Single Hand Timepiece Mode Control via Rotary Crown
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing timepieces with multiple functions, such as chronograph and water depth measurement, suffer from usability issues due to complex operation modes and increased power consumption, and electronic timepieces with satellite signal reception lack an integrated chronograph function, compromising visibility and aesthetic design.
Innovation Solution
A timepiece design featuring a single indicating hand that distinguishes between different functions and states using separate display regions and operation units, reducing power consumption and improving usability, while integrating a chronograph function with satellite signal reception and world time display on a wristwatch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If two indicating hands are driven to display mode and function information, then the user can recognize the current mode and state, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single indicating hand serves multiple functions: it acts as both a mode hand to indicate the current operating mode (chronograph, water depth measurement, etc.) and a function hand to display function-specific information (water depth, chronograph time). This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate hands, reducing power consumption while maintaining complete information display capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple buttons are used for mode selection and function execution, then the functions can be controlled, but the usability degrades due to complex operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines mode selection and function execution into a single button operation. By pressing the same button (first or second press button) in different modes, the user can both select the desired mode and execute functions (start/stop chronograph, initiate water depth measurement) without needing separate buttons for each operation, thereby simplifying the operational sequence and improving usability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using different buttons for mode selection and function execution, the patent inverts the approach by using the same button for both purposes. The function executed depends on the current mode, creating an intuitive relationship where the button's function is determined by the display state rather than requiring separate controls.
3Device complexity
If display regions are separated from operation units, then the layout can be flexible, but the user understanding of button function decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a local association between operation units and display regions through spatial proximity and functional correspondence. The first press button is positioned near the first display region (mode hand display), and the second press button is positioned near the second display region (function hand display). This local quality ensures that users can intuitively understand which button controls which function based on their relative positions, maintaining ease of operation despite overall layout flexibility.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An electronic timepiece has a display device that displays display information, a drive mechanism that drives the display device, a crown that can perform a rotary operation, and a control device that corrects the display information displayed on the display device by the rotary operation of the crown. The control device has a single correction mode and a continuous correction mode which are selected by the rotary operation of the crown. In the single correction mode, a single correction signal is output to the drive mechanism so that the display device is corrected as much as a single correction quantity. In the continuous correction mode, a continuous correction signal is output to the drive mechanism so that the display device is corrected as much as a continuous correction quantity. The continuous correction quantity is set depending on types of the display information to be corrected in the continuous correction mode.