EP0660205A1 - Verfahren zur Ortsbestimmung und Uhr zur Ausführung dieses Verfahrens - Google Patents

Verfahren zur Ortsbestimmung und Uhr zur Ausführung dieses Verfahrens Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0660205A1
EP0660205A1 EP94119297A EP94119297A EP0660205A1 EP 0660205 A1 EP0660205 A1 EP 0660205A1 EP 94119297 A EP94119297 A EP 94119297A EP 94119297 A EP94119297 A EP 94119297A EP 0660205 A1 EP0660205 A1 EP 0660205A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
timepiece
time
magnetic field
earth
inclination
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP94119297A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0660205B1 (de
Inventor
Etienne Bornand
Rudolf Dinger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Asulab AG
Original Assignee
Asulab AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Asulab AG filed Critical Asulab AG
Publication of EP0660205A1 publication Critical patent/EP0660205A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0660205B1 publication Critical patent/EP0660205B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B45/00—Time pieces of which the indicating means or cases provoke special effects, e.g. aesthetic effects
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
    • G04G21/00—Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
    • G04G21/02—Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
    • G04G9/00—Visual time or date indication means
    • G04G9/0064—Visual time or date indication means in which functions not related to time can be displayed

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for determining at least approximately the latitude and longitude of the location on the surface of the earth.
  • the present invention also relates to a timepiece comprising a time base, at least one display of the hours and minutes intended to indicate the local time, means for setting the time of said display, and further comprising: means for displaying information which is a function at least of the position on the surface of the earth.
  • An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method for determining at least approximately the latitude and the longitude of the place where one is on the surface of the earth, which lends itself to a fully automatic and which does not require the use of satellites.
  • a second object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining at least approximately the latitude and longitude of the place where one is on the surface of the earth, which can be implemented in a small apparatus. dimensions like a timepiece.
  • a third object of the present invention is to provide a timepiece capable of automatically displaying information which depends on the latitude and longitude of where we are.
  • the determination of the time difference can be done simply, for example, by comparing the information supplied by two timepieces, and the inclination of the earth's magnetic field can be determined from the ratio between its vertical component and its horizontal component, these each of which can be obtained using magnetic sensors.
  • the longitude is taken into account when converting the inclination of the earth's magnetic field into a latitude.
  • the present invention relates to a timepiece comprising a time base, at minus an hour and minute display intended to indicate the local time, means for setting the time of said display and further comprising means for displaying information which is a function of the place where it is located the surface of the globe, characterized in that it comprises means of measurement, calculation and conversion, provided for implementing the steps of the method of the present invention so as to determine said place where the timepiece is located .
  • said calculation means are also provided for determining, from said latitude and said longitude, the azimuth of a preselected location on the surface of the globe.
  • said measurement means are provided for determining, in addition, the direction of magnetic north, said calculation and display means being provided for determining, as a function of said azimuth and said direction from magnetic north, the direction of the preselected location and to indicate that direction.
  • the timepiece which will now be described is intended to implement the method according to the invention and to use the value of the latitude and the value of the longitude thus obtained to determine the direction of Mecca.
  • the timepiece of the present example is represented in the form of a block diagram.
  • This timepiece includes in series a quartz oscillator 2, a division chain 4 delivering a signal at 1/60 Hz (1 cycle / minute) and a minute hand position counter 6. It also includes a divider by twelve 8, receiving the output signal from the division chain 4, and an hour hand position counter 10 whose input is connected to the output of the divider 8.
  • the counters 6 and 10 are counters by sixty which define in normal mode the position of the minute and hour hands relative to the hour turn of the dial of the coin d watchmaking.
