DE69712192T2 - Clock with tactile reading and control of the horometric functions - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a watch which enables the time to be read in the usual way and which also comprises an arrangement designed to facilitate the reading and setting of the timekeeping functions in a tactile manner by means of coded, non-acoustic functions, such a watch being intended in particular for a visually impaired user or for a sighted user who finds himself in circumstances in which he cannot or does not want to look at his watch.

The invention relates in particular to a wristwatch with an analogue display, the aesthetic aspect of which is in no way different from that of ordinary watches and the technical characteristics of which, for example in terms of watertightness, are superior to those of watches currently used by visually impaired people.

The invention also relates to such a wristwatch, the structure of the bezel of which enables a given tactile zone to be found more effectively, the number of manipulation steps for reading and setting a timekeeping function being reduced and the coding of the acoustic vibrations being simplified. In document US 5 559 761, the applicant has already described various embodiments of a wristwatch the appearance of which does not reveal whether the person wearing it has a visual impairment and which provides the timekeeping functions by means of coded, non-acoustic vibrations. This requires a number of more or less complicated manipulations of the crown, the push buttons and the tactile markings arranged on the surface of the bezel, opposite the sensors incorporated in the bezel or in the watch glass. In various embodiments, the tactile markings are formed as depressions in the bezel or they are separated from each other by elevations on the bezel, corresponding to only one function, which may be an operating mode or a time indication. Although the aim is achieved in terms of aesthetics, the wristwatch described in document US 5 559 761 still requires a not insignificant learning process on the part of the user, both in terms of the correct positioning of a finger on a particular tactile marking, as well as in terms of learning how to use the control devices and the code proposed to provide information by means of non-acoustic vibrations.

The present invention therefore aims to make the use of a wristwatch of the type mentioned more reliable in terms of the information it provides and to simplify its use by adapting it to the reflexes already acquired with a conventional watch.

The invention therefore relates to a watch that allows the time to be read both visually and tactilely, the setting of all of its timekeeping functions being done by touch, with the exception of initialization, which may require the intervention of a sighted person. Such a watch according to the invention comprises:

a case closed by a watch crystal, which is arranged above a dial for the analogue display by means of hands and surrounded by a fixed bezel;

- a time measuring circuit and at least one stepper motor for driving the hands;

- a device for generating non-acoustic vibrations;

- at least one energy source supplying the timing circuit, the stepping motor and the vibration generating device;

- a set of twelve sensors arranged opposite twelve time positions and at least one external control device;

- an electronic coding circuit associated with the timing circuit, the sensors and the external control device for controlling the oscillation generating device;

characterized in that the bezel is provided with twelve ridges extending radially beyond the bezel and the housing, the ridges being arranged between the twelve sensors to guide a user's finger to a specific sensor.

It has been observed that a visually impaired person prefers to follow the circumference of an object with his finger rather than a surface. In the case of a watch, following the circumference of the case or the middle part of the case offers the additional advantage of providing a more reliable marking due to the position of the strap and the crown, which may be the only external control organ. the positions 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, which are privileged positions as explained below.

For example, the raised areas on the bezel are in the form of bars that are slightly longer than the width of the watch. An observer with average attention might assume that these bars are purely decorative, so that it is not possible to know by simply looking at the watch whether the person wearing it is visually impaired or not.

According to the preferred embodiment, the sensors used are of the capacitive type and are arranged under the watch glass, above each hour position, although it is possible to use other types of sensors according to other arrangements, for example piezoelectric sensors arranged on the bezel. Furthermore, it is possible to allow a user to obtain confirmation of the correct positioning of his finger over a sensor by machining a small portion of the outer surface of the bezel, located above each hour mark, to give it a slight roughness that is perceptible by touch but not visually perceptible. For example, it is possible to form small dots by means of laser machining.

In order to avoid any accidental manipulation of the sensors, the first function of the external control device is to enable, when a short pressure is applied, the switch to a tactile reading mode. The timekeeping function is then selected by placing the finger over the sensor, which is located at 12 o'clock for the current time and at 6 o'clock for the alarm time. The second function of the control device is to set the current time and to set or change the alarm time when a pull is applied, this manipulation being quite common for the majority of watches.

In the "read" mode, the user simply has to move a finger over the sensor array until he finds the sensor that triggers a coded vibration, and the position of which he can easily identify by passing his finger between the raised areas that extend to the perimeter of the casing. In the "set" mode, the user performs the opposite operation to select a specific sensor. The coding, which is the same in both modes, is also very simple, as shown below. The sensors located at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock allow the clock to be initialized, as explained below.

