Clock with permanent digital time display that can be localized

Abstract

Clock with permanent digital time display, including: - a strap (1) for attaching the watch to a user's wrist, - a case (2) attached to the bracelet (1) and containing: - a means for storing electrical energy (6), - an electronic circuit (8) which is supplied with energy by the means for storing electrical energy (4), characterized in that the electronic circuit (8) is configured to generate an identification signal representing identification information of the watch and is connected to an antenna (9) configured to receive the identification signal and wirelessly transmit an electromagnetic signal representing the identification information, and by at least a part of the housing (2) covering the antenna (9) is transparent to the electromagnetic signal.

Description

Technical FieldThe present invention relates to a wristwatch that permanently displays time information digitally.Prior ArtWatches are known devices which display time to a user. Among them are watches with permanent digital time display, which do not contain moving parts, the hands, for displaying time, but instead means for displaying time in digital format like liquid crystals or LEDs. The display means are usually configured to display the hour and minutes, preferably also the seconds.There is a need for ways to easily retrieve a digital clock when it has been lost.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide means for easily locating a clock with permanent digital time indication when it has been lost.To this end, this invention proposes a permanent digital time display watch comprising:a bracelet for securing the watch to a user's wrist,a housing secured to the bracelet, said housing comprising:means for storing electrical energy,an electronic circuit powered by said means for storing electrical energy.The timepiece is characterized in that the electronic circuit is configured to generate an identification signal representing identification information of the timepiece. The electronic circuit is connected to an antenna configured to receive the identification signal and wirelessly transmit an electromagnetic signal representing the identification information.The watch is further characterized in that at least a portion of the case covering the antenna is transparent to the electromagnetic signal.By means of the electronic circuit and the antenna as well as the part of the housing which is transparent to the electromagnetic signal, the clock can emit a signal with which its presence can be detected and thus it can be localized.The watch according to the invention has a "digital time display", i.e. it is configured to display time information, e.g. a time or date (in real time), in digital format. In a known manner, this display can be made on a substantial part of a screen, for example on at least 50% or even at least 80% of its surface or even on its entire surface.The time information is known to consist of numbers, preferably in a 7-segment display, for example to define the time. The clock displays the time, for example, by display means comprising, for example, (electro)luminescent diodes (or LEDs) or liquid crystals. The display means preferably consist of liquid crystals. Such a watch usually has no hand.The watch according to the invention has a "permanent" digital time indication in the sense that the time indication is present whenever the watch is "active" (i.e. is switched on and / or actuated, with a power source functioning for the indication, such as a battery). The time display is not replaceable by another display. For example, the above-mentioned part of the screen is configured only to display the time information in digital form. However, this time information can comprise a plurality of components and / or time variants such as time and date.The watch which is the subject of the invention is therefore not an intelligent watch (smart watch) or a watch which is connected in particular to the Internet. It is typically limited to basic functions such as a time display (time and / or date), a stop clock or the like, an alarm, etc., without extended functions requiring a special computer connection to the Internet.The above display means are typically configured to display time information in numerical format to the user. The display means is preferably located between the electronic circuit and a watch glass of the watch. The display means are arranged to be visible to a user, preferably through the watch glass. The watch glass is made of a material transparent to visible light. For example, the watch glass is a glass pane.The watch includes a bracelet for being attached to the wrist by an adult person or a child. This is thus a wristwatch.The means for storing electrical energy is preferably a battery or an electrical cell, e.g. a button cell. The energy stored in the means for storing electrical energy enables the provision of the energy required by the electronic circuit of the clock to generate the identification signal.The part of the housing covering the antenna can consist of one or more materials which are transparent to the electromagnetic signal.Preferably, the entire housing is made of a material that is transparent to ultra high frequency (UHF) electromagnetic waves. Alternatively or simultaneously, the housing is made of a material that is transmissive for very high frequency (VHF) and / or super high frequency (SHF) waves.The housing contains the means for storing electrical energy, the electronic circuit and the antenna. Preferably, the housing is hermetically sealed, e.g. water- and air-tight.In this document, electromagnetic waves according to the international standardization are designated by the International Telecommunication Union.VHF waves or meter waves have a frequency between 30 MHz and 300 MHz.UHF waves or decimeter waves have a frequency between 300 MHz and 3 GHz.SHF waves or