Patents Examined by Sean Kayes
  • Patent number: 11409247
    Abstract: In an analog electronic watch system, a terminal equipment detects current display positions of hands in an image of the hands and a dial plate, and generates current display time information based on the current display positions. An analog electronic watch corrects the display positions of the hands based on the display time information. The terminal equipment at least acquires hand identification information including hand shape information about a shape of the hand of the analog electronic watch based on watch identification information transmitted from the analog electronic watch. The terminal equipment detects the current display positions based on the hand identification information, and transmits display time information based on the current display positions to the analog electronic watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Matsuoh
  • Patent number: 11397411
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece includes a timer that clocks a current time, a receiver that receives radio waves, a switch that receives an operation from a user, and a processor. The processor acquires, in accordance with the operation received by the switch, a determination result indicating whether the radio waves are receivable by the receiver, and selects and executes one of a first processing and at least one second processing that differs from the first processing. The first processing is processing to correct the current time clocked by the timer on the basis of the radio waves received by the receiver. The processor does not select the first processing when the determination results indicate that the radio waves are not receivable by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Nagareda
  • Patent number: 11385597
    Abstract: An annular rotating bezel system to be rotatably mounted on a case middle of a watch case inside which is housed a timepiece movement which extends in a plane, including a rotating bezel, an annular holding ring, a toothed ring, and a spring ring which extends in a plane in which it is capable of deforming elastically along a radius, the spring ring cooperating elastically with the toothed ring, the toothed ring and the spring ring being held in an axial direction perpendicular to the plane of the movement in the bezel by the annular holding ring, either the toothed ring or the spring ring being arranged to be angularly joined to the rotating bezel, and the other being arranged to be angularly joined to the case middle, wherein the spring ring has a thinned portion to increase the flexibility of the spring ring in its plane, the thinned portion having a tooth elastically and radially meshed with the toothed ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: OMEGA SA
    Inventor: Olivier Silvant
  • Patent number: 11360433
    Abstract: A correction mechanism for a timepiece date display mechanism, arranged to change the angular position of a display wheel set comprised in such a date display mechanism, this correction mechanism includes, on the one hand, a control wheel set arranged to be controlled by user action and/or by a timepiece mechanism, and on the other hand, an output wheel set arranged to cooperate with such a display wheel set; this correction mechanism includes a free wheel mechanism which is arranged to disengage the output wheel set from the control wheel set in a first relative direction of rotation, and to engage the output wheel set with the control wheel set in a second relative direction of rotation opposite to the first relative direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Rochat
  • Patent number: 11360432
    Abstract: A timepiece movement with a regulating member which is a tourbillon or carousel, also known as a karussel, and including a drive mechanism, with a pivoting arm subjected to the restoring torque of a first energy source and carrying a mechanism comprising a wheel, a second energy source that subjects to a restoring torque a third wheel set on which the wheel rolls, under the action of the first energy source, the structure carries stop means cooperating with complementary stop means of the third wheel set to hold the latter in position, which are uncouple-able under the action of uncoupling control means of the arm at the end of the forward angular travel of the arm to allow the third wheel set to pivot in a single direction under the action of the second energy source, causing a backward rotation of the arm to the start of its angular travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Harry Winston SA
    Inventors: Johnny Buehler, Emmanuel Bouchet
  • Patent number: 11353829
    Abstract: A watch case including a thumbwheel for controlling a watch function, configured to be manipulated by a user, movable inside a housing and configured to allow a limited translational motion of one portion of the thumbwheel in a radial direction of the case, against an elastic return configured to move the portion away from an interior of the case. The housing includes a control detector detecting presence of the portion close to the center of the case when pressure is applied by a user, and configured to activate or deactivate a sensor included in the case in proximity to the housing, configured, when a rotational movement is imparted to the thumbwheel by the user, to detect passage of a transmitter included in the thumbwheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Vincent Meyer, Raphael Balmer, Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 11334025
    Abstract: A method for producing a thermocompensated and coloured coil spring including the steps of forming a first layer of silicon oxide on at least one face of the core and on at least one other face of the core, the first layer having a thickness equal to a fraction of the thickness required for achieving thermal compensation, removing the first layer from at least one face of the core, forming a second layer of silicon oxide on at least one face of the core and on at least one other face of the core, the second layer having a thickness equal to the remaining fraction of the thickness required for achieving thermal compensation which is lower than or equal to 1 ?m for giving at least one face of the core a colour as a result of the interference effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Nivarox-FAR S.A.
