A method for setting the time of a portable watch on a support using a neural network.

Abstract

Read the time displayed on the portable watch, regardless of its appearance or lighting conditions. [Solution] A method for setting the time of a portable watch placed on a support in accordance with a reference time provided by a reference clock, comprising: using a vision system to acquire images of portable watches constituting a reference image; a determination step (300) to determine the time in the reference image using an image recognition model that implements at least one neural network trained in a database, wherein the database includes images of portable watches labeled differently from each other, and each label includes information representing the time shown in the associated image; and a determination step (500) to set the time by oscillating and rotating the support at a frequency intended to slow down or speed up the rate so that the portable watch reaches the reference time.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of timepieces, and in particular to a method for adjusting the time of a portable timepiece (e.g., wristwatch, pocket watch) placed on a support using a neural network. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Documents EP4095623 and WO2012126978A1 describe a winding mechanism configured to hold a portable timepiece and adjust its time. For this purpose, these winding mechanisms implement a method of reading the time indicated by the portable timepiece they support by acquiring an image of the front side of the portable timepiece, that is, the dial and hands, and determining the positions of the hands. This approach has the advantage of being relatively easy to implement and reliable when the model of the portable timepiece and lighting conditions do not change.

[0003] However, this time reading method does not work when reading the time indicated by an image of a portable timepiece that has not been previously stored in an image database. In addition, since this method does not allow for variations in lighting conditions, the method cannot be implemented.

[0004] When it is desired to read the time displayed by a portable timepiece, there is a need for a method of reading the time displayed by a portable timepiece regardless of the model of the portable timepiece, that is, the appearance of the portable timepiece, and regardless of the lighting conditions at the location where the portable timepiece is placed. [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0005] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a method for adjusting the time of a portable timepiece placed on a support according to a reference time provided by a reference clock, the method comprising: acquiring, using a vision system, an image of the portable timepiece that constitutes a reference image; A determination step of determining the time indicated by the portable watch in the reference image using an image recognition model comprising at least one neural network trained in a database, wherein the database comprises images of portable watches labeled differently from each other, and each label comprises information representing the time indicated by the portable watch shown in the associated image. The process includes the step of setting the time of the portable watch by oscillating and rotating the support on which the portable watch is placed, at a frequency intended to slow down or speed up the rate of the portable watch so that the portable watch reaches the reference time.

[0006] In certain embodiments, the present invention may further have one or more of the following features, either separately or in any technically possible combination.

[0007] In a particular embodiment, the method includes a verification step for verifying the consistency of the results obtained by the determination step, and this verification step is Multiple time points T0, ..., T within a predetermined time interval n A series of sequential processes for determining the time indicated by a portable watch in a given location, wherein each of the said time points is characterized by a known reference time, and the process is as follows: Each time point T0,...,T n A comparison process is performed to obtain a value representing the difference between the determined time and the reference time by comparing the determined time with the reference time. Time T0,...,T n In at least one of the steps, if the value representing the difference between the determined time and the reference time is greater than a threshold, a verification process is performed which ignores the result obtained after the determination step and repeats the verification step.

[0008] In a particular embodiment, in order to create the database, photographs of portable watches are taken at regular intervals over a predetermined period of time, a desired number of images are obtained, and each image is assigned data representing the time indicated by the portable watch displayed in the reference image.

[0009] In a particular embodiment, the portable watch is a mechanical portable watch driven by a support that performs a oscillating rotational motion at a nominal frequency corresponding to the theoretical frequency at which the oscillator within the portable watch is expected to vibrate.

[0010] In a particular embodiment, the determination step includes a detection process for detecting the presence of a portable watch on the support, and if the presence of the portable watch is detected in the detection process, the execution of the determination step continues; otherwise, it does not continue.

[0011] In a particular embodiment, the detection process for detecting the presence of the portable watch on the support is performed by a specific neural network.

[0012] In a particular embodiment, the determination step performs a geometric transformation on the reference image using a dedicated neural network.

