Asulab S.a.

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Aulab S.a.

The Swatch Research and Development Ltd.

Emil Zellweger

Arnaud Casagrande

Jean-Daniel Etienne

Carlos Velasquez

Yvan Ferri

Pierre-Andre Farine

Yves Oesch

Alexandre Pollini

Jean-Claude Martin

Rudolf Dinger

Pierre-André Farine

Fanel Piccini

Anne Monthéard

Volker Urban

Minh-Tam Diep

Frank Bajahr

Urs Lott

Jakob Kucera

Kilian Imfeld

Carlos Velásquez

The signal receiver has means to suppress at least one higher harmonic component from a MEMS or crystal oscillator having a reference resonator in filtered intermediate signals of a signal receiver. The signal receiver comprises an antenna for receiving electromagnetic signals, a low noise amplifier for amplifying signals received by the antenna, one MEMS or crystal oscillator comprising a reference resonator to generate an oscillating signal with a predefined duty-cycle, a mixer for mixing the amplified and received signals with the oscillating signal to generate intermediate signals, a band-pass filter to filter the intermediate signals, and a duty-cycle controller coupled to the MEMS or crystal oscillator and coupled to the output of the band-pass filter to analyze the spectrum of the filtered intermediate signals and to modify the duty-cycle of the oscillating signal in response to the spectrum analysis of the filtered intermediate signals.

Signal receiver with a duty-cycle controller

The receiver () for FSK modulation signals includes an antenna () for receiving modulated data or control signals, a low noise amplifier () for amplifying and filtering the signals picked up by the antenna, a local oscillator () with a quartz resonator () for supplying high frequency, in-phase signals (S), and high frequency, in-quadrature signals (S), first and second mixers () for mixing the high frequency, in-phase and in-quadrature signals with the filtered and amplified incoming signals, in order to generate intermediate signals (I, Q), and a filtering unit () for filtering the intermediate signals. The receiver can be configured to receive modulated data or control signals at low rate. The filtering unit supplies intermediate signals (I, Q) filtered in a polyphase filter () to a first demodulation stage in medium or high rate mode, or intermediate, baseband signals filtered in the polyphase filter, which is converted into two low-pass filters (), to a second demodulation stage in low rate mode.

FSK modulation signal receiver with high sensitivity in low rate mode

The receiver () is for receiving radio-synchronous signals for adjusting the time base of a timepiece. The receiver includes an antenna () for receiving radio-synchronous signals, a low noise amplifier (), connected to the antenna, a frequency conversion unit () for converting the frequency of the filtered and amplified incoming signals from the amplifier, and a processing unit () receiving data signals (data_out) from the conversion unit for adjusting the time base. The conversion unit includes a local oscillator stage () with a quartz () for supplying oscillating signals (Sm) at a determined frequency, a mixer unit () for mixing the incoming signals with the oscillating signals from the oscillator stage to generate intermediate signals (IF), a bandpass filter () for filtering the intermediate signals (IF), and a demodulator () receiving the filtered intermediate signals and supplying the data signals. The local oscillator stage is configured automatically by a control signal (Cm) from the processing unit to adapt the frequency of the oscillating signals (Sm) in accordance with the incoming radio-synchronous signal frequency, so that the intermediate signal (IF) frequency is within the frequency band of the bandpass filter.

Radio-synchronous signal receiver for adjusting a time base, and method for activating the receiver

The radio-frequency signal reception and/or transmission device includes an antenna () for picking up or transmitting radio-frequency signals, a bandpass filter (), at least one low noise amplifier () for amplifying the filtered signals, an oscillator stage () for generating first high frequency signals (S), at least one frequency divider () for dividing by M the frequency of the first signals in order to generate second high frequency signals (S), where M is an integer number greater than 1, at least a first mixer unit () for mixing the filtered and amplified radio-frequency signals (S) with the first high frequency signals (S), and at least a second mixer unit () for mixing the intermediate signals supplied by the first mixer unit with the second high frequency signals in order to produce baseband signals (I, Q). The stage oscillator () is configured to generate first high frequency signals (S), whose frequency is outside the frequency band of the bandpass filter and higher than the frequency of the received radio-frequency signals by a factor M/N comprised between 1 and 2, where N is an integer number greater than 1.

Radio-frequency signal reception and/or transmission device with noise reduction

The portable electronic device () allows functions and/or data of a vehicle to be controlled and managed. In order to do this, the portable device comprises, in a casing having an upper part () fixed, for example, in a removable manner on a lower part (), means for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals for short range personalised communication with the vehicle. It further comprises a microprocessor unit for processing functions and/or data of the device and of the vehicle, at least one display screen () having a portion which is visible from outside the casing for displaying different menus or data of the device or of the vehicle, and manual control means () for controlling the execution of functions of the microprocessor unit. A power source, such as a battery, is provided in the casing for supplying electric power to all the electronic components of the device. The manual control means comprise control keys () each having a touch-sensitive pad arranged on an inner face of the upper part () of the casing. Each control key may be individually activated by a finger of a user placed on the casing in a specified region of the touch-sensitive pad to be activated. The control means further comprise at least one control button () which can be pressed, in particular to make the control keys () and the display screen () switch from an idle mode to an operating mode.

