IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,811,121
Granted Patent B2
US 8,811,121 · App. 13/394,434 · Granted Aug 19, 2014

Watch with an integrated chromatic tuner

Inventor: Fabien Balli (Meinier, CH)
Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
G04B47/06G04B19/04G04G21/00G10G7/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,811,121
App. No.
13/394,434
Granted
Aug 19, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A portable timepiece includes at least one hand for displaying the minutes and hours and an electronic unit for the chromatic tuning of an instrument. The electronic unit includes an acoustic signal sensor and a means of processing the received electro-acoustic signal. At least one of the hands of the timepiece displays data relative to the received electro-acoustic signal.

Claims (13)

1. A portable timepiece, provided with at least one hand for displaying the minutes and/or the hours, said portable timepiece comprising:

an electronic unit for the chromatic tuning of an instrument, said electronic unit including an acoustic signal sensor and a means of processing the received electro-acoustic signal, at least one of said hands displaying a note the frequency of which is closest to that of the received signal and a relative frequency deviation between said note and said received signal,

wherein said timepiece includes an indicator for displaying the accuracy of said notes opposite the hour hand in a top half portion of a watch dial and a scale of notes arranged opposite the minute hand in a bottom half portion of the dial, so that the data concerning the pitch of the closest note and the accuracy of the note are totally separate.

2. The portable timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said hands also displays a calibration value of a reference frequency of the tuner.

3. The portable timepiece according to the claim 2 , further including a first push button for incrementing said calibration value and a second push button for decrementing said calibration value.

4. The portable timepiece according to claim 2 , further including a scale of calibration values opposite one of said hands.

5. The timepiece according to claim 4 , wherein said indicator displays a tone ranging from a quarter tone below to a quarter tone above said closest note.

6. The portable timepiece according to claim 4 , wherein it further includes a target zone relative to the frequency of said closest note.

7. The portable timepiece according to claim 4 , wherein said scale is located on the periphery of the dial or on the bezel of said timepiece.

8. The portable timepiece according to claim 7 , further including a third push button for changing mode and validating adjustments.

9. A display method for a chromatic tuner using the portable timepiece according to claim 1 .

10. The display method according to claim 9 , wherein the intrinsic frequency of said received electro-acoustic signal is continuously displayed by the minute hand opposite a scale of notes and a frequency deviation is indicated between the closest note and said frequency of said electro-acoustic signal.

11. The display method according to claim 9 , wherein the accuracy of the notes is indicated by the relative position of the hour hand with respect to the minute hand.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2012
From: BALLI, FABIEN
To: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
Reel/Frame 028257/0475 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 09169640 · Sep 7, 2009 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120243379A1 · Sep 27, 2012