IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,884,381
Granted Patent B2
US 10,884,381 · App. 16/079,631 · Granted Jan 5, 2021

Method for automatically adjusting a piece of time information on a watch

Inventors: Pascal Lagorgette (Bienne, CH); Fabien Balli (Biel/Bienne, CH); Raphaël Balmer (Vicques, CH); Laurent Christe (Bienne, CH); Jean-Bernard Peters (Pieterlen, CH)
Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
G04D7/004G04G5/00G04G5/002G04R20/26G06T7/74
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,884,381
App. No.
16/079,631
Granted
Jan 5, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for adjusting a timepiece including: providing a portable object including a screen and a camera; testing accuracy of a piece of time information of the timepiece by using the camera of the portable object to compare with a piece of time information obtained from an external source; sending the time information from the portable object to the timepiece if a difference is detected, the timepiece including at least one phototransistor arranged at a case for receiving the time information, the timepiece to display the correct time information, the sending including: defining on the screen of the portable object an area of shape and dimensions similar to the case of the timepiece; holding the case of the timepiece against the area; sequentially displaying black or white in the area, in a sequence of black and white corresponding to a luminous coding of the time information.

Claims (24)

1. A method for adjusting a timepiece including a case, including a bracelet, in which a microcontroller powered by a cell stack or battery is arranged, the microcontroller including a time base and memory areas and used to send control signals to a display to display at least one piece of time information, the method comprising:

testing accuracy of a piece of time information of the timepiece by using a camera of a portable object to compare with a piece of time information obtained from an external source, the portable object including a screen and a second case in which there is electronic circuitry including a second microcontroller, a second display, the camera, and a communication circuit, the electronic circuitry being powered by a second battery;

sending the time information from the portable object to the timepiece when a difference is detected, the timepiece including at least one phototransistor arranged on the case for receiving the time information, the timepiece configured to operate the display to display a correct time information; and

checking that the correct time information is displayed,

wherein the sending the time information from the portable object to the timepiece further comprises:

defining, on the screen of the portable object, an area of shape and dimensions similar to the case of the timepiece,

instructing the case of the timepiece to be held against the defined area, and

sequentially displaying black or white in an entirety of the area or an entirety of a portion of this area, in a sequence of black and white corresponding to a luminous coding of the time information.

2. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the area defined on the screen of the portable object is divided into a first portion and a second portion, each portion displaying sequentially and independently of the other portion black or white in the displaying substep, the timepiece comprising two phototransistors arranged on the case, the first phototransistor configured to detect the sequence of the first portion, the second phototransistor configured to detect the sequence of the second portion.

3. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the sequence of black and white of the first portion corresponds to a luminous coding of the time information, and the sequence of black and white of the second portion corresponds to a clock signal allowing a synchronous transmission between the portable object and the timepiece.

4. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the area defined on the screen of the portable object is divided into a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion such that the first and second portions are physically separated by the third portion, each portion displaying sequentially and independently of the other portions black or white in the displaying, the timepiece comprising two phototransistors arranged on the case, the first phototransistor configured to detect the sequence of the first portion, the second phototransistor configured to detect the sequence of the second portion.

5. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the sequence of black and white of the first portion corresponds to a luminous coding of the time information, and the sequence of black and white of the second portion corresponds to a clock signal allowing a synchronous transmission.

6. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the testing the accuracy of the displayed time information comprises:

capturing, at a given instant, an image of the display of the timepiece and an image of a piece of time information from an external source;

processing the image of the display of the timepiece by comparing the position of the display with a series of reference points for detecting the displayed time information;

comparing the detected time information with the image of the time information from the external source.

7. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the checking that the correct information is displayed comprises:

capturing, at a given instant, an image of the display of the timepiece and an image of a piece of time information from an external source;

processing the image of the display of the timepiece by comparing the positions of the display with a series of reference points for detecting the displayed time information;

comparing the detected time information with the image of the time information from the external source.

8. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a preliminary calibrating the timepiece comprising:

sending to the timepiece, via the communication circuit, a command for displaying a specified piece of time information;

sending a command to the display means via the microcontroller so that the display can display the specified time information.

9. The adjusting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the portable object is a smartphone or a tablet computer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2018
From: LAGORGETTE, PASCAL; BALLI, FABIEN; BALMER, RAPHAËL; CHRISTE, LAURENT; PETERS, JEAN-BERNARD
To: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
Reel/Frame 046693/0494 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 16157655 · Feb 26, 2016 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190049904A1 · Feb 14, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,223,851