Portable electronic device for controlling and managing functions and/or data of a vehicle

There is disclosed an electronic instrument worn on the wrist including a case () at least a part () of which is electrically conductive and in which are housed an electronic module () including a printed circuit board () and an electric power source () for powering the electronic module. The printed circuit board () has, at its periphery, a mechanical contact zone with the electrically conductive part () of the case (), and includes a conductive path () extending at the periphery of the printed circuit board, over the mechanical contact zone, and establishing an electric contact with the electrically conductive part () of the case (). The electronic instrument further provides an antenna () provided with an ground plane () where the conductive path () electrically connects this ground plane () to the electrically conductive path () of the case (), in directions extending substantially in the extension of the ground plane of the antenna () in order to increase the reception sensitivity of the latter.

Ground connection of a printed circuit board placed in a wristwatch type electronic device

The radio-frequency signal frequency conversion device generates intermediate complex signals (IF) for a correlation stage of a low power RF receiver. In order to do this, the device includes a first selective pass-band filter for filtering radio-frequency signals picked up by an antenna. A frequency synthesizer generates first and second high frequency signals, wherein the frequency of the first signals is higher than the frequency of the second signals. This synthesizer receives reference signals from an oscillator unit. A first mixer unit mixes the radio-frequency signals with the first signals in order to generate frequency-converted signals. A second pass-band filter filters the signals from the first mixer unit, and provides signals to a second mixer unit to mix them with the second high frequency signals. Finally, shaping means for the signals provided by the second mixer unit generate the intermediate signals. The second filter is a not very selective active filter, which is integrated, in an RF/IF integrated circuit with the first and second mixer units, the signal shaping means, and certain parts of the synthesizer and the oscillator unit.

Radio-frequency signal frequency conversion device for a low power RF receiver

There is disclosed a portable electronic instrument () including a case (), at least one electronic unit () housed inside the case, and at least a first input and/or output terminal (A; B) accessible from the exterior of the case and including an electrically conductive element () which is mounted so as to be mobile with respect to the case. The input and/or output terminal is adapted to be electrically connected to an input and/or output terminal () of said electronic unit via a transmission line (I/O; I/O) and for allowing transmission of electric signals on the transmission line through the connecting element. The connecting element can occupy a first or second position in which the input and/or output terminal is respectively uncoupled from or coupled to the input and/or output terminal of the electronic unit. The portable electronic instrument further includes a transmission gate (TG; TG) inserted on the transmission line between the input and/or output terminal and the input and/or output terminal of the electronic unit, said transmission gate having a transmitting and non-transmitting state allowing the input and/or output terminal to be respectively coupled to or uncoupled from said input and/or output terminal of the electronic unit. A protective element (TVS, TVS) against electrostatic charges is also inserted on the transmission line between the input and/or output terminal and the transmission gate.

Portable electronic instrument including at least one input/output terminal for establishing a communication with an electronic unit arranged within said instrument

The method of determining the position of a radio-frequency signal receiver consists first of all in dividing the Earth's surface into N geographical regions as a function of the N channels available in the correlation stage of the receiver. At least one satellite in projection onto the Earth's surface has to be located in each of the N defined regions. The N channels of the correlation stage are each configured and switched on to search for a visible satellite in one of the N respective regions. Radio-frequency signal reception and shaping means pick up said radio-frequency signals and frequency convert them to provide intermediate signals to the correlation stage. Once one of the channels has detected a visible satellite in one of the N regions, the operation of all the other channels is interrupted by a stop block located in each of the other channels. Subsequently, certain other channels are configured and switched on for searching and tracking visible satellites in proximity to the first detected visible satellite. This allows precise position and time calculations to be made in the microprocessor means of the receiver. An approximate position is calculated as soon as at least four satellites are tracked by a direct method, before calculating the precise position of the receiver by a conventional iterative method.

Method of determining the position of a radio-frequency signal receiver without knowledge of the initial approximate position, and receiver for implementing the same

The present invention concerns an antenna arrangement ( ) including: an antenna (A) able to transmit data in the form of a radiofrequency signal; a transmitter ( ) including a preamplifier ( ) and a first transistor ( ) connected in cascade, this transmitter being able to provide a radiofrequency signal containing the data to be transmitted to the antenna; and coupling means ( ) connected between the antenna and the transmitter, and including a phase lag circuit ( ) able to achieve the coupling of the antenna and the transmitter. The coupling means further include switching means ( ) connected between the system's earth and the source terminal of the first transistor of the transmitter, so as to be able to switch the latter to an ON state, respectively to an OFF state, when said antenna is, respectively is not, in transmission phase.

Antenna arrangement

Subassembly combining an antenna and position sensors on a same support, notably for a horological piece

Data transmission system comprising a data transmitter (1) including:

Portable device using inductive antenna to receive data transmitted via

A highly stable frequency generator (G) comprises an oscillator (10) for generating a first frequency (F1), and further comprises a time base (BT) providing a time stable frequency signal which is independent of the temperature, and a feedback circuit arranged to provide a first number of pulses (n.sub.T) coming from the oscillator (10) to a comparing circuit (13), a circuit (14) for providing a reference number of pulses (N.sub.T) to said comparing circuit (13), and a circuit (13,15,16) providing a correction signal (Sc) as a function of the difference (.DELTA.) between the first number (n.sub.T) and the reference number (N.sub.T), the generator (G) further comprising a correction circuit (17) of the oscillation frequency (F1) of said first oscillator (10), this correction circuit being controlled by said control signal (Sc).

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Lommiswil, Switzerland

Emil Zellweger