HK1009350B - Timepiece with dynamic display - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electronic timepiece providing time information by means of a dynamic display designed to visualise, in a symbolic and attractive manner, the passage of given time intervals and/or the imminence of an event in connection with one or more functions or the operation of the said timepiece.

In particular, the invention relates to a watch part of the above type in which the dynamic display consists of a set of discrete elements forming a pattern, these elements being activated selectively by means of a microprocessor or a logic circuit containing means of managing the dynamic display and receiving at least a time and/or operation signal, characterised by the fact that the said microprocessor or logic circuit allows both to impose the rate of increase or decrease in the number of activated effects and to perform at each variation a random or pseudo-random selection of elements to be activated from among all the elements of the pattern, in such a way as to reveal or massively increase the operation of the said pattern or function over a given interval of time, in relation to the proximity of the said function.

In addition to the primary function of a watch movement, which is to indicate the current time (hours, minutes, seconds, even months, years) as accurately as possible, the known devices of earlier art show that an effort was made, on the one hand to make the perception of this time information more attractive, and on the other hand to allow visual control of the proper functioning of the watch movement, which can also participate in an attractive overall effect. This has often led to the first display of the time being completed by an animation, from which an aesthetic effect is also usually expected.

In analogue-display watches, the correct operation can be visualized, for example by placing a pattern (character, flower, sun, etc.) on the seconds hand, or by having the second beat a figure, or by driving, by the seconds axis, a disc placed under a dial with one or more counters showing the decorations carried by the disc.

US patent 372 074 describes, for example, an achievement in which a disc is divided into six sectors each containing a different figure that appears in a dial window every 15 seconds.

In patent CH 588 109, a series of star trains are shown at the edge of the dial.

In patent CH 360 345, the visual representation of the beat of the second is made by means of a shutter behind windows, and solid to the axis of the exhaust wheel.

In digital displays, the correct operation is usually indicated by the blinking of a light indicator, most often made up of two points between the hours and minutes.

Patent BE 772 949 describes, for example, a liquid crystal display device of a pseudo-analog type in which the time is indicated by changing the activation of light segments appearing on the dial representing the hour and minute hands and by flashing another indicator such as a central dial to beat the second.

In an analogue display watch, the display of the passage of a given time interval is made, for example, by cooperation between counters and discs or crowns, or only by discs or crowns, attached to the wheels of minutes, hours, days, or months.

The display using a liquid crystal cell has also made it possible to propose solutions to visualize the passage of a given time interval, or to announce the imminence of a given event.

Patent GB 2 050 008 describes, for example, an electronic watch with an alphanumeric display that allows the function to be progressively displayed from its activation until it is realized (e.g. alarm time).

In the case of the bell described in patent GB 2 225 135, the time is obtained by counting the number of activated figures, and the figures are exchanged at each time change with the numerical display, so that only one figure is visible instead of the current time.

US Patent 4 397 595 describes, in addition to a conventional seven-segment digital display, a figurine whose eyes beat the second in 10 different but repetitive modes.

Similarly, patent GB 2 119 994 describes two displays, the first being a conventional alphanumeric display and the second being a figurine consisting of different elements connected, in six selectable modes, to the segments of the conventional display, and activated at the same time as these to create a repetitive animation of the figurine.

The state of the art described above, and in particular the watch parts with at least one liquid crystal display, shows that, however attractive the resulting visual effect, it is always repetitive, in the regular rhythm of time.

