Automatic time correction in a watch

Abstract

A method for automatically correcting the time and/or the date for a self-correcting watch including at least one receiving member, at least one detecting member, and at least one processing unit for implementing the correction method. The correction method includes at least one step of receiving at least one datum, at least one step of detecting the wrong time and/or the wrong date and at least one step of correcting the time.

Claims

1. A correction method of a displayed time for a self-correcting watch; said self-correcting watch comprising an analog display of a time and of a date, at least one receiving member, at least one detecting member and at least one processing unit for implementing said correction method; said correction method comprising at least one: receiving at least one datum by said at least one receiving member; said at least one datum comprising a current time; detecting a passing of the time displayed by the watch at a given time between a first period and a second period by said at least one detecting member; calculating in the processing unit a difference between said given time and said current time incremented by a time interval measured from said receiving at least a datum until said detecting a passing of the time; correcting the time displayed by the analog display as a function of said difference calculated by said processing unit, wherein said detecting said passing of the time comprises detecting a change of date by detecting a change in the torque of a motor from driving of a date disc of said analog display.

2. The correction method according to claim 1, wherein said current time is provided in a 24-hour time system.

3. The correction method according to claim 2, wherein said second period is comprised between midnight and noon, or is greater than or equal to 12:00 AM and strictly less than 12:00 PM and said first period is comprised between noon and midnight or is greater than or equal to 12:00 PM and strictly less than 00:00 AM.

4. A self-correcting watch comprising at least: an analog display of a time and of a date; a receiving member, said at least one receiving member being configured to receive at least one datum, said at least one datum comprising a current time; a detecting member, said at least one detecting member being configured to detect a passing of the time displayed by the analog display at a given time between a first period and a second period; and, a processing unit, said at least one processing unit being configured to calculate a difference between said given time and said current time incremented by a time interval measured from a time of receiving said at least a datum until a time of detecting said passing of the time and correct the time displayed by the analog display as a function of said difference, wherein said detection of said passing of the time comprises detecting a change of date by detecting a change in the torque of a motor from driving of a date disc of said analog display.

5. The self-correcting watch according to claim 4, wherein said at least one receiving member is configured to receive electromagnetic and/or light waves.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention will be described in more detail hereafter using the accompanying drawings, given as examples that are in no way limiting, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a self-correcting watch 100 according to one embodiment; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a correction method 500 for a self-correcting watch 100 according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The event is recurrent when the battery is changed, or when a watch is taken out of power-saving mode and the user has to set the time on his/her watch but does not know whether the time set 109 is before noon or after noon, known as ante-meridian or AM or post-meridian or PM.

(5) The applicant proposes overcoming all or part of these drawbacks by means of a self-correcting watch 100 comprising at least one receiving member 130, at least one detecting member 170, and at least one processing unit 150 configured to implement a correction method 500.

(6) More specifically, one purpose of the method according to the invention is to verify, during the first hours of operation of said self-correcting watch 100, that the set time 109 corresponds to the time of day when said self-correcting watch 100 was set or updated.

(7) Conversely, if the set time 109 does not correspond to the time of day, then a correction is made by bringing the time forward 542 or backward 541.

(8) For example, if a date leap 527 is detected 520 at noon, said correction method 500 brings the time backward 541 by 12 hours at noon on that day or at midnight on the next day.

(9) If, conversely, said correction method 500 does not detect 520 the leap at midnight, said correction method 500 brings the time forward 542 by 12 hours at midnight to cause the date leap 527.

(10) To this end, when said self-correcting watch 100 is powered on again, said at least one receiving member 130 receives 510 at least one datum 131, comprising at least one period of the day from among a first period 101 and a second period 102, by electromagnetic and/or light waves.

(11) More particularly, said correction method 500, implemented by said at least one processing unit 150 receives 510 said at least one datum 131 via said at least one receiving member 130. Said at least one processing unit 150 can trigger the implementation of said correction method 500 following a battery replacement, for example.

