Patents Examined by Matthew Powell
  • Patent number: 9448534
    Abstract: A perpetual calendar for a watch including a movement controlling the daily release, at the moment that the date changes, of a mechanism actuating a perpetual lever of this perpetual calendar is disclosed. The perpetual calendar includes a calendar mechanism, a daily countdown mechanism including a month-end adjustment mechanism, and a differential mechanism. The calendar mechanism is arranged to determine the duration of the current month and is updated at each current month change by the daily countdown mechanism. The differential mechanism is arranged to control, each day at the moment that the date changes, the motion of an additional adjustment cam comprised in the month-end adjustment mechanism, based on the current day of the month taken from the daily countdown mechanism, and also based on the current month duration taken from the calendar mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
    Inventor: Eric Goeller
  • Patent number: 9448542
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece includes a reception device that receives a satellite signal, a reception control section that activates the reception device to carry out a reception process, a chronograph section that measures time, an input device, and an action control section when detecting time measurement input operation performed on the input device for activating the chronograph section during the reception process carried out by the reception control section, terminates the action of the reception control section, and activates the chronograph section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 9436164
    Abstract: Disclosed is a radio-controlled timepiece. The radio-controlled timepiece includes an oscillating unit, a display unit, a display driving unit, an error storage unit, a radio wave receiving unit, and a frequency setting unit. The display driving unit drives the display unit with a driving signal of a predetermined driving waveform frequency generated by the clock signal output by the oscillating unit. The error storage unit stores error data of an oscillating frequency. The radio wave receiving unit tunes to a receiving frequency of a radio wave including time information, and receives the radio wave. The frequency setting unit sets the driving waveform frequency based on the error data so that the receiving frequency does not overlap with a higher order harmonic wave of the driving waveform frequency during a period that the radio wave is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Sano
  • Patent number: 9423774
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece includes a display section which displays time information and a light emitting section which illuminates a display surface of the display section by emitting light. A light emitting control section performs control to turn on the light emitting section by gradually increasing a light emitting amount of the light emitting section to a peak value in a predetermined brightening time according to a predetermined light emitting condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eiji Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 9424727
    Abstract: A device and method to remind parents to regularly alternate the head position of a sleeping baby in order to prevent or minimize positional plagiocephaly. The device comprises a display area displaying a plurality of suggested head positions and at least one user-selectable indicator for selecting a first one of said plurality of suggested head positions. The user-selectable indicator is coupled with a source of illumination for maintaining visual indication of said first head position until the user manually selects a second head position or the device is turned off. The device further comprises a processor coupled with memory configured to store the user-selected head position which is visually indicated upon deactivation of said source illumination. The processor can then be configured to cause said source of illumination to blink indicating the user-selected head position stored in said memory upon the device being powered on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Inventors: Irene Collado, David Collado
  • Patent number: 9411318
    Abstract: When an operation button is pressed for three seconds, a second hand is reversed and fast-forwarded to the position of a currently set time difference. After the second hand stops, the second hand is moved stepwise to time difference display positions to continuously display time difference correction candidates. In this state, when the operation button is pressed, the second hand is caused to stop, and an hour hand is moved to the position of time determined in consideration of the time difference at which the second hand points. The time difference at which the second hand points is stored as a time difference set value, and an action mode is switched to a normal time display mode for time-difference time display based on the time difference set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Naohiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9411315
    Abstract: The present invention includes a wristwatch case provided with a watch glass, a dial plate provided in the wristwatch case, and a timepiece module arranged below the dial plate, and the timepiece module has a first antenna arranged in its one end portion so as to receive a high-frequency radio wave for GPS and a second antenna arranged in the other end portion opposing the first antenna so as to receive a standard time radio wave whose frequency differs from that of a radio wave to be received by the first antenna. Accordingly, radio waves for GPS can be received by the first antenna and standard time radio waves can be received by the second antenna arranged opposing the first antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto Sawada
  • Patent number: 9395699
    Abstract: A timing device that includes an anode layer, a cathode layer and an electrolyte attached to a base layer. The anode layer and the cathode layer are placed adjacent to one another along an axis of the timing device. Upon activation of the timing device the anode layer is depleted away from the cathode layer until the timing device is fully expired. Once the timing device is expired, a change is seen indicating that the timing device has expired. In some embodiments, a color change indicates that the timing device has expired. In some embodiments, as the timing device expires electronically readable information is uncovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Vision Works IP Corporation
    Inventor: Alfred S. Braunberger
  • Patent number: 9395700
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a clocking unit; a receiving unit; a reception control unit; and a date and time obtaining unit. The reception control unit makes the receiving unit receive first date and time information which is transmitted from a positioning satellite, the first date and time information indicating an elapsed time from a start of a week to an end of the week, and the reception control unit does not make the receiving unit receive second date and time information which is transmitted from the positioning satellite, the second date and time information indicating a week number. The date and time obtaining unit calculates an uncorrected date and time based on the first date and time information and a clocking unit week number which is a week number calculated from date and time counted by the clocking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Oshita, Kosuke Hasegawa, Takeshi Matsue
  • Patent number: 9395693
    Abstract: Timepiece with date display comprises two supports (20, 30), each bearing a set of signs (40, 50) according to an annular arrangement, one bearing signs (50) 0 to 9 forming the date digits and the other bearing signs (40) 0 to 3 forming the decimals, the respective signs (40, 50) being juxtaposed in order to indicate the date (70). The signs (40, 50) are disposed in a non uniform manner, such that the angular deviation formed between the start of a sign (40, 50) and the start of the following sign (40, 50) varies from one sign to another. The timepiece further comprises a mechanism for driving said supports (20, 30) by uniform angular pitches of around 36° per day for the support (30) bearing the signs (50) forming the digits and of around 45° per five days for the support (20) bearing the signs (40) forming the decimals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Parmigiani Fleurier SA
    Inventor: Etienne Ruffieux
  • Patent number: 9389587
    Abstract: A metal pivot pin includes at least one pivot at at least one of its ends, and the metal is an austenitic steel, an austenitic cobalt alloy, or an austenitic nickel alloy in order to limit a sensitivity of the pin to magnetic fields. At least an outer surface of the at least one pivot is hardened to a predetermined depth relative to the rest of the pin in order to harden the at least one pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Omega S.A.
