Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP2202842A1/en
Timestamp: 2018-10-18 12:24:43
Document Index: 354746610

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 131', 'art 148', 'art 167', 'art 371', 'art 371', 'art 371', 'art 371', 'art 371']

EP2202842A1 - Electronic timepiece with a contactless data communication function, and a contactless data communcation system - Google Patents
Electronic timepiece with a contactless data communication function, and a contactless data communcation system Download PDF
EP2202842A1
EP2202842A1 EP20100158544 EP10158544A EP2202842A1 EP 2202842 A1 EP2202842 A1 EP 2202842A1 EP 20100158544 EP20100158544 EP 20100158544 EP 10158544 A EP10158544 A EP 10158544A EP 2202842 A1 EP2202842 A1 EP 2202842A1
EP20100158544
EP2202842B1 (en )
The invention relates to an electronic timepiece with a contactless data communication function. The timepiece comprises:
a contactless communication unit (110) for contactless data communication with an external transceiver device (510);
a conductive member (371) formed effectively in a ring;
a time information display unit; and
a case housing the clock means (104), said case comprising a conductive case part (371X) and a non-conductive case part (371Y). The conductive case part (371X) has a dial-side opening (371A), wherein said non-conductive part (371Y) is disposed between said conductive case part (371X) and a back cover (373). The contactless communication unit (110) comprises an antenna (381) for producing a magnetic field, and a transceiver means (110RF) for contactless data communication via the antenna (381). The open ends of the antenna (381) face the inner surface of said non-conductive case part (371Y).
To achieve the above object an electronic watch with a contactless data communication function according to the present invention is characterized by having a contactless communication unit for contactless data communication with an external transceiver device, a conductive member formed effectively in a ring, a clock means, and a time information display unit, the contactless communication unit having an antenna for producing a magnetic field component in the circumferential axis direction of the conductive member and a transceiver means for contactless data communication via the antenna, the conductive member being part of a case housing the clock means and having an electrical insulation part in at least one part in the circumferential direction, and the insulation part having a gap electrically separating the conductive member in the circumferential direction thereof and a non-conductive member disposed inside this gap.
Because according to this invention there is an insulation part in at least one part in the circumferential direction of the conductive member, current flow in the circumferential direction of the conductive member can be prevented by the presence of this insulation part. Because it is therefore possible to prevent an eddy current occurring along the ring shape of the conductive member due to a magnetic field component fluctuating in the direction of the circumferential axis of the conductive member when radio waves are received, the effect on contactless data communication can be reduced. Particularly because a contactless data communication function having a typical boarding pass function, for example has a limited communication range in order to reduce its effect on the surroundings, and because such communication uses extremely weak radio waves, the above-noted eddy current prevention effect is extremely great.
Furthermore, because a gap providing an electrical insulation effect is not simply disposed in part in the circumferential direction of the conductive member and a non-conductive member is placed in this gap in the conductive member in the present invention, the rigidity of this annular shape can be assured, the shape can be maintained, case strength can be increased and the water resistance and seal of the case can be achieved as needed. For example, if a gap is simply disposed in part in the circumferential direction of the conductive member, case strength is lowered and it is difficult to assure the water resistance and seal of the case because of this gap. Furthermore, even if the gap is bonded with adhesive, for example, the adhesive surface could separate, and it is difficult to sufficiently assure the case strength and the water resistance or seal of the case. By disposing a non-conductive member inside this gap in the present invention, the rigidity of the conductive member can be increased according to the hardness, elastic modulus, and other mechanical characteristics of the non-conductive member, and water resistance and seal can be easily assured by optimizing the shape of the non-conductive member or disposing packing or a seal member between the conductive member and the non-conductive member. The reliability of an electronic watch having a contactless data communication function can therefore be improved. Furthermore, because freedom in the dimensions of the conductive member is achieved by disposing a non-conductive member in the gap, even greater freedom can be achieved in designing the case construction, enabling, for example, an external operating member to be provided passing through the non-conductive member.