[0013] In a particular embodiment, the determination step performs an hour and minute identification process to identify the hour and minute indicated by the portable watch in the reference image using a dedicated neural network in which the reference image is associated with one of a group of classes that group all possible hour and minute combinations.

[0014] In a particular embodiment, the determination step performs a second identification process to identify the seconds indicated by the portable watch in the reference image using a dedicated neural network in which the reference image is associated with one of a group of classes, each of which is a group of 60 different values ​​representing sequential seconds that make up one minute.

[0015] In a specific embodiment, the reference clock is formed by a reference portable timepiece, and the reference time is determined by the image recognition model after the vision system acquires an image of the reference portable timepiece.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description, which is given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a state where a portable timepiece time-adjusted using the method according to the present invention is placed on a support. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart including several steps in an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present invention. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] For clarity, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0019] The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the time of a portable timepiece 10 placed on a support 20 according to the reference time indicated by a reference clock. When using the method according to the present invention, first, the goal is to acquire the time indicated by the portable timepiece 10. The reference time corresponds to, for example, the current time, and is provided by an atomic clock, a reference portable timepiece, or the like.

[0020] To this end, the method includes a determination step (200) of acquiring an image of the portable timepiece 10 by a vision system 30 and determining the time indicated by the portable timepiece 10. The image of the portable timepiece 10 serves as a reference image in several subsequent steps of the method.

[0021] The vision system 30 is known to those skilled in the art and is formed, for example, in particular by a camera or a photography device. The acquired images are stored in a memory by a data processing unit 40 such as a processor.

[0022] Thereafter, a judgment step (300) of judging the time indicated by the portable timepiece 10 in the reference image is executed by the data processing unit 40 using an image recognition model using at least one neural network trained in the database 50.

[0023] The database 50 is created in a preliminary creation step 100 and includes images of portable timepieces that are all different from each other. These images are labeled, and each label includes information representing the time indicated by the portable timepiece displayed on the image associated with the portable timepiece.

[0024] These images can be created by an image generation algorithm and / or by taking photographs of the portable timepiece.

[0025] In particular, in order to acquire a desired number of images, photographs can be taken at regular intervals over a predetermined period of time.

[0026] In this case, there is an advantage that the rate of the portable timepiece can be controlled and its chronometric accuracy can be ensured by servo-controlling the rate of the portable timepiece to a nominal frequency corresponding to the theoretical frequency at which the oscillator of the portable timepiece, that is, the balance-balance spring (oscillator), is assumed to vibrate. An example of such servo control is described in EP3410235.

[0027] The determination step 300 preferably includes a detection process 301 for detecting the presence of the portable watch 10 on the support 20. This detection process 301 for detecting the presence of the portable watch 10 on the support 20 can be implemented by a specific neural network or by a sensor connected to the data processing unit 40. The result of the detection process 301 instructs the execution of the determination step 300, as will be described in detail below.

[0028] To increase the success rate of accurately determining the time indicated by the portable watch 10, regardless of the position of the portable watch 10 relative to the vision system 30, the determination step 300 can, advantageously, perform a geometric transformation process 302 on the reference image using a dedicated neural network after the detection process 301, if appropriate. Such a neural network is known as a "spatial transformation network." The geometric transformation process 302 on the reference image is performed if the presence of the portable watch 10 is detected by the detection process 301, and not otherwise.

[0029] Advantageously, as shown in Figure 2, the determination step 300 may include an identification process 303 that identifies the hours and minutes indicated by the portable watch 10 in the reference image using a specific neural network that associates the reference image with one of the classes in the class group. Each of these classes corresponds to one of the possible time combinations from 12 hours and 60 minutes, i.e., one of the 720 classes.

[0030] In this hour and minute identification process 303, the seconds indicated by the portable watch 10 in the reference image are not identified.

[0031] In fact, seconds are identified in another second identification process 304, which uses a dedicated neural network to associate the reference image with one of a group of classes, each of which is a group of 60 different values ​​representing sequential seconds that make up one minute.

