Abstract: A process for producing a metal alloy balance wheel by molding includes a) making a mold in the negative shape of the balance wheel; b) obtaining 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; and e) releasing the balance wheel obtained in step d) from its mold. The process also includes a step for over-molding flexible centering components in the hub.

Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor substrate comprising at least one integrated magnetic flux concentrator, comprising the steps of: a) providing a semiconductor substrate having an upper surface; b) making at least one cavity in said upper surface; c) depositing one or more layers of one or more materials, including sputtering at least one layer of a soft magnetic material; d) removing substantially all of the soft magnetic material that is situated outside of the at least one cavity, while leaving at least a portion of the soft magnetic material that is inside said at least one cavity. A semiconductor substrate comprising at least one integrated magnetic flux concentrator. A sensor device or a sensor system, a current sensor device or system, a position sensor device or system, a proximity sensor device or system, an integrated transformer device or system.

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.

Abstract: An integrated sensor device includes: a semiconductor substrate comprising a horizontal Hall element, and an integrated magnetic flux concentrator located substantially above said horizontal Hall element, wherein the first magnetic flux concentrator has a shape with a geometric center which is aligned with a geometric centre of the horizontal Hall element; and wherein the shape has a height H and a transversal dimension D, wherein H?30 ?m and/or wherein (H/D)?25%. The integrated magnetic flux concentrator may be partially incorporated in the “interconnection stack”. A method is provided for producing such an integrated sensor device.

Abstract: A current sensor system has a conductor and a packaged integrated circuit for sensing a current in the conductor. The conductor is external to the packaged integrated circuit. The packaged integrated circuit includes a substrate having an active surface and a back surface; one or more magnetic sensing elements; a processing circuit arranged to process signals received from the one or more magnetic sensing elements to derive an output signal indicative of a sensed current in the conductor; a housing; a plurality of leads; electrical connections between the leads and the active surface. The back surface of the substrate is disposed on a support formed by at least two inner lead portions of the plurality of leads and the active side of the substrate is oriented towards the outer ends of the outer lead portions of the leads in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the support.

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.

Abstract: A timepiece with a mechanical movement which includes an indicator mechanism of at least one time data item, a mechanical resonator forming a mechanical oscillator which paces the running of the indicator mechanism, and a regulation device to prevent a potential time drift in the running of the indicator mechanism. The regulation device is formed by a master oscillator and a mechanical braking device of the mechanical resonator, this mechanical braking device being arranged to be able to apply periodically to the mechanical resonator braking pulses at a braking frequency determined by the master oscillator. The system, formed of the mechanical resonator and the mechanical braking device, is configured so as to enable the mechanical braking device to be able to start the braking pulses at any position of the mechanical resonator. The braking pulses have a duration less than one quarter of a set-point period.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a silicon substrate having an active surface; a first sensing area disposed near a first edge of the active surface of the silicon substrate such that the first sensing area has at least one first magnetic sensing element is made of a first compound semiconductor material and contact pads; and a second sensing area disposed near a second edge of the active surface of the silicon substrate, such that the second edge is substantially opposite to the first edge, such that the second sensing area has at least one second magnetic sensing element made of a second compound semiconductor material and contact pads. A processing circuit is disposed of in the silicon substrate and is electrically connected via wire bonds and/or a redistribution layer with the contact pads of the first and second sensing areas.

Abstract: A position sensor arrangement, comprising: a magnetic source and a position sensor device movably arranged relative to each other; the latter comprising at least three magnetic sensors for measuring said magnetic field; a processing unit for determining a position based on a ratio of a first pairwise difference and a second pairwise difference, the first pairwise difference being a difference of a first pair of two signals, the second pairwise difference signal being a difference of a second pair of two signals. A method of determining a position, by performing said measurements, and by calculating said differences and said ratio. A method of calibrating said position sensor, including the step of storing at least one parameter or a look-up table in a non-volatile memory. A method of auto-calibration.

Abstract: A watch formed by a mechanical movement incorporating a mechanical resonator, including a display displaying the actual time, a correction device formed by a device for detecting the passage of at least one hand through at least one reference time position and by an electronic correction circuit allowing an overall time error for the display to be determined, and a device for braking the mechanical resonator. The correction device is arranged such that it can correct the actual time displayed as a function of the overall time error (loss or gain) previously determined. For this purpose, the correction device is arranged such that the braking device can act on the mechanical resonator during a correction period to vary the running of the drive mechanism of the display, in order to correct the actual time displayed.