centimeter waves have a frequency between 3 GHz and 30 GHz.The housing may contain a watch glass. In this case, the watch glass is a part of the case. For example, the above-described part of the housing may include a part of the watch glass or the whole of the watch glass.The electronic circuit is configured to generate and transmit the identification signal representing the identification information of the clock to the antenna. The antenna is configured to transmit the electromagnetic signal representing the identification information of the clock based on the identification signal received from the electronic circuit.Preferably, the electronic circuit and the antenna of the watch are configured to generate and transmit the electromagnetic signal such that the electromagnetic signal can be detected by a first device separate from the watch. Preferably, the electromagnetic circuit and the antenna are configured to emit the electromagnetic signal such that the electromagnetic signal can be detected by the first device at a distance through the air of at least 10 m, preferably at least 25 m. This means that the electromagnetic signal can be detected by the first device when the watch is positioned within a radius of 10 m, preferably 25 m, of the first device and no obstacle other than air separates the first device from the watch. Since the first device is configured to receive the electromagnetic signal, it can detect the presence of the watch. For example, the first device is a smartphone.In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the antenna of the watch is configured to emit the electromagnetic signal at an ultra high frequency (UHF), preferably at a frequency between 2400 and 2483.5 MHz. This enables communication using the Bluetooth standard. Bluetooth technology has the advantage of enabling communication between the clock and the first device over short distances and with high energy efficiency.In a preferred embodiment of the invention, which may possibly be combined with that described in the previous paragraph, the antenna of the watch is configured to emit the electromagnetic signal of ultra-wide band (UWB), and preferably with frequencies between 3100 and 10600 MHz, more preferably between 6000 and 8500 MHz. The use of ultra-wideband signals allows a very accurate localization of the watch by the first device when there is a short distance between the watch and the first device.Preferably, at least an upper surface of the antenna directly faces the housing. This means that the upper surface of the antenna is directed towards the housing. This improves the efficiency of the emission of the electromagnetic signal by the antenna. Preferably, there is no interface forming an electromagnetic shield that at least partially prevents the electromagnetic signal from propagating and separates the top surface of the antenna from the housing.For example, the upper surface of the antenna directly faces the part of the housing that covers the antenna and is transparent to the electromagnetic signal.Preferably, the watch case comprises a bezel surrounding the watch glass. For example, the upper surface of the antenna is directed towards the part of the housing that comprises the bezel.In a preferred embodiment of the watch, the housing further includes a support member for the antenna. The support member is transparent to the electromagnetic signal and is arranged to prevent movement of the antenna relative to the housing and the electronic circuit. This improves the energy efficiency of the timepiece in emitting an electromagnetic signal having a certain amplitude because the electromagnetic signal is less disturbed / attenuated by surrounding conductive elements such as elements of the electric energy storage means or the electronic circuit.The support member thus holds the antenna in a fixed position within the housing. Preferably, when the antenna is received or supported in the support member, the support member is configured to maintain a relative position of the antenna with respect to the electronic circuit such that there is a non-zero distance between the antenna and the electronic circuit. Preferably, when the antenna is received or supported in the support member, the support member is configured to maintain a relative position of the antenna with respect to the electrical energy storage means (cell or battery) such that a non-zero distance separates the antenna and the electrical energy storage means. Preferably, the non-zero distance separating the antenna from the electronic circuit and / or the means for storing electrical energy is greater than 1 mm, preferably greater than 2 mm and particularly preferably less than 5 mm. This prevents interference or attenuations of the electromagnetic signal with conductive elements of the watch.The support member allows the antenna, which may be flexible and / or fragile, to be held in the watch. It is configured to prevent contact between the conductive antenna and the electronic circuit and to prevent contact between the conductive antenna and the electric energy storage means (battery or cell). The support member thus improves the shock resistance of the watch and prevents the risk of short circuits within the watch.Preferably, the support member has an annular shape. In this way, an arc antenna conforms to the shape of the support member. The support member may also be configured to surround a module of the watch comprising the electronic circuit and / or the display means.Preferably, the support member comprises a groove for receiving the antenna. This groove thus has a depression which is suitable for receiving the antenna. A shape of the depression is preferably complementary to a shape of the antenna. The depression is arranged, for example, such that it at least partially surrounds the antenna. For example, the recess surrounds a bottom surface that is opposite the top surface of the antenna and side surfaces