Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04F—TIME-INTERVAL MEASURING
  • G04F10/00—Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04F—TIME-INTERVAL MEASURING
  • G04F1/00—Apparatus which can be set and started to measure-off predetermined or adjustably-fixed time intervals without driving mechanisms, e.g. egg timers
  • G04F1/005—Apparatus which can be set and started to measure-off predetermined or adjustably-fixed time intervals without driving mechanisms, e.g. egg timers using electronic timing, e.g. counting means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
  • G04G9/00—Visual time or date indication means
  • G04G9/0076—Visual time or date indication means in which the time in another time-zone or in another city can be displayed at will

Definitions

• the invention relates to an electronic timepiece of the multifunction navigation watch type, specifically a watch with multiple displays and alarms.
• this timepiece will be called simply “watch” below.
• vigation In the context of the invention, the term “navigation” must be understood in its general sense: aerial flight, land or sea travel, speleological missions, etc.
• a certain number of temporal information and / or timestamps must also be available, displayable and produce selective, audible and / or visual alarms.
• Several time scales must also be available to accommodate various situations, including variable mission durations and / or particular phases of these missions.
• the watch must be able to display the time of the local time zone, one or more hours in other time zones. It must be equipped with common functions such as “stopwatch”, date display (day, month, year), etc.
• This patent concerns an electronic watch with several functions assisting an airplane pilot in his flight plan. It makes it possible to meet the specific needs of this type of application, automatically and ergonomically, freeing the driver from repetitive tasks and allowing him to focus all his attention on the critical events specific to the flight without being distracted by ancillary tasks.
• the watch object of this patent allows to display the local time, the time "GMT” (or “ZuIu Time”), and forty two time zones. It has several time counters, with six different scales, a chronometer function, up / down counters. It includes analog and digital display devices and various alarms
• the watch must then be able to automatically calculate the elapsed time from or remaining to a specific event.
• the elapsed time (in days, hours, minutes, seconds) from an event whose date is known must not require the user of the watch to be alerted to watch the starting point at which to start his stopwatch.
• the time remaining until an event whose date is known must not require a mental calculation on the part of the operator to determine the duration he must adjust on his time counter, the time separating the moment where it will start the countdown and the time of occurrence of the scheduled event.
• this time interval corresponds to a phase of the space mission, which may comprise several. Also, this time interval will hereinafter be referred to as “PET” (for “Phase Elapsed Time” or “Phase Elapsed Time”).
• the time scale shall be adjustable by the operator in an appropriate time scale selected, relative to "(MT" or "MET".
• the invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the devices of the prior art, to meet the needs that are felt in the field of targeted applications, some of which have just been recalled.
• the object of the invention is to provide a multifunction watch for navigation assistance, in particular for a space mission.
• the watch according to the invention comprises first means for defining a time origin of a first predetermined event, by entering into the watch a date origin of this event , and means for determining, recording and displaying the time elapsed from this event with respect to predetermined time scales.
• this date can be entered at any time, that is to say more precisely before or after the occurrence of the event, a function that has been called "MEV" above. 1 .
• the watch according to the invention comprises means for determining, recording and displaying a time interval remaining until a second predetermined event, that is to say the beginning of a phase of the mission ("PET"), a so-called “negative” time, or an interval of time elapsed since this event, which will be called “positive”, a predetermined event whose date is the the the
• a second predetermined event that is to say the beginning of a phase of the mission (“PET"), a so-called “negative” time, or an interval of time elapsed since this event, which will be called “positive”
• the watch according to the invention naturally includes means for entering, recording and displaying the "GMT" time.
• the watch according to the invention also comprises means for capturing, recording and displaying a plurality of hourly beams.
• the watch according to the invention comprises several "countdown time counter" timers, advantageously five, so as to have several alarms.
• each of the alarms is associated with a separate audio signal, for example a ring tone or a predefined "beep" sequence.
• the watch according to the invention comprises a dual display: a first display of analog type and a second display of digital type.