[0032] By determining the hour-minute pair and the seconds separately, the size of the database 50 can be minimized, and the resources required to use the neural network for identifying the minutes, hours, and seconds shown by the portable watch 10 can also be minimized. Furthermore, because the neural network is specialized in identifying seconds, it becomes more specialized and efficient, and can identify seconds regardless of the type of seconds display equipped on the portable watch 10, such as a type that displays seconds on a small subdial or a type that displays seconds on a central hand, and regardless of the appearance of the subdial or faceplate.

[0033] Preferably, as shown in Figure 2, the method according to the present invention includes a verification step 400 for verifying the consistency of the results obtained by the determination step 300.

[0034] This verification step 400 involves several time points T0, ..., T within a given time interval. n This is performed by executing a series of sequential processes 401 that determine the time indicated by the portable watch 10 at time points T0,...,T n The time points are separated by a selected period of time, and these periods can be the same or different, for example, a few seconds, or within the range of 5 to 10 seconds. For example, n=3, and in this case the column includes four sequential processes for determining the time indicated by the portable watch 10. Time points T0,...,T n Each is characterized by a known reference time given by a reference clock, such as a reference portable clock or an atomic clock.

[0035] At the end of a series of sequential processes 401 that determine the time indicated by the portable watch 10, a comparison process 402 is executed, in which each time point T0,...,T n The determined time is compared with the reference time, and a value representing the difference between the determined time and the reference time is obtained.

[0036] Then, verification step 400 is performed at time points T0,...,T n The verification process 403 includes, for at least one of the conditions, a verification process 403 that repeats a series of sequential processes 401, ignoring the result obtained in the determination step 300, assuming that the value representing the difference between the determined time and the reference time is greater than a threshold. Thanks to the number of occurrences of n=3, the number of processes, and therefore the length of the series of sequential processes 401, can be minimized while eliminating the possibility that the determined time coincidentally matches the reference time.

[0037] If the value representing the difference between the determined time and the reference time is less than the threshold, the result obtained by the determination step 300 is verified, and the execution of the method according to the present invention continues.

[0038] The verification step 400 ensures that the time determined in the determination step 300 precisely matches the time actually indicated by the portable watch 10.

[0039] In the second step, the time on the portable watch 10 is set.

[0040] The portable watch 10 can be time-set by servo-controlling the rate at which the portable watch 10 operates, particularly the operating frequency of its oscillator.

[0041] Specifically, in the time setting step 500, the portable watch 10 is set to time by oscillating and rotating the support 20 on which the portable watch 10 is placed, at a frequency intended to slow down or speed up the rate of the portable watch 10 so that the portable watch 10 reaches a reference time. More specifically, the operating frequency of the oscillator within the portable watch 10 is increased or decreased until the time indicated by the portable watch 10 matches the reference time, preferably the current time.

[0042] This time-setting step 500 may involve performing the determination step 300, preferably continuously, so that the moment when the portable watch 10 reaches the reference time can be identified. Alternatively, the duration of the time-setting step 500 is calculated based on the difference between the time indicated by the portable watch 10 and the reference time, taking into account that the reference time changes over time and the rate at which the time indicated by the portable watch 10 changes.

[0043] The time can be set by acting on the control mechanism of the portable watch, such as the crown or pushers, via appropriate connection means controlled by the data processing unit 40.

[0044] After the time of the portable watch 10 is set, the support body 20 can be driven to vibrate at the nominal frequency, thereby enabling the portable watch 10 to maintain excellent time accuracy.

[0045] As known from prior art, the nominal frequency is determined by measuring the frequency of the oscillator in the portable watch 10 using a suitable vibration sensor such as a microphone or contact sensor, and comparing that frequency to several predetermined values ​​stored in a memory module, such as 2.5 Hz, 3 Hz, and 4 Hz. These predetermined values ​​represent potential reference frequencies. For example, the predetermined value closest to the measured frequency is selected by the data processing unit 40 as the nominal frequency value.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reference clock is a reference portable clock, and the reference time is determined by the image recognition model described above after the vision system 30 acquires an image of the reference portable clock. The image of the reference portable clock can be acquired by the same camera used to acquire an image of the portable clock 10, or it can be acquired by a specific camera. It is clear that the determination step is performed before the step 500 in which the portable clock 10 is set to time.

