Patents Examined by Vit Miska
  • Patent number: 6449219
    Abstract: A timepiece with a computer based clock (2), in which time is represented on a display (1) in an analog fashion, constructed such that in order to enlarge the scope of time information on the display (1) additional information relating to the progress of time can be shown in a preferably continuous, i.e. dynamic way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Inventors: Volker Hepp, Joe D. Pradelski, Boris Glass
  • Patent number: 6449220
    Abstract: A network user station (2), which in a transmitting mode transmits telegrams (5) to another network user station (2) and in a receiving mode receives telegrams (5) from another network user station. Said telegrams contain messages of identical message length in a message string. One of said messages is a time message (5d) provided with a time of day. The network user station is provided with means (11; 13) for substantially preventing inaccuracies with respect to a transmittal and/or processing instant of the time of day.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fridolin Egle, Christoph Muench
  • Patent number: 6447159
    Abstract: A novel actuating or regulating element, especially winding buttons or push-pieces, for a clock on a wristwatch, a shaft, with an actuating head provided on one end of the shaft and with a mechanism for tightly routing the shaft through one wall of the watch housing using at least one washer which concentrically surrounds the axis of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Inventor: Konrad Damasko
  • Patent number: 6449218
    Abstract: An electronic device for holding medicines, typically pills, to be taken at different times and to remind the user to take particular pills at specific times. A first container has a plurality of pill holding compartments, with a hinged lid closing each compartment. A second container, which is releasably fastenable to the first compartment, contains a microprocessor, an alarm, a display and buttons for controlling the microprocessor to display different information. The display can be set to show the time, times for taking pills from different compartments, whether pills have been taken on time, if a pill has been missed or skipped, when the last pill has been taken, etc. When a time set for taking a pill arrives, an alarm, typically a light and/or sound alarm, alerts the user as to the compartment holding the pill to be taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Inventor: Alex Lluch
  • Patent number: 6439761
    Abstract: A winder for mechanical manually-wound watches is described that includes a housing, with a watch support in front of the housing front wall to support a watch with its stem aligned along a first given longitudinal axis. A support shaft extending from the housing front wall has an outer end attached to the watch support and is moveable along a parallel second given longitudinal axis. A rotatable shaft having a front end with a crown collet extends from the front wall along the first longitudinal axis to attach the watch crown to the crown collet. The rotatable shaft is rotated on a timed sequence by a motor that is in a circuit with a potentiometer which detects when the motor load increased, indicating that the watch spring is fully wound. A controller disconnects the motor when the potentiometer detects that the watch is fully wound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Inventor: Charles Agnoff
  • Patent number: 6442106
    Abstract: A curfew timer apparatus for selectively disconnecting a signal line from an appliance. The apparatus includes a base and a timer coupled to the base. The timer is preferably a seven day timer configured to disconnect the signal line from the appliance during said preselected time periods and prevent usage of the appliance. The apparatus also lockable cover coupled to the base to protect and reduce the likelihood of tampering with the switch, the timer, the coupling means, and the connecting means. The base includes a flange surrounding an outer periphery of the base. The flange is configured to extend below a bottom surface of the base to abut a wall surrounding the wall outlet to reduce further the tampering risk. The apparatus further includes a three way switch for selectively continuously disconnecting the signal line from the appliance, continuously connecting the signal line to the appliance, or connecting the signal line to the appliance through the timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Inventors: Jimmy F. Newby, David W. Douglas
  • Patent number: 6435709
    Abstract: A wrist device is provided which includes a case body and bands attached to the case body. The wrist device also includes covering portions which cover a portion of the case body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadao Hirano, Yuji Doi, Masaaki Hirai, Hajime Iguchi
  • Patent number: 6434086
    Abstract: In an analog electronic timepiece in which the rotation of a rotor (1a) step motor (1) is decelerated through train wheels before it is transmitted an hour hand (17) and a minute hand (15), the gravity center of a center wheel composed of a center wheel gear (9), a center wheel pinion (10), and a center wheel shaft (11) to which the minute hand (15) is mounted is displaced from the axis of the center wheel shaft (11) to within an angle range of less than ±90° with respect to the opposite direction to a direction in which a time indicating part (15a) of the minute hand (15) extends so as to reduce a moment on the center wheel shaft (11) caused by a combination of the minute hand (15) and the center wheel. This makes it possible to prevent a hand-skip due to disturbance even if the value of holding energy of the step motor (1) is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Suzuki, Takayasu Machida, Takanori Nanya, Shigeyuki Takahashi, Takeaki Shimanouchi
  • Patent number: 6431746
