KR20090060396A - How to switch time zones and watch for them - Google Patents

Abstract

CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A method for changing a time zone displayed on the clock 1 from an initial time zone to a changed time zone, the method comprising: a step 268 of inputting a time zone change command by a user by a crown; Step 274, wherein the time in the changed time zone is displayed via the hour and minute hands, the second hand 22 displaying a city within the selected time zone; The clock is automatically reset to the initial time zone (280) and displays the time in the initial time zone (202), or the time in the changed time zone is maintained by the user command.

Description

How to switch time zones and watch for them {METHOD FOR CHANGING A TIME ZONE, AND TIMEPIECE THEREFOR}

The present invention relates to the field of a clock in which several time zones are displayed, and to a method for switching time zones.

Clocks for displaying several time zones are originally known. Certain known watches have several indicators, for example several hand sets, to display the time in several time zones simultaneously. Different clocks have a means to more quickly switch from one time zone to another on the same display without having to reset the time. However, the number of time zones used in various countries or regions of the world is too large to display all time zones simultaneously on the wrist watch. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to be able to comfortably switch the time zone indicated by the display or one of the displays of the clock.

Various solutions have been designed to easily instruct the time zone switching command, which allows moving the displayed time forward or backward, for example, without having to correctly set the time to the new time zone by full steps. However, time zone switching generally requires the full attention of the user. Many owners of multi-zone clocks use these functions relatively rarely during important trips and do not shyly perform these operations that are not often used by owners, for example, from fear of losing the clock's time and having to reset it.

Also, sometimes it may be useful to find a time in another time or time zone without setting the clock. Typically, before calling from a distant country, the user often wants to check the time of the user's interlocutor. However, as far as is known, it is not convenient to add or subtract a time shift. There are indeed electronic diaries that allow the time of various places to be displayed from a predefined list, but these diaries are often complex to use and use less than a wrist watch.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to propose a wrist watch or other watch that solves the problems of the prior art. In particular, one object of the present invention is to propose an improved method for switching time zones, as well as a clock that can quickly find time in another time zone.

According to the invention, these objects are markedly achieved by a clock which temporarily displays in a different time zone and automatically returns to the initial time zone in accordance with a predetermined period of time or user action.

The clock includes at least an hour hand and a minute hand driven by the first electronic motor,

A second hand driven by a second electronic motor regardless of the hour and minute hands,

Has a microcontroller configured to assign to the second hand to display a second in a time display mode and to assign to the second hand to indicate a time zone in a time zone switching or search mode.

This purpose is also a method of switching the time zone indicated by the clock to switch from the initial time zone to the changed time zone, in which the user first enters a time zone switching command to indicate the time of the changed time zone. This is then accomplished by automatically returning to the initial time zone to indicate the time in the initial time zone. The selected time zone is indicated by the second hand, and the time in this time zone is immediately displayed by the hour and minute hands.

Therefore, a clock with this feature makes it possible to quickly find time in different time zones in a reflective manner and automatically return to the initial time zone after a predetermined period or according to a new operation of the user without resetting the time. .

In a preferred embodiment, the user can maintain the time of the changed time zone for a period of time by entering a command in this execution after mode switching.

The invention will be more readily understood by reading the embodiment illustrated by the figures.

1 is a front view of a watch according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a flow chart of the time zone switching method of the present invention (divided into two diagrams, Figures 2a and 2b).

In the following description and claims, the term “timepiece” refers to, for example, a wrist watch, a movement for a wrist watch, or another watch part for a watch worn on the human body.

The watch 11 shown in front view in FIG. 1 has a case 10 which houses a mechanical device (not shown), preferably an electronic quartz movement. The dial has two windows 231, 232 for grande date display 23. The time is displayed in a conventional manner by the hour hand 20, the minute hand 21, and the second hand 22. The three clock hands are centered and operated by a stepping motor, or preferably by several independent stepping and preferably bidirectional motors. At least the second hand may move independently of the other two hands and the minute hand in both directions in order to allow other functions to be assigned during time zone switching as described below. Discs or rings that clearly support the date display displayed in windows 230 and 231 may be driven through the electric chain by a stepping motor that actuates the hour hand. In a preferred embodiment, these discs can be driven independently from one another by an additional independent, preferably bidirectional motor. Different motors driving clock hands and other indicators are controlled by a microcontroller (not shown).