• the main purpose of the invention is therefore an electronic timepiece of the watch type for navigation assistance, in particular for a space mission, said navigation being associated with a time origin of a first predetermined event, comprising means inputting and inputting date and / or time data, storing means for storing said entered data, calculating means and clock signal generating means, at least one digital display means for displaying said entered data and / or data generated from these data under the control of said calculating and generating means of said clock signals, characterized in that said data input and input means and said data acquisition means storage are arranged for entry and storage of a first date origin linked to the so-called Universal Time determined by the meridian of Greenwich and the generation of a the
• first time scale originating from said first date
• said data entry and input means and said storage means are arranged for input and storage, at any time, of a second date origin corresponding to said first predetermined event, said mission start, and generating a second time scale, said second time scale being determined at least from said first time scale, and in that said means of digital displays display a so-called negative time value when said first origin date is to come and a so-called positive time value when this date is exceeded.
• FIG. 1 is a timing diagram schematically illustrating the mode of operation of a watch according to the invention and the interdependence of the main time scales ;
• 2 schematically illustrates, in top view, the outer configuration of a watch according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the setting and display of the function called "GMT" (Universal Time);
• FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the setting and display of a time scale corresponding to a particular local time zone
• FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the setting and display of a date corresponding to the origin instant of a space mission, called "MET", with respect to the local and universal time scales, respectively
• FIG. 5C illustrates the display of "MET" before departure of the spacecraft
• FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate the setting and display of a date corresponding to the origin instant, so-called "PET”, a phase of the space mission compared to the origin date of the space mission
• FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate the setting and display of three alarms
• FIG. 8 illustrates in more detail the display members of the watch of FIG. 1 and its push-button control members;
• FIG. 9 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the main electronic circuits necessary for the proper functioning of the watch according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 is a timing diagram schematically illustrating the mode of operation of a watch according to
• Time scale "Ti" Local time of a time zone arbitrarily designated “number 1".
• Time scale "T 2" Local time of a time zone arbitrarily named "number 2".
• GTT Greenwich Meridian Time
• Universal Time the days are counted in number since the first of January. This is the universal reference time scale used in all navigation missions where spacecraft may need to change their time zone regularly.
• GMV is an old acronym that is currently often replaced by” UTC “(for” Coordinated Universal Time ").
• Time scale "MET” (for "Mission Elapsed Time"): Time interval elapsed since a predetermined moment, in this case the beginning of the space mission.It is defined in one of the time scales T 1 , T 2 or "GMT" In the case of theft said space, it is the precise moment of takeoff of the vessel.
• PET Phase elapsed time
• TMR timer
• CHR Chronograph function
• the top three axes of the diagram of Figure 1 represent time scales, while the four lower axes represent functions.
• the two upper axes of the time diagram of FIG. 1 represent the time scales of the time zones, "Ti" and “T 2 ", which have been called N 0 1 and 2, respectively.
• An arbitrary moment t x of the space mission, or present moment, is represented respectively at (12 H - 6) relative to the local time Ti and (12 H + 1) relative to the local time "T 2 ".
• the present instant t x corresponds to 12 H on the axis of Universal Time “GMT” (third time axis of Figure 1, under the axes "Ti” and "T 2 ".
• the two lower axes of FIG. 1 correspond to the "MET" and “PET” time scales, respectively.
• a space mission may have one or more distinct phases. We can therefore define a corresponding number of different "PET".
• t 0 is the moment 0 or time scale origin "MET", which can be defined with respect to one or the other of the "Ti" time scales, 1 T 2 ", or” GMT ".
• PEV must be considered as a" timer "function (as defined above), but whose setting parameter is a date and not a time period. , times t 0 and t r 0 (defined by dates) can be entered into the watch at any time, knowing the precise start time of the mission, to be stored and displayed.
• the display format may differ from the format used for the setting.
• M month: 1 to 12 (1 or 2 digits) or: JAN to DEC (three letters)
• GAT XYMDhms; relationship in which X is a letter that indicates a language chosen to present the days, and possibly months if the operator chooses to present them in letters. X precedes the two digits YY indicating the year during the setting. X can take the values "F” (French), “E” (English) and “S” (Spanish) “MET”: “- - -”, or setting in the time scale “Ti” or "T 2 "or” GMT ":
• the watch 1 advantageously comprises two types of display units: an analogue needle display member 2 and digital display members, 3 and 4, in a conventional manner per se. , liquid crystal.
• the analog display using hands 2 is used essentially for displaying the local time of the time zones "Ti" or "T 2 ".