The present invention is intended to break with the monotony caused by the repetitive and predictable character of animations known in earlier art.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a watch part providing time information T, and/or event information E in relation to the functions or operation of the watch part, including: a timing circuit comprising, inter alia, an oscillator giving a time base signal S0, a division chain receiving the signal S0 and giving time signals S1, S2, S3, a dial for displaying the said information, external controls and a dynamic display occupying all or part of the dial and intended to display said information T and/or E, comprising a set of n discrete elements Pj forming a pattern,a control circuit consisting of a microprocessor or a logic circuit, that control circuit comprising means of managing the dynamic display and receiving at least one of the time signals S1, S2 or S3 or an operation signal S', characterised by the microprocessor or logic circuit being arranged and/or programmed in such a way as to allow both to impose the rate of increase or decrease of the number of activated elements Pj x and to perform at each variation a random or pseudo-random selection of the activated elements n from amongst the elements of the said pattern, so as to progressively reveal or obscure the said pattern over the course of a time interval T,and/or approaching an E event related to the functions or operation of the watch part.

The activating elements constituting the pattern may be any number of elements, but according to a preferred embodiment, in relation to which the invention will be described in more detail below, the activating elements consist of the electrodes of a liquid crystal cell, shaped into pieces of a puzzle, the pattern being a decor placed at the rear of the cell, the said decor being progressively revealed or obscured, depending on the activation of the pieces of the puzzle.

In another embodiment, the same watch part also has a traditional analogue or digital time display, preferably on the same dial as the dynamic display of the invention.

Another object of the invention is a clock which allows simultaneous visualization of several events in a symbolic, dynamic and attractive way, such as the beat of the second and the passage of time.

Another object of the invention is a watch whose dynamic display allows a pattern to be progressively revealed or obscured by different animations in each cycle.

Another subject-matter of the invention is a watchpiece whose individual elements of the pattern do not in isolation give any intelligible information, whether graphic or alphanumeric.

To this end, in reference to the embodiment given as an example, in which the dynamic display contains a liquid crystal cell, the watchpiece according to the invention contains a display, consisting of n pieces (P1, P2,..., Pj,...Pn) of a puzzle allowing to visualise in a symbolic, dynamic and attractive way the flow of a time interval T and/or to announce the expiry of an event E. The time interval T can be any, but it will advantageously represent a time interval such as the minute, hour, day, week, month, year or multiple of these time intervals. The elementary event is represented by the functioning of a time interval T, whereas the time interval E is the end of the life of the watch, or the end of the time interval t. $\frac{\text{T}}{\text{n}}$ . Any integer between 2 and 60 can be chosen for n. An integer dividing T is preferably chosen. In the case of T = 1 hour, a number of pieces of the puzzle can be chosen from, for example, the values 2,3,4,5,6,12,15,20,30, 60, depending on whether a slow (n=2) or fast (n=60) rhythm is desired for the activation of each of the n pieces of the puzzle.

At one moment Tx, located inside the time interval T and corresponding to a moment when the tenth elementary interval t expires, x puzzle pieces are activated; at the next moment Tx+1, x+1 puzzle pieces are activated, the said x+1 pieces being selected randomly or pseudo-randomly by a microprocessor or by a logic circuit from among the n available pieces. Except for the last activation phase, where all n pieces are activated, each time an interval t expires, the number of activated pieces increases by one, and the selection of the next activated pieces is also changed.

According to a variant of the invention, it is also possible to obtain, in conjunction with the visualization of the flow of a time interval T, the dynamic and attractive visualization of the due date, or imminence, of other events E, whether clockwise or non-clockwise, such as an alarm clock or end of battery life.

It is also possible to obtain the beat of the second by blinking at the rate of the second of all or part of the x parts activated at the moment Tx, or by changing, every second, the selection of the x parts activated.

In another embodiment, such a variant allows, for example, to simultaneously visualize the beat of the second by changing the selection of the activated parts, but also the imminence of another event E, such as an alarm clock or end of battery life, by flashing of x parts activated at the moment Tx.

According to another variant of the invention, the time interval T may be the sum of several Ti intervals, each Ti interval being characterized by its own elementary interval ti, corresponding to the activation of a number or pieces of the puzzle, the said pieces being chosen from among the n available pieces. ${\text{T = ΣT}}_{\text{i}}{\text{; t}}_{\text{i}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{i}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{i}}}{\text{avec Σn}}_{\text{i}}\text{= n}$

In the same way as with a single interval T, the random or pseudo-random selection of the puzzle pieces in the interval Ti is carried out by the same microprocessor, or the same logic circuit.