  • the timepiece is provided, in the embodiment shown, with three motors 18, 19 and 20 controlled respectively by power circuits 12, 14 and 16 to respectively drive the minute hand, the hour hand and an additional needle, called direction needle, intended to indicate the direction of Mecca.
  • the first two power circuits 14, 16 receive, in normal mode, the pulses applied respectively to the inputs of the position counters of the minute hands 6 and hours 10.
  • the timepiece described here can also indicate the position of Mecca.
  • the elements of the figure which will be described below make it possible on the one hand to determine and indicate the direction of Mecca and on the other hand to reset the hour hand and the minute hand .
  • the timepiece also includes electronic management means 22 to allow on the one hand the implementation of the method of the present invention and on the other hand to control the movement of the one where the other of the three needles when necessary.
  • These electronic management means 22 include inputs MN and H to read the content of the position meters of the minute hands 6 and hours 10, and a parallel access COR for the control signals produced by the movements of a time-setting rod.
  • the signals supplied to the access COR of the electronic management means 22 are produced by a circuit 24 for interpreting the position and the displacement of the control rod. These time setting signals make it possible to control a correction of the display either minute by minute or by whole hours, either of these corrections being able to be made in one direction or the other.
  • the operation of the control rod and of the interpretation circuit 24 will not be described in detail here since the person skilled in the art already knows devices of this type.
  • Patent EP-0 175 961 in particular describes a control rod associated with an interpretation circuit which can easily be adapted to be used with the timepiece described here.
  • a time difference counter 25 connected to an DH input / output access of the electronic management means 22.
  • the counter 25 is a counter by twenty-four which is intended to count the time zone changes corresponding to the correction operations by whole hours carried out by the user using the control rod.
  • the electronic management means 22 also include three outputs Mnn Mh and Mdir for delivering pulses to the motors 18, 19 and 20 and an output C for managing the state of two switches 26, 28 arranged at the input of the first two circuits of power 12, 14 and arranged to transmit to them either the pulses applied to the inputs of the position meters of the minute hands 6 and hours 10 when the switches are in a position referenced a , or the pulses delivered by the electronic management means 22 when the switches are in a second position referenced b .
  • the electronic management means can advantageously be produced in the form of an integrated circuit comprising a programmed microcontroller. Those skilled in the art will know, from the indications provided here, to carry out the programming of the microcontroller, so as to make it execute the functions described.
  • the electronic management means are inactive, the switches 26 and 28 are in the position referenced a and the motors 18, 19 receive the pulses applied to the inputs of the hand position counters. minutes and hours 6, 10.
  • the elements which have just been described make it possible on the one hand to correct the time displayed by the hands and on the other hand to keep an account of the time difference with respect to a reference time zone to allow the subsequent determination of the longitude in accordance with the method of the present invention.
  • the user activates the time correction function by pulling the rod.
  • the displacement towards the outside of the rod causes the transmission by the interpretation circuit 24 of a signal towards the access COR of the electronic management means 22.
  • the reception of this signal by the electronic management means 22 causes the passage of switches 26 and 28 in state b .
  • the electronic management means emit a signal on a standby line (designated by the indication reset in the figure) for the division chain 4 so that it no longer provides the signal for incrementing the 6 and 10 hour hand position counters.
  • the interpretation circuit 24 then sends pulses corresponding to the different manipulations of the rod by the user, towards the input COR of the electronic management means 22 which, in turn, emit control pulses to increment or decrement the position counters of the minute hands 6 and hours 10 and to control simultaneously motors 18 and 19 for moving the hands either conventionally, minute by minute, or optionally by whole hours.