    Abstract: A mechanical timepiece has a power source comprised of a mainspring for undergoing rewinding movement to generate a rotational force. A front train wheel undergoes rotation in accordance with a rotational force generated during rewinding movement of the mainspring. An escapement/speed-control device controls rotation of the front train wheel. The escapement/speed-control device has a balance with a hairspring for undergoing alternately repeating rotational movement in left and right directions. An escape wheel and pinion undergoes rotation in accordance with rotation of the front train wheel. A pallet fork controls rotation of the escape wheel and pinion in accordance with rotational movement of the balance. A switch mechanism outputs an ON signal when a rotation angle of the balance reaches a predetermined threshold angle or greater, outputs an OFF signal when the rotation angle of the balance does not exceed the predetermined threshold angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Koichiro Jujo, Takeshi Tokoro
  • Patent number: 6430111
    Abstract: To discharge the static electricity intruded through a timepiece exterior case without giving an adverse effect upon an electronic circuit of the timepiece. In a timepiece having a structure that a case is insulated in plurality of number using as insulating means a heat insulation material of a heat generation timepiece exterior case and a timepiece exterior case is used as electrode for charging and a timepiece having a structure that similarly a timepiece upper case and lower case are electrically insulated, a circuit pattern for allowing the static; electricity intruded through a timepiece exterior to freely discharge into air is provided in a wiring board in the heat generator. This made possible to prevent malfunction of a timepiece electronic circuit due to static electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Naotoshi Shino
  • Patent number: 6426921
    Abstract: A portable wrist device has a thermoelectric generator for generating electric energy from a temperature difference between a heat receiving portion and a heat radiating portion. A heat radiating upper frame radiates heat from the heat radiating portion of the thermoelectric generator. A back cover supplies heat to the heat receiving portion of the thermoelectric generator. The back cover has an inner surface connected to the heat receiving portion of the thermoelectric generator and an outer surface for contacting a wrist of a user. A heat collecting plate is disposed on the inner surface of the back cover and has a contact portion disposed in contact with the heat receiving portion of the thermoelectric generator. The contact portion of the heat collecting plate has a thickness greater than other portions of the heat collecting plate for storing higher temperature heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Gen Mitamura
  • Patent number: 6422740
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a wristwatch type of watch. More specifically, the watch comprises a display (11), an electronic circuit (12) controlling the display, a time set stem (13), and at least two electrical contact elements (14, 14″). The time set stem (13) can be placed in different axial positions and the stem comprises a crown (16) accessible from outside the watch and a helicoidal zone (19) which may have three helicoidal elements (20, 20′, 20″). When the time set stem is placed in a position such that the contact elements (14, 14″) are facing the helicoidal zone (19), rotating the time set stem causes an electrical connection on the electronic circuit (12) to alternately open and close. This generates at least two electrical impulse signals which are transmitted to the electronic control circuit. These signals are used to regulate different watch functions, such as time correction or controlling the time belt or the date.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Montres Rolex S. A.
    Inventor: Claude-Eric Leuenberger
  • Patent number: 6424598
    Abstract: An interval timing apparatus for use with a football during games or scrimmages. The timing apparatus comprises a stand having a holding area with a recessed shape to hold a football in a substantially horizontal position and a timer having a sensor communicating with the holding area so that when the football is removed from the holding area, the timer is deployed. The timer is operatively connected to a visual display showing the time generated by the timer. When the predetermined time has lapsed, an audio signal is generated by an alarm operatively connected to the timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Inventor: Michael W. Shultz
  • Patent number: 6424600
    Abstract: To provide a portable electronic device which is easily shifted into a power save mode at the discretion of an operator, such as a user, and optimally reduces power consumption in accordance with the current use of the device. An operator can force an electronic device into a power save mode at the operator's discretion by manipulating a control. Electrical energy stored is thus reliably saved in accordance with the usage by the operator, and unnecessary power consumption is efficiently reduced, even more than in a method in which a device automatically stops the time display and is shifted into a power save mode in accordance with the presence or absence of power generation. Setting a time limit within which the operational state of the control needs to be complete, the operator is prevented from erroneously shifting into the power save mode, and the ease of use of the time measurement device is still assured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Okeya, Noriaki Shimura, Joji Kitahara, Hiroyuki Kojima, Hiroshi Yabe
  • Patent number: 6414909
    Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical timepiece has first and second switches (121, 122) placed between an input terminal (22a) of a capacitor (22) and output terminals MG1 and MG2 of a generator (20), a third switch (130) placed between the output terminal MG1 and an input terminal (22b) of the capacitor (22), and a brake control circuit (55) enabled to control the switches independent of one another. Electric current is fed through the generator 20 by opening the switch (121) and closing the switches (122, 130). Thus, a rate measurement pulse is outputted therefrom. Consequently, rate measurement is easily achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eisaku Shimizu, Kunio Koike, Hidenori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6414907
    Abstract: A portable electronic device for displaying daily schedule information of a particular event and selectively displaying past and future schedule information which includes a display controlled by a processor having an internal programmable memory. The schedule information includes the location of the event, the start time, and the corresponding time zone. The memory contains data representing the event's schedule and a program for controlling the processor. The display provides actual time and date information and schedule information corresponding to the displayed calendar day. By manipulating a plurality of externally mounted push-button switches, the user commands the processor to update the display with schedule information corresponding to past and future days. A programmable alarm provides an audible reminder when a scheduled event begins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Inventor: B. Carter Pennington
  • Patent number: 6411567
    Abstract: A system for managing delivery of pharmaceutical drugs is formed of a blister package that includes a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. Each of the cells is sealed by a breakable wall and holds a unit-dose of medication. A user gains access to the medication in a given cell by puncturing the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A severable conductor is positioned proximate to each breakable wall. The severable conductor associated with a given cell ruptures upon puncturing of the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A computer chip is electrically connected to the severable conductors. The computer chip senses the puncturing of each cell in the grid by monitoring the rupturing of each of the severable conductors. An RF transmitter is coupled to the computer chip. The RF transmitter sends information corresponding to usage of each of medications stored in the blister package to a remote information transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Inventors: Mark A. Niemiec, Louis M. Heidelberger, Daniel H. Golub
  • Patent number: 6406176
    Abstract: A chronograph timepiece has a barrel mounted for undergoing rotation and a front train wheel for undergoing rotation in accordance with rotation of the barrel. A second counter intermediate wheel undergoes rotation in accordance with rotation of the front train wheel. A second counting wheel undergoes rotation in accordance with rotation of the second counter intermediate wheel in a chronograph measurement mode. A chronograph second display member displays a measurement result corresponding to an elapsed period of time in accordance with rotation of the second counting wheel. A minute counting train wheel undergoes rotation in accordance with rotation of the second counting wheel. A chronograph minute display member displays a measurement result corresponding to an elapsed period of time in accordance with rotation of the minute counting train wheel. At least one hour counting train wheel undergoes rotation in accordance with rotation of the barrel complete in the chronograph measurement mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Takahashi, Katsuyoshi Takizawa, Koichiro Jujo
  • Patent number: 6406177
    Abstract: An adjust pin (1) for connecting a plurality of blocks (2) to each other to make up a wrist watch band (3) is formed of a metal with a property having a superelastic region where a stress remains constant against variation in strain. The adjust pin (1) is provided with a bent part (5) for causing a bending stress in the superelastic region to act on the inner wall face of a connecting through-hole (2a) of a block (2) in a state wherein the block (2) is joined with an adjoining block (2). When the adjust pin (1) is inserted in the blocks (2), and the bent part (5) is positioned in the connecting through-hole (2a), the bent part (5) provides a force acting on the inner wall of the connecting through-hole (2a) by the agency of the bending stress in the superelastic region, thereby securely holding the adjust pin (1) by a spring force thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuto Fukushima, Kouji Fujii, Takeo Komiyama, Toshiaki Hara
  • Patent number: 6406178
    Abstract: Watch case (1) closed by a crystal (3) and a back cover (2) delimiting with a casing ring (6), a space (9) for housing at least a movement (29), including a metal center (30) whose outer wall has a stair structure (31, 31a, 32, 32a, 33) complementary to the inner structure (21, 21a, 22, 22a, 23, 23a) of the cover (20) secured to said center (30) by means of at least two screws (14, 16) passing through it via holes (34, 36) to tighten clamps (15, 17) housed in radial hollows (25, 27) formed in a vertical wall (21a) of the cover (20), by compressing an elastomeric gasket (12) arranged between two horizontal surfaces (22, 32) of the stair structures, and whose thickness is sufficient to arrange clearances (41, 41a) at least between opposite surfaces respectively of the back cover (2) and the base (21) of the cover (20), and the vertical wall (31a) of the center (30) and the wall (21a) of the cover (20) joining the base (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Montres Rado S.A.
    Inventors: Denis Lüscher, Michael Bach, Fernand Vuillaume, Eloi Vuillaume