It should be noted that the above "formed effectively in a ring" means that, assuming the above-noted gap and the non-conductive member disposed therein are not present, it is formed in a shape enabling formation of a closed conduction path whereby an eddy current can be produced.
The antenna is preferably a loop antenna. In this case the direction of the circumferential axis of the conductive member and the direction of the loop axis of the loop antenna are preferably substantially aligned. Because this makes it easier for electromagnetic waves (Particularly the variable electromagnetic field component) to propagate inside the loop of the loop antenna, sensitivity and the communication range can be increased. Furthermore, because the conductive member acts as a shield for the loop antenna, it functions as a shielded loop antenna. Moreover, if a loop antenna is used a smaller electronic watch can be achieved in the frequency band in which the present invention is used when compared with a bar antenna or other antenna with comparable performance.
In this case an insulation part for assuring electrical insulation in the circumferential direction is preferably disposed to at least part of the cover frame part in the direction encircling the perimeter of the opening. Because eddy currents occurring in the cover frame part can be reduced by also providing an insulation part to the cover frame part, the effects on contactless data communication can be further reduced.
Internal memory for recording or updating content based on communication results from the transceiver means is preferably provided in this electronic watch. This makes it possible to easily construct various kinds of payment systems.
A further electronic watch with a contactless data communication function according to the present invention is characterized by having a contactless communication unit for contactless data communication with an external transceiver device, a conductive member formed effectively in a ring, a clock means, and a time information display unit, the contactless communication unit having an antenna for producing a magnetic field component in the circumferential axis direction of the conductive member and a transceiver means for contactless data communication via the antenna, and an insulated case for storing the contactless data communication unit and clock means, wherein the conductive member is mounted so as to cover the insulated case and has in at least one part in the circumferential direction an insulation part with a gap for electrically separating the conductive member in the circumferential direction.
By providing an insulation part with a gap in the conductive member, the occurrence of an eddy current in the conductive member can be prevented and a drop in the transmission strength or reception strength of the contactless communication means can be suppressed. Furthermore, exterior design freedom can be assured by means of the conductive member mounted so as to cover the insulated case. Furthermore, the reliability of the electronic watch can be increased because case strength or the water resistance or seal of the case can be easily assured by constructing an insulated case.
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function characterized by the conductive member mounted so as to cover the insulated case and having in at least one part in the circumferential direction thereof an insulation part comprising a gap for electrically separating the conductive member in the circumferential direction, moreover a contactless data communication system according to the present invention characterized by having any of the above-described electronic watches with a contactless data communication function, and an external transceiver device for contactless data communication with the electronic watch.
With the invention thus comprised contactless data communication with an external transceiver device is possible with an electronic watch having a case constructed with a metal or other annular conductive member or a conductive material in at least part.
The electronic watch further preferably has a display means for displaying the communication status, communication content, or communication result, for example, of the contactless data communication. This display means is preferably configured so that it can present the above-noted time information display or communication status display, for example.
Preferred embodiments of an electronic watch having a contactless data communication function according to the present invention is described next with reference to the accompanying figures. Each of the embodiments described below shows the specific configuration (wristwatch) of an electronic watch having a contactless data communication function. The present invention shall not, however, be limited to a wristwatch, and can be applied to a pocketwatch or other type of electronic watch.
Fig. 1 is an oblique view showing the overall configuration of a contactless data communication system for an electronic watch 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. This contactless data communication system has an electronic watch 100 and an external transceiver 510 capable of contactless data communication with this electronic watch 100. In the example shown here the external transceiver 510 is built in to a wicket machine 500 located where one must pass (such as the gate) in order to board a train or lift, for example.
