 7, such as the keys or buttons provided in GB patent application No. 2315709, for example placed on the watch case bezel 22.

Fig. 9 shows schematically how the above-mentioned display and control means are connected to a microprocessor 24 having memory means 25. The microprocessor 24 is associated with a time base 26, for example a quartz resonator, to constitute the timing device of the watch. It comprises software which makes it control not only the time function of the watch 1, but also all the other functions of the watch 1. It is connected to the seven electrodes 14 to 20 by a set of transparent conductive paths 27 attached under the watch glass 2 and a set of electrical connections 28 connecting the glass to the microprocessor in the watch case. A pair of conductors connect each button 11 to 13 to the microprocessor 24. The microprocessor 24 controls, through respective drive circuits 33, 34, 35 and 36, the two motors 30 and 31 driving the hands 3 and 4, and the digital display 9 and the electroacoustic transducer 32.

The six operating modes, represented by the symbol 8, are as follows:

time 1: displaying local time zone by pointer

Time 2: additional time display of a second time zone on an LCD display

A timer: timer mode

Alarm clock: alarm clock mode

Date: date indication displayed by LCD display

And (3) playing: game mode

The first five modes described above are well known in electronic utility watches. Some of them are for example commercially availableImplemented in a trade-mark watch, which includes the structure illustrated in fig. 9.

The addition to this watch GAME mode requires only the storage of specific software in the microprocessor, the addition of the symbol "GAME" on the dial, and the possible modification of the LCD display 9 and its driving circuit 34 to widen the alphanumeric display area.

The memory game sequence will now be described with reference to the step diagram 10 of fig. 10 and the different states of the display elements shown in fig. 1 to 8.

Assume that the watch is in standard mode "time 1" and the capacitive control keys 14 to 20 are not activated before the game. In step 41, the central button 12 is pressed to activate the keys, causing the microprocessor 24 to monitor them in turn by the aforementioned detection circuit. The display is unchanged unless a flashing symbol is applied to the LCD display 9 to indicate that the key is active.

In step 42, the player places his finger facing the "GAME" symbol, activates the corresponding key 14 and puts the watch into a GAME mode, as shown in FIG. 2, and the hands 3 and 4 confirm the command by placing one of themselves on top of the other facing the "GAME" symbol, which is at 12 o' clock in this example. The LCD display 9 then displays a scroll down menu indicating different play methods, which the player can scroll down by activating the key 14 several times. Some items of the menu include game settings having, for example, the number of players, the difficulty of the game, turning on or off sound devices, etc., for which the player can select values via buttons 11 and 13. The acoustic device uses an electroacoustic transducer 32 incorporated in the watch and can emit different notes corresponding to, for example, each hour mark 7 and the relative keys 14 to 19. In this way, microprocessor 24 can be programmed to control the emission of a series of different sounds corresponding to different time values of the sequence during the display of the sequence so that the memory game is both visual and musical. The game can even be individually positioned audibly if the player decides to reproduce the sound sequence he just heard without looking at the display of the sequence provided by the watch. The commands for omitting the display of said sequence by the hands can also be provided in a menu scrolling down, so that the watch only provides commands acoustically.

For the sake of simplicity of illustration, the example described here is for a single player's game, and the watch display and the range of values of the time value in this case that the player must repeat, comprise only the values 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 symbolized on the dial by six hour marks 7 and indicated by two hands 3 and 4, which are superimposed facing the corresponding symbols.

The menu includes a "start" command that automatically starts the game when "start" is displayed for more than three seconds. This automatic start constitutes step 43, in which microprocessor 24 randomly generates and stores in its memory 25 a first sequence of time values. The first sequence may consist of one or several time values as a function of a setting selected by the player. It is assumed here that the first sequence consists of three time values. Of course, a sequence comprises several times the same value.

In step 44, the microprocessor 42 temporarily and continuously displays all the numerical values of the sequence by superimposing the hands 3 and 4 as shown in figures 3, 4 and 5, where it can be seen that the three numerical values corresponding to the hour scale on the dial are 2-10-8. The information PLAYER "PLAYER 1" on the LCD display 9 indicates the number of PLAYERs. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the pointer is positioned horizontally to indicate that the sequence has ended and the LCD display presents the message "ANSWER" to ask the player to ANSWER.

In step 45, the player gives a succession of answers by placing his finger 39 successively on those keys 14 to 19 corresponding to the sequence just displayed by the watch. The pointers confirm each answer by pointing themselves against the corresponding symbol 7. At the same time, microprocessor 24 compares each answer to the corresponding stored value at step 46. If the entire sequence of answers is correct, the microprocessor goes to step 47, where one or more additional time values are optionally extracted according to the chosen difficulty, stored after the preceding sequence to form the next sequence, and the LCD display gives an "OK" message indicating that the sequence of respondents is correct, as shown in fig. 7. The game then returns to the sequence display step 44. The game then continues in the same manner as for the previous sequence.

