Abstract: The invention concerns a control system for a servomechanism comprising a control member that can move between first and second positions defining a variable electric quantity respectively between a minimum quantity and a maximum quantity, characterized in that the control system further comprises low voltage powering means, voltage increase means connected to the terminals of the low voltage powering means and delivering a high voltage at output, means for measuring a value of the variable electric quantity, powered by the low voltage powering means when the high voltage is being generated, and means for regulating the voltage increase means arranged to increase the high voltage delivered for a variation in the measured electric quantity value lower than a variation threshold determined by the servomechanism, respectively to decrease the high voltage delivered for a variation in the measured electric quantity values higher than the determined variation threshold.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece (10) includes a case (12) which is fitted with a dial (28) and which contains an electronic control circuit (22) driving a display device (24), of the type wherein the dial (28) includes a main body (48) in the form of a plate which is made of semiconductor material, and of the type wherein the control circuit (22) includes at least one control unit (36) and a time base circuit (34), characterized in that the control circuit (22) includes at least one integrated circuit element (34, 36) which is etched in the main body (48) of the dial (28). The invention also proposes a dial (28) to be fitted to the timepiece (10).

Abstract: The present invention concerns an automatic time-setting system for a portable object having an horological function. The present invention also concerns a portable object having an horological function capable of being automatically set to the right time, such as an electronic timepiece. According to the present invention, the portable object (100) includes means (11) for receiving an acoustic time-setting signal (50) and means (12, 13) for deriving time-setting indications (ho, mo) from this acoustic time-setting signal (50) allowing said time indication of the portable object (100) to be corrected. According to the present invention, the portable object may advantageously be set to the right time via an acoustic time-setting signal (50) transmitted for example by the loud speaker of a personal computer, a television, a radio or a telephone receiver.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a communication system between a portable unit, such as a watch, and a communication terminal (2) such as a personal computer or PC, characterized in that the communication terminal (2) includes at least means for transmitting an acoustic signal carrying, and in that the portable unit (1) includes at least processing means for processing data, and receiving and conversion means for picking up said acoustic signal and converting said acoustic signal into data intended to be processed by said processing means.

Abstract: A cordless portable telephone comprises a main apparatus (2) combining a receiver, a transmitter, an antenna (3) and a keyboard for entering a called number, a microphone and an earpiece, all attached to, or supported from a collar passing around the neck of a user.

Abstract: A portable wireless telephone including a main unit of small volume to which an antenna, an earpiece and a microphone are connected. The means for composing a number to be called include a display system (4, 5, 13) in which the digits making up the number to be called can be displayed, one after another, by the manipulation of a crown (10). Such crown can be rotated (60) then pressed (61) in order respectively to choose a digit then confirm it and continuing thus until said number is entirely composed. The telephone can be advantageously combined with a timepiece.

Abstract: The timepiece includes a time keeper in order to display hours and minutes by means of hands (4, 5) surmounting a dial (80) surrounded by a bezel (7) and a receiver capable of receiving messages for seeking persons issuing from at least two calling numbers. The calling numbers (81) are inscribed in plain language or in a coded form on the bezel and means are activated in order that, upon reception of a message, such is stored and the hands (4,5) cease their time-indicating function in order to come into position to show the calling number which emits the message by superposing themselves (4', 5') thereover.

Abstract: The timepiece includes a timekeeper displaying hours (4) and minutes (5), a receiver for radio broadcast messages capable of being read on a display (7) and a control arrangement (3) including a stem fitted into a crown (10). The stem-crown can be brought into three different axial positions, a first stable drawn-out position in which the timekeeper may be set to the time of day by rotation of the crown, a second stable neutral position in which received messages may be displayed one after the other by rotation of the crown and a third pushed-in unstable position in which the displayed message can be erased or protected.

Abstract: The motor arrangement comprises a stator (2), a rotor (1) consisting of a magnetized disc (4) and of a first plate (5) made of soft magnetic material covering one side of the disc (4), and a module (24) secured to the stator (2), facing the other side of the disc (4), through the intermediary of a second plate (6) also made of soft magnetic material. The module (24) is a plate of selenium having an integrated control circuit and, on its surface facing the rotor (1), flat coils that are connected to the circuit and that intercept the field created by the rotor. The coils, which are formed by a single layer of turns, are produced during the manufacturing process of the integrated circuit, and the metallization mask used during this process includes, to this end, the pattern of the conductors that form the coil's turns and of the connections between the circuit and the coils.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with an analogue calendar watch able to display the hour, the day of the month perpetually, and whenever required, the number of the month via the day of the month display. The watch includes a first motor driving the time display in response to a time base signal, a perpetual calendar circuit including a day counter, a month counter and a year counter and receiving a daily signal supplied by a contact, a control circuit connected to the calendar circuit, and a second motor driving the day of the month display in response to a signal from the control circuit. The display of the number of the month is achieved with a reading circuit that receives from the calendar circuit signals representative of the contents of the day and month counters.