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the external transceiver 510 assembled into the wicket machine 500. In this external transceiver 510 a control device 511 provides overall control of the external transceiver 510. A transmission circuit 512 generates and outputs a transmission control signal as controlled by control device 511. Receiver circuit 513 receives a reception signal captured by antenna 515 through high frequency circuit 514, demodulates the received data from this reception signal, and outputs to control device 511. Based on the transmission control signal the high frequency circuit 514 generates and sends a transmission signal via antenna 515 to electronic watch 100, and outputs reception signals received from the electronic watch 100 by antenna 515 to receiver circuit 513.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the contactless communication unit 110 having the contactless data communication function of the electronic watch 100. The contactless communication unit 110 of this electronic watch 100 has an antenna 111 and a transceiver means 110RF for communicating by way of this antenna 111. The antenna 111 is formed as a circumferential loop with loop axis 111a oriented in a specific direction. This contactless communication unit 110 can be configured using, for example, a contactless IC card standard such as ISO 14443.
The rectifying circuit 113 is configured to extract power from the carrier wave (carrier signal) received at antenna 111, and pass the power to the other circuits over a power line not shown in the figures. It will be noted that a configuration in which power is supplied from a battery inside the device, for example, rather than a power supply design supplying power thus generated from the received signal, could be used. Furthermore, memory 110M is preferably EEPROM, flash memory, or other rewritable memory type. Yet further, a memory card or other type of removable media can be used in place of fixed memory inside the electronic watch or in addition to such fixed memory. Yet further, the encryption processing circuit 119 has an encryption processing function such as DES (Data Encryption Standard) or RSA (R.L. Riverst, A. Shamir, L. Adelman).
Fig. 4 is a basic block diagram showing a structure (the time information display processor including a clock means and time information display part) for achieving the main function of the electronic watch 100. The electronic watch 100 can comprise only a contactless data communication function such as described above, but in this preferred embodiment of the invention also has the time information display function of a typical electronic watch. The configuration achieving this function includes a watch CPU 14 and hands driving unit 18.
The drive circuit 18A is a circuit for supplying drive pulses of various waveforms to the stepping motor 310 according to drive commands from the watch CPU 14. This drive circuit 18A has a bridge circuit consisting of p-channel MOS transistor 333a, n-channel MOS transistor 332a, p-channel MOS transistor 333b, and n-channel MOS transistor 332b. The drive coil 311 of stepping motor 310 is inserted between the node between p-channel MOS transistor 333a and n-channel MOS transistor 332b, and the node between p-channel MOS transistor 333b and n-channel MOS transistor 332b. A drive pulse is supplied to drive coil 311 and the rotor 313 is thus driven by applying a control pulse from watch CPU 14 to the gate electrodes of these MOS transistors 332a, 332b, 333a, and 333b.
The watch CPU 14, drive circuit 18A, and drive mechanism 18B described above with reference to Fig. 4 are built in to the movement (time information display processor including a clock means) 104. A battery, high capacity capacitor, or other power source may be built in to the movement 104 as necessary. A display unit is also formed by the crystal 102, dial 107, and hands such as the second hand 361, minute hand 362, and hour hand 363.
An insulation material 109 that is a non-conductive member made from a synthetic resin or other insulator is disposed inside this gap 101G. The insulation material 109 shown here is an inverted T-shape when seen from the side of case 101, and is fastened to the case 101 by mounting screws 109a when fit to the gap 101G. That is, insulation material 109 engages the case 101 in the axial direction (axial to the circumference) of the case 101. The insulation material 109 is positioned to the proper position when it is fit to the case 101. Furthermore, to improve the appearance of the exterior design, screws with a head design identical to the mounting screws 109a (or parts with an appearance identical to the screws) are placed at 90 degree intervals symmetrically to the mounting screws 109a around the face side of the case 101 (at the 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock positions). It should be noted that the case 101 and insulation material 109 can be bonded to each other with adhesive, welding, or other method. More specifically, gap 101G is formed to the case 101 at the 3 o'clock position on the outside circumference, and a through-hole for passing the stem 105 is formed in the insulation material 109 disposed in this gap 101G.