• the display 3 is subdivided into three zones, referenced 30 to 32, and the display 4 in two zones, 40 and 41.
• the functions of these zones will be explained below with reference to the description of FIGS. 3A to 7C. , it being understood that the zones 30 and 31 are used to specify the nature of the data or functions being displayed: “Ti”, “! T 2 ", “GMT”, “MET”, “PET”, etc.
• Figure 3A illustrates an example of setting "GMV 1 for Tuesday, November 2, 2004, 10 hours 12 minutes 35 seconds.
• FIG. 3B illustrates an example of display of the "GMT" function that has just been adjusted (FIG. 3A).
• the watch 1 automatically calculates the day of the week (TUESDAY in the example described) corresponding to the date and language (French) entered by the operator.
• the "GMT” function is displayed in zone 30, "MA.” is displayed in zone 31, "H” is displayed in zone 32, "2” is displayed in zone 40 and the time ("10 12 35") in zone 41.
• no information is displayed in the zone 32 and the number "307 is displayed in the zone 40, the other zones remaining unchanged.
• the zone 32 displays "NOV" in place of the number "11", the other zones remaining unchanged.
• FIG. 4A illustrates an example of setting of the "Ti" function, a time difference of -5 hours compared to "GMT" (previous setting of Figure 3A).
• 4B illustrates an exemplary local time display and set: function 1 Ti "(zone 31), day (" MA “: zone 31), month (number: zone 32) calendar day (zone 40 ) and "hours, minutes, seconds” (zone 41), ie 5 H 12 min 35 s.
• Figure 5A illustrates a first example of setting of
• HOUSTON time which is the local time of the time zone 1 Ti ", as previously defined. is therefore performed with respect to this time scale ( 1 Ti ": Figure 1). It could just as easily be done with respect to another local time scale, for example "T 2 ".
• Figure 5B illustrates a second example of adjustment
• zones 32, 40 and 41 are adjusted as in the case of FIG. 5A.
• zone 32 only displays the negative sign ("-").
• FIG. 5C illustrates an example of display of the "MET" function, this one day and 13 H 45 min 55 s (zone 41) before the departure of the spaceship, that is to say the beginning of the mission.
• "MET" can be set at any time, before or after the instant t 0 . In the first case, it is a negative time: zone 40 displays "- 01" (for less than one day). Zones 31 and 32 do not display any data.
• a "-" sign placed under “MET” indicates that the date of the zero moment of the "MET” used for the setting is in the future.This is the default value.A "+” sign means that the instant The "MET" start procedure is in the past, and this procedure avoids, as mentioned, having to mention the current year when entering the date of the zero time.
• Zone 30 indicates “CHR” and zones 31 and 41, "00” and “0 00 00", respectively, before the stopwatch starts. Zones 32 and 40 do not display any data.
• the zone 41 displays the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, for example the number "0 02 31" (0 hours 02 minutes 31 seconds) .and the zone 31 displays the hundredths of a second, for example the number " 89 ".
• the setting and display of a function "Timer” or “TMR” is also performed in a conventional manner per se.
• the zone 31 indicates “TMR", the zone 41 the duration of time to be counted down, for example "2 45 32" (for 2 hours 45 minutes 32 seconds) and the zone 40 the sign "-" to specify that it is is a countdown. Once triggered, "TMR" is decremented per second.
• FIG. 6A illustrates an example of setting a "PET" (function entered and displayed in zone 30) assuming that the zero time t r 0 (FIG. 1) with respect to the "MET" (FIG. 1: t 0 ) is 8 days 17 hours 8 minutes 0 seconds.
• Area 31 displays the letters of the function "MET" Zone 32 does not display any data, "0 0 8" is entered in zone 40 and "17 08 00" in zone 41.
• FIG. 6B illustrates an example of display of the function "PET 1 (zone 30) at 3 mn and 10 s (zone 41:" 0 03 10 ") of the zero time Zone 40 displays" - 0 0 " , the sign "-"("negative” time) indicating that one is before the instant t'o
• the zones 31 and 32 do not display any data.
• zone 31 displays “- - -” and zones 40 and 41 display “000” and "0 00 00", respectively.