For a given watch, the number n of puzzle pieces is a construction element which cannot be changed, but by making appropriate adaptations to the microprocessor or logic circuit, it is possible to obtain different dynamic and attractive effects with the same watch by acting either on the value of T (hours, half-hour, quarter-hour, minute) or on the values Ti and ni for given values of T and n, for example by means of external controls.

For example, it is possible, with a puzzle of 12 pieces, to have a dynamic and attractive display of time, hour by hour, over 12 hours by giving T the value 12 hours, and by changing the reference by means of an external control organ to have a visualization of the time flow every 5 minutes by giving T the value 60 minutes.

According to another variant of the invention, it is also possible to have more than one liquid crystal display of the type described in the invention on the dial of the same watch part to achieve an overall effect, or to display additional information, as will be shown in more detail in the following examples.

The invention will be better understood by reading the following description of examples in which the dynamic display is a liquid crystal cell, these examples being given for illustrative purposes and not limited to references to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 represents a watch part according to a first embodiment, this part being a watch whose dynamic display is made up of a 12-piece puzzle,Figure 2 represents a perspective view of a part of the display of Figure 1 surrounded by the mixed line II of Figure 1,Figure 3a represents a block diagram of a mode of execution of the watch's electronic circuit according to the invention,Figure 3b is an example of a logic circuit for randomly selecting x pieces from n pieces,Figures 4a to 4d and 4a' to 4d' respectively represent some phases of the watch's operation according to the invention, in different modes.Figure 5 represents a second mode of implementation of the invention, comprising a traditional analogue time display and a dynamic puzzle of 20 pieces occupying a whole circular dial,Figure 6 represents a third mode of implementation, in which the dynamic puzzle has 16 pieces, inscribed in a rectangular display, andFigure 7 represents a fourth mode of implementation in which the liquid crystal display of rectangular shape has three separately addressable areas,One is for a traditional time display, the other two are dynamic puzzles with 7 and 12 pieces respectively.

Example 1 - Steady flow of time

This first example, described in reference to Figures 1 to 4d', is a first method of making a dynamic display according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a circular dial clock with a bottom half consisting of a traditional hour display, while the top half shows the pattern 5 of a display consisting of the Pj pieces of a dynamic puzzle. $\text{T = 60 minutes; n = 12, t =}\frac{\text{T}}{\text{n}}\text{= 5 minutes}$

The watch has three buttons 34, 35 and 36 on one side of the case, which are intended to handle standard functions (timing, setting the alarm, remembering a predetermined duration, etc.) and possibly change the dynamic animation mode of the puzzle.

Figure 2 shows a split perspective view of part of the display 2 surrounded by the mixed line II of Figure 1. As an example, a twistnematic (TN) liquid crystal display device consisting of: a front to rear polariser, a front glass plate 22 with transparent electrodes on its rear face, structured on its surface to form the n pieces Pj of a puzzle, the said pieces being contiguous but electrically isolated, each connected to a bar directly between 23, 21, or 24 passages when the two pieces are connected in a central position, without a conductor, with a transparent glass plate 22 facing the rear of the panel, and a transparent plate 22 facing the rear of the panel, with no reflective material.

The connecting rod 23 and the counter electrode 25 are connected to a microprocessor, or a logic circuit, which controls the display 2.

When no Pj part is activated, the entire cell has a uniform dark surface, and the scene 3 cannot be observed.

On the other hand, when a potential difference is applied between the counter electrode and one of the Pj (electrode) parts, all the liquid crystal at the points where these two surfaces overlap will switch.

Other embodiments can also be designed in an equivalent way to achieve the same result. For example, the back of the polarizer 27 or the front of the rear reflector 29 can be screen-printed.

