Bracelet with alphanumeric information display

ES 2 223 969 T3

DESCRIPTION

Bracelet.

The present invention relates to a bracelet.

The term "bracelet", when used in this specification, is not limited to a wrist bracelet, but is intended to include bracelets such as rings or encircling bracelets, which can be worn on other parts of the body, such as like the ankle, a finger, or even around the waist. Furthermore, such bracelets do not necessarily have to be for exclusive use by humans, but could be worn by animals, for example as necklaces, or, if desired, attached to inanimate objects.

A known information display bracelet is a digital watch that has a watch face with a liquid crystal display. Typically, the watch face has at least four common seven-segment numeric display elements, so that the time can be displayed digitally using normal 24-hour clock notation.

The watch will usually have additional functions, such as alarm clock, stopwatch, etc., and therefore a solid-state chip / integrated circuit is included to perform those functions, along with a quartz crystal to keep time. and a battery to power the watch.

In DE-A-3 813 409 (Osterhage) a wristwatch with a multiple digital display is disclosed, consisting of a continuous chain of individual wrist links, each such link being constructed as a digital display, controlled by a piezoelectric control circuit, which provides a multi-digit display that is pulsed from link of the bracelet to link of the bracelet, so that the digital presentation occurs in pulses in time, around the bracelet. Accordingly, a bracelet having electronic display units having a display region comprising a plurality of display elements, each display element being capable of displaying a character, has been described in the prior art, such that the display elements together they can present characters, in the presentation region. The display elements are arranged in a placement sequence along the length of the bracelet; Control means are provided to control the display elements so that the characters displayed by the display elements in the display region appear to move along the sequence of display elements in time.

In accordance with the present invention, a bracelet is provided having at least one electronic display unit arranged to present information in a sequence that extends along substantially the entire length of the bracelet and / or in a sequence that is substantially around the total perimeter of one face of the bracelet; wherein control means are provided to control the display unit or units so that the displayed information appears to move along the length of the bracelet and / or around the face of the bracelet, in time; and in that the display unit (s) has or has a plurality of segments such that they are selectively excitable by the control means to display shapes or figures other than numerical or alphabetic arrangements.

In one embodiment, the bracelet has a single display unit that extends along the length of the bracelet.

Preferably, the single unit has a plurality of display elements each comprising a network of LED or liquid crystal segments. The liquid crystal or LED segments can be selectively driven to display one of a plurality of different characters. The liquid crystal or LED segments are arranged, and can be selectively driven, to further display numeric and / or alphabetic characters.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments of the invention abstract characters and shapes may be formed by the display elements to produce the appearance of a moving pattern.

The control means can be a solid state chip / integrated circuit, which can control the display elements to present information in the form of characters. The solid state chip can control the display elements so that the displayed characters appear to move through the sequence of display elements in the display region, element by element, in time.

The display region may be divided into a plurality of sub-regions, each of which comprises a plurality of display elements that form a part of the sequence of display elements. It is then possible that the display elements present information simultaneously within each subregion, and that the control means can control the display elements in such a way that the information displayed in each subregion appears to move, preferably from element to element, from a first end of said respective part of said sequence of display elements to a second end of said respective part of said sequence of display elements, in time.

In another embodiment, the bracelet comprises a plurality of electronic display units each of which has a predetermined number of display elements. The display elements of the display units together form a display region, each display element being capable of displaying one character of one or more characters, so that the display elements together can present information, in the form of said characters. , in the presentation region. The display units are arranged so that their display elements collectively form a sequence that is arranged along the length of the bracelet. The display units are preferably arranged in groups of at least three adjacent units, each group forming a sub-region of said display region, so that the display elements can present information simultaneously within each sub-region. Said control means are provided to control the display elements to display characters in such a way that the characters are displayed in each group of display units, firstly in the first unit of the group of display units, secondly in the second unit of the group of pre units

ES 2 223 969 T3, and thirdly in a third unit of the group of presentation units, so that the characters appear to move, within the sub-region of said presentation region, in time.

