Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogere Suisse

Eta Sa Fabriques D'ebauches

Swatch Ag

Em Microelectronic-marin Sa

Fabien Blondeau

Pierre-André Meister

André Zanetta

Emmanuel Fleury

Lionel Paratte

Wilfried Noell

Toralf Scharf

Nicolas Golay

Roland Bitterli

Jean-Philippe Rebeaud

David Barras

Yves Petremand

Georges Nicolas Hayek

Silvio Dalla Piazza

Nakis Karapatis

Martin Bisig

Yves Godat

Nicolas Jeannet

Laurent Christe

Yves Pétremand

Claude-Alain Giauque

Yves Sierro

Loïc Talbot

Jérôme Cuenin

Mauro Lorenzini

Pierre-Andr&eacute; Meister

Jean-Phlippe Rebeaud

The invention concerns a timepiece () including a display device () including a first and second display member () displaying first and second pieces of information, the value of the second piece of information being linked to the value of the first piece of information by a reduction ratio, wherein the first () and the second () display members are rotatably mounted in relation to a plate () and are driven by a drive device () with planetary gears, characterized in that the second display member () pivots on the axis of rotation (A) of a planet pinion (). The invention also proposes a timepiece () fitted with this display device () and a method for manufacturing this display device ().

Analogue display device including a planetary gear device

The invention concerns an electronic watch comprising an electric motor () for driving analogue display means (), and a time base () comprising an oscillator circuit () and a resonator (), both mounted in the same case (), characterized in that said case further comprises a control circuit () for said electric motor.

Resonator mounted in a case incorporating a watch module

The invention concerns an electronic watch () including:

Watch fitted with an electric motor control case

There is disclosed a method and a system for accessing information and/or data available on a wide area computer network (), such as the Internet. A first modulated acoustic signal (A) is transmitted to a group of potential users each provided with a portable communication unit (*), this first modulated acoustic signal including at least one identifier (ID, ID, ID, . . . ) associated with a link to a determined site of the wide area computer network. These identifiers are stored in the portable communication unit then subsequently downloaded to a computer terminal () connected to the wide area computer network. After the downloaded identifier or identifiers have been compared with a determined list of identifiers (ID_A, ID_B, ID_C, . . . ), a list of links (Link_A, Link_B, Link_C, . . . ) to sites corresponding to the downloaded identifier or identifiers is generated by the computer terminal.

Method and system for accessing information and/or data available on a wide area computer network

The invention proposes tweezers () and a grasping system () for grasping and assembling at least one component () in a timepiece, comprising first and second branches (), which are joined at a first end () of the tweezers () and which form a grasping pincer () at the second end of the tweezers () in order to allow the component () to be grasped by the pincer (), via a manual manipulation of the tweezers (), characterized in that the first branch () includes at least one electrostatic grasping surface () provided for grasping, via electrostatic attraction, a component () made of conductive or semiconductor material.

Tweezers and grasping system

The invention proposes an arrangement for the mechanical interfacing of a micromotor of the MEMS type with a toothed wheel in which the micromotor is produced in the upper layer of a plate made of crystalline or amorphous material and comprises at least one actuator which drives a rotor in rotation, characterised in that a pinion, coaxial with the rotor and arranged above the rotor, is connected in rotation to the rotor by means of at least one pin which is received in an associated housing and in that the pinion meshes with the toothed wheel.

Arrangement for the mechanical interfacing of a MEMS micromotor with a clock wheel and timepiece comprising this arrangement

An electronic timepiece () includes a case () which is fitted with a dial () and which contains an electronic control circuit () driving a display device (), of the type wherein the dial () includes a main body () in the form of a plate which is made of semiconductor material, and of the type wherein the control circuit () includes at least one control unit () and a time base circuit (), characterized in that the control circuit () includes at least one integrated circuit element () which is etched in the main body () of the dial (). The invention also proposes a dial () to be fitted to the timepiece ().

Timepiece including a dial made of semiconductor material

The invention proposes an analogue display member () fitted to a timepiece, of the type including a main body in which an arbor hole is arranged, characterized in that the main body is made of silicon based crystalline material. The invention also proposes a timepiece provided with such a display member (). The invention also proposes a method of fabricating analogue display members () to be fitted to timepieces, each analogue display member () including a main body, characterized in that it includes at least one step of micro-machining a wafer of silicon based crystalline material to form at least one main body in said material.

Analogue display member made of crystalline material, timepiece fitted therewith and method for fabricating the same

The invention concerns a synchronisation method between analogue display means () and a volatile time counter () in a multi-function electronic watch when the primary powering means () powering said watch are replaced, including the following steps, (i) calculating a value (Vtps) representative of a time information item by means of the time base () of the watch; (ii) storing the value in the volatile time counter; (iii) updating the value in the volatile time counter periodically as a function of the supply frequency of a time information item by the time base; (iv) synchronised display of the value representative of a time information item by the analogue display means in a first operating mode of the watch; (v) non-synchronised display of a value not representative of a time information item by the analogue display means in a second operating mode of the watch; (vi) detecting the end of life of the primary power means powering the watch; (vii) setting the analogue display means in a predetermined reference position following detection of the end of life of the primary powering means; (viii) setting the value of the time counter to a predetermined reference value when the primary powering means are removed; (ix) automatic synchronisation between the analogue display means and the value of the time counter when the primary powering means are replaced.

Synchronization method between analogue display means and the time counter of a watch

Assembly element () made in a plate of brittle material, including an aperture () provided for the axial insertion of an arbour (). The inner wall () of the aperture () includes elastic structures (), which are etched into the plate and which each include at least one support surface () for gripping the arbour () radially in order to secure the assembly element () relative to the arbour (). The assembly element () includes a first series (S) of elastic structures () etched in a top layer () of the plate and a second series (S) of elastic structures () etched in a bottom layer () of the plate. A timepiece may be fitted with this assembly element.

Assembly element including two series of elastic structures and timepiece fitted with the same

Assembly element made in a plate of brittle material, such as silicon, in particular for a timepiece, including an aperture provided for the axial insertion of an arbour, the inner wall of the aperture including elastic structures which are etched into the plate and which each include at least one support surface for gripping the arbour radially in order to secure the assembly element relative to the arbour. Each elastic structure is formed by a fork which is connected to the inner wall of the aperture by a bridge of material and which includes two branches extending, on either side of the bridge of material, generally towards the arbour. Each branch includes a support surface in proximity to the free end thereof. The invention also proposes a timepiece fitted with an assembly element of this type.

Assembly element including fork shaped elastic structures and timepiece including the same

There is disclosed a portable instrument including an optical device () for measuring a physiological quantity, particularly the heart rhythm, and data emission and/or reception means, the optical device including at least one light source () for subjecting a portion of an organic tissue () to a light emission and at least one photoreceptor () for detecting the intensity of the light emission after propagation in the organic tissue. The optical device also forms the data emission and/or reception means, said at least one light source and/or said at least one photoreceptor being arranged for respectively emitting data to an external unit or receiving data from said external unit.

Instrument having optical device measuring a physiological quantity and means for transmitting and/or receiving data

The invention proposes a MEMS micromotor produced in a plate made of crystalline or amorphous material, in particular based on silicon, which comprises a lower layer forming a substrate, and an upper layer in which at least one actuator and a rotor is etched, the actuator driving the rotor in rotation about a shaft (), characterized in that the shaft () is connected to the plate, in that the shaft () extends axially through a hole of the plate, and in that the shaft () is clamped in the hole and centered in the hole by means of elastic fixing structures which are produced by etching in the substrate and which are arranged on the circumference of the hole.

MEMS micromotor and timepiece equipped with this micromotor

The invention proposes a drive module intended to engage with a clock wheel having a plate made of crystalline or amorphous material comprising a lower layer, which forms a substrate, and an upper layer, into which an MEMS type of micromotor is etched, wherein the micromotor has at least one actuator rotatably driving a rotor, characterized in that a pinion arranged coaxially to the rotor is rotatably connected to the rotor and disposed above the rotor, said pinion being provided to engage with the clock wheel in an engagement zone located close to an outer peripheral edge of the plate, that the rotor is disposed on the plate in order to minimize the distance between the outer peripheral edge of the rotor and the outer peripheral edge of the plate corresponding to the engagement zone, and that the diameter of the pinion is larger than that of the rotor so as to protrude relative to the plate into the engagement zone. The invention also proposes a process for the production of this module and a timepiece comprising such a module.

Drive module comprising an MEMS micromotor, process for the production of this module and timepiece fitted with this module

Assembly element () made in a plate of brittle material, including an aperture () provided for the axial insertion of an arbour (), the inner wall () of the aperture () including elastic structures (), which are etched into the plate to grip the arbour () radially. Each elastic structure () includes a first rectilinear elastic strip (L) which extends along a tangential direction relative to the arbour (). According to the invention, each elastic structure () is formed by a radial stack of several parallel elastic strips.

Growing community of inventors

Le Landeron, Switzerland

Fabien Blondeau