It is also clear that with cross-polarizers the operation described above would be reversed: without activation the cell would be transparent and the setting would be visible, whereas the gradual activation of the Pj parts would help to mask the setting.

Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 588 (char 587)

Now referring to Figure 3a, the circuit of a watch according to the invention comprises a conventional timing circuit 40 combined with a traditional display medium 1, analogue or digital, and additionally comprising a microprocessor or logic circuit 50 combined with the liquid crystal display 2 according to the invention.

External controls 34, 35, 36 allow control of either the timing circuit 40 or the microprocessor or logic circuit 50. For example, control 34 is devoted to the timing circuit 40, and control 35 to that circuit 40 and to the microprocessor or logic circuit 50 and control 56 is devoted to the microprocessor or logic circuit 50 alone.

The timing circuit 40 essentially consists of an oscillator consisting of a quartz resonator 42 and a maintenance circuit 41, a division chain 43, 44, 45 and a management circuit 46 of the usual functions associated with a traditional display. The oscillator delivers at its output a time or reference base signal S0, for example with a frequency of 32 768 Hz. A first chain of dividers 43 receives the signal S0 and delivers at its output a signal S1 with a frequency of 1 Hz. This signal S1 is then divided by 60 by a divider 44 which provides at its output a signal S2 formed of one pulse per minute.Another 60 divider, 45-referenced, receives the S2 signal and finally supplies an S3 signal at its output, which is a pulse per hour. Other dividers could be added to the chain to have other signals with other frequencies. The S1, S2, S3 signals are then exploited, first by means of the management circuit 46 for the traditional display 1, and second by means of a microprocessor or logic circuit 50 for the display 2 of the invention.

In Figure 3a, an example of an end-of-life signal S' is also shown.

As shown in Figure 3a, the control circuit 46 and the microprocessor 50 have been represented separately for the sake of a better understanding of the invention, but it is clear that these two elements 46 and 50 could be combined in a single microprocessor containing both a traditional display management program and a program for random selection of x data from n available data.

In the case where the separate element 50 corresponds to a logic circuit, the circuit shown in Figure 3b may be used, for example.

Such a circuit has a first part 51 that generates a CNT counting pulse from a signal Sx, which can be one of the signals S0, S1, S2 or S3, or even a signal extracted from the divider 43. In this example, the S2 signal is preferentially used. This CNT pulse then activates an oscillator 52 that turns a Johnson 53 meter at n outputs. Together the parts 51, 52 and 53 constitute a random generator in which only one part of the n outputs of the 53 circuit is activated at a time when the CNT pulse is completed. This CNT pulse will also allow an attack circuit 55, which is conventionally interposed before the signal 2, to store the value and display it on the display 2, i.e. activate the P53, in a way that allows for a more logical selection of the elements.

Figures 4a to 4d illustrate the operation of a watch according to this first example.

According to the above characteristics, the visual appearance of the dynamic puzzle is changed every 5 minutes by both the activation of an additional piece and by a new random selection of the activated pieces.

Figure 4a shows the aspect of the puzzle as soon as the random selection programme is started and during the first 5 minutes (first elementary time interval t, designated t1): only one piece of the puzzle is activated.

Figure 4b shows the aspect of the 15th to 20th minute (t4): four pieces are activated without necessarily finding the three pieces activated in the time interval preceding t3.

Figure 4c shows the appearance of the 35th to 40th minute (t8): eight pieces are activated.

Figure 4d shows the aspect of the puzzle from the 50th to the 55th minute (t11): eleven pieces are activated.

The aspect of the puzzle in time interval t12 (55th to 60th minutes) is that shown in Figure 1, in which all the pieces are activated, thus allowing the whole set 3 to appear. The same cycle will be reproduced in the next interval T', without necessarily having for each elementary time interval (t1 to t12) the same activated pieces among the n available pieces, as represented by Figures 4a', 4b', 4c' and 4d', corresponding respectively to the elementary time intervals t1, t4, t8 and t11.

