Abstract: A quarter hour and hour tone generator system for generating sequences of tones on the quarter hour and hour intervals. The system includes a timepiece having output means for providing a coded representation of time, means responsive to the output means for initiation of the tone generator each time the timepiece reaches a quarter hour interval. Gating means are provided for selecting a sequence of tones in accordance with the time represented by the output means. Instantaneous chime readout capability is also provided to enable en audible indication of the most recently passed quarter hour.

Abstract: A flexible printed circuit, located within a digital watch, which provides the interconnection circuitry between the digital watch's electro-optical displays and the electronic components and the batteries and the watch push buttons. The flexible printed circuit consists of a pliable plastic material to which battery contacts, push button contacts, interconnection circuitry (between the batteries, watch push buttons, electronic component, and electro-optical displays), and contacts for the electronic components and displays are affixed.

Abstract: Second adjustment system in an electronic watch employing a quartz oscillator as a time base. The watch comprises a standard oscillating circuit including the quartz oscillator, a divider, a driving circuit, and a converter. The divider produces several oscillatory output signals of different frequency so as to produce diverse time signals. A time signal selection switch selects output among these outputs. The selected output time signal corresponds to the signal required for adjusting a time delay or a time advance of the seconds indicated by the watch. An incorrect time is corrected during normal watch operation by this second adjustment system.

Abstract: An electronic wrist watch is provided in which an interior space contacting an electronic module is filled with a module protecting liquid. Means are provided for varying the volume of the interior space in accordance with the expansion or contraction of the liquid.

Abstract: A single amplitude curve generator is time shared amongst a plurality of musical tone generators for controlling their musical shapes. The curve generator creates a wide variety of envelope characteristics by implementing a recursive computation algorithm for selected choices of a single curve shape parameter coupled with the use of a collection of timing clocks used to vary the time intervals associated with the attack, decay, and release regions of the musical tone envelope. Provision is made for forcing the release of a tone generator when a limited number of tone generators have been completely assigned in a keyboard musical instrument and a new note key switch is actuated. Note release signals can be ignored until the amplitude curve generator has completed the attack and decay regions for a given tone generator.

Abstract: An electronic watch providing optical and audible readouts, controlled by a number of predetermined pulse trains, each pulse of which being produced by the user's tapping or otherwise impacting a small electroacoustic transducer, which also provides the audible readout. A switch may be substituted for the transducer, thus foregoing audible readout capability. An easily learned coded series of tone bursts identifies the numbers in the audible time readout. The alarm capability, armed and disarmed by appropriate pulse trains, includes an alarm register which can be read out and set by appropriate pulse trains and, supplemented by an additional counter to form a duration register, serves as a stopwatch adapted not only for conventional timing of external events, but also for precision setting of the minute and second counters. An auxiliary register may hold month and date information to be read out and set in response to appropriate pulse trains.

Abstract: Display means for electronically generating a visual display of the frequency difference between two frequencies, adaptable for the tuning of musical instruments. In the exemplary body of said adaptation the note from the instrument is picked up through a microphone and fed through electronic means for isolating the fundamental frequency; the frequency and a reference frequency generated by a reference frequency synthesizer are fed into said display means which generates a visual display of the frequency difference between said fundamental frequency and said reference frequency.

Abstract: A small sized electric timepiece movement has a radius which is less than the diameter of the battery which powers the movement. Hence, the battery extends from one side of the movement to a point beyond the centerline of the timepiece. Advantage is taken of the fact that the battery is dome-shaped so as to accommodate a portion of the base plate which rotatably supports the cannon pinion and hour wheel of the timepiece movement which are located centrally of the timepiece. Hence, the axis of the cannon pinion and hour wheel, if projected, would intersect the battery. The invention enables the construction of an electronic timepiece which is smaller than would otherwise be possible. With a battery having a diameter of 7.9 mm and a thickness of 3.5 mm, it is possible to make a timepiece having a diameter of 14.8 mm and a thickness of about 4 mm.

Abstract: An apparatus for initiating and sustaining vibrations of a string in a musical instrument. A hand-held (or permanently mounted) device senses the vibration of the string and provides an output driving signal for sustaining the vibrations.

Abstract: A watch body for an electronic watch containing an integrated circuit chip and a printed circuit board is disclosed. The watch body comprises an upper case and a bottom cover which are selectively interconnected one with the other. A lead package frame is sandwiched between the upper case and the bottom cover and contains a plurality of electrical leads disposed thereon and electrically coupled to the integrated circuit chip. The lead frame has first and second sides with the first side having a first cavity with the integrated circuit chip matingly engaged therein. The plurality of leads are disposed on the first side of the lead frame so as to surround this first cavity down the circuit chip. The second side of the lead frame has a second cavity with the printed circuit board disposed therein. By the use of the watch body of the instant invention, a significantly smaller number of components, a simpler manufacturing process is achieved.