• sign "-" placed under “PET” during the time-based setting "GMT” indicates that the date of the zero time of the "PET” used for the setting is in the future, this is the default value.
• sign "+” means that the start time of the "MET” is in the past.
• PET works in a similar way to “MET 11 but it concerns specific activities, whereas" PET 1 is rather dedicated to the mission as a whole.
• the watch advantageously comprises five “timers” (or more) so as to be able to set and display an equal number of alarms independent of each other and referring to the different time scales
• FIG. 7A This alarm refers to the time scale "MET 1 ( Figure 1).
• the scale "MET 1 is indicated on zone 31 and the alarm is set on 3 days (zone 40) 21 H 5 min 17 s
• FIG. 7B This alarm refers to the time scale “T 2 " ( Figure 1). The letters of the time scale “T 2 " are entered and displayed in the zone 31, and the alarm “AL 2” is set to be triggered every Thursday (symbol “JE” displayed by the last two digits of the zone 41) of the month of August (number “8": zone 32) at 6 h 45 min (first part of zone 41: “6 45”). Alarm "AL 1" is inactive in the example described in FIG. 7B (state “OFF”): this state can be deduced from the fact that the sign " ⁇ " is not displayed in zone 30.
• FIG. 7C the setting and display of the third alarm “AL 3” (indicated by the zone 30) is illustrated by FIG. 7C.
• This alarm refers to the time scale “Ti” ( Figure 1).
• the letters of the time scale “Ti” are entered and displayed in zone 31, and the alarm “AL 3” is set at 15 (zone 40) of each month at 18:30 (zone 41: 18 30 - -).
• Alarm "AL 3" is active (state “ON”): this state is symbolized by the sign " ⁇ " displayed in zone 30 to the right of the symbol “AL 3".
• Area 40 displays "”.
• the watch When the alarms are triggered, the watch preferably emits an audio signal attracting the attention of the operator, for example a predetermined sequence of "beep” sound.
• the repeated sequence of three “bip” can be adopted: “bip.bip.bip bip.bip.bip bip.bip.bip etc", until extinction of the alarm by the operator (the dashes representing a pause in the transmission.The same may be true for other alarms: for example, a repeated sequence of two "beeps" for the alarm "AL 2", etc.
• the watch 1 has five alarms
• the time and minutes of the time scales "Ti" or "T 2 " can also be permanently displayed by the analog part of the watch: needles 2 ( Figure 1).
• FIG. 8 elements identical to those of FIGS. 1 to 7C bear the same references and will only be described again if necessary.
• buttons 5, 6, 7 and 9 are sufficient for the control (settings and displays) of the time and functions of the watch.
• Push buttons are preferred to rotary knobs because they do not require the removal of the watch 1 from the wrist of the user for adjustments.
• the control buttons, 5, 6, 7 and 9, are advantageously arranged, on the one hand, symmetrically on each side of the watch 1, on the other hand, in the high parts (buttons 5 and 6) and low (buttons 7 and 9) on these sides, so as to avoid the presence of a button in the central area that could create a hard point of pressure on the wrist of the user's wrist when it is arched.
• the digital display areas, 30 to 41 are subdivided into what will be referred to hereafter as fields:
• Zone 30 fields 300, 301 and 302; Area 31: single field 31; Zone 32: single field 320; Zone 40: single field 410; - Area 41: fields 410, 411 and 412.
• time scales and functions is performed in order by short pressure on the button 7 or in reverse order by short press button 5.
• the time or function setting mode is started from the normal display of this time or function by pressing the 5 button for more than 2 seconds.
• the setting fields are then cyclically selected. by pressing button 6 repeatedly.
• the subject field to be set is identified by flashing the current value.
• the first adjustable field (flashing) in the cycle is that of the first adjustable parameter of the current time or function. For example, for the setting of "Ti”, it is the field 310 but, for the "TMR", the first flashing field is the field 400 indicating the sign of the counting direction (positive or negative).
• the last field (flashing) of the complete cycle of all the adjustable fields is that indicating the time or function being set; a simple press on the button 5 then ends the setting mode. After initiating the setting mode, if the only button operated during a full field change cycle is knob 6, pressing button 5 again will complete the setting mode without any changes being made to the time or function being displayed.