Other time display means, including alphanumeric displays or displays that allow several time zones to be viewed simultaneously, can be used within the scope of the present invention.

The watch further has a time setting and mode switching crown 102. Crown 102 sets three distinct axial positions, for example a stable intermediate position C = 0 (stop position), an unstable pressed position C = -1 that enters an alarm mode or time zone mode, and a date and time. The retraction position C = +1 can be adopted. The crown preferably returns itself from the pressed position (-1) to the interventional position (0) when released. Another position change requires action from the wearer of the watch. Two further push buttons A, B are provided which can be pressed by the user to switch from the stop position 0 to the pressed position -1. The push buttons themselves return to position 0 when the buttons are released.

The dial, bezel or fixing flange 11 supports 24 indications 110 of time zones, each time zone indicated by a city name except the Greenwich Time Zone Indication GMT. City names are arranged on one or possibly two concentric arcs or circles. The names of cities below the 9: 00-3 o'clock axis are written so that the top of the letter faces inward of the clock, while cities above this axis are written so that the top of the letter faces outward. Therefore, the bottom of the character is always oriented towards 6 o'clock with less than 90 °, which allows the wearer to read this character more easily.

2 shows how the watch functions. When the clock is in action 200, the microcontroller is reinitialized, the date and time are set to any value (e.g. 01.01.2001 at 00:00:00 GMT), and the alarm time is for example Set to 07:00:00, the alarm is deactivated. The clock switches to the normal time display mode 202 and the indicators 20-23 begin to rotate. From this mode, when the alarm is activated, an audible alarm signal is emitted at a set time (step 204), and the alarm signal is depressed at pressing the crown or any push button to block the alarm (208) and return to the time display mode. Is stopped. If the user does not intervene, the alarm also stops automatically after a predetermined period of time, for example after 60 seconds.

Different actions on the crown or push button are in the normal time display mode 202. By simultaneously pressing the two push buttons A, B for a period of two seconds or more (step 210), the mechanism switches to the clock hand indexing mode. The clock hands return to twelve o'clock, and the user enters different commands to move the clock hands stepwise or about the indicators 230, 231 in the window (step 212). The watch then returns to the time display mode by pressing the crown during step 214.

By pulling during step 216, the crown faces the position (C = +1) and the clock switches to time and date setting mode (218). The rotation of the crown 102 and / or the action of the pressed buttons A, B causes the hands of the hands and the date indicators to move preferably in both directions to set the correct time and date of the clock. The displacement by the pulling steps, for example the displacement by the steps of one minute, one hour or one day, can be provided. The watch returns to the time display mode by pushing the crown back to the reposition position (0).

의 형태로 하는 알람 온 또는 오프 아이콘을 디스플레이하도록 움직일 수 있다. 알람은 누름 버튼(A, B)들 중 하나를 누르는 것에 의하여 각각 작동 및 비활성화될 수 있으며, 이러한 것은 단계 240 동안 알람의 상태를 변경하고, 바람직하게 윈도(23)에서 디스플레이되는 대응하는 표시를 변경한다. 알람 시간은 누름 버튼(A, B)을 작용시키는 것에 의하여 및/또는 크라운을 회전시키는 것에 의하여 단계 242 동안 설정될 수 있으며; 상태 224로부터 시작하는 사용자는 단계 227 동안 위치(C = +1)에 있는 크라운(102)을 당기는 것에 의하여 이러한 알람 설정 모드에 도달한다. Long pressing crown 102 during step 222 allows to find the time setting for the alarm. To do this, the hour, minute and second hands 20 to 22 are moved during step 224 to indicate the alarm time while the indicators 230 and / or 231 are for example a symbol with or without bells.

It can be moved to display an alarm on or off icon in the form of. The alarm can be activated and deactivated respectively by pressing one of the push buttons A and B, which changes the state of the alarm during step 240 and preferably changes the corresponding indication displayed in window 23. do. The alarm time can be set during step 242 by actuating push buttons A, B and / or by rotating the crown; The user starting from state 224 reaches this alarm setting mode by pulling crown 102 in position (C = +1) during step 227.