  • the interpretation circuit 24 supplies a deactivation signal to the electronic management means 22 which in turn supply a signal by their output C for switch switches 26 and 28 to state a . Simultaneously the signal on the standby line of the dividing chain returns to zero and the latter resumes supplying the signal for incrementing the position counters of the hands 6, 10.
  • the user only uses the option, mentioned above, of correction of the display by whole hours only in the event that, during a trip, he changes time zone.
  • the electronic management means 22 emit command pulses to increment or decrement the hour hand position counter 10, they also emit command pulses for increment or decrement the time difference counter 25.
  • the time difference counter 25 therefore permanently contains the value of the time difference between the location of the user of the watch and a reference time zone.
  • the legal time of some countries is halfway between two time zones.
  • the time difference between these countries and their neighbors is therefore half an hour.
  • it is designed to take into account these peculiarities of political geography.
  • the skilled person will be able, without problem, to replace the time difference counter 25 by a modulo counter 48 and simultaneously modify the interpretation circuit 24 of the movements of the control rod so that the corrections of the display when changing time zones are do it for whole half hours instead of doing it for whole hours.
  • the programming of the reference time zone is carried out by bringing the hour and minute hands to a position corresponding to the time in the time zone chosen to be the reference time zone, then pressing the crown for ten seconds .
  • the pressure on the crown exerted by the user results in a signal supplied to the electronic management means 22.
  • the electronic management means When the electronic management means have detected this signal at their input COR for three seconds, they control the zeroing of the content of the time difference counter 25, which has the effect of giving the time zone corresponding to the displayed time the role of reference time zone.
  • the content of the time difference counter 25 corresponds to an approximate indication of the longitude of the place where the carrier of the coin of watchmaking is found. This content can therefore constitute the time difference data which is necessary to allow the electronic management means 22 to implement the method of the present invention.
  • the timepiece also includes a module (referenced 30) essentially formed by three sensors unidirectional magnetic 32, 34 and 36 arranged perpendicularly to each other and therefore provided to measure the intensity of an external magnetic field in three orthogonal directions.
  • a module referenced 30
  • Many types of magnetic sensors are known, and the particular type of sensor used for the invention does not matter as long as the sensors are sensitive enough to measure the Earth's magnetic field, that they are sufficiently small to be installed in a timepiece and ultimately that their electrical consumption is not excessive. These conditions are fulfilled, for example, by fluxgate type sensors.
  • Two of the sensors are oriented relative to the timepiece so as to measure the intensity of the earth's magnetic field along two axes parallel to the plane of the dial (not shown) of the timepiece.
  • One of these two sensors is oriented along an axis parallel to the diameter of the dial which passes through 6 and 12 o'clock, while the other of these sensor 32 is arranged parallel to the diameter of the dial passing through 3 and 9 hours.
  • the third sensor 36 of the timepiece is oriented perpendicular to the dial.
  • the sensors 32 and 34 measure the two horizontal components of the earth's magnetic field Bx and By, and the third sensor 36 measures the vertical component Bz of the same field.
  • the three measured intensities Bx, By and Bz are transmitted in a conventional manner by a bus to the electronic management means 22.
  • the means 22 are programmed so as to calculate, from the measured values Bx, By and Bz of the three components of the magnetic field terrestrial, the inclination I of this field with respect to the horizontal.
  • the tilt I of the Earth's magnetic field varies with where we are on the earth's surface. For a given longitude, it is, in principle, a unique function of latitude. Under these conditions, if we know the longitude of the place where we are as well as the inclination of the earth's magnetic field at this place, it is in principle possible to determine unequivocally the latitude of this place.
  • the electronic management means 22 comprise a non-volatile memory in which a double input conversion table has been programmed containing values of the inclination I of the earth's magnetic field as a function of the time zone and of the latitude.