(12) Preferably, a smartphone 999 can be used to transmit said at least one datum 131 which comprises a time in a 24-hour time system or in a 12-hour time system, in other words a time with minutes and seconds in a standard system, and/or at least one date.

(13) The user can set the time 101 using at least one setting member 140 by moving an hour hand 110 and/or a minute hand 120 to the desired time. Thus, the user indicates, with said hour hand 110, approximately the index 3, more precisely a space between the index 3 and 4, and with said minute hand 120, the index 10. However, it is impossible for the user to distinguish whether the set time 109 is 3:50 AM, i.e. a time which belongs, for example, to a first period 101 comprised between midnight and noon, or greater than or equal to 12:00 AM and strictly less than 12:00 PM, or 3:50 PM, i.e. a time which belongs, for example, to a second period 102 comprised between midday and midnight or greater than or equal to 12:00 PM and strictly less than 12:00 AM.

(14) As time passes 511, said at least one datum 131, which was stored in a memory 160, is incremented with the time that passes, and the set time 109 rotates 519, in other words said at least one datum 131 and the set time 109 change with the time 519 in a similar manner.

(15) At a passing of the time between said first period 101 and said second period 102, said correction method 500 detects 520 a torque change 527, resulting from the driving of the date disc 525 by said motor 160, via said at least one detecting member 170, which can take the form of a conventional divider bridge and thus said at least one processing unit 150, connected to said at least one detecting member 170, detects 520 a torque change 527 through the power consumption of said motor 160.

(16) More specifically, if said self-correcting watch 100 changes the date 527, said at least one detecting member 170 detects 520 said passing of the set time 109 between said first period 101 and said second period 102, preferably said passing of time from said first period 101 to said second period 102. Depending on certain environmental conditions, such as temperature for example, it is possible that said passing through midnight is detected 520 by said at least one processing unit 150 with a delay of up to 40 minutes under extreme conditions.

(17) Thus, said passing from day to night, and preferably said passing through midnight, is detected 520 and said at least one processing unit 150 calculates a difference 530, i.e. subtracts said time 109 set by the user from said at least one received datum 131.

(18) If said difference 530 is zero, then said time 109 set by the user corresponds to said at least one received datum 131 and no action is taken by said at least one processing unit 150, or 0 is added to said set time 109. More specifically, the time 109 set by the user can differ from said at least one datum 131 by a few seconds or even a few minutes. In this instance, what matters is the difference between the unit of the hours of the set time 109 and the unit of the hours of said at least one datum 131; it is this difference 530 that is zero.

(19) Conversely, if said difference 530 is not zero, then said at least one processing unit 150 corrects 540 said time as a function of the result of said difference 530. In other words, if said time 109 set by the user was 3:50 PM and said at least one received datum 131 indicated 3:50 AM, said correction 540 will add 545 the difference 530 to said time during or after the second passing, i.e. 12 hours, and thus said addition 545, more precisely, said at least one processing unit 150 will rotate said motor 160 counter-clockwise 541 to indicate noon, i.e. 12:00 PM instead of midnight, i.e. 12:00 AM.

(20) A second case is also provided for by the invention since, if said difference 530 is not zero and if said time 109 set by the user was 3:50 AM and said at least one received datum 131 indicated 3:50 PM, said correction 540 will again add 545 the difference 530 to said time during or after the second passing, i.e. +12 hours, and thus said addition 545, more precisely, said at least one processing unit 150 will rotate said motor 160 clockwise 542 to indicate midnight, i.e. 12:00 AM instead of noon, i.e. 12:00 PM; the time is thus automatically corrected.

(21) It should not be forgotten that these corrections 540 can be made later, during the day or at night, so as not to disturb the user, and said difference 530 can be made between said at least one datum 131 stored in memory and the set time 109 which have evolved over time 519: the result is identical.

(22) Thus, the present invention allows said at least one datum 131 to be received via the smartphone 999 after replacing the battery or when changing time zone, and increases ease of use for the user.