Locatable perpetual digital time display clock

Abstract

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a locatable clock and a method for locating a clock. The watch has a permanent digital time display and comprises a strap (1) for wearing the watch on a user's wrist, a case (2) attached to the strap and housing a means (4) for displaying time information in digital form, and an electronic circuit configured to generate an identification signal representing the watch's identity, energized by electrical energy storage means. The case further houses an antenna connected to the electronic circuit and configured to receive the identification signal and wirelessly transmit an electromagnetic signal representing the watch's identity to a device remote from the watch. The antenna is located within the case (2), and the case (2) further comprises a portion covering the antenna, the portion being made of a material that is transparent to electromagnetic signals.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wristwatch with a permanent digital display of time information. [Background technology]

[0002] Wristwatches are known as devices for telling a user time. Among them, watches with permanent digital time display do not have moving parts, i.e. hands, to indicate the time, but instead have a means for displaying the time in digital form, such as an LCD or LED. The display means is generally configured to show hours and minutes, and preferably also seconds.

[0003] What is needed is an easy way to find a digital watch if it is lost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a means for easily locating a watch with a permanent digital time display if it is lost.

[0005] To this end, the invention provides: a strap for attaching the watch to a user's wrist; Attached to a strap, an electrical energy storage means; A watch with a permanent digital time display is proposed, comprising an electronic circuit supplied with energy by an electrical energy storage means, and a case housing the same.

[0006] The watch is characterized in that the electronic circuit is configured to generate an identification signal representative of the identity of the watch, the electronic circuit being connected to an antenna configured to receive the identification signal and to wirelessly transmit an electromagnetic signal representative of the identity.

[0007] The watch is further characterized in that at least a portion of the case covering the antenna is transparent to electromagnetic signals.

[0008] Thanks to the electronic circuitry and antenna, as well as the parts of the case that are transparent to electromagnetic signals, the watch can transmit signals that make it possible to detect its presence and therefore to identify its location.

[0009] The watch according to the invention has a "digital time" display, i.e. is configured to display time information, for example the time or date (in real time), in digital form. In a known manner, this display may be carried out over a significant part of the screen, for example at least 50%, or even at least 80%, or even the entire surface.

[0010] The time information is, in a known manner, for example, preferably configured as 7-segment numbers to define the time. For example, a clock displays the time using a display means such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or a liquid crystal. The display means is preferably a liquid crystal. Such clocks generally do not have hands.

[0011] A watch according to the present invention has a "permanent" digital time display, in the sense that the time display is always present when the watch is "running" (i.e., turned on and / or activated using a display-operable energy source, such as a battery). The time display cannot be replaced with another display. For example, the aforementioned portion of the screen is configured only to display time information in digital form. However, this time information may include several elements, such as the time and date, and / or time variants.

[0012] The watch forming the subject of the present invention is therefore not a smartwatch or a watch in particular connected to the Internet: it is typically limited to basic functions such as time display (time and / or date), stopwatch or equivalent, alarm, etc., without advanced functions that require a specific computer connection to the Internet.

[0013] The display means mentioned above is typically configured to show time information to the user in numerical form. The display means is preferably installed between the electronic circuit and the lens of the watch. The display means is preferably arranged so that it can be seen by the user through the lens. The lens is made of a material that is transparent to visible light. For example, the lens is a glass plate.

[0014] The watch has a strap for being worn on the wrist of an adult or child, and is therefore a wristwatch.

[0015] The electrical energy storage means is preferably a battery or an electrical cell such as a button cell. The energy stored in the electrical energy storage means is used to provide the energy required by the electronic circuits of the watch to generate the identification signal.

[0016] The portion of the case that covers the antenna may be made of one or more materials that are transparent to electromagnetic signals.

[0017] Preferably, the entire case is made of a material that is transparent to UHF (ultra high frequency) electromagnetic waves. Alternatively or simultaneously, the case is made of a material that is transparent to VHF (very high frequency) and / or SHF (centimeter wave).

[0018] The case houses the electrical energy storage means, the electronic circuitry and the antenna. Preferably the case is hermetically sealed, for example watertight and airtight.

[0019] Within the scope of this specification, electromagnetic waves refer to those that comply with international standards implemented by the International Telecommunications Union.