    Inventors: Pierre Cusin, Alex Gandelhman, Anguel Kostadinov
  • Patent number: 11334031
    Abstract: A timepiece movement capable of suppressing generation of malfunction of a hand is provided. The movement includes an indicator hand wheel which is provided so as to be rotatable and to which an indicator hand is mounted; an indicator hand stepping motor rotating and driving the indicator hand wheel in both directions; an hour wheel provided so as to be rotatable around a first rotation axis different from a rotation axis of the indicator hand wheel and having a first shaft portion which extends along the first rotation axis and on the outer peripheral surface of which there is provided a contact portion that the indicator hand can abut, with the distance of the contact portion from the first rotation axis varying in accordance with a position in the peripheral direction around the first rotation axis; and an hour hand stepping motor rotating and driving the hour wheel and provided separately from the indicator hand stepping motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Fujiwara, Kenji Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 11327440
    Abstract: A timepiece is provided with a mechanical movement which includes a mechanical resonator, a sensor detecting oscillations of the mechanical resonator, and a braking device arranged to generate braking pulses in response to a control signal provided by a control circuit associated with an auxiliary oscillator. The control circuit is arranged to be capable of detecting a negative or positive temporal drift in the oscillation of the mechanical resonator and to generate, in a correction period, in association with the braking device, when the temporal drift corresponds to at least a certain loss, a series of braking pulses which are applied to the mechanical resonator at a frequency FSUP in a given range of values which is preferably higher than a frequency FZ (N)=2·F0c/N, F0c being a set point frequency for the mechanical resonator and N a positive integer number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Lionel Tombez, Matthias Imboden
  • Patent number: 11327442
    Abstract: The system (10) for fixing a timepiece movement (2) to a watch case (30) element (3) comprises at least one clamp (1), in particular at least two clamps, preferably three clamps or four clamps, which is intended to come into contact firstly with the movement and secondly with the watch case element, the at least one clamp being made of a superelastic alloy and/or of a shape memory alloy, particularly of a nickel-titanium alloy such as Nitinol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Benoit Junod, James Rejzner, Benjamin Celant
  • Patent number: 11320787
    Abstract: A timepiece display mechanism including at least a first retrograde drive device for a first display member displaying a first magnitude, and a second retrograde drive device for a second display member displaying a second magnitude, the first retrograde drive device including a first drive rack to exert on a first wheel set driving the first display member, an opposite force to a resistance force exerted by a first return rack, the second retrograde drive device including a second drive rack to exert on a second wheel set driving the second display member, an opposite force to a resistance force exerted by a second return rack, wherein the pivot axes of the first drive rack and of the first return rack are remote, and/or the pivot axes of the second drive rack and of the second return rack are remote.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: HARRY WINSTON SA
    Inventor: Cedric Reymond
  • Patent number: 11313608
    Abstract: A defrost or thaw measuring device has a dumbbell or hourglass-shaped rotatable compartment with a cavity, the cavity being partly filled with at least two phase change materials having different melting points. The measuring device may determine the time period of thawing at two or more temperature intervals in the refrigeration space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: King Abdulaziz University
    Inventor: Laila Ahmed Salim Bahammam
  • Patent number: 11314206
    Abstract: Disclosed is a clockwork with pointers or with a pointer module driven by a mechanical driving gear, wherein the clockwork is a hybrid clockwork that in addition to the mechanical driving gear, also at least includes an additional driving gear with a motor and an electric or electronic controller that is internal and which is equipped to be able to drive and/or adjust the pointers or the pointer module in parallel or in series with the mechanical driving gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Benoît Mintiens
  • Patent number: 11307536