of the antenna that connect the bottom and top surfaces of the antenna. For example, the lower surface of the antenna directly contacts a bottom of the groove of the support member.Preferably, the support member comprises a notch for receiving a connecting conductor between the antenna and the electronic circuit. Such a support member improves the compactness of the timepiece and enables advantageous and compact coupling of the antenna and the electronic circuit. In particular, it is thus possible to maintain a standard size watch despite the arrangement of the mentioned locating means. For example, the watch extends over a disc having a diameter of 25 mm or less and a height of 10 mm or less.For example, an upper surface of the support part includes the groove, and a side surface of the support part includes the notch for receiving the connection conductor. Preferably, the antenna and the electronic circuit are separated from each other by the supporting member.Preferably, the watch case further comprises an on / off button of the electronic circuit for starting or stopping generation of the identification signal by the electronic circuit. This saves energy by switching off the electronic circuit when the watch is not in use or there is no risk of being lost. The on / off button is coupled to the electronic circuit of the watch.The on / off button is preferably also configured to start or stop transmission of the electromagnetic signal through the antenna. The button is configured to be pressed by a user. In response to the button being pressed successively by a user, the electronic circuit is configured to sequentially generate the identification signal or stop generation thereof. The watch is configured such that when the electronic circuit generates (or does not generate) the identification signal, the antenna transmits (or does not transmit) the electromagnetic signal.Preferably, the housing of the watch is completely transparent to the electromagnetic wave.Preferably, the housing of the watch is made of a polymer permeable to the electromagnetic wave, e.g. plastic. For example, the housing is made entirely of polymer. The housing preferably consists of an electrically insulating material.Preferably, the antenna has an arcuate shape.Preferably, the antenna is planar, i.e. it has a flat shape. In other words: it lies in one plane or is flattened.The antenna preferably extends along an inner periphery of the housing. Preferably, the antenna extends along a circular arc, and an angle at the center of the circular arc is between 90° and 270°, preferably between 130° and 180°. It is preferably a semicircle. The above mentioned connecting conductor may be arranged asymmetrically to the antenna, e.g. in a third of the antenna, in order to facilitate coupling and mounting.The watch according to the invention enables methods for its localization to be carried out, which are described below. Preferably, these methods are computer-implemented.In a first embodiment of such a method, the method comprises:wirelessly transmitting an electromagnetic signal representing information identifying the watch through an antenna disposed in a case of the watch,receiving the electromagnetic signal by a first device different from the clock,in response to the first device receiving the electromagnetic signal, and using the first device: determining a position of the clock; and displaying the determined position of the clock on a screen of the first device.The first device is, for example, a smartphone.Preferably, the electromagnetic signal emitted by the antenna is ultra-wide band (UWB), preferably with frequencies between 3100 and 10600 MHz, preferably between 6000 and 8500 MHz. This enables more accurate locating of the watch.In the methods, the first device determines the position of the watch and the first device displays the position of the watch in response to the first device receiving the electromagnetic signal. The electromagnetic signal received by the first device includes information for identifying the wristwatch. It may be based on an identification signal generated by an electronic circuit of the clock and representing identification information of the clock.The step of determining a position of the clock and displaying the determined position of the clock on a screen of the first device is preferably determining a relative position of the clock with respect to the first device and displaying the determined relative position on the screen of the first device.In a second embodiment of such a method, the method comprises:wirelessly transmitting an electromagnetic signal representing information identifying the watch through an antenna disposed in a case of the watch,receiving the electromagnetic signal by a first device different from the clock,in response to the first device receiving the electromagnetic signal, and using the first device: determining a position of the first device; and transmitting a second signal to a second device based on the electromagnetic signal received from the first device and also representing the determined position of the first device,receiving the second signal by the second device and displaying the position of the first device on a screen of the second device.The second device is different from the watch and the at least one first device. For example, the second device is a smartphone. For example, the second device belongs to an owner of the watch.For example, the determination of the position of the first device is performed using a circuit for geolocation of the first device.The transmission of the second signal from the first device to the second device may be via a wireless communication network and possibly via a server.The second signal is preferably electromagnetic.This method has the advantage that it works even if the first device cannot determine the position of the watch exactly, which can occur if the watch is too far from the first device. This is the case, for example, when the clock is at a distance from the first device which is greater than the maximum range of transmission of the ultra-wideband electromagnetic signal. In this case, the watch may be configured to transmit the electromagnetic signal to the first device according to the Bluetooth standard. This results in a less accurate location of the watch, which can be achieved, however, when the first device is at a greater distance from the watch.The first device then detects the presence of the watch in a particular perimeter around the first device, but cannot accurately determine its relative position with respect to the first device. The first device then sends its own location to a second device, which provides the second device with an approximation to the position of the clock.Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received at the same time or at different times by a plurality of first devices other than the clock. In this way, a large number of first devices can be used to locate the watch even when it is moved. For example, the first devices are smartphones carried by users different from the users of the clock and the second device, and are connected to the second device via, for example, a telecommunication network and a server.The second device is configured to receive the second signal based on the electromagnetic signal received from the first device and also representing the position of the first device. The second signal therefore comprises the identification information of the clock and position information of the first device. Based on the second signal, the second device is configured to indicate the position of the first device, which is an approximate position of the clock.This allows a user of the second device to benefit from the proximity between the first devices and the watch to find the watch, the first devices being worn by different persons, for example. The user of the second device then does not have to be in proximity to the watch to capture it, nor does it have to communicate with users of the first devices to locate the watch.The first device is, for example, a smartphone. Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received by a plurality of first devices. In this case, the position of the clock can be determined, for example, by triangulation, which is more accurate.Preferably, the second signal is transmitted to the second device via a server having a database which maps the identification information of the clock and an identification information of the second device. In this case, the method comprises:in response to the server receiving the second signal, and using the server: determining the second device based on the identification information of the clock and the database,transmitting, by the server, the identification information of the clock and the position of the first device to the second device determined by the server.The signal transmitted by the server may be the second signal or another signal representing the identification information of the clock and the position of the first device.In this second embodiment of the method, the electromagnetic signal emitted by the antenna is preferably ultra high frequency (UHF), preferably with a frequency between 2400 and 2483.5 MHz.In a third embodiment of such a method, the method comprises:wirelessly transmitting an electromagnetic signal representing information identifying the watch through an antenna disposed in a case of the watch,receiving the electromagnetic signal by a first device different from the clock,in response to the first device receiving the electromagnetic signal, and using the first device: determining a position of the clock; and transmitting a second signal representing the information identifying the clock and the determined position of the clock to a second device,receiving the second signal by the second device and displaying the position of the clock on a screen of the second device.The first device determining a position of the watch may comprise determining a relative position of the watch with respect to the first device in combination with determining a position of the first device.The second device is different from the watch and the at least one first device. For example, the second device is a smartphone. For example, the second device belongs to an owner of the watch.In one example, the second device is configured to allow the second device to display the position of the watch, while the first device is configured to prevent the first device from displaying the position of the watch.For example, the determination of the position of the first device is performed using a circuit for geolocation of the first device.The wireless transmission of the second signal to the second device may be wireless, e.g., via a wireless communication network, optionally including a server. Optionally, the server is configured to determine the position of the watch based on the relative position of the watch with respect to the first device and the position of the first device.The method is preferably carried out with the aid of a plurality of first devices. Optionally, the server is configured to determine the position of the watch based on relative positions of the watch with respect to the first device and the position of the first device. By using a plurality of first devices, the position of the clock can be determined more accurately.The method has the advantage that it enables precise localization of the watch. In the method, the watch may be configured to transmit the ultra-wideband electromagnetic signal to the first device.The first device determines the relative position of the watch with respect to the first device. The first device also determines the position of the first device, e.g., by geolocation. Based on the position of the first device thus determined and the relative position of the clock, the position of the clock can be determined. This determination of the position of the watch based on the position of the first device and the relative position of the watch can be made by the first device, by the second device or else by a separate server.Based on the position of the first device thus detected and the relative position of the clock, the first device generates the second signal and sends it to the second device. The second signal is also based on the signal representing the identification information of the clock.The second signal is preferably electromagnetic.The second device then displays the position of the watch so that a user of the second device can retrieve the watch.Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received at the same time or at different times by a plurality of first devices which are distinct from the clock. In this way, a large number of first devices can be used to locate the watch even when it is moved. For example, the devices are smartphones that may be carried by users other than the users of the clock and the second device and that are connected to the second device.The second device is configured to receive the second signal based on the electromagnetic signal received from the at least one first device. The second signal therefore comprises the information for identifying the clock and the information for the position of the clock. Based on the second signal, the second device is configured to indicate the position of the watch.This allows a user of the second device to benefit from the proximity between the first devices and the watch to find the watch, wherein the first devices are worn by different persons, for example. The user of the second device then does not need to be in proximity to the watch to capture it, and also does not need to communicate with users of the first devices to locate the watch.For example, the first device is a smartphone. Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received by a plurality of first devices, each of which determines a position of the clock in response to receiving the electromagnetic signal and each of which transmits a respective second signal representing the identification information of the clock and the position of the clock. In this case, the transmission is preferably performed via a server that receives all the second signals, determines the position of the clock based on the second signals, and transmits the position and the identification of the clock to the second device.Preferably, the second signal is transmitted to the second device via a server having a database which maps the identification information of the clock and an identification information of the second device. In this case, the method comprises:in response to the server receiving the second signal, and using the server: determining the second device based on the identification information of the clock and the database,transmitting, by the server, the information identifying the clock and the position of the clock to the second device determined by the server.The signal transmitted by the server may be the second signal or another signal representing the identification information of the clock and the position of the clock.Within the scope of this application, the position of the watch can be transmitted in the form of information about the position of the watch.Preferably, in the third embodiment of the method, the electromagnetic signal emitted by the antenna is ultra-wide band (UWB), and more preferably with frequencies between 3100 and 10600 MHz, preferably between 6000 and 8500 MHz.In this document, the terms 'locate' and 'locate' are used interchangeably with the terms 'determine position' and 'position'.Within the scope of this document, position information of a device such as the clock or of the first device can comprise, for example, the geographical coordinates of the device.The use of the verb "comprise", its variants and conjugations in this document does not exclude the presence of elements other than the mentioned. The use of the indefinite article "a", "an" or the specific article "the", "the" or "the" in this document for inserting an element does not exclude that there are a plurality of such elements.All preferred embodiments, features and all advantages of the embodiments of methods can be transferred, mutatismutatally, to other embodiments of methods and vice versa.All preferred embodiments, features and all advantages of the watch according to the invention can be applied to the methods in a mutant manner and vice versa.Brief Description of the DrawingsOther features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the understanding of which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 show schematic exploded views of the constituent parts of a timepiece according to the invention.The drawings of the figures are not necessarily to scale. Similar elements are generally identified by similar reference numerals in the figures. Within the scope of this document, identical or similar elements can be provided with the same reference numerals. Moreover, the presence of numbers or letters referring to the drawings may not be considered as limiting, even though these numbers or letters are recited in the claims.