[0020] VHF waves or meter waves have frequencies between 30 MHz and 300 MHz.

[0021] UHF waves or decimeter waves have frequencies between 300 MHz and 3 GHz.

[0022] SHF waves or centimeter waves have frequencies between 3 GHz and 30 GHz.

[0023] The case may comprise the lens, in which case the lens is part of the case. For example, the part of the case mentioned above may comprise part of the lens or the entire lens.

[0024] The electronic circuit is configured to generate and transmit an identification signal representing the identity of the timepiece to the antenna, and the antenna is configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal representing the identity of the timepiece based on the identification signal received from the electronic circuit.

[0025] Preferably, the electronic circuit and antenna of the watch are configured to generate and transmit an electromagnetic signal so that the electromagnetic signal is detectable by a first device located away from the watch. Preferably, the electromagnetic circuit and antenna are configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal so that the electromagnetic signal is detectable by the first device at an air distance of at least 10 meters, preferably at least 25 meters. This means that the electromagnetic signal is detectable by the first device when the watch is located within a radius of 10 meters, preferably 25 meters, from the first device and the only obstacle separating the first device from the watch is air. Because 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.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the watch's antenna is configured to transmit electromagnetic signals at ultra-high frequency (UHF), preferably between 2400 MHz and 2483.5 MHz, allowing communication using the Bluetooth® standard. Bluetooth® technology has the advantage of allowing short-range, energy-efficient communication between the watch and the first device.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, which may be combined with the embodiment of the previous paragraph, the antenna of the watch is configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal in ultra wide band (UWB), preferably at frequencies between 3100 MHz and 10600 MHz, more preferably at frequencies between 6000 MHz and 8500 MHz. The use of ultra wide band signals means that the watch can be located very accurately by the first device when it is a short distance away from the first device.

[0028] Preferably, at least one top surface of the antenna faces directly onto the case, meaning that the top surface of the antenna faces the case, which improves the efficiency of the transmission of electromagnetic signals by the antenna. Preferably, there is no intermediate part constituting an electromagnetic shield that at least partially prevents the propagation of electromagnetic signals and separates the top surface of the antenna from the case.

[0029] For example, the top surface of the antenna directly faces a portion of the case that covers the antenna, which is transparent to electromagnetic signals.

[0030] Preferably, the watch case comprises a bezel surrounding the lens, for example, with the top surface of the antenna facing towards the part of the case comprising the bezel.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the watch, the case further houses a support for the antenna, the support being transparent to electromagnetic signals and arranged to prevent displacement of the antenna relative to the case and electronic circuitry, which improves the energy efficiency of the watch for transmitting electromagnetic signals of a given amplitude, as the electromagnetic signal is less likely to be obstructed / attenuated by surrounding conductive elements, such as the electrical energy storage means or elements of the electronic circuitry.

[0032] The support therefore holds the antenna in a fixed position within the case. Preferably, when the antenna is received or supported by the support, the support is configured to maintain the relative position of the antenna with respect to the electronic circuitry, so as to separate the antenna and the electronic circuitry by a non-zero distance. Preferably, when the antenna is received or supported by the support, the support is configured to maintain the relative position of the antenna with respect to the electrical energy storage means (cell or battery), so as to separate the antenna and the electrical energy storage means by a non-zero distance. Preferably, the non-zero distance separating the antenna from the electronic circuitry and / or the electrical energy storage means is greater than 1 mm, preferably greater than 2 mm, and more preferably less than 5 mm. This avoids interference or attenuation of electromagnetic signals with conductive elements of the watch.

[0033] The support holds the antenna, which may be flexible and / or fragile, within the watch. It is configured to prevent contact between the conductive antenna and the electronic circuitry and between the conductive antenna and the electrical energy storage means (batteries or cells). The support improves the watch's shock resistance and prevents the risk of short circuits within the watch.

[0034] Preferably, the support has an annular shape, in this way the arched antenna follows the shape of the support. The support may also be configured to surround a module of the watch comprising the electronic circuitry and / or the display means.

[0035] Preferably, the support includes a groove for receiving the antenna. Accordingly, the groove has a recess suitable for receiving the antenna. The shape of the recess is preferably complementary to the shape of the antenna. For example, the recess is arranged to at least partially surround the antenna. For example, the recess surrounds the lower surface of the antenna opposite the upper surface, and the side of the antenna joining the lower and upper surfaces of the antenna. For example, the lower surface of the antenna directly contacts the bottom of the groove in the support.

