Abstract: The invention concerns an electro-optical cell, in particular a liquid crystal cell, or an improved electrochemical photovoltaic cell including a contact pad (26) made of an electrically conductive material affixed onto each electrode (6, 8) of the cell, to the right of the lateral electric contact zone (22) where the electrode (6, 8) comes level with the edge of the strip (2, 4) onto which it has been deposited, so as to fill the volume of the cavity defined by each electrode (6, 8) with the respective strip (4, 2) which is opposite thereto, in order to increase the surface of the electric contact zone (22).

Abstract: The assembly includes on the one hand a first device I determining a first color, said device being formed of a liquid crystal display module (CL; CL1, CL2), including at the front and at the back a linear polarizer (PAb1, PAb2) selective of said first color, and on the other hand a second device II including a colored filter (Fy) corresponding to the second color. The assembly is characterised in that the axes of polarization of the selective polarizers (PAb1, PAb2) are parallel to each other, in that the colored filter (Fy) includes at the front a reflective polarizer (PR1) whose axis of polarization is parallel to the axes of polarization of the two polarizers (PAb1, PAb2), and at the back a reflective element (R, PR2), and in that a control unit (7) enables a switching configuration to be defined displaying an item of information in the first color on a background corresponding to the second color or vice versa.

Abstract: There is provided a type of luminous hand including a part made of moulded transparent material that forms a circular head (28, 35) and a body (28, 34) of a hand. In order to direct a portion of a light beam parallel to the axis (15) of the hand towards the interior of the body, the head includes a plurality of reflectors (40, 41) distributed around the axis and formed by dihedron shaped hollows. This improves the intensity and uniformity of the light in the hand body. Inclined light-diffusing surfaces, covered with a light coloured paint, are arranged on the bottom face of the hand. In a display device with several coaxial hands (11,12) such as that of a watch, the reflectors of the superposed heads (29, 35) of the hands are located at respective distances from the axis which are different from one hand to another, such that they never completely cover each other. The light source preferably includes three light-emitting diodes (23) located under the dial (10).

Abstract: Generator of the clockwork type including a stator formed of at least three coils (11a, 11b, 11c) and a rotor formed of two flanges (81, 82) carried by a shaft (5) and supporting an even number of magnets (91, 92). The rotor is formed of at least two distinct parts prior to assembly with the stator. In order to assemble the rotor, its shaft is introduced into a central space (13) defined by the coils coaxially to the axes of said coils, which thus allows the coils to be closer together so that the distance separating any two adjacent coils is less than the diameter D of said shaft (5) at its center.

Abstract: There is described an amplitude-controlled electronic device (1) intended to generate at an output (11; 11a) an alternating output signal (S1; Sosc) of substantially constant amplitude. This electronic device includes a measuring branch (20; 20*; 201) for generating a measuring voltage (Vout) representative of the amplitude of the output signal (S1; Sosc) and means for generating a reference voltage (Vref) including a reference branch (40; 40*; 400) matched with the measuring branch and at the input (A) of which a voltage reference (U0) is selectively switched. A comparator (30; 300) is arranged for comparing the measuring and reference voltages and generating in response a control signal (Sc) which is applied on a control terminal (12) of the electronic device. According to the invention, the matching of the measuring and reference branches allows the sensitivity of the control signal to temperature and manufacturing process variations to be substantially cancelled.

Abstract: The structure described forms a PIFA antenna (10) and a shield container (11) which can contain electric circuits, particularly a transceiver associated with the antenna. It is arranged to be incorporated in a portable electronic apparatus of small volume, for example a wristwatch. In order to be as far away as possible from a body located under the apparatus and capable of absorbing or disturbing part of the radiation, the antenna (10) is arranged in the top part of the structure. The cover (14) of the case (11) includes a substantially plane external surface and an indentation (17) in a peripheral zone of the cover. The radiating element (20) of the antenna extends in the plane of said external surface, above said indentation whose bottom surface (18) forms the antenna's ground plane.