Other preferred and advantageous features of the present invention will become apparent from the description that follows and the accompanying claims.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a bracelet forming a first construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bracelet of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bracelet that forms a second construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4a is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the liquid crystal display of the bracelet of Figure 3, and Figure 4b is a plan view of a corresponding portion of an alternative liquid crystal display for the bracelet of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side view of a bracelet that forms a third construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the bracelet of Figure 5;

Figures 7 to 10 depict plan views of various liquid crystal display elements that may be used in a bracelet embodying the present invention;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a bracelet forming a fourth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 12a, b, and c are side views of the bracelet of Figure 11 which is laid flat, in an intermediate position, before being clamped, and in a final position, clamped for use, respectively.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a bracelet that forms a fifth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a bracelet that forms a sixth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a bracelet that forms a seventh construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a bracelet that forms an eighth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 17a, b, and c are plan views of alternative display element arrangements for use with a bracelet of Figure 16, and which may be adapted to form an embodiment of the invention;

Figures 18a, b, and c depict plan views of a "dot matrix" liquid crystal display element having different shapes and figures, and which may be adapted to form an embodiment of the invention; Y

Figures 19a, b, and c are perspective views of a bracelet forming a ninth construction that is an embodiment of the present invention, the display being shown in each view at successive moments in time.

Figures 1 and 2 show a bracelet 1 that forms a first construction that can be adapted to carry out the invention so as to present shapes or figures such as animals or characters that could move, as will be described in more detail here below. which follows with reference to Figures 7-10 and 19a, b, and c. The bracelet 1 comprises a strap 3 carrying a plurality of digital electronic display units 5. It will be understood, however, that the display units could be made integral with the strap.

The display units 5 may conveniently be of any type usual used for watches, calculators, or the like. In this way, the bracelet can be manufactured cheaply, using parts that are on the market. In the illustrated embodiment, conventional clock units are employed. Such units 5 are individually housed in boxes 7, and each has a compartment for a battery that provides power to the unit, a quartz crystal to keep the time, and a control chip / integrated circuit, to control the unit. of presentation. (It will be appreciated that all units could be powered by a single battery, and a single quartz crystal and / or a single control chip could be employed for all units). Each unit 5 has a liquid crystal display (LCD) 9, comprising a sequence of four display elements 11 (the sequence being arranged to form a line along the length of the bracelet), which are controlled by the control chip.

In this construction, the liquid crystal display 9 of each unit 5 has only four display elements 11, but it will be appreciated that the LCD could include more than four display elements.

The display elements 11 of the display units 5 together form a display region of the bracelet.

Each display element 11 has a conventional arrangement of seven liquid crystal segments which can be selectively driven to display any numeric character from 0 to 9. Accordingly, the units can be used to display numerical information of up to four digits, such as the hour in a 24-hour clock rotation.

Units 5 are arranged in groups (designated A, B, C, D, E) of 3 units, each group forming a sub-region of the display region. Each of the units 5 can be individually adjusted, if required, for the correct time. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the bracelet 1 is provided with an integrated circuit 15 that controls all the units, so that each unit can be programmed with the same time simultaneously. It will be appreciated that each group of units 5 could be programmed independently of the other groups, so that different times could be displayed by each group, for example to display the time in different time zones.

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Each subregion of the presentation region presents characters simultaneously with the other subregions. Consequently, the characters are displayed at regular intervals along the bracelet, and therefore viewing from a number of different angles is possible.

Each group of units (A, B, C, D, E) comprises three display units a, b, and c. Each of the three display units 5 has an integrated circuit / chip or other control circuit which switches the LCD display 9 on and off intermittently and, in particular, the LCD display 9 is switched on for a period of one second each. three seconds in time.

The integrated circuit 15 synchronizes the three units 5 of the groups, so that only one unit 5 of a group (A, B, C, D, E) is being presented at any one time. The units 5 are synchronized so that the unit a on the left presents information, the time in numerical characters, for example for a first second, the middle unit b presents the time for the next second and the unit on the right c presents the time for the next (that is, the third) second. This cycle of displaying the time successively in each unit is then repeated, so that for a quarter second the unit on the left, the a, displays the time again, and so on.

