Abstract: A watch (1) has a microphone (16) placed in a watchcase (2), a bracelet (3) with two end parts respectively attached to two opposite sides of the case and at least one through aperture (7) made in a lateral wall (12) of the case. The through aperture defines a first sound wave guide channel, and opens into the case in the direction of said microphone. The microphone is connected in the case to a sound wave processing unit circuit (19) for voice recognition. The watch further includes an audio guide member (6) fitted with a second open sound wave guide channel that comes into direct contact with the external surface of the lateral wall of the case across an area (13) that extends on either side of the aperture so as to guide the sound waves towards said first channel. This guide member may be made in an end part of the bracelet. In this manner, any interference from reflecting cavities, edges or surfaces in said area close to the aperture can be removed or attenuated.

Abstract: The device for protecting a timepiece balance spring (1) from stray magnetic fields includes at least one disc (2) with high magnetic permeability, arranged in a parallel plane to the plane of the balance spring, wherein the disc (2) and the balance spring are mounted coaxially with each other.

Abstract: Method of communication in a home automation network allowing communication between command transmitters and/or command receivers associated with equipment in a building by means of messages transmitted in the form of frames, a frame comprising at least one data field comprising several functional segments, said method comprising a step of constructing a frame on the basis of an instruction written in a programming language, the instruction comprising words composed in the form of strings of alphanumeric characters and/or of signs and/or of icons, delimited by separators, in which each word gives rise to a functional segment.

Abstract: Method of communication in a home automation network allowing communication between parties consisting of command transmitters and/or communication receivers associated with equipment in a building by means of frames.

Abstract: Method of operation of a control device for a home-automation appliance, wherein the method comprises at least one step of selecting a possible control command from among a plurality of predefined control commands, that may be sent by the control device and at least one step of displaying the command selected by this control device.

Abstract: The device for protecting a timepiece balance spring (1) from stray magnetic fields includes at least one disc (2) with high magnetic permeability, arranged in a parallel plane to the plane of the balance spring, wherein the disc (2) and the balance spring are mounted coaxially with each other.

Abstract: A watch (1) has a microphone (16) placed in a watchcase (2), a bracelet (3) with two end parts respectively attached to two opposite sides of the case and at least one through aperture (7) made in a lateral wall (12) of the case. The through aperture defines a first sound wave guide channel, and opens into the case in the direction of said microphone. The microphone is connected in the case to a sound wave processing unit circuit (19) for voice recognition. The watch further includes an audio guide member (6) fitted with a second open sound wave guide channel that comes into direct contact with the external surface of the lateral wall of the case across an area (13) that extends on either side of the aperture so as to guide the sound waves towards said first channel. This guide member may be made in an end part of the bracelet. In this manner, any interference from reflecting cavities, edges or surfaces in said area close to the aperture can be removed or attenuated.

Abstract: The telephone watch includes a crystal (1) including a keyboard (2) formed in particular of a plurality of capacitive sensors (3) disposed under the crystal. This crystal includes a thick zone (4) at its center and a thinned zone (5) at its periphery. The keyboard (2) is deposited under the thinned zone (5).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an electronic device for recognizing characters traced manually on an input zone (10) comprising a plurality of sensors (15) each capable of being activated by a finger or a tracing instrument (13). The method consists in comparing the manual trace of a character (100) produced on the input zone with a group of characters of a predetermined set of characters. The invention is characterised in that each character of the set of characters is represented by at least one predetermined model representative of a way in which the character can be traced, and in that a model representative of the way in which the manual trace of the character (100) has been performed on the input zone is elaborated.

Abstract: The device for implanting a microphone (1) and at least one pressure compensating member (2) in a telephone watch consists in placing the microphone and the compensating member close together. A membrane (5) covers the microphone (1) and a disc (6) forms the compensating member (2). The membrane (5) and the disc (6) open at least partially into a single chamber (7) opening onto the outside via an opening (8) in the form of a slot. A liquid (arrow A) can be injected through this slot to rid the chamber, the membrane and the disc of foreign bodies which could accumulate therein.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an electronic device for recognising characters traced manually on an input zone (10) comprising a plurality of sensors (15) each capable of being activated by a finger or a tracing instrument (13). The method consists in comparing the manual trace of a character (100) produced on the input zone with a group of characters of a predetermined set of characters. The invention is characterised in that each character of the set of characters is represented by at least one predetermined model representative of a way in which the character can be traced, and in that a model representative of the way in which the manual trace of the character (100) has been performed on the input zone is elaborated.

Abstract: A wristwatch (1) includes a keyboard whose control keys (4) are distributed over the length of the wristband (3), a processing unit (19) for data introduced via the keyboard, at least one display device (6) for displaying time functions and/or data provided by the processing unit, and a power source for the electric power supply of the electronic components of the wristwatch. In order to allow the use of its keyboard, the wristwatch (1) is placed on a work surface, the length of the wristband (3) facing a user. The display of the alphanumerical characters (7a) occurs in the direction of the length of the wristwatch, i.e., rotated by 90° with respect to the usual time display (7b). At least one integrated encoding circuit (9) acts as a communication interface between the keys (4) of the keyboard and the processing unit (19) integrated in the case of the wristwatch. The encoding circuit is placed in the wristband (3) and communicates with the unit via one of the two electric supply wires of said circuit.