Abstract: A balance for timepieces includes a rim, a hub, and at least one arm connecting the hub to the rim. At least one portion of the balance is made of an at least partially amorphous metal alloy. The at least partially amorphous metal alloy is based on an element chosen from the group consisting of platinum, zirconium and titanium, and has a coefficient of thermal expansion comprised between 7 ppm/° C. and 12 ppm/° C. The balance can be manufactured by moulding. A resonator can include such a balance and a monocrystalline quartz balance spring.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element for an automatic frequency control circuit, the element including: a balance spring formed of a strip of piezoelectric material; at least a first electrode, configured to be connected to the circuit and being disposed on all or part of one side of the strip; at least a second electrode configured to be connected to the circuit and being disposed on all or part of another one side of the strip distinct from the one side on which the first electrode is disposed, the piezoelectric material being a piezoelectric crystal or a piezoelectric ceramic; and at least two discontinuous layers of an insulating material, each discontinuous layer being disposed on at least one side of the strip and separating the first electrode from the second electrode, the layers of insulating material being distributed on predetermined portions of the balance spring substantially forming arcs in a predetermined angular periodicity.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element for an automatic frequency control circuit. The element includes a balance spring formed of a piezoelectric crystal strip, a first electrode connected to the automatic control circuit, and disposed on at least a first side of the strip, and a second electrode connected to the automatic control circuit and disposed on at least a second side of the strip. The first and second electrodes are placed on one portion or over the entire length of the balance spring in a predetermined angular distribution.

Abstract: Angular position sensor system comprising: a cylindrical magnet rotatable about a rotation axis; and an angular position sensor device comprising: a substrate comprising a plurality of magnetic sensitive elements configured for measuring a first magnetic field component in a first direction and a second magnetic field component in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a processing circuit configured for calculating the angular position; the sensor device being oriented such that the first direction is oriented in a circumferential direction, and the second direction is either parallel or orthogonal to the rotation axis; the sensor device being located at a predefined position where a magnitude of a third magnetic field component orthogonal to the first and second magnetic field component is negligible over the 360° angular range.

Abstract: A position sensor arrangement, comprising: a magnetic source and a position sensor device movably arranged relative to each other; the latter comprising at least three magnetic sensors for measuring said magnetic field; a processing unit for determining a position based on a ratio of a first pairwise difference and a second pairwise difference, the first pairwise difference being a difference of a first pair of two signals, the second pairwise difference signal being a difference of a second pair of two signals. A method of determining a position, by performing said measurements, and by calculating said differences and said ratio. A method of calibrating said position sensor, including the step of storing at least one parameter or a look-up table in a non-volatile memory. A method of auto-calibration.

Abstract: A timepiece with a mechanical movement which includes an indicator mechanism of at least one time data item, a mechanical resonator forming a mechanical oscillator which paces the running of the indicator mechanism, and a regulation device to prevent a potential time drift in the running of the indicator mechanism. The regulation device is formed by a master oscillator and a mechanical braking device of the mechanical resonator, this mechanical braking device being arranged to be able to apply periodically to the mechanical resonator braking pulses at a braking frequency determined by the master oscillator. The system, formed of the mechanical resonator and the mechanical braking device, is configured so as to enable the mechanical braking device to be able to start the braking pulses at any position of the mechanical resonator. The braking pulses have a duration less than one quarter of a set-point period.

Abstract: A timepiece includes a mechanical oscillator, formed by a balance and a piezoelectric balance spring, and a control device for controlling the frequency of the mechanical oscillator. This control device is arranged to be capable of generating time-separated control pulses, each including a momentary decrease in an electrical resistance applied by the control device between two electrodes of the piezoelectric balance spring relative to a nominal electrical resistance. The control device is arranged to be capable of applying a plurality of control pulses during each time of a series of distinct correction times or without interruption in a continuous time window, in order to respectively synchronize the mechanical oscillator at a correction frequency whose value depends on a detected positive or negative temporal drift or at a desired frequency for the mechanical oscillator.

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.

Abstract: A mechanical oscillator, formed of a mechanical resonator and a device for maintaining oscillation, and an auxiliary oscillator forming a reference time base including a synchronisation device arranged to slave the medium frequency of the mechanical oscillator on that of the auxiliary oscillator. The synchronisation device includes an electromagnetic braking device which is formed of a coil and at least one permanent magnet and arranged such that an induced voltage is generated between the terminals of the coil in each alternation of the oscillation of the mechanical resonator. The synchronisation device is arranged to be able to reduce momentarily the impedance between the terminals of the coil during distinct time intervals, any two successive time intervals exhibiting between the respective starts thereof a time distance substantially equal to a positive whole number multiplied by half of a set-point period for the mechanical oscillator.

Abstract: The mechanical timepiece is equipped with a movement which comprises an indicator mechanism of at least one time data item, a mechanical resonator forming a slave oscillator which paces the running of the indicator mechanism, and a mechanical correction device to prevent a possible time drift in the running of the indicator mechanism. The mechanical correction device is formed by a master mechanical oscillator and a mechanical braking device of the mechanical resonator, this braking device arranged to apply periodically to said mechanical resonator mechanical braking pulses at a braking frequency determined by the master mechanical oscillator. Then, the mechanical system, formed by said mechanical resonator and the braking device, is configured to enable the braking device to be able to start the braking pulses preferably at any position of said mechanical resonator. Preferably, the braking pulses have a duration of less than one quarter of a set-point period.