As you can see, the sensors located at 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock perform two easy-to-remember functions.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of an embodiment given as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tactile watch according to the invention;

- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the watch shown in Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line III-III of Fig. 1; and

- Fig. 4 shows examples of the coding of non-acoustic vibrations.

The watch shown consists of a case 1 formed by a base 2 and a middle case 3 and closed by a watch glass 4 arranged above a round dial 5 for analogue display by means of hands 6 and 7. The watch glass 5 is held in place by means of a fixed bezel 8 connected to the case 1. A push button 9, on which either a push or a pull can be exerted, is positioned on the middle case at 3 o'clock. In the schematic sectional view of Fig. 3, the connecting means are not shown since they are well known to the person skilled in the art. The internal space delimited by the dial 5 and the base 2 is occupied by a clockwork mechanism represented schematically by a timepiece circuit 10, a stepping motor 11 and an oscillation generating device 20 powered by a power source 24 in response to the commands received from an electronic coding circuit 25 dependent on the timepiece circuit 10.

The vibration generating device 20 is, for example, that described in US patent 5,365,497. It essentially consists of a motor 21 of the electromagnetic type capable of transmitting an oscillating movement to a mass 23 via an elastic connection 22. The vibration or the packet of vibrations thus generated can be perceived by the user both on the wrist and at any point on the case. The watch according to the invention simultaneously enables a conventional visual reading of the time using the hands 6 and 7 and a reading by touch. This touch reading is carried out using of twelve capacitive sensors C₁ to C₁₂, arranged under the watch glass above each hour mark on the dial, of which sensor C₉ can be seen in the section in Fig. 3. The position of each sensor can be recognized by means of the projections R₁ to R₁₂, which are arranged on the bezel between each hour mark and project beyond the circumference of the case 1. In the example shown, the projections R₁ to R₁₂ have the form of ridges which slightly enclose the bezel, as can be seen in Fig. 3 for the projection R₅. These ridges can be elements applied, for example, by welding or gluing, or can be made of the same material as the bezel.

The structure of the clock just described enables easy reading and setting by touch through the use of an easily memorized vibration coding, as will become clear from the following description of the various time measurement functions.

Reading the current time

The user briefly presses the push-button 9 to switch to tactile mode, then positions his finger between the bars R12 and R1, then slides it for a brief moment (less than two seconds) over the watch glass above the sensor C12. It will be seen that errors are avoided by physically separating the position of the mark on the bezel 8 from that of the sensor located under the watch glass 5, which is even more important for setting operations, as will be explained below. The user then perceives a rapid vibration confirming that he is in "reading the time" mode. He then moves his finger on the surface of the watch glass near the bezel until he perceives a continuous vibration indicating that he is above the hour hand. He then locates this position by sliding his finger along the bezel between two bars that he can easily identify by comparing them with the corresponding positions of the strap and push-button attachments. He follows the same procedure to determine the position of the minute hand, with the vibrations emitted by an active sensor coded as follows:

The integer multiples of five minutes are encoded by a continuous oscillation, which is made up of uncountable impulses.

The number of minutes exceeding an integer multiple of five minutes is encoded by packets consisting of one to four countable oscillations.

For example, if each oscillation has a duration of 250 ms, the oscillations that make up a packet are separated from each other by a pause of 500 ms, and each packet is separated by a pause of 1250 ms.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the hands indicate 9:18. The user will first perceive a continuous vibration when he places his finger over sensor C9, then he will perceive a burst of three vibrations when his finger passes over sensor C3. These codings are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. The user thus knows the time to the minute, which is sometimes difficult to achieve visually, particularly with watches where the pursuit of aesthetics leads to the omission of practically all hour markers.

Reading the alarm time and alarm status

The procedure is exactly the same as described above, but initially sensor C₆ is activated instead of sensor C₁₂. When the user has his finger over sensor C₆, the rapid vibration is coded to indicate the alarm condition in the same way.

When the alarm is inactive (OFF), the packet is formed by a fast oscillation.

When the alarm is active (ON), the packet is formed by two fast oscillations.

