Patents Examined by Kevin Andrew Johnston
  • Patent number: 12292715
    Abstract: A timepiece assembly includes a watch having a mechanical movement and an analogue time display, the running of which is set by a mechanical resonator, and a support for the watch. To correct a time displayed by the analogue display, the timepiece assembly includes a correction system which is formed by a mechanical device incorporated into the watch and by an electrical device incorporated into the support. The mechanical device includes a magnet supported by an elastic blade and is arranged in the watch to brake the oscillating mechanical resonator, for example by applying periodic braking, or to momentarily stop its oscillation by exerting a magnetic force on the magnet with a magnetic field produced by a coil of the electrical device and passing through the case of the watch, to carry out essentially a set correction of the time displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jérôme Favre, Jean-Jacques Born, Matthias Imboden, Cédric Nicolas
  • Patent number: 12290739
    Abstract: A system and method for timing personal physical activity provides an athlete with the ability to self-time runs over specific distances from anywhere. This can be used for any event that is timed over a specified distance. A software application utilizes the internal hardware commonly provided by many smart devices, such as global positioning system (GPS) modules and accelerometers, to assist the user in tracking and recording the time and distance of a walk/run. The software application is compatible with any smart devices, such as smart phones, smart watches, and a variety of other smart wearables. In addition, GPS is utilized to track and record the distance travelled by the user. The software application also uses a stopwatch-like mechanism in order to track and record the duration of an exercise. Furthermore, the GPS distance tracker and the stopwatch-like timer may be used together to create a pacemaker/pacesetter for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Inventor: Oswald Leroy Skeete
  • Patent number: 12292714
    Abstract: A micromechanical mechanism (1), in particular for an horological movement (3), the mechanism including a micromechanical device including a mobile element (8) needing to be moved mechanically to trigger its operation. Included is a system for actuating the device, the actuation system including a mobile striker (16, 17, 18) configured to go from a release position (19) to a percussion position (21) in which it transmits to the mobile element (8) a momentum necessary for the release of the device, the actuation system further including a magnet (15) configured to attract the mobile striker (16, 17, 18) in a percussion position (21). Also a horological movement (3) including such a mechanism (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Stranczl, Polychronis Nakis Karapatis
  • Patent number: 12271156
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a hybrid smartwatch that incorporates digital technology with an analog timepiece in a wristwatch form factor. A digital display layer of a non-emissive material is configured to present notices, data, content and other information. An analog display layer includes one or more hands of the timepiece, and overlies the digital display layer. The hands may be controlled by a processor through micro-stepper motors or other actuators. Physical motion of the hands is simultaneously coupled with arrangement of content or other elements on the display layer, which results in numerous types of hybrid visualizations. This includes temporal presentations using hourly, daily, monthly or other time scales. Shape-shifting of the watch hands between 2D and 1D arrangements can linearly focus on certain information. And various content-aware layouts can highlight, bracket, occlude or otherwise emphasize or deemphasize displayed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Alex Olwal, Philip Dam Roadley-Battin, Tyler Gough
  • Patent number: 12248281
    Abstract: Disclosed is a smart watch protective shell, including a main shell, an upper shell and two connectors; the main shell is a hollow cavity and is used for wrapping a smart watch and protecting the smart watch from being damaged; the upper shell is arranged on the main shell; a user watches content on a watch face of the smart watch through the upper shell; the connectors are respectively detachably connected to two ends of the smart watch; and two ends of the main shell are respectively detachably connected to the corresponding connectors to fixedly cover the main shell on the smart watch. According to the present disclosure, the protective shell is fixed on the smart watch, thus achieving zero-frictional removal and mounting of the protective shell and effectively reducing damage of mounting and removal to the smart watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Inventor: Guangxiang Zhuang
  • Patent number: 12248279
    Abstract: An impact striking mechanism (1), in particular for a horological movement (3), the mechanism (1) including at least one resonant element (5) enabling a sound to be emitted when it is struck, and a hammer (8) capable of moving between a rest position (9) and a strike position (11) in which it strikes the resonant element (5) in order to cause it to vibrate, characterised in that it comprises a system for actuating the hammer (8) including a movable impactor (16, 17, 18) configured to move from a release position (19) to an impact position (21), in which it at least partially transmits the momentum thereof to the hammer (8) to move it from the rest position (9) thereof to the strike position (11) thereof in order to cause the resonant element (5) to vibrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Stranczl, Polychronis Nakis Karapatis
  • Patent number: 12222684