• the default reference time is the time scale that was used when these functions were last set.
• pressing and holding button 7 or 5 causes the characters in the flashing field to scroll rapidly to speed up the setting operation.
• FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration, in the form of a block diagram, of the electronic circuits 8 necessary for the operation of watch 1 according to the invention.
• the four control buttons, 5, 6, 7 and 9, serve as inputs for entering data in the watch 1. They are connected, on the one hand, to a voltage source, for example positive “Vf” , arbitrarily representing a logical “1" when the push button is actuated, on the other hand to logic circuits 80, which will be called “decoder”.
• This decoder comprises combinational logic circuits (based on conventional logic circuits “AND”, “OR”, “EXCLUSIVE OR”, etc.) and sequential, as well as counters and down-timers. It receives several clock signals generated by time and clock circuits 83 under the general reference H x . In a conventional manner, the circuits generating clock signals H x are driven by a quartz 830. The clock signals H x are appropriately distributed to the other blocks of the circuits 8, and serve in particular as a time base for the displays of the watch 1: digital displays, 3 and 4, and analog 2.
• the decoder circuits 80 detect either single control pulses caused by brief presses on one or the other of the control buttons, 5 to 7, a combination of these pulses, and / or a determined duration of time, that is to say a long press on one or more of these buttons 5 to 7.
• the circuits 8 are articulated, conventionally around a bus 87 of bilateral data transmissions.
• the output of the decoder 80 is connected to this bus 87 and the data entries, during the aforementioned adjustments are transmitted to a central unit 81, constituted by a microprocessor or a microcontroller, connected via this bus 87 to a read-only memory unit 82, type "ROM” (for "Read OnIy Memory”) or any nonvolatile memory of similar type.
• This memory unit 82 stores microprograms or microinstructions managing, in a manner known per se, the operation of the circuits 8 under the control of the microprocessor 81.
• the circuits 8 also comprise a random access memory unit 84, for example of the type said "RAM” (for "Random Access Memory”) and / or a plurality of memory registers.
• This memory 84 must comprise memory locations for storing adjustment data input via the control buttons, 5 to 7, and in particular five memory locations, 840 to 844, dedicated to "GMT", “Ti”, “T 2 ", “MET” and “PET”, as well as 84 X locations for the different alarms. In fact, more memory locations are needed. They are attributed, so permanent or not, at values such as "time to time”, etc. In addition, different values are calculated, under the control of the microprocessor 81 and the microprograms recorded in the memory 82, from the aforementioned data or combinations of these data, for example to generate and display "PET” from the scale of time “GMT” or “MET". These calculations generate intermediate values that are also necessary to store in RAM slots 84.
• the bus 87 is also connected to an output interface unit 85 distributing control signals to both display units: analog needles 2, more precisely to a drive motor 20 or any similar device, and digital, 3 and 4.
• the motor 20 is a stepper motor receiving advance control pulses.
• This output interface unit 85 also generates electrical control signals transmitted to a sound alarm signal generation unit 86.
• audible alarms can be replaced and / or doubled by other types of alarms: visual, vibratory, etc.
• the watch may include more than five alarms and more than two local time zones.
• Ti is chosen as the time scale of the hands 2 (the setting of the hands 2 is independent of the values of the digital display 3-4 and serves only to manually readjust the hands 2 on the digital display of 11 Ti ", if a gap exists between the two).
• the setting of "T 2 " is the same as for "Ti”. If the hands 2 represent “Ti” and you want to adjust the hands during the setting of "T 2 ", you must first, before setting, select "T 2 " as the time scale of the hands 2 while pressing simultaneously on (7) and (5) for more than 2 seconds.
• the possible independent setting of the hands 2 in hours and minutes possibly makes it possible to adjust the analog time (hands 2) to the time zones which are not shifted from "GMT" by whole hours.
• the default value of "GMT" at the first setting is "Monday January 1st Oh 00m 00s of the year 00"
• the value of the five default alarms at the first setting is in the "GMT" scale on "Monday, January 1, 00 00m 00s" and the ringer is deactivated.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)
• Measurement Of Unknown Time Intervals (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-09-08 FR FR0451985A patent/FR2875021B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2005
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  • 2005-08-18 CN CN2005800300471A patent/CN101040228B/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
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