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTIONThis portion contains a detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention. This will be described with particular embodiments and references to drawings, but the invention is not limited thereby. In particular, the drawings or figures described below are schematic only and are not restrictive.The terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used herein to distinguish different elements only without implying an order between these elements.FIG. 1 shows components of a timepiece according to the invention in an exploded view. The watch comprises two parts of a bracelet 1, each of said parts being fixed to the case and comprising means for closing the bracelet around a wrist of a user. The housing 2 of the watch comprises a cover 2" which is in contact with the housing via an intermediate piece 2'. The case 2 is closed by a watch glass 3 which is a glass sheet. The watch glass is configured to protect the display means 4. The watch glass is configured such that a person can see through the watch glass the display means 4 for time information (e.g. time and / or date) in digital format, which are located in the housing 2. The housing 2 comprises a bezel 5 of the watch surrounding the watch glass 3.The parts or components shown in FIG. 2 are part of the module 12 shown in FIG. 1.The watch includes a button 10 for turning on / off the electronic circuit 8 shown in Fig. 2 so that a user can enable or disable transmission of the electromagnetic signal through the antenna 9 by sequentially pressing the button 10.The housing 2 is made of a non-conductive polymer and therefore can be penetrated by the electromagnetic wave radiated from the antenna 9 without attenuating it. The housing 2 contains the module 12 which in turn comprises: the display means 4, the electronic circuit 8 and the battery 6 for supplying power to the electronic circuit 8 and the display means 4. As stated above, the watch according to the invention may also comprise two different batteries: one for powering the electronic circuit 8 and one for powering the display means 4 of the watch.The module 12 also comprises a support part 11 for the antenna 9 shown in Fig. 2. An upper surface of the support member has a groove 11' for receiving the antenna 9. A shape of the groove 11' is complementary to a shape of the antenna 9. The groove 11' has a flat bottom. The groove 11' extends along an arc with an angle in the middle between 145 and 170°. When the watch is assembled, the antenna is received in the groove so that the groove surrounds a lower surface of the antenna opposite its upper surface 9'. The groove also surrounds side surfaces of the antenna connecting the top surface 9' and the bottom surface of the antenna 9. The support member 11 is arranged to separate the antenna 9 from the display means 4 via a shoulder along the groove 11'.The support part 11 is arranged to separate the antenna 9 from the electronic circuit 8. In fact, the antenna 9 and the electronic circuit are located on both sides of the support part 11 and are separated from each other by a distance between 2 and 10 mm.For example, a lower side of the support member, which is opposite to the upper side of the support member, is directed toward the electronic circuit 8. For example, the lower surface and the upper surface of the support part 11 are separated from each other by an outer side surface of the support part 11.The antenna 9 is supported and directly contacts an upper surface of the support member 11.One side surface (i.e. the outer or radially outer side surface) of the support part 11 comprises a notch 11'' for receiving a connecting conductor 9'' between the antenna 9 and the electronic circuit 8, The antenna 9 preferably comprises the connecting conductor 9''. The connecting conductor 9" preferably extends perpendicular to a plane of the antenna 9.The groove 11'' allows the volume occupied by the support member 11 to be optimized, which improves the compactness of the timepiece and at the same time allows the antenna 9 and the electronic circuit 8 to be separated by the support member.The support member 11 is made of a single block of material which is transparent to the electromagnetic signal.The housing 2 is water- and air-tight when closed by the glass.The antenna 9 is arc-shaped. It extends along a circular arc with a central angle between 130° and 170°. The antenna 9 is planar. The antenna 9 has an upper surface 9' which faces the housing when the watch is in the assembled configuration. The upper surface 9' is not directed towards the electronic circuit 8 or the battery 6 in order to avoid an electromagnetic shielding effect of the electromagnetic signal by it. The top surface 9' is oriented towards the housing, so that no intermediate piece providing an electromagnetic shielding effect to attenuate the electromagnetic signal separates an inside of the housing from the top surface 9' of the antenna. In this way, the electromagnetic signal emitted by the clock has a maximum amplitude. Preferably, the upper surface 9' of the antenna is directed directly towards the inside of the casing, i.e. without intermediate piece.When the electronic circuit is activated and the antenna transmits the electromagnetic signal representing information identifying the clock, the clock may be part of a system that enables its geolocation and performs a method described above. In this way, the position of the clock can be determined and communicated to a user.For example, the antenna is configured to emit the electromagnetic signal in ultra-wideband and / or according to the Bluetooth standard and to be detected by a first device, e.g., a smartphone, that is located in the vicinity of the clock, e.g., in a vicinity of 10 m or 50 m from the clock. The electromagnetic signal is information for identifying the watch, i.e., it enables identification of the watch that transmitted the electromagnetic signal.The smart phone is further configured to locate the clock in response to receiving the electromagnetic signal by either detecting that the clock is at a particular radius around it (in response to receiving the Bluetooth signal) or by accurately calculating the relative position of the clock relative to it (in response to receiving the ultra-wideband signal).The smart phone may be owned by the watch owner or third party unknown to the watch owner. When the smart phone belongs to the watch owner, it may display the relative position of the watch with respect to the phone to allow the watch owner to find it.When the smartphone belongs to a third person, it