  • Access to this conversion table allows the electronic management means 22 to determine the value of the latitude of the place where the user of the watch is located, as a function of the time zone as provided by the counter. jet lag 25, and the inclination of the earth's magnetic field determined using sensors 32, 34 and 36. For this determination to be possible, it is naturally necessary that the electronic management means 22 have a non-volatile memory. volatile large enough to store a sufficient number of values of the tilt of the earth's magnetic field to cover the earth's surface with sufficient density. A set of 2000 points distributed more or less uniformly over the earth's surface is enough to obtain an acceptable precision.
  • the timepiece described here is intended to indicate the direction of La Mecca.
  • the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of Mecca are previously programmed in a second non-volatile memory of the electronic management means 22.
  • the electronic management means 22 can calculate the azimuth corresponding to the direction of Mecca. This last calculation only involves well-known trigonometric relationships. In addition, devices intended to implement this latter calculation have already been described, for example in document DE-A-3412777.
  • the electronic management means 22 are also provided for determining the direction of magnetic north from the components Bx and By of the earth's magnetic field measured by the two horizontal sensors 32 and 34 already described above.
  • the By component of the magnetic field being the component parallel to the direction of the 12 o'clock-6 o'clock diameter of the timepiece dial, the ratio of the two intensities Bx and of By provides by a simple trigonometric operation the angle made by the magnetic north with the 12 o'clock-6 o'clock axis of the timepiece dial.
  • the electronic management means 22 then perform the sum of the azimuth previously calculated for Mecca and the angle existing between the magnetic north and the 12 o'clock-6 o'clock diameter of the timepiece. This sum corresponds to the angle existing between the direction of Mecca and the 12 o'clock-6 o'clock axis of the timepiece.
  • the sum described above does not really correspond to the angle existing between the direction of Mecca and the axis 12 o'clock-6 o'clock in the shows that insofar as it is admitted that the direction of magnetic north determined by the sensors 32, 34 is identical to the direction of true geographic north. This is, as is well known, generally not the case.
  • the declination of the magnetic field (angle between magnetic north and geographic north) that we have neglected can constitute a source of error in determining the direction of Mecca. It is possible to eliminate this source of error by providing in the non-volatile memory of the microprocessor a second double-entry table containing the declination of the Earth's magnetic field for a set of points on the surface of the earth identified by their time zones and their latitude.
  • the method of determining the azimuth of Mecca can be simplified.
  • the non-volatile memory of the timepiece comprises only a single double-entry table providing directly calculated values once and for all of the true azimuth of Mecca, according to the time zone and the tilt of the Earth's magnetic field.
  • the timepiece includes a third motor 20 controlled by a power circuit 16 and intended to drive the direction hand to make it indicate the direction of Mecca.
  • the timepiece further comprises a position counter 38 of the direction hand.
  • This counter 38 is a counter by 360 which defines the position of the direction hand relative to the 360 degrees of the turn of the dial of the timepiece.
  • the electronic means of management 22 To make the direction needle indicate the direction of Mecca, the electronic means of management 22 first read the content of the position counter 38 of the direction hand, and subtract this quantity from the previously calculated value of the angle existing between the direction of Mecca and the axis 12 o'clock-6 o'clock of the timepiece. The result of this subtraction corresponds to the number of steps to be taken by the motor 20 to orient the direction needle towards Mecca.
  • the electronic management means 22 control the advance of the motor 20 by sending to the power circuit 16 a number of pulses corresponding to the number of steps to be made by the motor.
  • the pulses delivered by the electronic means 22 for advancing the motor 20 simultaneously increment the position counter of the steering needle 38. In this way, the content of the counter 38 always corresponds to the position of the steering needle on the dial.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electric Clocks (AREA)
  • Navigation (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
EP94119297A 1993-12-23 1994-12-07 Verfahren zur Ortsbestimmung und Uhr zur Ausführung dieses Verfahrens Expired - Lifetime EP0660205B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH3860/93 1993-12-23
CH03860/93A CH686469B5 (fr) 1993-12-23 1993-12-23 Pièce d'horlogerie permettant de faire le point.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0660205A1 true EP0660205A1 (de) 1995-06-28
EP0660205B1 EP0660205B1 (de) 1999-03-17