Abstract: The invention concerns a non acoustic alarm device, intended to be fitted to a unit worn in contact with the body, such as a timepiece or a portable telephone, including a case, a moving mass within said case intended to transmit vibrations thereto, a coil (L) electromagnetically coupled to said moving mass to cause it to oscillate, and an excitation circuit of said coil. According to the invention, the device includes means for measuring the instantaneous oscillation frequency of the coil-moving mass unit during the oscillation in progress, as well as means for generating a series of excitation pulses for said coil during the following oscillation, whose characteristics are a function of the measurement of said instantaneous oscillation frequency. Due to its high yield and low energy consumption, this device is particularly suitable for watches.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a receiver (110) including: an antenna (2) able to receive a frequency shift keying modulated signal (S), conversion means (3) able to receive this signal and to provide two first analog signals (I, Q); and demodulation means (112) able to receive said first signals and to provide a signal (X32+Y32) representative of the modulated signal. This receiver is characterised in that the demodulation means comprise: a complex filter (116) able to receive the first analog signals and to provide two second analog signals (X3, Y3), so that the gain of the transfer function (H3) can be equal to two different values (G1, G2); two normalisation means (118, 120) able to receive the second signals, and to provide in response two third analog signals (X32, Y32), representing a standard of the second signals; and an adder (122) able to receive said third signals and to provide the sum thereof.

Abstract: The inductive micro-sensor includes a flat micro-coil (2) formed on an integrated circuit (4) by long conductive segments Si with a high aspect ratio, each segment Si being arranged along a perpendicular direction with respect to the next segment Si+1 to form a spiral type structure with an overall square or rectangular contour. It is characterised in that each long segment Si is connected to the next long segment Si+1 by means of a short segment si forming, with the two long segments Si, Si+1, angles &agr; and &agr;′ greater than 90°.

Abstract: The invention concerns a mixer, in particular for an dual conversion receiver. The mixer includes a first variable transconductance stage (A) controlled by a high frequency carrier signal, this first stage including first (37) and second (38) terminals delivering a first signal; and a second stage (B) connected to said first terminal of the first stage including, in parallel, first (T32) and second (T33) switching means respectively controlled by first (in2) and second (in2b) phase opposition control signals at a first intermediate frequency (IF1), these first and second switching means being powered by a substantially equal current supplied by polarisation means (34). The mixer according to the invention is characterised in that it further includes means (T36) for modulating said first signal delivered by said first stage by means of a third control signal (in3) at a second intermediate frequency (IF2).

Abstract: An optical device (20) is provided using at least one film (23) of cholesteric liquid crystal to reflect at least one predetermined wavelength band from an incident light. This device is characterized in that a non zero birefringence gradient is present in a portion or the entire thickness of said film. The gradient may be obtained in particular by superposing layers (24a-24j) having increasing or decreasing respective birefringence coefficients. The birefringence gradient has the effect of removing the lateral bands of the reflection spectrum, hence making the color of the reflected light more brilliant and more saturated. The effect is particularly advantageous in the case of the color red, for which the lateral band located on the yellow side is perceived strongly by the human eye.

Abstract: The dual-modulus prescaler circuit for a frequency includes several dividers-by-two of the asynchronous type, connected in series, a phase selector unit (11) inserted between two of the dividers-by-two (10, 12a) and a control unit for supplying first control signals(S0, S1, S2, C1, C2) to the selector unit as a function of a selected mode. Said control unit receives four signals phase shifted by 90° with respect to each other from a first master-slave divider and supplies a selected one of the four phase shifted signals. The selector unit includes a first amplifying branch (21) receiving two first phase shifted signals (F2I, F2Ib), a second amplifying branch (22) receiving two second phase shifted signals (F2Q, F2Qb), and a selection element (23) connected to each branch. The first control signals (S0, S1, S2) are supplied to the first and second branches, and to the selection element for selecting one of the four phase shifted signals (F2) at one output in a determined division period.