may transmit a second signal representing position information of the clock. For example, the position information is: the own position or the position of the clock calculated based on the own position and the relative position of the clock with respect to the smartphone, or the relative position of the clock with respect to the smartphone is separate from the position of the smartphone. The third-party smartphone generates and transmits a second electromagnetic signal that is transmitted to a second device such as a smartphone of the watch owner and represents the position information of the watch and the identification information of the watch.The second signal may be transmitted from the first device to the second device via a wireless telecommunications network, e.g., comprising a server. For example, the server is configured to determine which second device to transmit the second signal based on the identification information of the clock, so that the identification and position information of the clock is transmitted to a predetermined second device. For example, the server can do this with the aid of a database of the server, which database maps the identification information of the clock and an identification information of the second device.The watch owner's smartphone can then display the position of the watch to allow the owner to retrieve it. The advantage of this method is that, for locating the watch, a large number of third party telephones positioned in the vicinity of the watch can be used to locate the watch without the owner of the watch having to communicate with these persons.In summary, the invention relates to a positionable watch. The watch has a permanent digital time display and comprises: a bracelet 1 for fixing the watch to the wrist of a user; a casing 2 fixed to the bracelet and containing means for displaying 4 time information (e.g. time and / or date) in digital format; an electronic circuit 8 powered by an electrical energy storage means 6 and configured to generate an identification signal representing identification information of the watch. The housing also includes an antenna 9 connected to the electronic circuit 8 and configured to receive the identification signal and wirelessly transmit an electromagnetic signal representing identification information of the clock to a device other than the clock. The antenna 9 is located in the housing 2, which further comprises a portion covering the antenna and made of a material transparent to the electromagnetic signal.It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments and examples depicted and / or described above, but its scope is further defined by the claims introduced below.The present invention has been described above in connection with specific embodiments, which are purely illustrative in nature and are not to be considered as limiting. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the examples depicted or described above and that its scope is further defined by the claims introduced hereinafter.

Claims

A watch with permanent digital time display, comprising: - a bracelet (1) for fixing the watch to the wrist of a user, - a casing (2) fixed to the bracelet (1) and containing: - an electrical energy storage means (6), - an electronic circuit (8) powered by the electrical energy storage means (4), characterized in that the electronic circuit (8) is configured to generate an identification signal representing an identification information of the watch and is connected to an antenna (9) configured to receive the identification signal and wirelessly emit an electromagnetic signal representing the identification information, and in that at least a part of the casing (2) covering the antenna (9) is transparent to the electromagnetic signal.Watch according to claim 1, wherein the antenna (9) is configured to emit the ultra high frequency electromagnetic signal (UHF), preferably at a frequency comprised between 2400 and 2483.5 MHz.Watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the antenna (9) is configured to emit the electromagnetic signal in ultra-wide band (UWB) mode, preferably at frequencies comprised between 3100 and 10600 MHz, particularly preferably comprised between 6000 and 8500 MHz.Timepiece according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one upper surface (9') of the antenna (9) faces directly towards the housing (2).Watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) further comprises an on / off button (10) of the electronic circuit (8) for starting or stopping the generation of the identification signal by the electronic circuit (8).Timepiece according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) is made of a polymer, such as plastic.Watch according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising means for displaying (4) time information in digital format, said display means (4) comprising light emitting diodes or preferably liquid crystals.Watch according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the antenna (9) has an arc-shaped shape.Watch according to one of the preceding claims, in which the antenna (9) extends along a circular arc, an angle at the centre of the circular arc being between 90° and 270°, preferably between 130° and 180°.Watch according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) further comprises a support part (11) for the antenna (9), said support part being transparent to the electromagnetic signal and being arranged to prevent movement of the antenna (9) with respect to the housing (2) and the electronic circuit (8).Timepiece according to claim 10, wherein said support part (11) comprises a groove (11') for receiving said antenna (9).Watch according to any of claims 10 or 11, wherein the support part (11) comprises a notch (11") for passing a connecting conductor between the antenna (9) and the electronic circuit (8).

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