In one variant, it is also possible to reverse the mode of activation of the n pieces Pj of the puzzle for two successive periods T and T': in the first period T, the scene is gradually revealed as described, and in the second period T' it is gradually hidden.

In the embodiment described above, the microprocessor 50 uses only the S2 signal as the time base signal. According to one variant, a change of time base, which would give the time interval T a different value, for example by means of the command button 36, would allow for faster animation, for example over 1 minute (using the S1 signal) or slower, for example over 12 or 24 hours (using the S3 signal).

Example 2 - Steady flow of time and beat of the second

In a watch having the general characteristics of example 1, but the microprocessor or logic circuit 50 of which receives at least the signal S1, it is possible to have at the same time a dynamic display of the type described in example 1 to visualize the passage of a time interval T and the beat of the second.

Depending on the method of manufacture, as illustrated by Figures 4b or 4b', this result may be obtained by flashing at the rate of one second of at least one part activated at that moment.

In another way, illustrated by the sequence of figures 4a and 4a', which are supposed to represent the state of the watch at 1 second interval, this result can be obtained by shifting, i.e. by changing every second the selection of x parts activated in the time interval tx.

A change from one mode to another, for example for two successive T and T' periods, is possible either at random or by means of the control button 36.

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This method of implementation would correspond to the sequence illustrated in Figures 4b and 4b'.

Example 3 - Regular timing and visualization of the imminence of an alarm hour and/or end of battery life

Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 51 (char 50)

Example 4 - Steady time flow and visualization of fractions of an hour

As shown in Figure 5, this model consists of a watch with a traditional analogue display by means of hands and a dynamic display consisting of a puzzle of 20 pieces occupying the entire dial. $\text{T = 1 heure; n = 20 t =}\frac{\text{60}}{\text{20}}\text{= 3 mn}$

In this mode the state change of the dynamic display is made every three minutes. Compared to example 1, the rate of appearance of a new part will therefore be faster, but all the possibilities and variations described or suggested in examples 1 to 3 are applicable. In addition, it may be advantageous and attractive to visualize the passage of the large hand at quarter-hours, according to a signalling mode already described, such as a brief flash of the activated parts, or of all the parts, or a rapid change of selection of the activated parts.

Example 5 Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 73 (char 72)

Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 47 (char 46) ${\text{n = n}}_{\text{1}}{\text{+ n}}_{\text{2}}{\text{+ n}}_{\text{3}}{\text{+ n}}_{\text{4}}\text{= 20}{\text{n}}_{\text{1}}{\text{= n}}_{\text{2}}{\text{= n}}_{\text{3}}{\text{= n}}_{\text{4}}\text{= 5}$ ${\text{T = T}}_{\text{1}}{\text{+ T}}_{\text{2}}{\text{+ T}}_{\text{3}}{\text{+ T}}_{\text{4}}\text{= 1 heure}{\text{T}}_{\text{1}}{\text{= 30 mn,; T}}_{\text{2}}{\text{= 15 mn; T}}_{\text{3}}{\text{= 10 mn; T}}_{\text{4}}\text{= 5 mn}$ which corresponds to elementary time intervals having respectively ${\text{t}}_{\text{1}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{1}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{1}}}\text{= 6 mn}$ ${\text{t}}_{\text{2}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{2}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{2}}}\text{= 3 mn}$ ${\text{t}}_{\text{3}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{3}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{3}}}\text{= 2 mn}$ ${\text{t}}_{\text{4}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{4}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{4}}}\text{= 1 mn}$

The operation of a watch in this way is easily understood if we consider that the sequence of operation described in the previous example 1 is repeated for successive periods corresponding to 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes and 5 minutes respectively, with the same number of additional activated parts in each period T1, T2, T3 or T4, i.e. 5 parts chosen at random from the 20 available parts.The first is that the time-scale of the processor is not necessarily a whole divisor of T (or Ti), as will be shown in the following example. It is also clear that the possibilities offered by the previous examples are applicable in whole or in part to the present example.