It will be appreciated that if the display units 5 were independently programmed in time, they could also be independently programmed to switch their LCD displays on and off to synchronize the time display as set forth above, so that the synchronization integrated circuit 15 would not be necessary.

The result is that, in use, the switching on and off of the display units produces the appearance of a continuous movement of the information, that is, of the time, within the sub-region along the length of the bracelet. .

It will be appreciated that the direction of the movement of the information could be reversed to move from right to left.

It will be appreciated that more than three units can be used in each group, so that the information presented is more widely spaced from each other. It will also be appreciated that the speed and ratio of LCD switching of each on / off unit can be varied to change the appearance and mode of movement of the information along the wristband.

However, the use of three units in each group has the advantage that the time is frequently displayed on the dial of whatever unit is being viewed, thus eliminating the need for the wearer to turn the wrist to see. the time presented.

A second construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Figure 3. The characteristics corresponding to those described in the first construction have been assigned the same reference numbers. In this construction, the bracelet 1 has a single display unit 5 incorporating an LCD 9 that extends along substantially the entire length of the bracelet. The display unit 6 is, in this construction, integral with the belt 3.

The LCD 9 provides a display region and comprises a large number of adjacent display elements 11, for displaying information in a sequence along the length of the bracelet. As illustrated in Figure 4a, each element is an alphanumeric display element comprising thirteen liquid crystal segments arranged in a network, so that the segments can be selectively driven to display any number from 0 to 9 and any letter of A to Z. Alternatively, each element could comprise a sixteen segment alphanumeric display element as illustrated in Figure 4b, which can similarly display any number from 0 to 9 and any letter from A to Z. Consequently, the bracelet 1 can be used to present information other than simply the time. The information could be stored as messages, and such messages could be pre-programmed into memory and read out and displayed by an integrated circuit / control chip 15.

It is contemplated that the bracelet could also, or alternatively, be programmed by the user, thereby downloading information from an electronic personal organizer, or from a personal computer, into the memory of the bracelet. Methods for doing this are known in the art, and will not be described here.

The bracelet could also include a receiver to receive data, transmitted in the form of electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, which could be programmed into memory and subsequently displayed by the bracelet. Therefore, the bracelet could be used as a receiver in a particular warning system, or to present the latest information on travel or sports results.

The control chip / integrated circuit 15 of the bracelet 1 according to this second construction can be used to drive the display elements 11 of the LCD 9 to present a message, for example: "THE TIME IS 1752" (" IT IS 1752 ”). The chip / integrated circuit 15 may also control the LCD to move the message, thereby changing the drive of the individual display elements in time. As in the first construction, the control of the switching of the display elements 11 can produce the appearance of a message in motion. However, in the second construction, it is preferred to move the message from item to item, so that the movement is more fluid. Furthermore, the message can be moved along virtually the entire length of the LCD, which effectively extends along the entire length of the bracelet 1, instead of being moved within a sub-region of the LCD.

It will be appreciated that a message that is longer than the length of the LCD may be displayed by virtue of the movement of information through the display, although there will always be a part of the message (at the beginning or at the end) that is not visible in the LCD.

It will further be appreciated that the bracelet of the second construction of the invention will have a quartz crystal for keeping time, and may include the usual wake-up functions of a watch. In addition, an alarm clock function can be used to trigger a message

ES 2 223 969 T3 for the user, so that he is reminded of an appointment, etc.

This construction can be used for many purposes. For example, a bracelet could be used in hospitals to store details of a patient's identity, their medication with significance, etc. The bracelet for children could also be used to give personal information. Alternatively, the bracelet could be worn simply as a jewelery item.

Figures 5 and 6 show a third construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention. In this construction, which is similar to the second construction, the strap 3 of the bracelet is continuous, by virtue of the use of an arrangement of clasp or pawl 17 and hinge 19. This allows the liquid crystal display 9 to extend around the entire length of the bracelet, so that it appears that a moving message is continuously circulating (or cycling) around the bracelet.

Other characteristics, and operation, of the third construction are the same as those of the second construction, and therefore the reader is referred to the description of the second construction.