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a watch may be provided. The watch may include: a timing circuit configured to provide information about a current time; a smart watch circuit configured to provide smart watch functionality; a first battery configured to provide energy to the timing circuit; a second battery configured to provide energy to the smart watch circuit; and a communication circuit configured to provide communication between the timing circuit and the smart watch circuit; wherein the communication circuit includes a safety circuit configured to prevent leakage of current from the first battery to the second battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: RAZER (ASIA-PACIFIC) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Chee Oei Chan, Jian Yao Lien
  • Patent number: 11306961
    Abstract: A defrost or thaw measuring device has a dumbbell or hourglass-shaped rotatable compartment with a cavity, the cavity being partly filled with at least two phase change materials having different melting points. The measuring device may determine the time period of thawing at two or more temperature intervals in the refrigeration space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: King Abdulaziz University
    Inventor: Laila Ahmed Salim Bahammam
  • Patent number: 11307535
    Abstract: A process for producing a metal alloy balance wheel by molding, the process including the following steps: a) making a mold in the negative shape of the balance wheel, b) getting hold of a metal alloy that has a thermal expansion coefficient of less than 25 ppm/° C. and is able to be in an at least partly amorphous state when it is heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature, c) putting the metal alloy into the mold, the metal alloy being heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature so as to be hot-molded and to form a balance wheel, d) cooling the metal alloy to obtain a balance wheel made of the metal alloy, e) releasing the balance wheel obtained in step d) from its mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Alexandre Haemmerli, Francois Gueissaz, Jean-Claude Martin, Lionel Paratte, Yves Winkler, Gianni Di Domenico, Pascal Winkler, Jean-Luc Helfer, Lionel Tombez, Baptiste Hinaux, Donald William Corson, Michel Willemin
  • Patent number: 11307537
    Abstract: A communication system (1) comprises a central (100) and a peripheral (200). The central (100) receives location information and time information from NTP servers (10) and a location server (30). The central (100) creates first offset information of the time measured by its own device and the time information received from the NTP servers (10). The central (100) acquires from map information a time difference corresponding to a location presented by the location information received from the location server (30). The central (100) creates first updated time information based on the time measured by its own device, first offset information, and time difference corresponding to the location presented by the location information received from location server (30) and transmits the first updated time information to the peripheral (200). The peripheral (200) changes the time displayed by its own device based on the received first updated time information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iwamiya, Sadao Nagashima, Satomi Michitsuta, Makoto Nakagawa, Toyokazu Nishio
  • Patent number: 11294333
    Abstract: A rotary bezel equipped timepiece includes a glass frame that holds a windshield member, a rotary bezel so provided as to be rotatable relative to the glass frame, a resin member attached to the outer circumferential surface of the glass frame, and a gasket disposed between the resin member and the inner circumferential surface of the rotary bezel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noriaki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 11287849
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for providing a separatable wearable device are provided herein. A detachable portion of a wearable device includes a microcontroller; a memory coupled to the microcontroller; a battery assembly coupled to the microcontroller; and a display coupled to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is to: operate in a first mode when the detachable portion is coupled to a holder portion of the wearable device; and operate in a second mode when the detachable portion is decoupled from the holder portion, and being recharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Joyce Cumming Weiner
  • Patent number: 11287023
    Abstract: A correction mechanism for a function of a movement for a timepiece, notably a display function, including a corrector, and at least one clockwork part, notably a gear wheel, in which the clockwork part can be driven by a movement cooperating with a flexible transmission end of a movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
    Inventors: Fabrice Rochat, Deirdre Lenoir