In the present embodiment described above a gap 101G that is an insulation part is disposed in part of the ring-shaped case 101, which is a conductor, as shown in Fig. 8. This prevents the eddy current (loop current) that occurs when the magnetic field fluctuates in the direction the magnetic flux extends along the annularly shaped axis 101a of case 101 and suppresses a drop in the transmission strength and reception sensitivity of contactless data communication.
That is, because magnetic flux passing the opening in case 101 changes when ring-shaped case 101 is made from a conductor and does not have a gap such as described above, and field H fluctuates periodically in the neighborhood of case 101 due to external radio waves or radio waves produced by antenna 111, eddy current (loop current) I results from electromagnetic induction. Because this eddy current I consumes energy in the radio waves, it reduces the reception sensitivity of the antenna 111 disposed inside case 101 and reduces the strength of radio waves transmitted from antenna 111. The effect of this eddy current I is particularly great when the axis 101a of case 101 shown in Fig. 8 and the loop axis 111a of antenna 111 shown in Fig. 3 are substantially parallel.
However, this eddy current I does not occur in the case of the present embodiment because gap 101G, which is an insulator, is disposed to case 101 as shown in Fig. 10, radio wave energy loss is therefore also reduced, and a drop in transmission strength and reception sensitivity during communication can also be suppressed. Furthermore, because the annularly shaped axis of case 101 and the loop axis of antenna 111 are substantially aligned, or more specifically because the loop of antenna 111 is inside the annularly shaped case 101, case 101 acts as a shield for antenna 111, and thus functions as a shielded loop antenna known from the literature as taught, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication ( kokai) S56-27509 .
This electronic watch 200 has a case 201 made from a metal or other conductive material, crystal 202 mounted in a dial-side opening in case 201, back cover 203 made from an insulator mounted on the back-side opening in case 201, and a circuit board 204 disposed inside case 201. Mounted on this circuit board 204 are a clock IC 205, liquid crystal display panel or other display 206, quartz oscillator 207 for clock generation, and storage battery 208 such as a chemical secondary cell or capacitor. In other words, this electronic watch 200 is a digital watch with a digital display 206.
This first variation has an annular case 101' with a dial-side opening 101A' and back-side opening 101B', and a crystal 102 and back cover 103 as in the first embodiment. This embodiment is configured so that a bezel 101R can be mounted on the outside on the dial side of case 101'. This bezel 101R is made from a ring shaped conductive material such as a metal in a configuration having a part of the ring cut away and an insulation material 101S made from an insulator such as ceramic or shell placed and fixed inside the gap.
In this first variation the bezel 101R is made from a conductive material but because part of it is cut away and insulated occurrence of an eddy current in bezel 101R can be prevented and the effects of the antenna disposed inside case 101' on contactless data communication can be reduced. It is also possible to leave the gap in bezel 101R as a gap without disposing insulation material 101S therein.
Insulation material 109' is also disposed to the case 101', and insulation material 109' has an annular frame 109a' formed in a ring shape inside the case and an insulation fitting 109b' formed integrally with this annular frame 109a' and positioned inside the gap in case 101'. By thus disposing an annular frame 109a' configured in a ring inside case 101' to insulation material 109', the seal between case 101' and insulation material 109' can be improved and water resistance can be improved. Particularly because a bonding surface between the case and insulation material is not exposed inside the case as a result of configuring the annular frame 109' so that it completely covers the inside surface of case 101', the seal, water resistance, and shock resistance can be further improved. It should be noted that in this case the case can be a one-piece configuration with an integrally formed bottom equivalent to the back cover. In this case the annular frame 109a' can be configured with a cover so as to completely cover the bottom inside surface of the one-piece case.
The insulation material 109' of this variation also engages the case 101' in the axial direction (circumferential axis) of the case 101'. Furthermore, because this insulation material 109' has an annular frame 109a' engaging the inside surface of the case 101', it is also engaged in the radial direction (radial to the circumference) of the case 101'. Therefore, when the insulation material 109' is fit to the case 101', the insulation material 109' is positioned in both the axial direction and radial direction to the case 101'.