As soon as the player gives a wrong answer, the microprocessor 24 stops the game at step 48 and displays the status as shown in fig. 8, where the LCD displays the score of the value contained in the last correct sequence of answers.

The display provided in step 48 is maintained for a certain period of time. In step 49, during which time, if the player executes a command on the key 14 corresponding to "GAME", the microprocessor returns to step 43 to automatically resume play. During the time keeping period, the player may activate another key or button to go to another mode of the watch. If there is no command to execute, the microprocessor goes to the final step 50 comprising returning to the initial mode of the watch.

The reader will understand that the very simple game model described above may be subject to more complex variants, for example if the game uses the 12 usual hour marks of a watch with 12 corresponding keys, and/or if the time value of the game is given in hours and minutes as in a conventional time display by means of hands 3 and 4. Moreover, the field of application of the invention is not limited to analogue display timepieces, since the display of a sequence of time values optionally selected by the microprocessor can equally well be implemented in a digital or even graphical manner, for example in a visual indication such as a symbol, if the display screen allows it. As is often the case with alarm timing entered in multi-function digital display watches, the introduction of the answer sequence can be done in any suitable way, for example by means of a touch screen or buttons. However, since it constitutes a particularly user-friendly interface between the timepiece and the user, an analogue display associated with the keys of the dial in proximity to the hour marks is preferred. Of course, the hour symbol may be composed of a graphic.

It should also be noted that the alphanumerical display 9 described above is not essential, as these indications may be displayed by any additional pointer to the location and/or the movement specific combination of the pointers 3 and 4 and. For example, one of the hands 3 and 4 may point to a function symbol added to the dial, whereas the other hand may be rocked to indicate the function suggested. The hands are driven by two independent bi-directional motors to provide this versatility.

Fig. 11 illustrates a variant in which the display device of the timepiece differs from the previous example, the digital display 9 being omitted, and the control device thereof in which the push buttons 11, 2 and 13 are replaced by a multifunctional control lever.

As in the previous example, the watch 51 shown in fig. 11 comprises, under a watch glass 52, an hour hand 53 and a minute hand 54, driven individually by an electric motor with two directions of rotation, the hands 53 and 54 rotating over a dial 55 bearing a time scale 56, the time scale 56 being constituted by hour marks 57, 58, 59 and 60, in which case the numbers 3, 6, 9 and 12 represent four values (time-related or not) to be used in the game. In this example, the hour marks 57 to 60 are stuck on the glass instead of the dial.

The dial 55 also supports function symbols 62 and 63 intended to represent the two main states of the game. The symbol 62(LOOK) indicates to the player that he must observe the sequence of values displayed by the watch during the first phase of the game. The symbol 63(PLAY) indicates to the player that he must give a sequence of answers.

The dial 55 also supports mode indicia 64 through 69. Symbols 64 and 69(SLOW) indicate SLOW game mode whereas symbols 65 and 68 (fast) indicate fast game mode. The symbol 66, which is placed between the two symbols 64 and 65, is indicative of a game mode that includes various sounds emitted during the game by an electroacoustic transducer similar to the transducer 32 described in the previous example. Conversely, the cross symbol 69 indicates that the two symbols 67 and 68 represent a game mode in which no sound is emitted. Thus, symbols 64, 65, 67 and 68 represent four different game modes, respectively.

Like the previous example, watch control 51 comprises capacitive control keys 71 to 74 constituted by opaque electrodes stuck underneath glass 52 and underneath the four symbols 57 to 60. The electrodes may be made of conductive paint. The push-button of the previous example is here replaced by an electrically controlled push-rod stem 75 comprising an external crown of the watch case that can rotate and occupy four axial positions. When the lever 75 is pushed from its neutral position, it closes the electrical contacts and is then returned to the neutral position by the action of the spring. The first extracted position of the handle 75 brings the two hands 53 and 54 into an overlapping position and allows them to move together by rotating the handle, in particular to select a play mode. The second extracted position of the shank may set the time. The configuration of such a four-position control handle for controlling an electronic watch is known and controls other additional functions through different combinations of actions on the handle.

The diagram of the electronic device of watch 51 may be similar to that of fig. 9, omitting elements 9 and 35 and replacing push rods 11 to 13 with contacts activated by appropriate movement of stem 75.