Abstract: The portable object with a wristband, such as a wristwatch (1) includes a keyboard whose control keys (4) are distributed over the length of the wristband (3), a processing unit (19) for data introduced via the keyboard, at least one display device (6) for displaying time functions and/or data provided by the processing unit, and a power source for the electric power supply of the electronic components of said object. In order to allow the use of its keyboard, the portable object (1) is placed on a work surface, the length of the wristband (3) facing a user. The display of the alphanumerical characters (7a) occurs in the direction of the length of the object, i.e. rotated by 90° with respect to the usual time display (7b). At least one integrated encoding circuit (9) acts as a communication interface between the keys (4) of the keyboard and the processing unit (19) integrated in a case of the object.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a watertight apparatus capable of being immersed in a liquid, for example a watertight watch, including a case (1) with an inner chamber (10) communicating with the exterior, the chamber being separated from the exterior by a membrane (17) which can be deformed, defining, on one side, a non-watertight outer zone and, on the other side, a watertight inner zone, in which is housed, in association with the membrane, an acoustic transducer (22), the membrane being fixed by its peripheral edge (17A) in the chamber (10) and applied via elastic memeber (20) towards its periphery, but at a distance from the edge, against a support surface (12) arranged in the inner chamber (10).

Abstract: The device for implanting a microphone (1) and at least one pressure compensating member (2) in a telephone watch consists in placing the microphone and the compensating member close together. A membrane (5) covers the microphone (1) and a disc (6) forms the compensating member (2). The membrane (5) and the disc (6) open at least partially into a single chamber (7) opening onto the outside via an opening (8) in the form of a slot. A liquid (arrow A) can be injected through this slot to rid the chamber, the membrane and the disc of foreign bodies which could accumulate therein.

Abstract: The telephone watch includes a crystal (1) including a keyboard (2) formed in particular of a plurality of capacitive sensors (3) disposed under the crystal. This crystal includes a thick zone (4) at its center and a thinned zone (5) at its periphery. The keyboard (2) is deposited under the thinned zone (5).

Abstract: A device includes a case (2) in which an acoustic transducer (11) is mounted so as to communicate in a water tight manner with the exterior of the case (2) via acoustic energy. The transducer (11) is mounted in front of a membrane (18) able to be deformed separating it in a water tight manner from an inlet cavity (14, 15) which is arranged in the case (2) of the device and is in communication with the exterior. Between the membrane (18) and the transducer (11) an intermediate chamber (19) is arranged allowing deformation of the membrane by the action of external static pressure and delimited on the side of the transducer by a support element (12a) fixedly mounted in the case and capable of limiting the deformation of the membrane in the event of application of the external pressure.

Abstract: A case (2) in which an acoustic transducer (22) is mounted so as to communicate in a watertight manner with the exterior of the case (2) via acoustic energy.The transducer (22) is attached to a membrane (17) separating it in a watertight manner from an inlet cavity (10, 11) which is arranged in the case (2) and is in direct communication with the exterior. The membrane (17) is resiliently applied by its periphery onto a rest surface (12) arranged around the cavity separating the latter in a watertight manner from a deformation chamber (13) situated on the side of the membrane (17) opposite to the inlet cavity while being in communication with the interior of the case. The bottom (13a) of the deformation chamber (13) forms a support surface for said membrane (17) when external static pressure greater than a predetermined value is applied thereto.

Abstract: The piezo-electric device (9) which connects a glass (8) to a movement (3) of the timepiece (1) is arranged in such a way as to deform in flexion in response to an exciting signal applied to its electrodes. The attachment zones (9a,9b) of this device (9) to this glass (8) and respectively to this movement (3) are distinct one from the other when the timepiece (1) is looked at in a direction perpendicular to the planes of the principal faces of the device (9). Thanks to this arrangement, the sound produced by the displacement of the glass (8) when the exciting signal is applied to the electrodes of the piezo-electric device (9) is more intense than in a known timepiece.

Abstract: The composite wall comprises a first sheet and second sheet separated by an intermediate layer as well as an ultrasonic detection device placed on a face of said second sheet and comprising a transducer element able to emit an incidental ultrasonic signal of frequence f, and able to receive an ultrasonic signal reflected on a face of said first sheet. The intermediate layer comprises at least facing the transducer element, an inserted element whose two faces are respectively in close contact with the first and second sheets. Further, the frequence f of the transducer element satisfies the following relationships:f.apprxeq.K.sub.1. V.sub.1 /2e.sub.1 .apprxeq.K.sub.2.V.sub.2 /2e.sub.2 .apprxeq.K.sub.3.V.sub.3 /2e.sub.3where K.sub.1, K.sub.2 and K.sub.3 are defined integers, e.sub.1, e.sub.2 and e.sub.3 are respectively the thickness of the first sheet, the second sheet and the inserted element, and V.sub.1, V.sub.2 and V.sub.