From state 224 of checking the alarm time, the user returns to normal time display mode 202 by simply pressing the crown or by simply waiting for a predetermined time, for example 5 seconds (step 226).

The user may also switch to time zone search and switch mode by simply pressing crown 102 during step 268. Other instructions may be provided for this execution, including, for example, actuating a push button or rotating a bezel. An internal variable (current time zone) of the program executed by the microcontroller of the mechanical device takes the value of the time zone currently displayed by the clock during step 272. This information is displayed during step 274 by the second hand 22, which automatically moves under the control of the microprocessor in the direction of rotation that allows the shortest journey to point to the city representing the current time zone. The other hour and minute hands continue to display the time in the current time zone. Although the second is no longer displayed during this step 274, the clock's internal time counter continues to count the elapsed time during this step and the next, so that the second hand returns to its function and the clock returns to the current time. When returning to the display mode, it is possible to continue displaying the exact time in seconds.

From the time zone search mode 274, the user can increment the time zone by simply pressing the push button A, or decrement by simply pressing the push button B. FIG. . The hour hand 20 moves immediately during each action on one of these push buttons, while the second hand is interlocked in a direction corresponding to the push button selected to point to the city representing the preceding or next time zone. The value of the current time zone is incremented and decremented during steps 284 and 286, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to find the time of any time zone very quickly by pressing the crown 102 and through the number of presses corresponding to the time shift of the time zone selected in one of the push buttons A, B. Other means for switching time zones from mode 274 may be assumed, for example, by rotating crown 102, which rotates in one or the other, or by rotating the bezel.

If no action is performed on elements A, B, 102 from step 274 for a predetermined time, for example 5 seconds, the watch automatically returns to time display mode 202 during step 280. In a variant not shown, the watch returns to display the time of the initial time zone in accordance with a clear command from the user. In both cases, the current time zone, possibly changed during steps 284 and 286, is not maintained, and the initial time zone of the clock is still displayed. As mentioned above, the second hand 22 returns to its function and shows the current time considering the period of the search stage and the period of steps 268 to 280.

To maintain the current time zone possibly changed during step 284 or 286, the user presses crown 102 from step 274 (step 282). The changed time zone is then validated during step 288, so that the time zone of the clock takes the value of a variable (current time zone). The clock then returns to normal time display mode 202, the second hand returns to its normal second display function, and if necessary, window 23 returns to the date display mode.

In one embodiment, the time searching and switching mode may be indicated by a particular icon or symbol displayed in one of the windows 23 during steps 272 to 288. Preferably, the indication in one of these two windows or in an additional window indicates to the user whether the time of the current time zone displayed during step 274 and / or the current time displayed during step 202 corresponds to morning or afternoon. Such an indication is displayed on the window with an alphanumeric indication, for example AM / PM, or preferably in combination with a date indication in one of the windows 230, 231 with the aid of an indication given to an additional window not shown. Can be given by color, topographic design or symbol.

In a variant not shown, the clock can remember several time zones, for example, the last two time zones are selected or temporarily displayed, and from one to the other by a simplified command at one of the control elements. It is possible to switch.

The described method also applies to the transition between summer time and winter time. In one embodiment, the transition from summer time to winter time is performed in the same way as a change in time zone; The user considers whether he is living at a time in a preceding or later time zone. This variant has the drawback of forcing the user to select a distant city corresponding to another time zone as the time zone displayed for a significant period of the year. In another embodiment, the time of each time zone takes into account each day of switching time zones. However, this embodiment requires more memory to account for the dates of the time change of each time zone; In addition, different countries in the same time zone often have different rules for transitioning to summer time. In a third embodiment, the user himself transitions from his initial time zone or from another find time zone to summer or winter time by means of appropriate control of elements A, B and / or 102.

As noted above, the discs or rings displayed on the hour hand 20, the second hand 22 and the windows can move independently of each other and in a bidirectional manner. During time zone switching or when these indicators are assigned to other functions, the indicators then move in a direction that minimizes the period of rotation or minimizes the electricity consumption for this rotation.