[0036] Preferably, the support has a notch for receiving the connecting conductor between the antenna and the electronic circuit. Such a support improves the compactness of the watch and allows a compact and advantageous coupling of the antenna and the electronic circuit. In particular, it is therefore possible to hold watches of standard size, regardless of the arrangement of the positioning means shown. For example, the watch extends as a disk with a diameter of 25 mm or less and a height of 10 mm or less.

[0037] For example, the top surface of the support is provided with a groove and the side surface of the support is provided with a notch for receiving the connecting conductor. Preferably, the antenna and the electronic circuit are separated by the support.

[0038] Preferably, the case of the watch also includes an on / off button for the electronic circuit to start or stop the generation of the identification signal by the electronic circuit, thereby conserving energy by turning off the electronic circuit when the watch is not in use or is not in danger of being lost. The on / off button is coupled to the electronic circuit of the watch.

[0039] The on / off button is also preferably configured to start or stop the transmission of an electromagnetic signal by the antenna. The button is configured to be pressed by a user. In response to successive presses of the button by the user, the electronic circuit is configured to successively generate or stop generating an identification signal. The watch is configured so that when the electronic circuit generates (or does not generate) an identification signal, the antenna transmits (or does not transmit) an electromagnetic signal (respectively).

[0040] Preferably, the watch case is completely transparent to electromagnetic waves.

[0041] Preferably, the case of the watch is made of a polymer that is transparent to electromagnetic waves, such as plastic, for example the case is made entirely of polymer. Preferably, the case is made of an electrically insulating material.

[0042] Preferably, the antenna has an arch shape.

[0043] Preferably, the antenna is planar, i.e. has a flat shape, in other words is contained within a plane or is flattened.

[0044] The antenna preferably extends along the inner periphery of the case. Preferably, the antenna extends along a circular arc, with an angle at the center of the circular arc ranging from 90° to 270°, preferably from 130° to 180°. It is preferably semicircular. The aforementioned connecting conductor may be arranged asymmetrically with respect to the antenna, for example, at a position one-third of the way along the antenna, to facilitate coupling and assembly.

[0045] The present invention also provides methods for determining the location of a watch according to the present invention. Preferably, these methods are computer-implemented.

[0046] In a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method comprises: wirelessly transmitting an electromagnetic signal representing the watch's identification information by an antenna located within the watch case; receiving an electromagnetic signal by a first device remote from the watch; and determining, by the first device, a location of the clock in response to receipt of the electromagnetic signal by the first device, and displaying the determined location of the clock on a screen of the first device.

[0047] For example, the first device is a smartphone.

[0048] Preferably, the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the antenna is ultra-wideband (UWB), preferably at frequencies between 3100 MHz and 10600 MHz, more preferably at frequencies between 6000 MHz and 8500 MHz, which allows for more accurate location of the watch.

[0049] In the method according to the invention, the determination of the position of the watch by the first device and the display of the determined position of the watch by the first device are performed in response to the reception of an electromagnetic signal by the first device, the electromagnetic signal received by the first device including the identification information of the watch, which may be based on an identification signal generated by an electronic circuit of the watch and representing the identification information of the watch.

[0050] The step of determining the position of the clock and displaying the determined position of the clock on a screen of the first device is preferably a step of determining a relative position of the clock with respect to the first device and displaying the determined relative position on a screen of the first device.

[0051] In a second embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method comprises: wirelessly transmitting an electromagnetic signal representing the watch's identification information by an antenna located within the watch case; receiving an electromagnetic signal by a first device remote from the watch; In response to the first device receiving the electromagnetic signal, determining, by the first device, a location of the first device and transmitting, to the second device, a second signal further representing the determined location of the first device based on the electromagnetic signal received by the first device; receiving the second signal by the second device and displaying the location of the first device on a screen of the second device.

[0052] The second device is separate 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 the owner of the watch.

[0053] For example, determining the location of the first device is performed by geolocation circuitry of the first device.

[0054] The second signal may be transmitted by the first device to the second device over a wireless communications network, possibly via a server.