Figures 11 and 12 show a fourth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention. In this construction, the bracelet 1 has a flexible fabric "wrap around" strap 3 carrying a display unit 5 incorporating an LCD 9 extending along its length. The LCD 9 forms a display region and has a sequence of adjacent alphanumeric display elements 11 for displaying characters, and is controlled by a control chip (not shown).

Strap 3 has Velcro attachment pads^® of hooks 31 and loops 33 on opposite sides of the respective ends, to enable the strap to be fastened adjustably around the wrist of a user.

Characters can be displayed and moved along the length of the bracelet under the control of a control chip, in the same way as described with respect to the previous constructions.

Since the bracelet strap of this construction is a "wrap around" strap, a portion 27 at one end of the strap will overlap a portion 29 at the other end of the strap. As a consequence of the overlap, some of the display elements 11 at the right end of the bracelet may not be visible, their number depending on the size of the wearer's wrist. In Figure 12b there are hidden four display elements (WXYZ).

In order to avoid that part of the message is obscured by the overlapping of the strap, and in order to maintain a continuous movement of the message around the bracelet, the hidden presentation elements are not used. Consequently, if the control chip moves a displayed message from left to right, when the rightmost letter or number of the message reaches the last display element (V) before the hidden elements, the hidden elements will be skipped. (WXYZ) and the message will be started again by the first display element (A). In this way the continuity of movement of the message is maintained.

In order to achieve this, the user must program into the control chip the identity (location) of those presentation elements that are overlapped when the bracelet is fastened on the wrist. Alternatively, the bracelet could be provided with one or more sensors to detect which display elements are overlapping, and automatically program the control chip accordingly.

In Figure 13 there is shown a fifth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention, which is a variant of the second embodiment. In this arrangement, the strap 1 is a watch strap and has a conventional analog watch face 35 and the LCD 9 runs along the length of the strap through the dial 35 of the strap.

A sixth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 14. This construction is similar to that depicted in Figure 13, except that the LCD 9 does not run through the analog display sphere 35. Consequently, in this construction, a circulating message will be controlled to look like the message "is jumping" from one side of the 35 analog watch face to the other.

A seventh construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Figure 15. In this construction, the bracelet 1 is a watch that has a usual Korean 3. The face 35 of the watch has an analog display 37 in its center that is surrounded by an LCD 9 that extends in a closed loop around the perimeter of the dial. 35.

The LCD 9 comprises a sequence of alphanumeric display elements 11 which are arranged in a sequence that is around the perimeter of the clock face, so that characters can be displayed around the central analog display 37.

Furthermore, the characters displayed on the LCD can be controlled by a control chip (not shown) to produce the appearance of movement around the perimeter of the watch face, in the same way that a message appears to move along the length of the bracelet in the previously described embodiments. In this way, you can display a message that has more characters than the number of display items on the watch face.

Figures 16 and 17 show an eighth construction that can be adapted to form an embodiment of the present invention. A more comprehensive LCD layout is used in this build, combining the features of the sixth build with the features of the seventh build. Thus, the bracelet 1 has a circular sphere 35 and an LCD 9 comprising (as illustrated in Figure 17a) a first sequence 9a of alphanumeric display elements 11, extending along the length of the bracelet, and a second sequence 9b of alphanumeric display elements that extends in a closed loop around the perimeter of the sphere. At a first interface 51 between the first sequence 9a and the second sequence 9b there is an overlap of four display elements (4, 5, 26, 29), as illustrated in Figure 17a. Similarly, in one se

ES 2 223 969 T3 second interface there is an overlap of four other display elements (16, 17, 40, 41).

A control chip can consequently "move" the characters, which typically form a message, following a path along the length of the bracelet, and then smoothly over face 38 using the appropriate display elements (4 and 5) at the interface, around the perimeter of the dial, and then smoothly out of the dial and again along the length of the bracelet, as represented by the direction arrows illustrated in Figures 16 and 17. The direction of movement can be from left to right or right to left along the bracelet, and can be clockwise. or counterclockwise around the perimeter of the dial of the bracelet.