A second variation of the above embodiments is described next referring to Fig. 13. In this variation gaps are formed at two locations in an annular case 131 having a dial-side opening 131A and a back-side opening 131B, and insulator fittings 138b of an insulation material 138 are disposed and fixed in these gaps. In the shown example an annular frame 138a is affixed to the back side of the case 131, and the insulator fittings 138b formed integrally to this annular frame 138a are disposed in the gaps of the case 131 between the lugs. Because the case 131 is thus configured from plural case parts 131C, 131D as a result of forming gaps at plural locations, parts processing is easier. It should be noted that the crystal 102 mounted to the dial-side opening 131A of this case 131 is the same as in the first embodiment.
A non-conductive member 148 made from synthetic resin or other insulator is fit in this gap 141G. An insulation part 148A fit into gap 141G and an engagement flange 148B fit into engaging channel 141T are disposed to this non-conductive member 148. In the example shown in the figure a through-hole 148a is formed in the non-conductive member 148. As in the preceding embodiments, this through-hole 148a is for passing a part such as the stem of the external operating member.
By housing the movement including a clock means and contactless communication part inside an inside case 151 made from an insulator in this embodiment, electrical shorts and communication problems can be prevented, and greater freedom can be achieved in the exterior design by covering this inside case 151 with an outside case 152 made from a conductive material. For example, a sense of high quality can be improved by using a metal outside case 152.
A crown (external operating member) 166 attached to the stem connected to the movement not shown in the figure protrudes from the side of insulated case 163. Hands 169a, 169b, 169c are disposed to the dial (not shown in the figure) attached to the top of the movement inside crystal 252. A protrusion 163A located inside the insulation part 167A of annular frame 161 is disposed to the side of insulated case 163. This protrusion 163A is formed where the crown 166 projects.
A fifth embodiment of the present invention is described next with reference to Fig. 17 and Fig. 19. A case 171 made from metal or other conductive material is provided in this embodiment as shown in Fig. 17. This case 171 is substantially annular with a gap 171G formed in part.
A fourth variation modifying a part of the configuration of the fifth embodiment is shown in Fig. 20 and Fig. 21. As shown in Fig. 21 this variation has an outside case consisting of the same case 171, frame member 172, crystal 173, and back cover 174 as in the fifth embodiment. However, in this variation, as also shown in Fig. 20, fitting member 178' is fit and fixed inside gap 171G in case 171. This fitting member 178' has a metal core 178C located inside an insulator having the same external shape as the fitting member 178 of the fifth embodiment. This fitting member 178' with metal core 178C can be manufactured by insertion molding or other integrated molding process, or metal core 178C can be pressed into a hole opened in the insulator.
The same packing 179 as in the fifth embodiment is mounted to this fitting member 178'. The fitting member 178' is fit to case 171, frame member 172, and back cover 174 through packing 179.
The rigidity of the fitting member 178' can be improved in this embodiment because of the metal core 178C disposed inside the fitting member 178'.
The internal spacer 187 positions the movement 185 in the planar direction and axial direction by means of support flange 187a. The internal spacer 187 is also configured to act as a magnetic shield (antimagnetic ring) reducing unnecessary magnetic fields applied to the movement 185.
The internal spacer 187 is overall annularly shaped as shown in Fig. 22 with a gap formed in one part. An insulator 188 that is a non-conductive member made from synthetic resin or other insulation material is fit inside this gap. As shown in the figure a through-hole 188a passing through in the radial direction of the case 171 is formed in insulator 188. An operating shaft connecting external operating member 186 and movement 185 passes through this through-hole 188a.
[Seventh embodiments]
The antenna 381 has a core 381C made of ferrite or other magnetic body, and a coil 381R wound to this core 381C. The loop axis 381a of this antenna 381 is oriented substantially orthogonally to the axis of the display face, opening 371A, and housing part 371B, and is disposed sideways to this axis. The open ends of this antenna 381 face the walls of the case part 371Y, which is an insulator. This configuration therefore does not have a conductor that would create interference at the open ends of the antenna 381. Because this antenna 381 has numerous turns, it is suitable for communication using a relatively low carrier frequency, such as 125 [kHz].