Abstract: An adjustable circuit for an electronic timepiece including a crystal oscillator, a frequency divider circuit, a display and a controlable means for increasing and decreasing the output frequency of the frequency divider circuit. The increasing and decreasing means includes a digital adder and a digital subtractor and a plurality of controlable gates for enabling the digital adder or subtractor to increase or decrease the output frequency of the frequency divider.

Abstract: An electronic watch including a reference isochronous period generator which can be reset or readjusted from outside the watch by a signal representing a standard time period. The generator includes a high frequency source having a period that does not exceed the maximum allowable deviation with respect to the isochronous period supplied by the generator, a dividing counter which receives the high frequency or a submultiple thereof, a detector which detects the signal and then enables the transition of the generator from an autonomous mode in which the isochronal period is provided to a readjustment mode in which the isochronal period is readjusted.

Abstract: A chime clock has a cam mounted to rotate with the clock's minute hand shaft. A cam-follower mechanism actuates striking mechanism in response to clockwise rotation of the minute hand shaft and cam. Structure is provided to prevent the cam-follower from obstructing rotation of the cam and minute hand shaft in a counterclockwise sense, as when setting the clock's minute hand by turning it backwards.

Abstract: An electronic system having a chime and strike program simulating the program of a Westminster clock including an actuating source, a solid state integrated circuit and a loud speaker. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of counters for activating a frequency synthesizer and both tone switching and generating circuits thereby to generate the strike and chime program on the hour and a chime program on the other quarter hours indicative of the time throughout a 24-hour period. The chime program is sequenced by a chime matrix.

Abstract: An electronic watch case is disclosed which comprises an inner-cover disposed within the case and switch means extending through the case. The inner-cover comprises a circular metallic member having resilient tab portions, resilient finger portions, and an aperture therein. The inner-cover is positioned with respect to the switch means and the watch batteries so that when the switch means is engaged from the exterior of the case, the batteries in the watch module are electrically coupled to associated electrical contacts. When the switch means is disengaged, it is returned to an unactuated position by the urging of one of the resilient finger portions, thereby electrically decoupling the contacts from the batteries.

Abstract: Electric watch has a single battery contact spring which is centrally located on the watch back to contact both batteries in the watch.

Abstract: A slide rule cursor which is adapted for use with conventional slide rules to provide direct resolution of the resultant value of parallel and/or series impedances. The cursor is not only movable axially along the body of the slide rule in a conventional manner but is also movable perpendicularly to the axial direction of the body of the slide rule. The cursor has printed on it a series of curves from which unique values of a special coefficient referred to as .mu..sub..theta. may be readily obtained for each network of parallel and/or series impedances. This value of .mu..sub..theta. relates the individual impedances in the network through a series of relationships discovered by the inventor to the resultant value of impedance and its angle.

Abstract: The timer mechanism for use in a clock has a rotatable minute setting drum and a rotatable hour setting drum coaxial therewith each manually settable to a selected position to set a set time in terms of minute and hour, respectively. A first, a second and a third stationary contact member are arranged in the space between the minute and the hour setting drum for cooperating with switch contacts of first and second rotatable contact members so as to constitute together with the latter members a switch for the timer mechanism for actuating an electric device or an electrically operable warning device of the clock at a set time set by the minute and the hour setting drum.

Abstract: An electronic circuit having two states, at least one of which is stable and which permits information to pass from one terminal to the other. The circuit can be activated by the flow of a minute electric current through the human body. The circuit is particularly suitable for any hand-held instrument such, for example, as an electronic calculator watch of the digital type and including electronic logic. It permits to activate certain functions or to carry out certain calculations by activating a conductive surface by means of a hand-held metallic pin or the like. This makes it possible to provide a large number of functions or operations and to display numbers say on the face of a watch and to activate each one by touching it with a pin held by the wearer of the watch or instrument.

Abstract: This invention relates to a bayonet-type coupling device of the back-cover and the middle of a waterproof shaped watch-case, in which said middle presents a hollow comprising an annular groove in its internal wall and said back-cover comprises a cylindrical or prismatic annular wall provided with at least two ledges, and in which the sizes of said annular wall and of said hollow are such that, for at least an angular position of the back-cover with regard to the middle, they are free, the annular wall of the back-cover being placed within the hollow of the middle, and that, for at least another angular position, they are coupled by engagement of at least a part of the ledges in the annular groove, characterized by the fact that said angular coupling position is defined by the contact of a part of the external surface of the annular wall of the back-cover with the internal surface of the hollow, both these surfaces having the same shape and the same sizes, so that the external surfaces of the middle and of the