Example 6 Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 73 (char 72)

According to this second embodiment, the period T is divided into equal-value Ti periods, which can be expressed as Ti = Ti+1 , and neither has increasing values.

As shown in Figure 6, this method of manufacture consists of a watch with a traditional analogue time display and a second rectangular dynamic display consisting of a 16-piece puzzle which has the following characteristics: ${\text{T = T}}_{\text{1}}{\text{+ T}}_{\text{2}}{\text{+ T}}_{\text{3}}\text{= 1 heure}{\text{T}}_{\text{1}}{\text{= T}}_{\text{2}}{\text{= T}}_{\text{3}}\text{= 20 minutes}$ ${\text{n = n}}_{\text{1}}{\text{+ n}}_{\text{2}}{\text{+ n}}_{\text{3}}\text{= 16}{\text{n}}_{\text{1}}{\text{= 2; n}}_{\text{2}}{\text{= 4; n}}_{\text{3}}\text{= 10}$ which correspond to elementary time intervals having respectively: ${\text{t}}_{\text{1}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{1}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{1}}}\text{=}\frac{\text{20}}{\text{2}}\text{= 10 mn}$ ${\text{t}}_{\text{2}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{2}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{2}}}\text{=}\frac{\text{20}}{\text{4}}\text{= 5 mn}$ ${\text{t}}_{\text{3}}\text{=}\frac{{\text{T}}_{\text{3}}}{{\text{n}}_{\text{3}}}\text{=}\frac{\text{20}}{\text{10}}\text{= 2 mn}$

In other words, the number of activated parts increases by one, first every 10 minutes, then every 5 minutes, and finally every 2 minutes, creating an acceleration effect.

In Figure 6 of this example, it is also seen that the puzzle image also contains text, which is not necessarily always intelligible, except when all the pieces of the puzzle are activated.

Example 7 - Dynamic puzzle display in front of at least two separate addressable areas

In the examples 5 and 6 above, the n pieces are fictitiously arranged in a group of n pieces, but these n pieces are randomly chosen from all n pieces of the puzzle.

In the present example the n pieces of the liquid crystal display puzzle are instead divided into groups of isolated pieces, each group of pieces being addressed separately in one or more of the modes described in the previous examples and corresponding to a different Ti-value time interval.

For illustration, Figure 7 shows a watch with a rectangular liquid crystal dial with a zone 1 reserved for the traditional time display and a zone 2 consisting of a dynamic puzzle of 19 pieces divided into two zones with 12 regular shaped pieces (zone 2a) and 7 irregular shaped pieces (zone 2b) respectively. The display in each of these zones 2a and 2b is controlled by different microprocessor programs, according to any of the modes described in the previous examples. $\frac{\text{'}}{\text{a}}$ The first is the second.

Compared with the definitions given at the beginning, zones 2a and 2b are characterised by: Zone 2a: Ta = 12 h; na = 12 ta = 1 hZone 2b: Tb = 1 week; nb = 7 tb = 1 day

As shown in Figure 7, such a watch may be fitted with an additional control 37 for, for example, acting separately on the desired values for Ta and for Tb.

Such a clock would then allow the passage of the day hour by hour and the week by day to be visualized.

It would also be possible to replace the traditional display in zone 1 by a third dynamic display according to the invention to visualize the flow of fractions of hours.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the modes of production or operation just described and illustrated, examples from which the craftsman can design other modes and forms of production without going beyond the scope of the present invention.

Claims (22)

1. Timepiece providing a time information T and/or information on an event E in relation to the functions or the operation of said timepiece, comprising :

   - a time-keeping circuit (40) notably having an oscillator delivering a base time signal S₀, a division chain (43, 44 and 45) receiving the signal So and delivering the time signals S₁, S₂, S₃,

   - a dial (4) adapted to display said items of information,

   - exterior command members (34, 35, 36), and

   - a mobile display (2), occupying all or part of the dial (4) and adapted to display said information T and/or E, this display comprising an assembly of n discrete elements Pj forming a motif (5), a command circuit formed by a microprocessor or a logic circuit (50), said command circuit comprising management means of the mobile display and receiving at least one of said time signals S₁, S₂ or S₃ or a function signal S', characterized in that said microprocessor or logic circuit (50) is driven and/or programmed in such a way as to make it possible both to impose the rhythm of increase or decrease of the number x of said activated elements Pj and to effect at each variation a random or pseudo random selection of said activated elements amongst the n elements of said motif (5) in such a way as to progressively reveal or mask said motif (5) during the passage of a time interval T, and/or the approach of an event E in relation to the functions or the operation of said timepiece.
2. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the motif (5) of the mobile display (2) is generated by a liquid crystal cell at the rear of which is a design (3) and the electrodes of which Pj constitute discrete elements arranged as n areas of a puzzle.
3. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the time interval T is divided into n elementary intervals t equal to T/n and each corresponding to the duration at the end of which a supplementary element Pj is activated.
4. Timepiece according to claim 3, characterized in that n is a whole number preferably between 2 and 60.
5. Timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that n is a whole number divisor of T.
6. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that T represents a whole interval of time measurement, such as a minute, hour, day, week, month or year, or a multiple of said whole interval.
7. Timepiece according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said microprocessor or logic circuit (50) is connected to receive said time signal S₁ representing the second, and in that it is driven and/or programmed so as to visualise in mobile manner on said display (2) the beating of the second by flashing of at least one of said activated elements P_j, or by changing every second the selection of said activated elements during the passage of an elementary interval t.
8. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that two successive time intervals T and T' correspond to the same mode of activation of the n elements Pj to reveal or mask a motif (5) or a design (3),
9. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that two successive time intervals T and T', corresponding to inverted modes of activation of n elements Pj make it possible to successively reveal a motif (5) or a design (3) during the interval of time T, then to mask it during the interval of time T'.
10. Timepiece according to claim 3, characterized in that T is composed of the sum of several intervals T_i, and that the total number n of elements Pj is the sum of the number of areas n_i activated during each period T_i, the elementary periods t_i corresponding to the activation of a supplementary element being defined by t_i = T_i/n_i.
11. Timepiece according to claim 10, characterized in that n_i = n_{i + 1} and that t_i has decreasing values.
12. Timepiece according to claim 11, characterized in that n = 20, n_i = 5, t_i having respectively the values 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes and 5 minutes.
13. Timepiece according to claim 10, characterized in that T_i = Ti₊₁ and that n_i has increasing values.
14. Timepiece according to claim 13, characterized in that T = 1 hour, T_i = 20 minutes, n_i having respectively the value 2, 4 and 10.
15. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the mobile display (2) comprises at least two separately addressable zones (2a, 2b) and corresponding to different characteristics T_a, n_a and T_b, n_b.
16. Timepiece according to claim 15, characterized in that T_a = 12 hours, n_a = 12, T_b = 1 week and n_b = 7.
17. Timepiece according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it also has a management circuit (46) to command the functions of a traditional analog or digital display (1).
18. Timepiece according to claim 17, characterized in that the traditional display (1) is located on the same dial (4) as the mobile display (2).
19. Timepiece according to claim 18 characterized in that the dial (4) is divided into two parts occupied respectively by a traditional analog or digital display (1) and by the mobile display (2).
20. Timepiece according to claim 18, characterized in that the mobile display (2) occupies the whole dial (4) and that the traditional display (1) is an analog display.
21. Timepiece according to claim 17, characterized in that the microprocessor or logic circuit (50) is driven and/or programmed so as also to manage the hour functions of said management circuit (46).
22. Timepiece according to claims 10 or 15, characterized in that it comprises at least one command member (34, 35, 36) adapted to select the values of T, T_i, T_a or T_b.