Abstract: An optical device, for homogenising the lighting in an image plane, defined by a digital optical sensor wherein the optical device is formed of a block made of transparent homogenous filtering material, this block having a substantially uniform absorption coefficient for all the wavelengths of the visible optical spectrum which pass through it, and having a variable thickness suited to a determined absorption profile.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a piezoelectric motor of the type including:

Abstract: A display assembly includes two superposed, respectively upper (24) and lower (26) display devices, characterized in that the upper display device (24) includes a display cell (28) arranged above an optical valve (30), said double structure being arranged so as to be transparent in a first state to make the lower display device visible (26), and so as to display item of data in a second state, control circuits supplying a control voltage to the cell (28) to cause it to switch from the first state to the second state and vice versa, characterized in that the cell (28) is a display cell of the type including a diffusing or reflective liquid crystal in the second state.

Abstract: Generator of the clockwork type including a rotor formed of two flanges 8 supporting magnets 9 and arranged at the end of shaft 5 having a diameter D at its centre. The stator is formed of three coils 11a, 11b, 11c carried by a support made in two parts 21 and 22 allowing the coils to be mounted in a separate manner between the rotor flanges upon the assembly of the rotor with the stator. Accordingly, the distance separating two adjacent coils can be less than the diameter D of the rotor shaft after the assembly of the generator. This allows the magnet-coil coupling to be increased by increasing the dimensions of the coils so that the overlapping surface between the flanges 8 which carry the magnets 9 is optimum.

Abstract: The case (2) includes means (4a, 4b; 24, 25) for attaching a wristband (3) to a wrist and means for connecting a flexible support (11) of a keyboard (13, 23) with keys (14, 15) connected inside the case (2) to a data processing unit (29) controlling a display device (16, 16a, 16b) allowing characters, supplied by the processing unit (29), to be displayed on a dial (7) of the case (2), the electric power for the electronic components of the assembly being provided by a power source (10). The case is characterized in that the flexible support (11) for the keyboard (13, 23) is connected on one side of the case (2) and its length substantially corresponds to the size of the wrist outline, and in that the wristband (3) totally covers the keyboard (13, 23) while being provided with fixed attachment means (4b, 24) diametrically opposite the means for connecting the keyboard (13, 23) and removable attachment means (4a, 25) located in proximity to said connection to the keyboard.

Abstract: Analog display horological piece, comprising at least a step by step motor (18, 20) driving hands (MN, H) for displaying a time keeping information; means of controlling said step by step motor; position detectors (51-62) providing in angular sector defined on the piece, the activation of each of said position detectors enabling the selection of a predetermined digital piece of information (0-9, ×, ÷, +, −, =); means (36, 40) for inputting said selected digital piece of information; and means (22) for processing said digital information. The control means are adapted so that at least one of said hands (MN, H) is driven so that it indicates the angular sector corresponding to the position detector (51-62) which is activated so as to confirm the selection of the digital piece of information (0-9, ×, ÷, +, −, =).

Abstract: There is described a colored photovoltaic cell (1) with a semiconductor, preferably silicon, which has high efficiency and a pleasing colored appearance, allowing it to be used as a dial for a watch or another electronic apparatus powered by the cell. The cell includes a reflective metal substrate (2) serving as the bottom electrode, a stack of hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers forming p-i-n junctions (8), and a transparent top electrode (9). The latter may be coated with a layer (16) of slightly diffusing lacquer, which may be colorless or colored. The respective thicknesses e1 of the top electrode and e2 of the silicon are combined as a function of the refractive indices of the materials so as to produce an interferential reflection in a predetermined reflection spectrum.

Abstract: A first (5) of the indicators and a first pipe (1) form part of an angular position indicating moving part (MR1) carrying a plate (9) co-operating with a first sensor (11) for generating a position signal for said indicator as a result of discontinuities in the material of said plate. A second display indicator (6) coaxial to said first indicator is coupled to a second angular position indicating moving part (MR2). The latter, which is mounted at a distance from the first moving part, is in a meshing relationship with a second pipe (2) carrying said second indicator. This second moving part carries a second plate (18) co-operating with a second sensor (20), for generating a position signal for said second indicator as a result of discontinuities in the material of said second plate.