A method of playing the memory game on the table 51 shown in fig. 11 will now be described. Since the watch is initially in the time display mode, the player must first select the play mode by placing the lever 75 in its first extracted position, so that the two hands 53 and 54 overlap and are located, for example, at 6 o' clock. The player selects one of the play patterns represented by symbols 64, 65, 67 and 68 by rotating handle 75 until the overlapping pointer points to the desired symbol. He then pushes the handle back to the neutral position and then activates the capacitive keys 71 to 73, mainly by pushing the handle. As in the previous example, the game is then automatically started and played, not considered a display.

In a first phase of the microprocessor generating, storing and displaying a sequence of values, for example 6 to 9, corresponding to the symbols 57 to 60, the hour hand 53 points at the function symbol 62(LOCK), whereas the minute hand 54 points temporarily and continuously at the symbols 58 and 59 to indicate the player's memorized sequence. The pointer display is then as shown in fig. 11. If the acoustic mode has been selected, the display of each numerical value is accompanied by the corresponding information being emitted by an electro-acoustic transducer (buzzer). The hour hand 53 then points to a function symbol 63(PLAY) to indicate entry into the reply phase. The player attempts to reproduce the sequence by placing a finger over the keys 72 and 73 corresponding to the values 6-9. If the sequence of answers is correct, the watch returns to the first stage of adding a value to the sequence, for example, to 6-9-6, and the game continues. If the answer is wrong, the hands move to the overlapping position and temporarily indicate on the scale 56 a score between 0 and 59, which corresponds to the number of successful sequences during the game, and the watch then returns to the time display mode. From the beginning to the end of the game, if the player does not act on the control device for a given period of time, for example 10 seconds, the watch returns to the time display mode.

Of course, table 51 may additionally include other play patterns in addition to or in place of the four patterns described above, such as a pattern in which each sequence differs from the previous sequence.

In a variant not shown, the numeric hour marks 57 to 60 representing 51 can be replaced by any other type of graphical element, such as a picture or a symbol, or by projecting a partially formed visible mark on the glass. The electrodes of the capacitive keys 71 to 74 may be omitted as long as they are visible, for example coloured, and serve as an index for identifying the visual indication constituted by the respective position of the pointer 54 facing the electrode.

Claims (10)

1. Electronic timepiece including a play mode and having display means capable of displaying time, the display means including an analog time display including a dial, hour symbols arranged around the dial, and at least two hands, said hands being driven individually by different motor means controlled by an electronic unit provided with memory means, the timepiece further including manual control means allowing a user to input data to the electronic unit, said manual control means including control keys arranged to be directed at least at a certain hour symbol,

the method is characterized in that: the game mode is a memory game mode, in which the electronic unit is designed to generate, store and temporarily display one or more visual indications via the display means, then to compare the data entered via the manual control keys with said stored and temporarily displayed indications, and

said visual indications are time values, each of said time values corresponding to one of said hour symbols around the dial, and wherein the display of time values in the game mode is effected by positioning at least one pointer facing one hour symbol.

2. The timepiece of claim 1, wherein: in the game mode the electronic unit is designed to randomly generate and temporarily display at least a first sequence of one or more time values, then to compare the sequence of time values entered by means of the manual control with the time values of said first sequence, and to display at least an indication of the result of the comparison when the sequence entered by means of the manual control differs from said first sequence.

3. The timepiece of claim 2, wherein: when the result of the comparison indicates that the sequence entered by means of the manual control is identical to the first sequence produced by the electronic unit, the electronic unit is designed to produce, display and store a next time value sequence, then to compare the new time value sequence entered by means of the manual control with said next time value sequence and to display at least an indication as to the result of the comparison when the new time value sequence entered by means of the manual control differs from said next time value sequence.

4. The timepiece of claim 1, wherein: the control key is constituted by an electrode arranged facing the watch glass of the timepiece and facing the corresponding hour symbol.

5. The timepiece of claim 1, wherein: it also includes an alphanumeric display for displaying information regarding game progress.

6. The timepiece of claim 1, wherein: the display of time values in the game mode is effected by means of hour and minute hands, as is conventional time display.

7. The timepiece of claim 4, wherein: the display means comprise functional symbols, one of the pointers being positioned facing one of the functional symbols during a temporary display phase of the one or more visual indications and facing the other of the functional symbols during the input of the data sequence by the manual control means.

8. The timepiece of claim 1, wherein: it comprises an electroacoustic transducer controlled by the electronic unit and arranged to emit, during the display of said visual indications, various sounds corresponding to the various visual indications displayed.

9. The timepiece of claim 1, wherein: the electronic unit is arranged to determine and display memory game outcomes for different players.

10. The timepiece of claim 1, wherein: the electronic timepiece is a wristwatch.