Furthermore, between the back cover 373 and the dial-side case part 371X is insulated by disposing an insulating case part 371Y between the conductive case part 371X and back cover 373 (that is, in the gap therebetween) in this embodiment, and a closed conductive path is not formed around the loop axis 381a of antenna 381 in at least the case. An eddy current therefore cannot arise in the case during contactless data communication, and a drop in communication sensitivity and transmission strength can be suppressed.
With the present invention as described above a metal or other conductive member can be used in an electronic watch having a contactless data communication function while maintaining communication quality and achieving a sense of high quality without sacrificing the performance required for a normal watch. In particular, by improving case strength or improving the water resistance or seal of the case, the reliability of an electronic watch having a contactless data communication function can be improved.
An electronic watch (300) with a contactless data communication function, comprising:
a time information display unit (102, 107, 361, 362, 363); and
a case housing the clock means (104), said case comprising a conductive case part (371X) and a non-conductive case part (371Y),
wherein said conductive case part (371X) has a dial-side opening(371A),
wherein said non-conductive part (371Y) is disposed between said conductive case part (371X) and a back cover (373),
wherein said contactless communication unit (110) comprises an antenna (381) for producing a magnetic field, and a transceiver means (110RF) for contactless data communication via the antenna (381),
and wherein an open end of said antenna (381) faces an inner surface of said non-conductive case part (371Y).
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-conductive member (109) engages the conductive member (101) in the circumferential axis direction or circumferential radius direction of the conductive member (109).
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in claim 1, further comprising an insulating inside case (109) for housing the contactless communication unit (110), the conductive member (101) being mounted to an outside surface of the inside case (109).
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in claim 3, wherein the conductive member (101) is disposed around the time information display unit (102, 107, 361, 362, 363).
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in claim 1, wherein the case is substantially annular, the time information display unit (102, 107, 361, 362, 363) being located on one side of the axial direction of the case, and at least part formed from an insulator.
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in claim 5, further comprising a closing member of which at least part is an insulator on another side of the case axis.
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in claim 6, wherein the closing member comprises an annular conductive cover frame part open in the axial direction, and an insulating cover part mounted so as to close the opening of the cover frame part.
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in claim 7, wherein an insulation part for assuring electrical insulation in the circumferential direction is disposed at least part of the cover frame part in the direction encircling the perimeter of the opening.
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a loop axis (381A) of said antenna (381) is arranged in the direction orthogonal to the axis of said information time display unit (102, 107, 361, 362, 363).
An electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein said antenna (381) has a core (381C) and a coil (381 R).
A contactless data communication system characterized by comprising an electronic watch with a contactless data communication function as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, and an external transceiver device (510) for contactless data communication with the electronic watch.
EP20100158544 2001-09-07 2002-08-28 Electronic timepiece with a contactless data communication function, and a contactless data communcation system Expired - Fee Related EP2202842B1 (en)
EP02760778.7 Division 2002-08-28
EP2202842A1 true true EP2202842A1 (en) 2010-06-30
EP2202842B1 EP2202842B1 (en) 2011-06-29
EP20020760778 Ceased EP1424611A4 (en) 2001-09-07 2002-08-28 Electronic clock having non-contact data communication function, and non-contact data communication system
EP20100158544 Expired - Fee Related EP2202842B1 (en) 2001-09-07 2002-08-28 Electronic timepiece with a contactless data communication function, and a contactless data communcation system
CN108337018A (en) * 2017-01-19 2018-07-27 巨擘科技股份有限公司 Communication device and manufacturing method
DE19926271A1 (en) * 1999-06-09 2000-12-21 Junghans Uhren Gmbh Radio wrist watch has metal body with plastic faces is robust and decorative
US6646957B2 (en) 2003-11-11 Telephone watch including a SIM card in its housing
US8336784B2 (en) 2012-12-25 Identification of installable card
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