Family

ID=4265031

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94119297A Expired - Lifetime EP0660205B1 (de) 1993-12-23 1994-12-07 Verfahren zur Ortsbestimmung und Uhr zur Ausführung dieses Verfahrens

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US5598381A (de)
EP (1) EP0660205B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH07209012A (de)
KR (1) KR100347991B1 (de)
CN (1) CN1054927C (de)
CH (1) CH686469B5 (de)
DE (1) DE69417186T2 (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997019321A1 (en) * 1995-11-17 1997-05-29 Ballad Investment N.V. System for determining time or direction for prayer
CN104317189A (zh) * 2014-11-03 2015-01-28 合肥万合科技信息服务有限公司 一种多功能手表

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19946169A1 (de) * 1999-09-27 2001-04-05 Heyner Klaus Gerät zur Anzeige von Standort und Richtung zu gewünschten Zielorten
US20110063167A1 (en) * 2009-09-15 2011-03-17 Qualcomm Incorporated Using magnetometer with a positioning system
CN102203553B (zh) * 2008-10-31 2015-06-10 高通股份有限公司 对定位系统使用磁力计
EP2207011B1 (de) * 2009-01-12 2011-11-09 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Verfahren zur Bereitstellung einer digitalen Kompassfunktion und darauf eingerichtetes tragbares Endgerät
US8887404B1 (en) 2014-05-12 2014-11-18 Jasem Mohammad Ali Rashed alOmani Method and apparatus for displaying the direction of mecca on a wall or corner of a room
JP6631357B2 (ja) * 2016-03-28 2020-01-15 セイコーエプソン株式会社 電子時計
CN110687770A (zh) * 2019-10-25 2020-01-14 天王电子（深圳）有限公司 一种基于手表的自动切换时区的控制方法及控制系统

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0042360A2 (de) * 1980-06-10 1981-12-23 Spacetronic Société Anonyme Elektronische Uhr, insbesondere Armbanduhr, mit digitaler Anzeige und geographisch-solaren Funktionen
EP0448018A1 (de) * 1990-03-20 1991-09-25 Casio Computer Company Limited Kompass
US5068838A (en) * 1990-07-18 1991-11-26 Klausner Patent Technologies Location acquisition and time adjusting system
FR2681159A1 (fr) * 1991-09-10 1993-03-12 Affaire Dev Systemes Montre a microprocesseur associe a un programme donnant des indications de temps et associee a un indicateur d'orientation.

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4136397A (en) * 1977-10-03 1979-01-23 Pierce Darrel J Astronomical timepiece

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0042360A2 (de) * 1980-06-10 1981-12-23 Spacetronic Société Anonyme Elektronische Uhr, insbesondere Armbanduhr, mit digitaler Anzeige und geographisch-solaren Funktionen
EP0448018A1 (de) * 1990-03-20 1991-09-25 Casio Computer Company Limited Kompass
US5068838A (en) * 1990-07-18 1991-11-26 Klausner Patent Technologies Location acquisition and time adjusting system
FR2681159A1 (fr) * 1991-09-10 1993-03-12 Affaire Dev Systemes Montre a microprocesseur associe a un programme donnant des indications de temps et associee a un indicateur d'orientation.

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997019321A1 (en) * 1995-11-17 1997-05-29 Ballad Investment N.V. System for determining time or direction for prayer
US6202035B1 (en) 1995-11-17 2001-03-13 Ballad Investment N.V. System for determining time or direction for prayer
CN104317189A (zh) * 2014-11-03 2015-01-28 合肥万合科技信息服务有限公司 一种多功能手表

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
HK1012450A1 (en) 1999-07-30
CN1054927C (zh) 2000-07-26
US5598381A (en) 1997-01-28
CN1113327A (zh) 1995-12-13
CH686469B5 (fr) 1996-10-15
JPH07209012A (ja) 1995-08-11
DE69417186T2 (de) 1999-10-21
EP0660205B1 (de) 1999-03-17
KR100347991B1 (ko) 2002-11-29
CH686469GA3 (fr) 1996-04-15
DE69417186D1 (de) 1999-04-22
KR950019993A (ko) 1995-07-24

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