Abstract: A finished or semi-finished item in sintered zirconia is characterized by a metallic appearance obtained by placing a previously shaped and sintered zirconia item in its finished or semi-finished shape in an oven in which there is a plasma containing hydrogen, bringing the item to a temperature of around 800.degree. C. or more, and maintaining the item at this temperature for a period of time from around a quarter of an hour to three hours, preferably two hours.

Abstract: This invention provides protection against power supply failure, in particular of electronic circuits of timepieces powered by photovoltaic batteries. The invention comprises a continuous electric power supply comprising: an electrical continuous source (G) coupled to a power output (VDD, GND); energy storing means (6); and a reversible dc/dc electric converter (5) coupled both to the power output (VDD, GND) and to the energy storing means (6). The converter (5) comprises switching means (T1, T2, T3, T4) for modifying its configuration. The power supply storing means (6) comprise essentially a capacitor (C). Preferably, the reversible converter (5) is a dc/dc converter, the converter being a voltage multiplier in a first configuration and being a voltage divider in a second configuration.

Abstract: An angular speed measuring device comprises a rotating tuning fork transducer. First excitation electrodes excite the transducer to cause a first vibration in a first plane parallel to the planes of the principal faces of the transducer. The first vibration induces a second vibration in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the principal faces. The second vibration comprises a first component having an amplitude representative of the angular speed, and a second or parasite component. To avoid the distorting effects of the parasitic component of the second vibrations, the device is provided with a second set of excitation electrodes to excite a third vibration in the transducer, the third vibration being in phase opposition to the parasite component of the second vibration. Detection electrodes are provided for detecting vibrations in the direction perpendicular to the principal faces.

Abstract: Timepiece including:a spring (1a) housed in said barrel (1),an electric power generator (2) coupled to said barrel (1),a rectifier circuit (4) connected to said generator, anda regulator circuit (6) supplied by the direct voltage (Ua) from the rectifier circuit and intended to control the rotational speed of the generator (2).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for exciting and monitoring a piezoelectric motor (M1) in stepping mode, the motor having a resonance frequency (f.sub.R) and being supplied electrically at an excitation frequency (f.sub.E) during each operating step.The method is characterized in that it comprises a monitoring phase which extends at least over several successive steps of said motor and in which, for a present step of said motor, a determined excitation frequency value (f.sub.E +1) is used, the duration (t.sub.E +1) of the present step is measured, said duration (t.sub.E +1) is compared to the duration (t.sub.E) of the preceding step and, according to the result of this comparison, said excitation frequency value (f.sub.E +2) is corrected for the following step in a direction tending to reduce the duration of the step.A circuit is also described which enables the implementation of the method.

Abstract: Timepiece comprising a mechanical movement which includes a barrel (8) driving a mechanism formed by a gear train, said timepiece comprising a device for indicating the power reserve comprising a resilient element (6) rotatively coupling in a mechanical manner two coaxial wheels (2,4) of said gear train and a disk (4) and a hand (42) rotatively coupled to said two coaxial wheels respectively and arranged so as to indicate an angular displacement between said hand (42) and a reference mark associated to said disk (40) for indicating the moment of force exerted by said barrel on said gear train, said moment of force being representative of the power reserve of the timepiece.

Abstract: The invention concerns an ultrasonic detection device intended to detect the presence of foreign bodies, on the surface of a window comprising a first sheet having a first thickness, comprising a transducer co-operating with a first face of said first sheet, said transducer being able to emit an ultrasonic signal of frequency f.sub.t and also able to receive a reflected ultrasonic signal on a second face of the first sheet, the variation in said reflected signal being representative of the presence or absence of foreign bodies on said second face facing said transducer. This device is characterized in that the frequency f.sub.t is selected to satisfy the following equation:f.sub.K /100.ltoreq..vertline.f.sub.t -f.sub.K .vertline..ltoreq.f.sub.K /10where f.sub.K =K.

Abstract: The device comprises a keyboard wherein each key is associated with an underlying sensor sensitive pad which controls the input of data associated with said key in response to an application of a finger on such key, such sensitive pads being closely set together within a closed contour (V.sub.1, V.sub.2 ; V'.sub.1, V'.sub.2) having, for a user, an upper part (V.sub.1) and a lower part (V.sub.2) respectively adjacent to first and second series of pads, such device being characterized in that the areas of the pads (10, 11, 12, 13; 7, 8, 9, .div.) of the first series are on the whole greater than the areas of the pads (3 to 9; 0, ., =, +) of the second series.

Abstract: A dispenser apparatus having a guiding plate (59) and a cylindrical extension (74) with a groove (75), the cylindrical extension preferably being coupled to a cover (22) for enabling backwards movement of a disposable strip (34) in the apparatus prior to the separation of a disposable zone (Z1 to Z9) of the strip. The strip can be moved forward step-by-step, after it has been inserted into the apparatus, via a sliding button (23) which acts on a cursor (35) to which the strip (34) can be coupled and which can circulate into a passage (29) provided in the case (20) of the apparatus. The apparatus is particularly applicable to dispensing devices for objects such as medical tablets, and to blood sugar level measuring devices.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing multizone disposable testing strips which are inserted in the apparatus by a user. The apparatus has, for the strips (34), a circulation passage (29) in which a cursor (35) is able to slide, each strip being able to be coupled to the cursor. Ratchet members (54, 57, 62a to 65), associated with a driving member attached to the cursor, are arranged so as to enable the step by step movement of the cursor in the direction of the opening (28) of the passage (29) from any position in which the cursor can be, this being achieved via a direct driving of the cursor. Accordingly, it is always possible to bring the cursor back into a position where it is near said opening. The apparatus can be applied to object dispensing devices, such as medical tablets, or to blood sugar level measuring devices.

