288results about "Frequency setting mechanism" patented technology

A wearable mobile computing device/appliance (e.g., a wrist watch) with a high resolution display that is capable of wirelessly accessing information from the network and a variety of other devices. The Wrist Watch device/appliance includes a user interface that is used to efficiently interact with alarms, time keeping functions and notifications on the watch via use of a scroll device implementing dynamic scroll speed controller capability which enables seamless fine-grain and coarse-grain scroll and/or cursor movement through displayed content without notice to the user of the scroll device.

An electronic device, such as a mobile terminal, includes a touchscreen display and a control unit for operating responsive to user contact with the display. The control unit is configured to display an analog clock, detect user contact with the display, and adjust displayed position of a selected clock hand of the analog clock responsive to relative locations on the display that the detected user contact occurs.

A timepiece having at least one quartz oscillator and/or at least one transducer. A method for authenticating a timepiece includes measuring acoustic vibrations emitted by the timepiece to obtain an electrical signal, performing a transform of said electrical signal into at least one domain, extracting identification information from the transformed electrical signal, comparing the extracted information with at least one reference information, and determining an authenticity of said timepiece based on the comparing.

There is provided a regulator pin structure that is not only easily assembled but also capable of holding a hairspring in a gap without a risk of the hairspring being released, a regulator with the regulator pin structure, a structure of balance with hairspring, and a mechanical timepiece. A regulator pin structure of a regulator that is a component of a structure of balance with hairspring of a mechanical timepiece includes a pin-like body, a base that is situated on one end of the body and mounted to a body of regulator such that the position of the base is adjustable around the pivotal center axis E of the body, and a pair of two-pronged legs that extend from the other end of the body. The regulator pin structure is configured such that part of the outer end of a hairspring that is situated beyond a reformed portion of the hairspring along the outer circumference direction is freely fitted in a gap between the legs. Canopy-like projections are formed on at least one side edge of the front portion of at least one of the pair of legs in such a manner that the canopy-like projections laterally project along sides of the legs that face toward the gap. Regulator pin structure and regulator with the same, structure of balance with hairspring, and mechanical timepiece

A solar panel determines whether or not a wristwatch is in darkness. When the darkness has continued for a predetermined time period, e.g., for 61-70 minutes, it is determined that the wristwatch is not in use and set in a sleep state. Out of seconds, center and hour hands, at least the seconds hand is rotated to a reference position (00-second position) and stopped, and positions of the center and hour hands are detected. Therefore, power consumption during can be reduced when the wristwatch is not in use.

A system and method for configuring time related settings using a graphical interface is presented. A user is able to configure a time-of-day and select a time zone on an electronic device using a maximum of two stylus movements. The user contacts a display with the stylus and makes an hour stroke and minute stroke in one motion, without lifting the stylus from the display. The user may adjust a time value by moving the stylus in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. When the user is satisfied with a time value, the user removes the stylus from the display. If the user wishes to toggle an AM/PM indicator, the user performs a toggle stroke to instruct processing to change the AM/PM indicator. Processing also identifies a time zone corresponding to a radix point which is created during the hour stroke and minute stroke generation.

An oscillating system for a mechanical timepiece includes an annular balance wheel arranged in a fixed manner coaxially in relation to a rotatably mounted balance staff. A helical spring encloses the balance staff and has its inner end fastened on the balance staff and its outer end fastened on a fastening device. The fastening device has a helical-spring connector with an inner clamping jaw and an outer clamping jaw, the inner clamping jaw being radially inside of the outer clamping jaw in relation to the axis of rotation of the balance staff. The outer end of the helical spring may be clamped firmly between a clamping surface of the inner clamping jaw and a clamping surface of the outer clamping jaw.

A frequency divider circuit uses a base counter to frequency divide a clock signal with period T by an integer value N and employs a cyclic rotational select circuit to select among multiple equally phase shifted signals of a multiple phase clock to generate a fractional term P/k where P is variable from 0 to k−1. The counter counts an output clock that corresponds to the output of a multiplexer selecting from among the multiple clock phases. Depending on the desired fractional term, after N counts of the output clock phases of the multiple phase clock are selected glitch free by rotationally selecting a first phase, and skipping either 0, 1, 2 . . . up to k−1 sequential phases to generate fractional terms 0, 1/k, 2/k, 3/k . . . k−1/k, respectively, thus providing frequency division corresponding to N+P/k where P may be varied from 0 to k−1.

When detecting a rotational position of a seconds hand, it is determined whether data stored in a register in correspondence with a supply state of a drive current previously supplied to a coil of a stepping motor is “0”. When the data is “0”, the rotational position of the seconds hand is optically detected. When the data is “1”, the seconds hand is rotated one step, and then, the rotational position of the seconds hand is optically detected. Even though the seconds hand is shifted one second, the position detection is executed every two steps.

The present invention provides a hairspring supporting structure which can adjust the offset of the hairspring from a plane to a lowest limit, a hairspring balance wheel structure and a mechanical clock. The hairspring supporting structure of mechanical clock comprises a hairspring stud height position adjusting mechanism which shifts the hairspring stud in a vertical direction relatively to a hairspring stud ring. The hairspring stud is provided with a shaft which is inserted and penetrates the hairspring stud ring and a disc-shaped flange. The hairspring stud height position adjusting mechanism is provided with a hairspring stud height position adjustor which comprises the following components: an adjusting shaft which is matched with the hairspring stud ring; and an adjustor body which is provided with a reference frustum-shaped surface which is eccentric relatively the adjusting shaft at one side of the adjusting shaft. When the hairspring stud height position adjustor rotates along a central axis of the adjusting shaft, the adjustor body presses one end edge of the disc-shaped flange of the hairspring stud thereby shifting the hairspring stud upwards or downwards relatively to the hairspring stud ring.

The autoregulating circuit regulates the oscillation frequency of an oscillating mechanical system, such as a balance having a balance spring. A piezoelectric element is mounted on the oscillating balance spring to generate an alternating voltage and connected to the autoregulating circuit, which rectifies the alternating voltage and regulates the alternating voltage frequency. The rectified voltage is stored in a capacitor to power the autoregulating circuit. The autoregulating circuit includes an oscillator stage connected to a MEMS resonator for supplying a reference signal, a means for comparing the frequency of the alternating voltage to the reference signal frequency, and a frequency adaptation unit for supplying a frequency adaptation signal to the piezoelectric element according to the result from the comparison means, to regulate the oscillation frequency of the balance. The electronic components of the autoregulating circuit form a single electronic module.

The present invention concerns a device for winding and setting the time of a timepiece such as a date watch (1) including a date disc (14), characterized in that the device includes a crown (12) arranged in the top plane of the watch (1) parallel to the plane of the movement (18).

Mechanism for adjusting the active length of a timepiece balance spring whose outer end is fixed to a balance spring stud secured to a bar, this mechanism including two pins for clamping or touching the outer coil of the balance spring during the operation of this balance spring.

These two pins are in a single piece with this bar.

Method for authenticating a timepiece comprising measuring acoustic vibrations emitted by said timepiece to obtain an electrical signal indicating magnitude information comprising a variation of a magnitude of the measured acoustic vibrations as a function of time. The electrical signal comprises at least one specific tone associated with the presence of a quartz resonator in the timepiece. Method further comprises performing transform of electrical signal into frequency domain to obtain frequency-domain power spectrum indicating variation of power of electrical signal as function of frequency, processing the frequency-domain power spectrum so as to reveal at least one narrow peak in frequency-domain power spectrum corresponding to the at least one specific tone, and extracting at least one resonance frequency corresponding to said at least one narrow peak. Method further comprises comparing extracted at least one resonance frequency with at least one reference resonance frequency; and determining an authenticity of said timepiece.

To provide a timepiece balance with hairspring capable of changing the moment of inertia of the balance wheel without involving generation of a one-sidedness in weight. There is provided a balance with hairspring including a balance staff, and a balance wheel arranged around the balance staff, wherein there are provided a first rim constituting the balance wheel and having a guide portion configured to vary in the distance from the balance staff in correspondence with a peripheral direction around the balance staff, an elastic portion arranged so as to be slidable along the guide portion and capable of elastic deformation in the radial direction around the balance staff, and a second rim having a plurality of weight portions arranged in the peripheral direction.

Assembly for securing the outer end of the balance-spring (1) of a sprung balance device for a timepiece that includes a balance-spring stud holder (2) for housing a balance-spring stud (10), against which the balance-spring (1) can be locked, a screw (11) for locking the stud, for securing the balance-spring (1) by insertion between the stud (10) and a back face (7), the locking screw (11) including a tip (15) in the extension of the threaded body (12) at the opposite end to the screw head, and the stud (10) including a housing (16) in which the tip (15) can be inserted. The corresponding watch and method of securing the outer end of the balance-spring are also provided.

A time correction device has a reception unit that receives satellite signals transmitted from positioning information satellites orbiting the Earth; a time correction information storage unit that stores time correction information for correcting time information produced by a time information generating unit; and a time information correction unit for correcting the time information based on the time correction information. The satellite signals are transmitted by individual positioning information satellites, and contain a time-related information part denoting time-related information that is kept by each satellite, and a satellite information part denoting satellite information other than the time-related information. The time correction information is generated based on the time-related information. The reception unit receives the satellite signal during the signal period in which the time-related information part can be received, and does not receive the satellite signal during the signal period in which the satellite information part can be received.

The regulating device includes an inertial balance (7) including a balance staff arranged to be pivotally mounted in the timepiece, a balance bridge (9) and a bearing (11) carried by the balance bridge and arranged to hold one end of the balance staff, a balance spring (1) including an inner end integral with the balance and an outer end (1a) integral with a stud (3;103), and a mechanism for securing the stud (3; 103) including a housing (17) for receiving the stud and which is formed in a stud holder (5) pivoted on the balance bridge (9), the securing mechanism further including an elastic arm (15; 115) arranged to pivot concentrically to the balance staff between a first position where the elastic arm immobilises the stud (3; 103) and a second position where the elastic arm is disengaged from the stud to allow the stud to be inserted into or removed from the housing.

A clock movement is provided that contains a constant force device. In accordance with one implementation, the clock movement includes a spiral spring, and a train, having a first kinematic chain arranged to connect a main energy source to a first end of the spiral spring and a second kinematic chain for connecting a time base to a second end of the spiral spring. One of the first and second kinematic chains may contain an adjustment mobile comprising first and second members connected to each other by a friction such that a rotation of one member drives the other member during routine working of the clock movement. One of these members may include an adjustment member having at least one bearing surface arranged such that it is possible to act upon the latter so as to rotate the adjustment member without rotating the other member by dint of friction, in order to adjust the load state of the spiral spring.