[0055] The second signal is preferably an electromagnetic signal.

[0056] This method has the advantage that it works even when the first device cannot accurately determine the location of the watch, which may occur if the watch is too far from the first device. For example, this may be the case if the watch is located at a distance from the first device that is greater than the maximum transmission range of an ultra-wideband electromagnetic signal. In this case, the watch may be configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal to the first device using the Bluetooth standard. As a result, the location of the watch may be less accurate, but this may be achieved when the first device is located at a greater distance from the watch.

[0057] The first device then detects the presence of the clock within a certain circumference around the first device, but is unable to determine its exact location relative to the first device. The first device then transmits its location to the second device, providing the second device with the clock's approximate location.

[0058] Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received simultaneously or at different times by several first devices that are remote from the watch. In this way, it is possible to use multiple first devices to determine the location of the watch even when the watch is being moved. For example, the first device is a smartphone, carried by a user different from the user of the watch and the second device, and connected to the second device, for example, via a telecommunications network and a server.

[0059] The second device is configured to receive a second signal that also represents a determined location of the first device based on the electromagnetic signal received by the first device. The second signal thus includes identification information of the watch and location information of the first device. The second device is configured to display a location of the first device, which is an approximate location of the watch, based on the second signal.

[0060] This allows a user of the second device to locate a watch by leveraging the proximity between the first device and the watch, for example, even when the first device is worn by different people. Thus, the user of the second device does not need to be near the watch to detect it, nor does the user of the first device need to contact the user of the first device to locate the watch.

[0061] For example, the first device may be a smartphone. Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received by several first devices. In this case, the position of the watch can be determined, for example, by more accurate trigonometry.

[0062] Preferably, the second signal is transmitted to the second device via a server having a database that associates identification information of the watch with identification information of the second device. In this case, the method comprises the steps of: determining, by the server, the second device based on the identification information of the watch and the database in response to the server receiving the second signal; and transmitting, by the server, the identification of the watch and the location of the first device to a second device determined by the server.

[0063] The signal transmitted by the server may be the second signal or another signal representing the identity of the watch and the location of the first device.

[0064] In a second embodiment of the method according to the invention, the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the antenna is preferably an ultra-high frequency (UHF) signal, more preferably at a frequency between 2400 MHz and 2483.5 MHz.

[0065] In a third embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method comprises: wirelessly transmitting an electromagnetic signal representing the watch's identification information by an antenna located within the watch case; receiving an electromagnetic signal by a first device remote from the watch; determining, by the first device, a location of the watch in response to the first device receiving the electromagnetic signal, and transmitting, by the first device, a second signal representing the identity of the watch and the determined location of the watch to the second device; receiving the second signal by a second device and displaying the clock position on a screen of the second device.

[0066] Determining the position of the clock by the first device may include determining a relative position of the clock with respect to the first device in combination with determining the position of the first device.

[0067] The second device is separate 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 the owner of the watch.

[0068] In one example, the second device is configured to allow the second device to display the location of the clock, while the first device is configured to prevent the first device from displaying the location of the clock.

[0069] For example, determining the location of the first device is performed by geolocation circuitry of the first device.

[0070] The second signal may be transmitted to the second device, for example, via a wireless communication network comprising a server. Optionally, the server is configured to determine the position of the clock based on the relative position of the clock with respect to the first device and the position of the first device.

[0071] Preferably, the method is implemented using several first devices. Optionally, the server is configured to determine the position of the clock based on relative positions of the clock to the first devices and the positions of the first devices. By using several first devices, the position of the clock can be determined more accurately.

[0072] An advantage of this method is that it allows for accurate location of the watch. In the method, the watch may be configured to transmit an ultra-wideband electromagnetic signal to the first device.

[0073] The first device determines a relative position of the clock with respect to the first device. The first device also determines a position of the first device, for example, by geographic location. Based on the position of the first device and the relative position of the clock thus determined, the position of the clock can be determined. Determining the position of the clock based on the position of the first device and the relative position of the clock can be performed by the first device, the second device, or a separate server.

[0074] The first device generates and transmits a second signal to the second device based on the location of the first device and the relative location of the clock thus determined, the second signal being further based on a signal representing the identity of the clock.

[0075] The second signal is preferably an electromagnetic signal.

