G04B 21/00
Indicating the time by acoustic means
Official title: Indicating the time by acoustic means (at preselected times G04B23/00; by electro-acoustic means G04C21/04; {indicating the time by means other than acoustically, or by combined means G04B25/00; indicating the time by visual means G04B19/00, G04C17/00; acoustic signalling arrangements G08B3/00})
G04B21/00 (Indicating the time by acoustic means) appears on 155 US grants and 151 published applications in this corpus.
Search patents in G04B- Granted patents
- 155
- Published applications
- 151
- Assignees
- 56
- Inventors
- 179
- Latest grant
- 4 Aug 2026
Filings by year
| Year | Granted patents | Published applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 2 | 0 |
| 1978 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | 3 | 0 |
| 1981 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | 3 | 0 |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | 3 | 0 |
| 1985 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 | 2 |
| 2004 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 | 5 |
| 2008 | 6 | 8 |
| 2009 | 4 | 5 |
| 2010 | 7 | 5 |
| 2011 | 4 | 14 |
| 2012 | 2 | 13 |
| 2013 | 20 | 4 |
| 2014 | 8 | 3 |
| 2015 | 6 | 8 |
| 2016 | 10 | 14 |
| 2017 | 7 | 9 |
| 2018 | 5 | 2 |
| 2019 | 8 | 18 |
| 2020 | 3 | 7 |
| 2021 | 7 | 7 |
| 2022 | 9 | 7 |
| 2023 | 10 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 | 5 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 |
| 2026 | 3 | 7 |
By publication year. Applications have been published since 2001. 2026 runs to 8 Oct.
Subgroups
Granted patents
Recent patents
- Horological module actuatable at isolated moments, comprising automatic locking means4 Aug 2026US 12,699,357 B2Montres Jaquet Droz SA
- Horological movement comprising a striking mechanism provided with a flexible guide31 Mar 2026US 12,591,204 B2The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
- Horological movement comprising a striking mechanism provided with a flexible guide24 Feb 2026US 12,560,891 B2The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
- Method for manufacturing a silicon balance spring18 Nov 2025US 12,474,674 B2Nivarox-FAR S. A.
- Safety device and striking-work mechanism23 Sep 2025US 12,422,782 B2Omega SA
- Striking mechanism for watches25 Jun 2026US 2026/0177984 A1Montres Breguet S. A.
- Movement comprising a striking device25 Jun 2026US 2026/0177985 A1Montres Breguet S. A.
- Striking mechanism with flexible translation guide28 May 2026US 2026/0147315 A1Montres Breguet S. A.
- Watch case for a wristwatch with a musical or ringing mechanism having a bottom with a cover12 Mar 2026US 2026/0072407 A1Manufacture D'Horlogerie Audemars Piguet SA
- Resonant organ for a striking mechanism of a timepiece, the striking mechanism comprising such a resonant organ, and method for manufacturing such a resonant organ5 Mar 2026US 2026/0064078 A1Omega SA
Most cited
By later US patents
- Musical door chime preferably also combined with a clock for annunciating the time24US 4,326,276 AScovill Inc. · 1982
- Time striking device for timepiece18US 4,247,933 ARhythm Watch Co., Ltd. · 1981
- Clock with hour and quarter hour striking mechanism10US 4,036,005 ASpartus Corporation · 1977
- Timepiece and portable device10US 7,742,365 B2Seiko Epson Corporation · 2010
- Crystal-bezel assembly unit for a timepiece and process assembly9US 8,411,533 B2Montres Breguet S. A. · 2013