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US 3,961,472 AGranted
Solid state electronic timepiece
AssigneeRagen Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorRoger W. Riehl
Life of this patent
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AssigneeRagen Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorRoger W. Riehl
Estimating the term…
A wristwatch has a plurality of light emitting digital readout elements which are located along one end of the watch above the watchband. A hermetically sealed time capsule is enclosed within the watch case and includes an integrated circuit chip which divides the frequency output of a battery powered quartz crystal oscillator into a series of pulses which are counted and selectively interrogated to provide a series of electrical outputs corresponding to seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years. The time capsule includes sealed control switches which are actuated by magnets slidably mounted on the case and which provide for selecting different outputs for visual display on the readout elements, corresponding to either hours and minutes, month and day or seconds. The electronic circuitry automatically compensates for 28, 30 and 31 day months as well as for leap years, and the readout may be selected for repetitive 12 hours or 24 hour display. When the 12 hour readout is selected, the AM/PM indicating light is energized when the hours and minutes readout is selected. A solar cell is positioned on the top surface of the watch case and functions to control the intensity of the readout elements according to the intensity of ambient light, as well as to recharge the batteries. The control switches also provide for setting the watch by either changing the minutes output while holding the seconds output at zero, or by changing the hours output without changing the minutes, seconds and days outputs, or by changing the days output without changing the seconds, minutes, hours and months outputs.
An electronic solid-state timepiece adapted for use as a wrist watch comprising means for generating electrical pulses at a constant predetermined frequency, battery means for supplying power to said generating means, means for counting said pulses and for producing a plurality of electrical time outputs corresponding to at least hours and minutes, electro-optical digital readout means for producing a visual display of selected said outputs from said counting means, a solar cell connected to recharge said battery means, means including a control element for selectively connecting said time outputs of said counting means to said digital readout means, a substantially water and air impervious encasing material surrounding and supporting said battery means, said pulse generating means, said counting means, said readout means, said solar cell and said control element to form a durable fluid-tight time capsule, said encasing material being capable of transmitting light in areas adjacent said solar cell and said readout means, and means disposed outboard of said time capsule for remotely activating said control element within said time capsule by producing a field acting through said encasing material.
An electronic solid-state timepiece adapted for use as a wrist watch comprising means for generating electrical pulses at a constant predetermined frequency, battery means for supplying power to said generating means, means for counting said pulses and for producing a plurality of electrical time outputs corresponding to at least hours and minutes, electro-optical digital readout means for producing a visual display of selected said outputs from said counting means, a solar cell connected to recharge said battery means, means including magnetically actuated switch means for selectively connecting said time outputs of said counting means to said digital readout means, a substantially water and air impervious potting material encasing said battery means, said pulse generating means, said counting means, said readout means, said solar cell and said switch means to form a durable fluid-tight time capsule, said potting material being capable of transmitting light in areas adjacent said solar cell and said readout means, and a magnetic actuator supported outboard of said time capsule for relative movement and effective to actuate said switch means, within said time capsule.
An electronic solid-state wrist watch comprising means for generating electrical pulses at a constant predetermined frequency, battery means for supplying power to said generating means, means for counting said pulses and for producing a plurality of electrical time outputs corresponding to at least hours and minutes, electro-optical digital readout means for producing a visual display of selected said outputs from said counting means, a solar cell connected to recharge said battery means, means including magnetically actuated switch means for selectively connecting said time outputs of said counting means to said digital readout means, a substantially water and air impervious potting material encasing said battery means, said pulse generating means, said counting means, said readout means, said solar cell and said switch means to form a durable fluid-tight time-capsule, a rigid watch case defining an open bottom chamber, said time capsule being disposed within said chamber and having a bottom surface adapted to rest on a wearer's wrist, said potting material being capable of transmitting light in areas adjacent said solar cell and said readout means, and a magnetic actuator supported outboard of said time capsule for relative movement and effective to actuate said switch means, within said time capsule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.