[0076] The second device then displays the location of the watch, allowing a user of the second device to find it.

[0077] Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received simultaneously or at different times by several first devices that are remote from the watch. In this way, it is possible to use multiple first devices to determine the location of the watch even when the watch is moved. For example, the first device is a smartphone, possibly carried by a user remote from the user of the watch and the second device, and connected to the second device.

[0078] The second device is configured to receive a second signal based on the electromagnetic signal received by the at least one first device. The second signal thus includes identification information of the watch and location information of the watch. The second device is configured to display the location of the watch based on the second signal.

[0079] This allows a user of the second device to locate a watch by leveraging the proximity between the first device and the watch, for example, even when the first device is worn by different people. Thus, the user of the second device does not need to be near the watch to detect it, nor does the user of the first device need to contact the user of the first device to locate the watch.

[0080] For example, the first device is a smartphone. Preferably, the electromagnetic signal is received by a plurality of first devices, each of which determines the location of the watch in response to receiving the electromagnetic signal and each of which transmits a separate second signal representing the watch's identification information and location. In this case, the transmission is preferably performed via a server that receives all the second signals, determines the location of the watch based on the second signals, and transmits the watch's location and identification information to the second device.

[0081] Preferably, the second signal is transmitted to the second device via a server having a database that associates identification information of the watch with identification information of the second device. In this case, the method comprises the steps of: determining, by the server, the second device based on the identification information of the watch and the database in response to the server receiving the second signal; and transmitting, by the server, the identification information of the clock and the location of the clock to a second device determined by the server.

[0082] The signal transmitted by the server may be a second signal or another signal representing the identity of the watch and the location of the watch.

[0083] In the context of the present application, the location of the watch may be transmitted in the form of watch location information.

[0084] Preferably, in the third embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the antenna is ultra-wideband (UWB), preferably at a frequency between 3100 MHz and 10600 MHz, more preferably at a frequency between 6000 MHz and 8500 MHz.

[0085] Within this specification, the terms "locating" and "location" are used interchangeably with the terms "determining a position" and "position."

[0086] Within the scope of this specification, location information of a device, such as a watch or a first device, may include, for example, the geographic coordinates of the device.

[0087] The use herein of the verb "comprise" and its variations and conjugations does not in any way exclude the presence of elements other than those stated. The use herein of the indefinite article "a", "an" or the definite article "the" to introduce an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of these elements.

[0088] All preferred embodiments, all features and all advantages of embodiments of the method according to the invention may be transferred mutatis mutandis to other embodiments of the method according to the invention, and vice versa.

[0089] All preferred embodiments, features and advantages of the watch according to the invention apply mutatis mutandis to the method according to the invention and vice versa. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0090] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, for the understanding of which reference should be made to the accompanying drawings.

[0091] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic exploded view of the elements of a timepiece according to the invention. [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic exploded view of the elements of a timepiece according to the invention.

[0092] The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Like elements are generally designated by like reference numerals in the drawings. Within this specification, the same or similar elements may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the presence of reference numbers or letters in the drawings should not be considered limiting, even if these numbers or letters appear in the claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0093] Detailed Description of Invention Embodiments This section describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention. The latter will be described with reference to particular embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In particular, the drawings or figures described below are only schematic and are not intended to be limiting.

[0094] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used herein solely to distinguish between different elements and therefore do not imply any order between them.

[0095] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the elements of a watch according to the invention. The watch comprises two parts of a strap 1, each part being attached to the case and comprising means for closing the strap around the wrist of a user. The watch case 2 comprises a cover 2'' which is in contact with the case via an intermediate part 2'. The case 2 is closed by a lens 3 which is a glass plate. The lens is configured to protect a display means 4. The lens is configured so that a person can see through the lens the means 4 for displaying time information (e.g. time and / or date) in digital form which is placed in the case 2. The case 2 comprises a watch bezel 5 which surrounds the lens 3.

[0096] The parts or elements shown in FIG. 2 form part of the module 12 shown in FIG.

[0097] The watch is provided with an on / off button 10 of the electronic circuit 8 shown in FIG. 2, so that the user can activate or deactivate the transmission of electromagnetic signals by the antenna 9 by successively pressing the button 10 .