Abstract: An identification arrangement for a character transcribed onto a surface has sensors, circuits for periodically detecting the state of the output signals from the sensors, and a change-of-state detector for determining which, among the output signals, is in a high state. Each of the output signals in a high state is compared with the output signal which had been produced by the same sensor during detection of the preceding state. A storage unit stores an identifier corresponding to the sensors for which a change of state has thus been detected, the stored identifiers thus forming a sequence of identifiers corresponding to the transcribed character. The stored sequence of identifiers is compared with at least one sequence of reference identifiers in order to identify the transcribed character.

Abstract: The portable precision watch, additionally to time-keeping functions, also comprises a GPS receiver with antenna, evaluation electronics, a compass, a destination coordinate memory, an input element and a display element. With the evaluation electronics the coordinates of the location and the direction to the destination are computed and are made directly viewable as a vector display in the display element. Thus a very compact precision watch is provided which may be personally carried everywhere and worldwide, and directly displays the direction to any destination, in particular as a pocket watch or wrist watch.

Abstract: The integrated circuit (11) of this timepiece comprises means (16, 17, 18) for comparing the frequency of a time base (12, 13) to the frequency of the generator (1). The error signal thereby generated is examined by a wired logic (20) allowing verification of whether this signal passes distinct threshold values.Passing of two of these values allows an electric brake (22) of the generator to be controlled so that from a certain degree of depletion of the power reserve of the barrel (5), the second hand moves periodically right away over an angle of several seconds inviting the wearer of the timepiece to rewind the spring (6) of the barrel (5).

Abstract: In order to avoid any risk of detachment where conductors or current paths are provided through the sealing frame (7) which, with the support plates (1,2) defines a chamber (11) enclosed in a seal tight manner at the centre of the cell, the electrodes (3A, 4) situated inside this chamber are connected to respective electrical contacts (6) by means of strips of conductive adhesive (9) extending from the inside to the outside of the chamber. These strips of adhesive may also be used to connect two electrodes to each other.

Abstract: An electric cell comprises first and second parallel flexible substrates, set apart from each other at a determined spacing, carrying electrodes on their opposing faces, the substrates enclosing between them a layer of sensitive material which can change its physical properties, in particular its optical properties, as a result of a voltage applied to the electrodes, or change its electrical properties as a result of stress or radiation passing through one of the substrates, the sensitive material being protected from contact with the atmosphere by a sealing frame which connects, in a sealed manner, peripheral parts of the substrates, said frame having a width parallel to the substrates.

Abstract: The timepiece comprises an electrical energy generator (3) comprising a rotor (3a) and means (3b) for supplying said electrical energy in response to rotation of said rotor (3a), a source of mechanical energy (2), measuring means (Trig) coupled to said generator (3) for producing measurement pulses of the angular frequency of an alternating voltage supplied by the generator (3), braking means (K) responsive to a braking command signal for applying a braking torque to said rotor (3a), an electronic circuit (1) comprising reference means (Osc) for producing a reference signal (FR), and slaving control means (Div, Cmp, Tmr) arranged to control said braking means (K) when said measurement pulses are ahead with respect to the reference signal.

Abstract: The angular speed measuring device comprises:a transducer (1) intended to rotate at said angular speed;means (9) for generating a mechanical vibration of said transducer (1) in response to an excitation signal (OSC), this mechanical vibration comprising a parasite component and at least one useful component having an amplitude which is representative of said angular speed, andmeans for producing an electric detection signal (DET) representative of said mechanical vibration and also comprising a parasite component and at least one useful component having an amplitude which is representative of said angular speed.The device is characterized in that it further comprises processing means (23) for obtaining from said electric detection signal (DET), an analog measurement signal (S") the amplitude of which only depends on said useful component of the electric detection signal (DET), the parasite component of the electric detection signal being eliminated.

Abstract: Delay locked loop intended to be used in a receiver of signals emitted by a GPS satellite, comprising a pseudo-random code generator (35), a local oscillator (34), a modulator (14) for modulating said pseudo-random code with the output signal of said local oscillator (34), a plurality of signal channels (C1, C2, C3) connected to the output of said modulator (14) and each comprising a pass-band filter (48 to 50). A data processing unit (11) is adapted to control the central frequency of the output signal of said local oscillator as a function of the output signal of said signal detection circuit and to control the central frequencies and the bandwidth of said pass-band filters (48 to 50) in several steps during said acquisition phase, so that said pass-band filters divide up, at each step, one of the pass-bands of the preceding step into non-overlapping pass-bands.

Abstract: A watch for indicating the direction of a predetermined locality from a plurality of defined geographic regions. Such watch comprises an arrangement (28, 40) for detecting the direction of terrestrial magnetic north and means (22, 46, 14) for indicating the direction of a predetermined locality from any geographic region whatsoever comprised within a plurality of defined geographic regions. Moreover the watch comprises means (18, 19, 20) operable by a user of the watch in order to furnish a code number to an electronic managing and control unit (22). This number, chosen among a plurality of numbers, forms a code corresponding to the geographic region in which the user is located. With the help of such code number, the electronic unit (22) can determine the mean magnetic azimuth corresponding to the region in which the user is located by means of a memory (26) in which is stored a plurality of mean magnetic azimuths respectively corresponding to said plurality of geographic regions.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an electronic power module comprising several integrated power circuits which may, for example, be insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT).