Asulab S.a.

Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne

Maillefer Instruments Holding Sarl

Aulab S.a.

Pierre-Andre Farine

Jean-Jacques Born

Jean-Daniel Etienne

Jean-Pierre Wattenhofer

Rudolf Dinger

Silvio Dalla Piazza

Eric Saurer

Emil Zellweger

Minh-Tam Diep

Ermanno Bernasconi

Roman Merz

Cyril Botteron

Francois Aeby

Yanik Tardy

Marcel Arditi

Jean-Jacques Meister

Darryl Gauthey

Alexandre Pollini

Francis Chabloz

Claude Bornoz

Jacques Margairaz

Daniel Beck

Chantal Delon-Martin

Lucas Barroso

Mitko Tanevski

Eric Jeanclaude

Alexis Boegli

All wireless devices must comply with the local radio regulations which are set by international and national regulatory bodies such as the European Telecommunication Standardization Institute (ETSI) for Europe and the Federal Commission for Communication (FCC) for US. A new firmware module is proposed, that will ensure that devices, in all circumstances will comply with the ETSI regulations for single channel emissions in the 868 MHz ISM band. Namely, assuring compliance with the duty-cycle limit, the maximum TX time and minimum TX-off time limit. Such a solution has not been researched mostly due to the popularity of the virtually worldwide 2.4 GHz ISM band which does not have duty-cycle limitations. The wireless sensor networks (WSN) operating in the 868 MHz band have their own niche applications that benefit from the increased signal range. The development and the acceptance of such applications will benefit from the existence of the proposed module implemented in firmware/software. We propose such a solution and demonstrate its implementation on a custom developed node and protocol. Implementation on top of standardized protocol layers is also analyzed. We also analyze the memory, time and energy overheads caused by including the module in the firmware.

Method of real-time regulation compliance for wireless transmitters

An apex-locating method and device for determining the depth position of the apex in a dental root canal. It uses a device making it possible to form a circuit including a first probe electrode inserted into the root canal of a tooth, a second electrode in conductive contact with an oral mucous membrane, frequency-generating elements able to produce alternating electrical signals at a number of frequencies, and elements for measuring electrical magnitude of alternating signals in the circuit. Provision is made for exciting the circuit and measuring the levels of magnitude of the alternating signals, respectively at low frequency and at high frequency and for detecting a point of intersection where the two levels measured at low and high frequencies meet and become substantially equal, these frequencies being sufficiently far apart for this point of intersection to exist. This point gives the position of the apex.

Method and device for determining the apical position in a dental root canal

There is disclosed a wristwatch having a case containing a mechanical watch movement () driven by a spring barrel () and provided with a mechanical regulator with a balance and balance-spring, which is associated, via electromagnetic coupling, with an electronic regulator driven by a quartz resonator. The rim of the balance () is provided with a pair of permanent magnets (). The electronic regulator includes a fixed coil () arranged for cooperating with said magnets via electromagnetic coupling, a rectifier () provided with at least one capacitor, and a circuit () for enslaving the frequency of the mechanical regulator to the frequency of the oscillator by braking obtained by briefly short-circuiting the coil. In order to enable a common type of mechanical movement to be used, only the balance of which is altered, the electronic regulator is formed by a structural module () that is entirely separate from the mechanical watch movement (). This module can be fixed to the movement plate, or, conversely, carried by the watchcase independently of said movement, in particular via a casing ring (). Apart from the coil, all of the rest of the electronic module () is preferably located outside the mechanical movement.

Timepiece having a mechanical movement associated with an electronic regulator

The method relates to the input of a security code by means of a touch screen of an electronic device such as a watch for access to a specific function, an apparatus or a given location. This touch screen comprises control keys, which can be activated by a manual action of a user using a finger or a stylus. Each key is linked to a microprocessor unit of the electronic device. The method comprises steps which consist of placing a finger or stylus on a key of the touch screen, which represents a first reference of the code to be entered, moving the finger or stylus from the first reference to a key of a second reference over a specific trajectory through the microprocessor unit, keeping the finger on the second reference for a given period of time or detecting a change in trajectory of the finger in the area of the key of the second reference to be input, moving the finger from the key of the second reference to a key of a third reference over a specific trajectory, and removing the finger or stylus from the touch screen to validate the entered code and access to the function, apparatus or given location.

Method of input of a security code by means of a touch screen for access to a function, an apparatus or a given location, and device for implementing the same

An autonomous low power consumption electrical apparatus that has a supply device (8) comprising a single photo-voltaic cell, an electrical accumulator (7), and a voltage booster (10, 11, TR1, TR3) connected between the power source (9) and the accumulator for charging the accumulator. The voltage booster is controlled by a pulse signal having a predetermined frequency. To allow the apparatus to start when the accumulator is completely discharged, the pulse signal can be generated, at least temporarily, by an oscillator that can operate at a very low voltage, that is, the voltage of the single photo-voltaic cell. When the apparatus is a timepiece, the oscillator (2) can be replaced by the oscillator of the time-keeping circuit (1) of the timepiece as soon as the accumulator (9) is sufficiently charged.

Electrical apparatus supplied by a photo-voltaic power source

The timepiece (1) includes a mainspring (2) driving the rotor (3a) of an electromechanical converter (3) and time display hands (6). A circuit (7) for enslaving the real angular position of the rotor (3a) to its desired angular position is supplied with electrical energy by the converter (3). In order to increase the autonomy of the timepiece (1), the enslaving circuit (7) includes means (28) which store a portion of the electrical energy generated by the converter (3) and means (21, 23 to 27) which use this stored electrical energy to apply driving pulses (IM) to the converter (3) when the rotor (3a) has a greater retardation than a determined retardation, with respect to its desired angular position.

Electronic timepiece supplied by a generator driven by a mechanical

A timepiece comprising a generator (1) for generating a supply voltage of a first predetermined value U.sub.1, a barrel with a spring (5, 6), a winding mechanism (5') and a set of hands (7 to 9). The electronic circuit (11, 12) of the timepiece requires a minimum limited supply voltage having a second predetermined value U.sub.2. This circuit comprises a timebase (12) and a regulating circuit (11) for regulating the rotational speed of the generator. According to the invention, a voltage regulator (25) is connected between the generator and said electronic circuit for adjusting its output voltage to said limited second value U.sub.2. The ratio between the absolute value U.sub.1 of the predetermined first value U.sub.1 and the second predetermined value satisfies the relationship U.sub.1 =k.multidot.U.sub.2, k being a factor corresponding at least to the maximum expected variation rate of the absolute value U.sub.1 when the timepiece is worn.

Timepiece comprising a generator driven by the main spring of a barrel

In this booster, the voltage across the terminals of the photovoltaic power source (1) is regulated as a function of a reference voltage (V.sub.ref) which is chosen to be substantially equal to the voltage corresponding to the maximum value of the voltage-power curve of this source. The reference voltage generated in the reference generator (9) is compared to the voltage (V.sub.sc) of the source (1), the result is sampled and influences the duty cycle of a control signal (F.sub.c) applied to the switching transistor (7). The latter is responsible for chopping the current flowing from the source to the load (accumulator 6) through an inductor coil (4) and a diode (5).

Chopper-amplifier for the voltage of a photovoltaic power source, in

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

Portable device using inductive antenna to receive data transmitted via

Device for charging a battery using a photovoltaic cell, and timepiece

An oscillator, such as a ring oscillator, uses CMOS transistors. At least some of the transistors have forward biased, current limited source-tub junctions for lowering the threshold voltages of these transistors. This enables the oscillator to operate at very low supply voltages, and it may be used in an electronic timepiece powered by a single photovoltaic cell.

Low voltage operated oscillator using transistors with forward biased

This invention provides protection against power supply failure, in particular of electronic circuits of timepieces powered by photovoltaic batteries. The invention comprises a continuous electric power supply comprising: an electrical continuous source (G) coupled to a power output (VDD, GND); energy storing means (6); and a reversible dc/dc electric converter (5) coupled both to the power output (VDD, GND) and to the energy storing means (6). The converter (5) comprises switching means (T1, T2, T3, T4) for modifying its configuration. The power supply storing means (6) comprise essentially a capacitor (C). Preferably, the reversible converter (5) is a dc/dc converter, the converter being a voltage multiplier in a first configuration and being a voltage divider in a second configuration.

Continuous electric power supply circuit regulated by a reversible

Timepiece including an electric power generator

The integrated circuit (11) of this timepiece comprises means (16, 17, 18) for comparing the frequency of a time base (12, 13) to the frequency of the generator (1). The error signal thereby generated is examined by a wired logic (20) allowing verification of whether this signal passes distinct threshold values. Passing of two of these values allows an electric brake (22) of the generator to be controlled so that from a certain degree of depletion of the power reserve of the barrel (5), the second hand moves periodically right away over an angle of several seconds inviting the wearer of the timepiece to rewind the spring (6) of the barrel (5).

Electronic timepiece comprising a generator driven by a spring barrel

Delay locked loop intended to be used in a receiver of signals emitted by a GPS satellite, comprising a pseudo-random code generator (35), a local oscillator (34), a modulator (14) for modulating said pseudo-random code with the output signal of said local oscillator (34), a plurality of signal channels (C1, C2, C3) connected to the output of said modulator (14) and each comprising a pass-band filter (48 to 50). A data processing unit (11) is adapted to control the central frequency of the output signal of said local oscillator as a function of the output signal of said signal detection circuit and to control the central frequencies and the bandwidth of said pass-band filters (48 to 50) in several steps during said acquisition phase, so that said pass-band filters divide up, at each step, one of the pass-bands of the preceding step into non-overlapping pass-bands.

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Neuchatel, Switzerland

Pierre-Andre Farine