[0098] The case 2 is made of a non-conductive polymer so that the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the antenna 9 can pass through it without being attenuated by it. The case 2 houses a module 12 which itself comprises the display means 4, the electronic circuit 8 and the cell 6 for powering the electronic circuit 8 and the display means 4. As explained above, the watch according to the invention may also comprise two separate batteries, one to power the electronic circuit 8 and the other to power the display means 4 of the watch.

[0099] The module 12 also includes a support 11 for the antenna 9, as shown in FIG. 2. The support 11 has an annular shape. The upper surface of the support has a groove 11' for receiving the antenna 9. The shape of the groove 11' is complementary to the shape of the antenna 9. The groove 11' has an arched recess. The groove 11' has a flat bottom. The groove 11' extends along an arc with a central angle of 145° to 170°. When the watch is assembled, the antenna is received in the groove so that the groove surrounds the underside of the antenna opposite the upper surface 9'. The groove also surrounds the side of the antenna that joins the upper surface 9' and the underside of the antenna 9. The support 11 is designed to separate the antenna 9 from the display means 4 by a shoulder extending along the groove 11'.

[0100] The support 11 is disposed so as to separate the antenna 9 from the electronic circuit 8. In practice, the antenna 9 and the electronic circuit are disposed on either side of the support 11, spaced apart by a distance of 2 mm to 10 mm.

[0101] For example, the lower surface of the support portion opposite the upper surface of the support portion faces the electronic circuit 8. For example, the lower surface and the upper surface of the support portion 11 are separated by an outer surface of the support portion 11.

[0102] The antenna 9 is supported in direct contact with the upper surface of the support 11. The circuit 8 is in direct contact with the lower surface of the support.

[0103] One side of the support 11 (i.e. the outer or radially outer side) is provided with a notch 11'' for receiving a connecting conductor 9'' between the antenna 9 and the electronic circuit 8. The antenna 9 preferably comprises a connecting conductor 9''. The connecting conductor 9'' preferably extends perpendicular to the plane of the antenna 9.

[0104] The notch 11' makes it possible to separate the antenna 9 and the electronic circuit 8 by the support, while at the same time optimizing the volume occupied by the support 11 and making the watch more compact.

[0105] The support 11 is made from a single block of material that is transparent to electromagnetic signals.

[0106] The case 2 is watertight and airtight when closed by the glass plate.

[0107] The antenna 9 is arch-shaped. It extends along the arc of a circle at an angle of 130° to 170° at its center. The antenna 9 is planar. It has an upper surface 9' that faces the case when the watch is in its assembled configuration. The upper surface 9' does not face the electronic circuit 8 or the cell 6 to avoid an electromagnetic shielding effect of the electromagnetic signal from them. The upper surface 9' is oriented toward the case so that there is no intermediate portion that would separate the inner surface of the case from the antenna's upper surface 9' and create an electromagnetic shielding effect that would attenuate the electromagnetic signal. In this way, the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the watch has maximum amplitude. Preferably, the antenna's upper surface 9' faces the inner surface of the case directly, i.e., without any intermediate portion.

[0108] Once the electronic circuitry is activated and the antenna transmits an electromagnetic signal representative of the watch's identity, the watch forms part of a system that makes it possible to identify its geographic location and to carry out the method according to the invention. The watch's location can thus be determined and communicated to the user.

[0109] For example, the antenna is configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal according to the Ultra Wideband and / or Bluetooth standard, which signal is detectable by a first device, such as a smartphone, located in the vicinity of the watch, for example within a radius of 10 m or 50 m from the watch, and which represents the identity of the watch, i.e. allows the identification of the watch that transmitted the electromagnetic signal.

[0110] The smartphone is further configured to determine the location of the watch in response to receiving the electromagnetic signal by detecting that the watch is within a certain radius of it (in response to receiving a Bluetooth® signal) or by precisely calculating the watch's position relative to it (in response to receiving an ultra-wideband signal).

[0111] The smartphone may belong to the watch owner or to a third party unknown to the watch owner. If the smartphone belongs to the watch owner, it may display the watch's location relative to the smartphone so that the watch owner can find it.