Therefore, the clock described above uses the second hand 22 to specify the time zone during time zone switching. This feature can also be used with a clock that does not allow the time zone to be displayed temporarily and also does not allow automatic return to the initial time zone. Conversely, the selected time zone may be indicated by other indicators in the scope of the present invention, for example, by an additional clock hand or disc assigned to this function during time zone switching or when temporarily looking for it.

Reference

1 watch

10 cases

11 flange

110 Marks on the Flange

A push button 1

B push button 2

102 crown

20 hour hand

21 minutes hand

22 seconds

23 grand date display

230 first window

231 second window

Claims (22)

A method for switching the time zone indicated by the clock 1 to switch from the initial time zone to the changed time zone, When the user enters a time zone switch command (268, 276, 278), In step 274, the time of the changed time zone is displayed; The clock automatically returns to the initial time zone (280), and displaying (202) the time of the initial time zone. The method of claim 1, wherein the clock automatically returns to the initial time zone after a predetermined period of time. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the changed time display is maintained when the user enters (282) a command to maintain the changed time during the period. 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the time displayed (202) at the end of the time zone switching takes into account the time elapsed during the time zone switching process. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the selected time zone is displayed by a clock hand (22) pointing to a city display (110). 6. The time zone of claim 5, wherein the selected time zone is indicated by a clock hand 22 that temporarily points to the city display 110 during the selection of the time zone, the clock hand being assigned to a clock during time display. How to switch time zones. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a user inputting a command to switch to a time change mode (268), Step 274, where the second hand 22 moves to display the current time zone, The user entering one or several commands to switch time zones (276, 278), and moving the second hand to display another time zone following each command, After a predetermined period of time (280) or after a command for maintaining a changed time (282), the second hand has a step of reallocating to a function of displaying (202) seconds. 8. The hour hand (20) and minute hand (21) continue to move for the predetermined period of time (280), and the second hand (22) continues following the reassignment (202) during time zone selection and the predetermined time. A time zone switching method as shown on a watch that is repositioned to take into account the elapsed time over a period of time. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein after the user enters one or several commands (276, 278) to switch the time zone, the hour hand 20 moves to display the time of the selected time zone, How to switch the time zone displayed on your watch. 10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the time zone switch command (268) is input by a crown (102) or push buttons (A, B) of the watch. A clock that temporarily displays another time zone and automatically returns to the initial time zone (280). 12. The clock of claim 11 having a counter to effect said automatic return to the initial time zone after a predetermined period of time. 13. A watch as claimed in claim 11 or 12 having means for executing the return in accordance with an action from a user before the end of the period. 14. A watch according to any one of claims 11 to 13, having means (282, 288) for maintaining the display of said other time zone by entering a command from a user during said predetermined period of time. The watch according to any one of claims 11 to 14, which is constituted by an electronic wrist watch (1) having a microcontroller and electromechanical elements (A, B, 102) for inputting time zone switching commands. The hour hand 20 and the minute hand 21 according to any one of claims 11 to 15, which are driven by at least a first electric motor, A second hand 22 driven by a second electric motor irrespective of the hour and minute hands, And a microcontroller configured to assign the second hand (22) to display seconds in a time display mode and to assign the second hand to display a time zone in a time zone switch or seek mode. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second electric motor rotates in the first direction when the time zone moves in the first direction by an incremental command (276) and when the time zone is moved in the second direction by a reduction command (278). ) A clock that is a bidirectional stepping motor that can rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction. 18. The clock according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the microcontroller is configured to move the hour hand (20) when looking for another time zone. 19. A clock according to any one of claims 11 to 18, having a window for displaying the morning or evening indication of the currently displayed time zone. 20. The clock of claim 19, wherein the morning or evening indication is made by selection of the color and / or topography of the date displayed in the window and / or by graphical elements displayed simultaneously with the date in the same window. 21. A crown according to any one of claims 11 to 20, having a crown 102 with at least one fixed axial position (C = 0) and one unstable pressed position for an input command. The watch returns to a stable position from the unstable position when itself is released. 22. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 21, wherein the single act 268 on element 102 and the other elements A and B correspond to a time shift between the initial time zone and the seeking time zone. For finding time in different time zones by number of people.

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