Changing the alarm state

After briefly pressing crown 9, the user positions his finger over sensor Cg as before and leaves it there for more than two seconds. The user then perceives a burst of vibrations consisting of a sequence of one rapid vibration and two rapid vibrations. To set the alarm state that he prefers, he withdraws his finger when he perceives either one vibration (OFF) or two vibrations (ON).

Changing the current time or alarm time

After briefly pressing crown 9 and selecting the current time (positioning the finger on sensor C₁₂) or the alarm time (positioning the finger on sensor C₆), the user exercises a pull on the crown. The user will then successively cause the hour hand 6 and the minute hand 7 to move by acting on the sensors C₁ to C₁₂.

To set the hour hand, the user locates the selected hour position between two bars R1 to R12 and slides his finger over the corresponding sensor. He then perceives a continuous vibration which confirms that the hour hand is now in the corresponding position corresponding to the time difference he has chosen.

If the user simply wishes to change the time zone or to switch from summer time to winter time, he does not need to perform any further operation and the watch automatically returns to the "reading" mode after a certain time has elapsed. If, on the other hand, he also wishes to set the minute hand, he uses the bars to locate the hour position corresponding to an integer multiple of five minutes equal to or immediately less than the number of minutes selected and then slides his finger over the corresponding sensor. The electronic control circuit then sends signals to the oscillation generating device to generate a burst of oscillations encoding the values 0 to 4 by a continuous oscillation and then 1, 2, 3 and 4 countable oscillations separated by pauses, this sequence, shown in Fig. 4 for the values 0 to 3, repeating as long as the user holds his finger over the sensor. The minute number will correspond to the last group of vibrations perceived. After the user withdraws his finger, the minute hand 7 will take the selected position.

initialization

In electronic clocks with analogue displays, whose hands are driven by independent stepper motors, it is sometimes necessary to correct the zero reference of the hands. This is usually done by moving one hand at a time to the position above 12 o'clock. In the absence of other devices, the control of this superposition is the only one that must be carried out visually.

To do this, the user applies a long pressure (more than five seconds) on the crown followed by a pull. He then places his finger on sensor C9 until he feels a continuous vibration confirming that the hour hand is at the 12 o'clock position.

In the same way, he moves the minute hand by positioning his finger over the sensor C�3;.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment just described. Without departing from the scope of the invention, the person skilled in the art can adapt the method of locating the sensors to other timepieces.

Claims (8)

1. A watch with visual and tactile timekeeping functions, comprising: - a housing (1) closed by a watch glass (4) which is arranged above a dial (5) for the analogue display by means of hands (6, 7) and is surrounded by a fixed glass bezel (8); - a time measuring circuit (10) and at least one stepping motor (11) for driving the hands (6, 7); - a device (20) for generating non-acoustic vibrations; - at least one energy source (24) which supplies the time measuring circuit (10), the stepping motor (11) and the vibration generating device (20); - a set of twelve sensors (C₁ to C₁₂) arranged opposite twelve time positions and at least one external control device (9); an electronic coding circuit (25) associated with the timing circuit (10), the sensors (C₁ to C₁₂) and the external control member (9) for controlling the vibration generating device (20); characterized in that the bezel (8) is provided with twelve elevations (R₁ to R₁₂) which extend radially beyond the bezel (8) and the housing (1), the elevations (R₁ to R₁₂) being arranged between the twelve sensors (C₁ to C₁₂) in order to guide a user's finger to a specific sensor. 2. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensors (C₁ to C₁₂) are of the capacitive type and are located under the watch glass (1) above each time position. 3. Watch according to claim 2, characterized in that small outer sections of the watch glass opposite each time position are machined so that they have a slight roughness which is tactile but not visually noticeable. 4. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the member (9) for external control is a push button (9) designed to put the watch into tactile reading mode when the push button (9) is briefly pressed. 5. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensors (C₃, C₆, C₇ and C₁₂) are designed such that their first activation by placing a finger selects a specific time measurement information. 6. Watch according to claim 5, characterized in that the sensors (C₁₂ and C₆) enable the current time and the alarm time to be selected for reading or setting, respectively, once the transition to the tactile reading mode has been carried out. 7. Watch according to claim 6, characterized in that the push button (9) is designed in such a way that a pull exerted on it enables the setting of the current time and the alarm time. 8. Watch according to claim 5, characterized in that the sensors (C�9; and C₃) are designed so that, by being activated one after the other and after a long press and a pull on the push button (9), they enable the watch to be initialized by visually controlling the superposition of the hands at 12 o'clock.