[0112] If the smartphone belongs to a third party, the smartphone may send a second signal representing some information about the location of the watch. For example, the location information may be its own location, or the location of the watch calculated based on its own location and the relative location of the watch to the smartphone, or the relative location of the watch to a smartphone that is distant from the smartphone's location. The third party's smartphone generates and transmits a second electromagnetic signal representing the location information of the watch and the watch's identification information to a second device, such as the smartphone of the watch's owner.

[0113] The second signal may be transmitted by the first device to the second device, for example, via a wireless telecommunications network that includes a server. The server is configured to determine the second device to which the second signal is to be transmitted, for example, based on the identification information of the watch, such that the identification information and location information of the watch are transmitted to a predetermined second device. For example, the server may perform this operation by a server database that maps the identification information of the watch to the identification information of the second device.

[0114] The watch's owner's smartphone can then display the watch's location so that the owner can find it again. The advantage of this method is that the watch's owner does not need to contact multiple third-party phones located near the watch in order to find it, but can use those phones to identify the watch's location.

[0115] In summary, the invention relates to a locatable watch and a method for locating a watch, the watch comprising: a strap 1 having a permanent digital time display for wearing the watch on a user's wrist; a case 2 attached to the strap and housing means 4 for displaying time information (e.g., time and / or date) in digital form; and an electronic circuit 8 energized by electrical energy storage means 6 and configured to generate an identification signal representative of the watch's identification. The case further houses an antenna 9 connected to the electronic circuit 8 and configured to receive the identification signal and to wirelessly transmit an electromagnetic signal representative of the watch's identification to a device remote from the watch. The antenna 9 is located within the case 2, which further comprises a portion covering the antenna, the portion being made of a material that is transparent to electromagnetic signals.

[0116] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and examples illustrated and / or described above, but its scope is more broadly defined by the claims introduced below.

[0117] Although the present invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments, these embodiments are purely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and examples illustrated and / or described above, but rather its scope is more broadly defined by the claims introduced below.

Claims

1. A clock with a permanent digital time display, a strap (1) for attaching the watch to a user's wrist; Attached to the strap (1), Electrical energy storage means (6), a case (2) housing an electronic circuit (8) that is supplied with energy by the electrical energy storage means (6); the electronic circuit (8) is adapted to generate an identification signal representative of the identity of the watch and is connected to an antenna (9) adapted to receive the identification signal and to transmit wirelessly an electromagnetic signal representative of the identity, Also, The antenna (9) is further characterized in that at least a portion of the case (2) covering the antenna (9) is transparent to the electromagnetic signal. A clock with a permanent digital time display.

2. 2. The watch according to claim 1, wherein said antenna (9) is adapted to transmit said electromagnetic signals at frequencies of ultra-high frequency (UHF), preferably between 2400 MHz and 2483.5 MHz.

3. 2. The watch according to claim 1, wherein said antenna (9) is configured to transmit said electromagnetic signals in Ultra Wideband (UWB), preferably at frequencies between 3100 MHz and 10600 MHz, more preferably at frequencies between 6000 MHz and 8500 MHz.

4. 2. Timepiece according to claim 1, wherein at least one upper surface (9') of said antenna (9) faces directly towards said case (2).

5. 2. The watch according to claim 1, wherein the case (2) further comprises an on / off button (10) for the electronic circuit (8) for starting or stopping the generation of the identification signal by the electronic circuit (8).

6. 2. The watch according to claim 1, wherein the case (2) is made of a polymer such as plastic.

7. 2. A watch according to claim 1, comprising means (4) for displaying time information in digital form, said display means (4) comprising light-emitting diodes or preferably a liquid crystal.

8. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the antenna (9) has an arch shape.

9. 9. A watch according to claim 8, wherein said antenna (9) extends along an arc of a circle, the angle at the centre of said arc of the circle being between 90° and 270°, preferably between 130° and 180°.

10. 2. A watch according to claim 1, wherein the case (2) further houses a support (11) for the antenna (9), the support being transparent to the electromagnetic signals and arranged to prevent displacement of the antenna (9) relative to the case (2) and the electronic circuit (8).

11. 11. Timepiece according to claim 10, wherein said support (11) comprises a groove (11') for receiving said antenna (9).

12. 12. Timepiece according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the support (11) comprises a notch (11'') for passing a connecting conductor between the antenna (9) and the electronic circuit (8).

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