    Abstract: A slotted timer teaches time in a simple manner to those having difficulty understanding the concept of time. The timer rotates a shaft which rotates a colored disk attached to the shaft. The initial position of the colored disk is manually set by an operator using a card residing in a slot extending across the top of the timer. The card may illustrate an activity to be completed in a time period set by the operator. Different cards may be used to indicate different activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Time Timer, LLC
    Inventors: David M. Rogers, Tricia L. Wright
  • Patent number: 12222682
    Abstract: The invention relates to watches. According to the invention, the watch comprises a case with a removable cover and a clock mechanism installed in the case, including a setting/winding mechanism. The watch is equipped with a combination lock used to block the setting/winding mechanism and block removing the cover from the case to prevent unauthorized use of the watch. The invention allows increasing the safety of using the watch due to the combination lock installed therein to block the setting/winding mechanism and block removing the cover from the case to prevent unauthorized use of the watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Inventor: Denis Vladimirovich Gladkov
  • Patent number: 12216433
    Abstract: An electronic time piece includes a dial, a sub dial provided to the dial, a control circuit that controls operation of a function hand disposed on the sub dial, a plurality of terminal portions, a wire that electrically connects the plurality of terminal portions with the control circuit, a push button that receives operation by a user and switches an electrical connection state between one terminal portion of the plurality of terminal portions and the control circuit. The one terminal portion of the plurality of terminal portions and other terminal portion are electrically connected to the control circuit by a common wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoichiro Morita, Akira Kato
  • Patent number: 12204291
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a time synchronization mechanism that is not affected by link asymmetry between time synchronization devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Arai, Hiroki Sakuma, Masahiro Nakagawa, Shunichi Tsuboi
  • Patent number: 12204283
    Abstract: A reciprocating display mechanism performing predetermined display by reciprocating a hand within a fixed area includes a hand capable of reciprocating within the fixed area, a hand driving wheel that drives the hand and includes a wheel, a transmission wheel that rotates the hand driving wheel by engaging with a tooth of the wheel, and a biasing member that biases the hand in one direction of the reciprocating, wherein the wheel includes an angle area corresponding to the fixed area and a region adjacent to the angle area, the angle area provided with teeth and a part of the region adjacent to the angle area provided with an idle region in which the transmission wheel idles, and the one direction biasing by the biasing member is a direction in which the tooth adjacent to the idle region engages with the transmission wheel when the idle region faces the transmission wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichiro Morita, Riko Tsuboi, Daisuke Yamada, Hiroyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 12204290
    Abstract: An electronic watch includes a reception circuit configured to receive a radio wave, a hand, an operation device, a storage unit configured to store a reception result of whether reception by the reception circuit succeeds or fails, and a reception controller configured to switchably set a reception permission state where reception is permitted and a reception inhibition state where reception is inhibited, wherein when first operation of the operation device is performed, the hand indicates a first position in a case in which the reception permission state is set and a reception result stored in the storage unit is a success, indicates a second position in a case in which the reception permission state is set and a reception result stored in the storage unit is a failure, and indicates a third position in a case in which the reception inhibition state is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuya Tanabe
  • Patent number: 12204285
    Abstract: An electromechanical horological movement including an analogue time display device and provided with at least one electromechanical motor, to drive at least one indicator of the analogue time display, and a generator including a rotor and associated with an oscillating mass coaxial with the time display device, this horological movement including a first wheel provided with a shaft, coaxial with said indicator, which is guided in rotation, in a main embodiment, by a fixed cylindrical tube around which is rotatably mounted at least one cannon of the time display device. The first wheel is in meshing relation with the rotor of the generator and is fixedly connected to the oscillating mass, on the side opposite the analogue time display, so that this oscillating mass can rotate the rotor of the generator via the first wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Romain Besuchet, Stéphane Baleon, Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 12189338
    Abstract: A holding member for fixing a timepiece component on support elements of different cross section includes an opening into which each support element can be inserted, the holding member having structural elements together forming a body configured to ensure mounting of each support element in the opening. Each of the structural elements includes a first structural sub-element and a second structural sub-element, the first structural sub-element including a volume of material greater than a volume of material constituting the second structural sub-element. The holding member includes a connecting portion ensuring the mounting of each of the support elements in the holding member, the portion being defined on an inner face of the first structural sub-element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Nivarox-FAR S.A.