    Inventors: Cedric Von Gruenigen, Christian Charbon, Marco Verardo
  • Patent number: 9389591
    Abstract: The invention concerns a magnetic device for regulating the relative angular velocity of a wheel and of at least one magnetic dipole integral with an oscillating device. The wheel or the dipole is driven by a driving torque. The wheel includes a periodic, ferromagnetic pole path which alternates according to a center angle and the at least one dipole is arranged to permit magnetic coupling with the ferromagnetic path and oscillation of the dipole at the natural frequency of the oscillating element during the relative motion of the wheel and of the magnetic dipole to regulate the relative angular velocity. The wheel further includes an assembly to dissipate the kinetic energy of the at least one dipole when it moves away from the ferromagnetic path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Gianni Di Domenico, Jerome Favre, Baptiste Hinaux, Dominique Lechot, Patrick Ragot
  • Patent number: 9389589
    Abstract: In the control method for an analog display device fitted to a timepiece movement, the motor is used both for driving a first indicator of a time parameter and a second periodically driven indicator. To this end, the motor is controlled such that, when the first indicator is in an operating mode and the second indicator is arranged to remain substantially immobile, said first indicator is driven in rotation by the motor alternately. The first indicator is driven in a forward direction, to display the time parameter, during a first period in which a periodic actuation wheel set is simultaneously driven in positions of its area of non-actuation, and in a backward direction, in accelerated mode, during a second period following the first period, before the periodic actuation wheel set is driven in a position of its area of actuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventor: Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 9383724
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system of measuring a piece of time related information connected to a display system for displaying the piece of time related information and to a fast correction system for correcting the time related information display at any time and in a predetermined step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Omega SA
    Inventor: Olivier Rebetez
  • Patent number: 9383728
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, a device, a server, and a system for configuring daylight saving time, belonging to the field of communications. The method includes: receiving, by a CPE, a message carrying a daylight saving time rule parameter; if a daylight saving time enable flag displays that daylight saving time is enabled, extracting, by the CPE, the daylight saving time rule parameter from the message; obtaining the current year of the CPE; and obtaining start time or end time of daylight saving time according to the current year and the daylight saving time rule parameter. The system includes a CPE and a server. The CPE includes a receiving module, an extracting module, a first obtaining module, and a second obtaining module. The server includes a generating module and a sending module. Through the present invention, daylight saving time can be configured in a single attempt and used permanently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tiejun Wu
  • Patent number: 9377760
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pivot pin for a timepiece movement including at least one pivot at at least one of the ends thereof, characterized in that said at least one pivot is formed of a composite material having a metallic matrix including at least one metal selected from among nickel, titanium, chromium, zirconium, silver, gold, platinum, silicon, molybdenum, aluminum or an alloy of the above metals, said matrix being charged with hard particles selected from among WC, TiC, TaC, TiN, TiCN, Al2O3, ZrO2, Cr2O3, SiC, MoSi2, Al N or a combination thereof, so as to limit the sensitivity of the pin to magnetic fields. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Omega S.A.
    Inventors: Cedric Von Gruenigen, Christian Charbon, Marco Verardo
  • Patent number: 9367037
    Abstract: A timepiece barrel for pivotal assembly between a plate and a bar and including at least one spring housed between a pivoting drum and a cover and hooked between the drum at an outer end thereof and an arbor at an inner end thereof, the arbor pivoting integrally with a ratchet about a pivot axis. The barrel includes a one-piece sub-assembly coaxial to the arbor and including, about a boss, at least the ratchet and/or the arbor, and the guide arbor in the plate is fitted into the boss which is integral with the ratchet, the boss forming the guide member in the bar, making it possible to assemble the bar and plate with subsequent attachment of the arbor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Laurent Kaelin, Arthur Queval, Martin Vautherot
  • Patent number: 9354607
    Abstract: Method for maintaining and regulating the frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency (?0) Includes a regulator device acting on the resonator with a periodic motion which requires a periodic modulation of at least the resonant frequency of said resonator, by requiring at least a modulation of the active length of a spring in the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency (?R) that is between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency (?0). The integer is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Thierry Hessler, Davide Sarchi, Marc Stranczl
  • Patent number: 9354612
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for synchronizing device time on various electronic devices. The method and system weigh various factors such as origin of timing signals and elapsed time since last update to determine the most accurate synchronization time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas V. King, Daniel T. Preston, Duncan Kerr
  • Patent number: 9354613
    Abstract: The invention is a method and system for graphical representation of time. In this invention the hours are represented by an hour symbol drawn in a display area. The minutes of the hour are represented by a translation attribute of the hour symbol, which changes the hour symbol proportionally as the minutes of the hour lapse. The translation attribute may be position, size, rotation, a combination or other attributes. In a preferred embodiment, the visual identification of the minute is enhanced by the addition of a proportional change in the state of the background to indicate the minutes past the hour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Inventor: Rajendra Serber