Abstract: The invention relates to a new way of stabilizing and mounting solar panels in the form of conventional heat exchangers comprising a trough and a glass cover or of a photovoltaic panel on house walls with the aid of frames made of natural or artificial stones which are made break-resistant using fiber materials and are stabilized in such a way that the panels are also break-resistant on impact and can be mounted as self-supporting structures on a wall; furthermore, the panels in particular satisfy high standards in respect of esthetics and are low-maintenance and thus permanently appealing. Multiple solar panels comprising stone frames can form entire stone-solar panel facades.

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 potentiometer and a method for adjusting an impedance. In accordance with an embodiment, the potentiometer may be a programmable multistage digital potentiometer that has a first stage comprising a non-shunted impedance, a second stage coupled between a reference terminal and the first stage, and a third stage coupled between the first stage and another reference terminal. In accordance with another embodiment, the potentiometer receives a wiper address and parses it into sections such that one section controls the first stage, a second portion controls portions of the second and third stages, and a third portion controls the other portions of the second and third stages to produce a desired impedance between a common wiper terminal and the reference terminals.

Abstract: The electromechanical escapement device is associated with an electronic circuit having a quartz oscillator and calculation means suitable for calculating the difference between the period of the quartz oscillator and the period of a mechanical oscillator and releasing an escape wheel, normally controlled by said mechanical oscillator, when the difference between said periods is greater than a threshold value.

Abstract: A circuit for selectively driving n motor coils associated with a plurality of stepping motors, wherein only (n+1) motor coil drivers are needed. A timepiece that utilizes such a circuit is also provided.

Abstract: An electronic device has a battery for storing electric power, an electronic circuit driven by electric power from the battery, and a coil block for generating a magnetic field in accordance with a signal from the electric circuit. A protective film is connected to the battery and is disposed over the coil block for protecting the coil block.

Abstract: An electronic wrist-watch of greatly reduced thickness has extremely thin me indicating discs for which a special driving and guiding system is employed. Further, a single-phase motor is provided with at least two stator windings for reducing the watch's thickness. A watch case comprises an integral case band in order to assure greater rigidity of this thin watch structure.

Abstract: An electronic watch comprising a rotor magnetically connected to more than two poles, a stator composed of material of high magnetic transmission factor magnetically engaging with the rotor, means composed of coil magnetically connected to the stator and for positioning the rotor in advance in order to determine a rotating direction of the rotor and means a step motor driven by an alternating pulses, wherein a position of the rotor is brought back to a former magnetically horizontal position from an original position thereof by applying a reverse polarity pulse to the coil just before a normal pulse, and then the rotor is rotated in reverse by the normal pulse whereby a needle may be reversed.