    Inventors: Ivan Hernandez, Pierre Cusin
  • Patent number: 12189346
    Abstract: A wrist device includes: a first input detector that detects a first input operation; a second input detector that is different from the first input detector and that detects a second input operation; a cover that is movable between a first position and a second position, the cover in the first position exposing the first input detector, the cover in the second position covering the first input detector; and at least one processor that receives the first input operation and the second input operation. The processor receives the second input operation as a valid operation in a case where the cover is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keishirou Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 12181838
    Abstract: A flexible guide for a rotating resonator mechanism, in particular of a horological movement, the guide including a fixed support, an element that is capable of moving relative to the fixed support, at least one main flexible blade allowing the movable element to move relative to the fixed support by bending the one or more main flexible blades via a rotary motion about a centre of rotation, the flexible guide being arranged substantially in one plane, and includes at least one translation table joined to one end of the main flexible blade, the main flexible blade and the translation table forming a pair connected to the fixed support, to the movable element, or to an intermediate movable part, such that the translation table is configured to move in translation at least in part under the effect of the bending of the main flexible blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Mohammad Hussein Kahrobaiyan, Pascal Winkler, Jean-Luc Helfer, Gianni Di Domenico, Grégory Musy, Florent Cosandier
  • Patent number: 12169393
    Abstract: A method for automatically correcting the time and/or the date for a self-correcting watch including at least one receiving member, at least one detecting member, and at least one processing unit for implementing the correction method. The correction method includes at least one step of receiving at least one datum, at least one step of detecting the wrong time and/or the wrong date and at least one step of correcting the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 12169391
    Abstract: A wearable object (42) including an electronic unit and a power supply unit formed by an electromechanical converter (6A) which includes a rotor (44) carrying first magnets (10A), a mechanical resonator (12A) provided with an inertia mass (46) capable of oscillating at a relatively high resonant frequency and carrying second magnets (20), and coils arranged so that, when the mechanical resonator is oscillating, an induced voltage is generated in these coils. The electromechanical converter is arranged so that the first magnets and the second magnets can, during a rotational drive of the rotor, interact magnetically so as to apply to the inertia mass, momentarily or temporarily, a magnetic force torque allowing to excite the mechanical resonator, in order to generate at least one oscillation of this mechanical resonator at its resonant frequency in order to generate a relatively high induced voltage allowing to recharge an accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Milan Calic, Matthias Imboden, Jean-Pierre Mignot, Alain Jornod, François Gueissaz
  • Patent number: 12164268
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tourbillon for a horology movement including a cage rotatably mounted on the horology movement, the cage bearing a regulating organ including a balance including a balance pivot pivotally mounted in balance bearings about a balance axis with an anchor including an anchor pivot pivotally mounted in anchor bearings about an anchor axis and arranged to cooperate both with the regulating organ and also with an escapement wheel including an escapement pivot pivotally mounted in escapement bearings about an escapement axis. The anchor and the escapement wheel are positioned relative to the balance so the distance between the anchor axis and the balance axis and the distance between the escapement axis and the balance axis are greater than the outer radius of the balance. Also disclosed is a movement including such a tourbillon as well as to a timepiece including such a movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: MANUFACTURE D'HORLOGERIE AUDEMARS PIGUET SA
    Inventors: Xavier Guillaume, Giulio Papi, Laurent Calame
  • Patent number: 12158732
    Abstract: A customizable digital watch configured to receive digital audio and video content operable independently from a smartphone. The customizable digital watch illuminates and allows access to radio and televised content. A display component accepts user input to control the features. A wireless communication component is configured to communicate via GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC. A customizable strap component is attachable to the display component. The customizable strap component is reversible and comprises a first indicia on an inside facing side and a second indicia on an outside facing side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Inventor: Alisha Barnes