It will be appreciated that just a portion of the sequence of presentation elements around the perimeter of the watch face could be used to present the message. Therefore, for example, the message could be moved along the bracelet from left to right around the upper or lower semicircle of the watch face.

In an alternative arrangement of display elements, the second sequence 9b of display elements has the further sequence of display elements 9c shown in Figure 17c, which are below the display elements numbered 5 to 16 in the Figure 17b. These elements are used when the message has completed a circle around the perimeter of the sphere. This allows a longer message to be presented, since two parts of a message do not “share” the same presentation elements, as would otherwise be the case, which could result in a conflict in what is presented on. those items.

It will be appreciated that the face of the watch need not be circular, but could be rectangular or oval. Also, the LCD need not extend around the full perimeter of the sphere, but could form an open loop, so that the beginning and end of a message would be clearly visible.

It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. For example, suitable displays, other than the described segmental LCD display elements, could be used on the wristband, eg, segmental LED display elements could be used. Furthermore, the LCD display unit (s) may have display elements other than the seven-segment or thirteen or sixteen-segment alphanumeric arrangements. An example is a "dot matrix" type display element having twenty-five liquid crystal cells arranged in a rectangular matrix (see Figure 18a in which all cells are shown excited). Cells can be selectively driven to present many different shapes and forms, as illustrated in Figures 18b and c, as well as letters of the Greek or Russian alphabets, Chinese characters, etc. In the claims, the term "segment" is intended to encompass the "cells" of such a dot matrix display element.

According to embodiments of the invention, the display elements could also have shapes or figures such as animals or characters that could move. Examples of these have been represented in Figures 7 to 10.

In particular, Figure 7 shows display elements with liquid crystal segments arranged to form the shape of a dinosaur. In Figure 7a a first position of the dinosaur is shown, and in Figure 7b a second position of the dinosaur is represented. It will be understood that the excitation of the successive elements alternately, in the first and second positions, will produce the impression of movement of the dinosaur. In Figure 7c, the crystal segments common to the two positions of the dinosaur, in Figure 7a and in Figure 7b, have been represented. In Figure 7d the additional segments required to enable the display element to show the dinosaur in both the first and second positions have been depicted in dashed lines, and in Figure 7e all required crystal segments have been depicted. to set the dinosaur shape in both positions.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 show how moving figures (in this case an ant-like creature) can be formed using the usual thirteen-segment alphanumeric crystal arrangement, in conjunction with a network arrangement. Additional LCD display of glass segments.

The additional grid can overlay or underlie the thirteen segment alphanumeric LCD grid. The number and arrangement of the segments in the additional grid (depicted in Figure 8c) can be varied, and the relative position for the alphanumeric display (depicted in Figure 8b) can also be varied to alter the shape of the creature (e.g. For example, to make it short-legged instead of long-legged).

Using the usual alphanumeric grid, a message can be moved along the bracelet and, if the creature is presented by a presentation element immediately after the letter is presented by the presentation element, the number that is furthest to the left In the message, the creature may appear as if it is chasing the message by moving the message across the LCD of the bracelet. Similarly, if the creature is presented immediately before the rightmost letter or number in the message, it will appear that the message is chasing the creature.

A ninth construction is depicted in Figure 19 which is an embodiment of the present invention having a plurality of display units 5 similar to those of the first embodiment. Each display unit 5 has two overlapping liquid crystal segment arrays. One network comprises four seven segment numerical display elements, as in the first embodiment, and the other network comprises a dinosaur network of two possible configurations, as shown in Figure 7e. The display units 5 present the time, the dinosaur in a first configuration and the dinosaur in the other configuration, alternately, to give the impression of movement. Thus, in Figures 19a, b, and c, the characters presented on the bracelet at successive moments in time have been represented.

It would be possible to incorporate different color lighting units with each display unit

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5 so that a color is associated with each character type displayed. For example, you could illuminate a blue light when the time is displayed, a red light when the dinosaur is displayed in the first configuration, and an orange light for the dinosaur in the other configuration. In this way, patterns of light could be produced that move along the bracelet in time.

Various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments, and it is intended to include all such variations and modifications as long as they fall within the scope of the accompanying claims.