[0047] In this exemplary embodiment, the chronometer accuracy of the reference portable watch is advantageously significantly higher than the accuracy of the portable watch 10 to be time-set.

[0048] The configuration and arrangement of electronic components can be easily determined by those skilled in the art, and therefore are not described in detail here.

[0049] More generally, the embodiments and methods of use described above are merely examples, and therefore other variant forms are also possible.

[0050] Specifically, the method of the present invention allows multiple portable watches to be synchronized simultaneously according to a reference time provided by the same reference clock.

[0051] Furthermore, the above-described time setting method can be implemented in parallel with the optimized winding of one or more portable watches, as described in EP3410235, EP3410236, and EP3422119, so that the wearer can use it immediately at any time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10. Portable Watches 20 Support 30 Vision Systems 40 Data Processing Units 50 Databases

Claims

1. A method for setting the time of a portable clock (10) placed on a support (20) according to a reference time provided by a reference clock, The steps include: using the vision system (30) to acquire an image of the portable watch (10) that constitutes a reference image; A determination step (300) is a determination step (300) which uses an image recognition model using at least one neural network trained by a database (50) to determine the time indicated by the portable watch (10) in the reference image, wherein the database (50) includes images of portable watches that are labeled differently from each other, and each label includes information representing the time indicated by the portable watch (10) shown in the associated image, The process involves a step (500) of adjusting the time of the portable watch (10) by oscillating and rotating the support (20) on which the portable watch (10) is placed, at a frequency intended to slow down or speed up the rate of the portable watch (10) so that the portable watch (10) reaches the reference time, A method that includes this.

2. The process includes a verification step (400) for verifying the consistency of the results obtained in the judgment step (300), and this verification step (400) is: Multiple time points T within a predetermined time interval 0 ,...,T n A series of sequential processes (401) in which the portable watch (10) indicates the time, wherein each of the time points is characterized by a known reference time, Each time point T 0 ,...,T n A comparison process (402) is performed to compare the determined time with the reference time and obtain a value representing the difference between the determined time and the reference time. Said time T 0 ,...,T n In at least one of the steps, if the value representing the difference between the determined time and the reference time is greater than a threshold, a verification process (403) is performed which ignores the result obtained after the determination step (300) and repeats the verification step (400). The method according to claim 1.

3. In order to create the database (50), photographs of portable watches are taken at regular intervals over a predetermined period of time, and a desired number of images are obtained. Each image is assigned data representing the time indicated by the portable watch displayed on the reference image. The method according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned portable watch is a mechanical portable watch driven by a support (20) that performs a oscillating rotational motion at a nominal frequency corresponding to the theoretical frequency at which the oscillator within the portable watch is expected to vibrate. The method according to claim 3.

5. The determination step (300) includes a detection process (301) for detecting the presence of a portable watch (10) on the support (20), If the presence of the portable watch (10) is detected in the detection process (301), the execution of the determination step (300) is continued; otherwise, it is not continued. The method according to claim 1.

6. The detection process (301) for detecting the presence of the portable watch (10) on the support (20) is performed by a specific neural network. The method according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned determination step (300) involves performing a geometric transformation process (302) on the reference image using a dedicated neural network. The method according to claim 1.

8. The determination step (300) performs an identification process (303) for the hour and minute to be identified in the reference image, using a dedicated neural network in which the reference image is associated with one of a group of classes that group all possible combinations of hour and minute. The method according to claim 5.

9. The determination step (300) performs a second identification process (304) to identify the seconds indicated by the portable watch (10) in the reference image, using a dedicated neural network in which the reference image is associated with one of a group of classes, each of which is a group of 60 different values ​​representing sequential seconds that make up one minute. The method according to claim 5.

10. The aforementioned reference clock is formed by a reference portable clock, The aforementioned reference time is determined by the image recognition model after the vision system (30) acquires an image of the reference portable watch. The method according to claim 1.

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