Abstract: A watch comprises a first motor (2) for driving a time display (4), a second motor (23) for driving means (20) for numerically indicating the day of the month, a perpetual-calendar circuit (30), a first transmission circuit (40), a non-volatile memory (41), a second transmission circuit (42), and a detection circuit (43) for generating a signal (S43) when an energy supply cell is being inserted to energize the circuits. The calendar circuit includes counters (31, 32, 33) generating a calendar signal (S30) representative of the date. This signal is periodically transferred to the non-volatile memory by the first transmission circuit in response to periodic signals (Sx, Sm, Sa). The date at which the watch stops at the end of the cell's life remains memorized in the non-volatile memory and in the day of the month indicating means.

Abstract: The timepiece comprises a first motor for driving a second hand and a second motor for driving minute and hour hands.When the timepiece is operating normally, the first motor, which comprises at least two coils, is controlled continuously by variable voltages in such a way that its rotor is subjected to a rotating magnetic field and that the second hand moves forward by effecting at least five jumps per second. Furthermore, these voltages are preferably such that the rotor effects one revolution per minute, it therefore being possible to fix the second hand directly to the rotor shaft.The second motor is a conventional, preferably bidirectional stepping motor.

Abstract: A watch comprising at least a minute hand, an hour hand and a knobbed shaft which can occupy an extended axial position known as a correcting position.Minute-by-minute correction or correction by whole time zones is operated with the knobbed shaft in the same extended position by the selection of the speed at which the knob is rotated. Time zone correction always uses as point of reference the real time at the moment of actuation of the knob into the extended position, and the watch includes means operative to cancel any step-by-step correction of the minute hand which may have preceded the time zone correction.

Abstract: A timepiece, able to indicate at least the hours, minutes and seconds, having a rotary stem movable into three axial positions: a stable neutral position in which the timepiece operates normally, a stable outer position and an unstable inner position. When the stem is pulled to the outer position the timepiece switches from the normal operating mode to a correction mode in which it is possible either to correct the minutes indication by rotating the stem slowly, or to perform a change of the hours indication done by rotating it rapidly.Whenever the stem is simply pulled out, or is pulled out followed by a correction of the minutes indication, and is then returned to the neutral position, the timepiece switches automatically and for a set maximum time, e.g. one minute, to a transitory mode in which it is possible to reset the seconds to zero and, at the same time, to cause a return to the normal operating mode by pushing in the stem.

Abstract: The motor unit comprises a stator, two independent rotors having each a permanent magnet located in a cylindrical space defined by three pole faces of the stator, two windings and at least a positioning magnet for holding both rotors, in the absence of current in the windings, in a position in which the magnetic axes of their magnets are each coincident with a rest axis. The field produced by the flow of a current in one of the windings is always at an obtuse angle to one of the rest axes and at an acute angle to the other.The two rotors perform steps of 360.degree. independently of each other in response to pairs of current pulses, the first of which is applied to one of the windings and the second of which is applied to the other winding. The direction of the current pulses determines which of the rotors performs a step, and the order in which the current pulses are applied to the windings determines the direction of rotation of that rotor.The motor unit can be used in particular in an electronic timepiece.

Abstract: A keyboard having a matrix of keys or pushbuttons arranged in a matrix is ovided with a plurality of stationary electrical contacts arranged in a similar matrix. Movable contacts operated by the pushbuttons are provided by a plurality of ladder-shaped flexible conductive members. Each ladder-shaped member extends along one row of pushbuttons and has a "rung" of the ladder extending through the space between a pushbutton and its associated stationary contact. The body of the keyboard is provided with grooves for inserting the ladder-shaped members and the spacing between these grooves is such that the rung portions of the member are flexed upwardly against the pushbutton and out of contact with the stationary contact when the pushbutton is in the normal position. Each flexed rung exhibits a bistable characteristic so that as a pushbutton is depressed, a point is reached at which less force is required to further depress the pushbutton.