HK1113831B - Universal electronic device module configuration - Google Patents

Description

Structure of universal electronic equipment module

Technical Field

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed for this application from U.S. provisional application No.60/691,882 and U.S. application No.11/174,095, filed on 17.6.2005.

The present invention relates generally to electronic devices such as clocks, and more particularly to a wearable electronic device (such as, but not limited to, a watch) that may utilize a single construction of a module and subassembly having at least two distinct display assemblies. In particular, the invention relates to customization or variability of the controller with respect to the electronic device.

Background

Watches having a single module that can accommodate more than one display are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No.4,796,240 describes a timepiece having a central cylindrical case in which two fully assembled time indicator cartridges can be respectively disposed, wherein each of the time indicator cartridges includes a specific clock face design. Because the function and arrangement of the display indicators is the same in both cartridges, interchangeability is relatively easy and routinely performed.

Another known example of a movement subassembly having a common element for a two hand clock or a three hand clock is described in U.S. patent No.5,155,711, and a third known example of a module adapted to receive interchangeable cassettes is described in U.S. patent No.5,844,863.

However, a distinction from the invention disclosed below is that these prior art examples all require modules and subassemblies that are essentially "dumb," i.e., no module or subassembly whatsoever is known to be (nor can it be modified to be operatively controlled) to distinguish the display or case in which it is inserted. It is believed that the prior art only allows for the replacement or modification of cartridges as long as the cartridges operate under a uniform and identical circuit. The effects of the above examples are limited in generality since no reference file utilizes a microprocessor that is customizable or changeable to control the display indicator.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention advances the state of the art by providing customization or variability of the controller to accommodate different display assemblies. It is believed that the present invention provides the functions and methods both having the advantages set forth above and yet achieving the ends set forth above, as well as those set forth below,

it is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies found in the prior art.

It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide an electronic device that utilizes a more versatile engine assembly, and more particularly to provide an engine assembly that can accommodate different display assemblies with different display indicators.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved electronic device wherein the functionality of the engine assembly may be modified, altered and/or improved by customizing or altering the controller.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic device assembly that reduces manufacturing costs, storage costs and scheduling time, and increases efficiency of manufacturing flexibility.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts and the sequence of steps which will be exemplified in the construction, illustration, and description hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

To achieve the above and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention relates to a movement assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly in a wearable electronic device, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is provided in a different configuration than the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the movement assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, wherein the movement assembly comprises: a module in which a subassembly is disposed, the subassembly including at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears; a controller operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism; and means for changing the controller function based on one of the first display assembly and the second display assembly for operative coupling to one or more gears in the module, whereby the display function of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functions based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

The present invention also relates to a wearable electronic device comprising a movement assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly, wherein the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is different from the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the movement assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the movement assembly comprising a module in which a subassembly is disposed, the subassembly comprising at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, wherein the improvement comprises: a controller having a changeable function operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism; wherein the controller operates a function of the first display assembly that is different from a function of the second display assembly; whereby display functionality of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to a wearable electronic device comprising a cartridge assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly, wherein the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is different from the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the cartridge assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the cartridge assembly comprising a module having a subassembly disposed therein, the subassembly comprising at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, wherein the improvement comprises: a custom controller operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism; wherein the controller is customized in function to individually and operatively control the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly and operatively control the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly; wherein the controller is operable to control a function of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly to be different from a function of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly; whereby display functionality of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

In yet another alternative arrangement, the present invention is directed to a cartridge assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly in a wearable electronic device, the first display assembly being different from the second display assembly and the cartridge assembly being adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the cartridge assembly comprising: a module having a subassembly disposed therein, the subassembly including at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, the one or more gears adapted to operatively couple the display indicators of the first and second display assemblies; a first controller having a first function, the first controller adapted to be operably coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling the actuation mechanism; and a second controller having a second function, the second controller adapted to be operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling the actuation mechanism differently than the first controller, the display function of the wearable electronic device being changeable with respect to which of the first controller and the second controller is operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism, whereby the engine assembly provides a different display function based on the display assembly coupled to the engine assembly.

With this alternative arrangement, it is preferable that the first controller and the second controller are provided in a single controller having selectable first and second functions, and the deck assembly further includes function changing means for selecting the function of the controller.

A method of constructing a wearable electronic device including the cartridge assembly is also disclosed.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device has a timekeeping function, and thus in a particular embodiment, the electronic device is a watch.

Drawings

The above and other features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a module assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of a cartridge side of the module assembly of fig. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the module assembly of FIG. 1 at a subsequent stage in the manufacture of an electronic device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an electronic device constructed in accordance with the present invention having a first display assembly;

FIGS. 5-7 are perspective views of the module assembly of FIG. 1 at a subsequent stage in the manufacture of an electronic device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an electronic device having a completed second display assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of an electronic device constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a controller for use in an electronic device constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates an electronic device constructed in accordance with the present invention having an additional display assembly including a display indicator for indicating temperature and a second scale for indicating height;

FIG. 12 shows an additional display indicator (in the form of a disk or ring) having a configuration similar to disks 134 and 136 for indicating the day of the week and the day of the day; and

fig. 13-14 illustrate additional display components (e.g., date, day of week, month, etc.) constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the drawings, although not every part in every drawing is designated with a reference numeral.

Detailed Description

Referring initially to fig. 1-3 in general, fig. 1-3 illustrate a module, indicated generally at 5, constructed in accordance with the present invention. In a preferred configuration, the module 5 is part of an electronic device, which may be a timepiece having a construction and configuration as set forth in fig. 4 (first exemplary embodiment) or in fig. 5-8 (second exemplary embodiment). The electronic device is a timepiece such as a watch and may thus include other parts and components, namely, for example, but not limited to, a wrist strap (not shown) for securing the electronic device to a wrist.

Alternatively, the electronic device may be in the form of and/or have functionality relating to altitude, temperature or compass measurements, atmospheric pressure, heart rate display, blood pressure (and/or combinations thereof), tidal information such as whether the tide is high or low, sunset information, display of the phases of the moon, display of when the drug should be taken and how many pills should be taken per time interval (see fig. 4, e.g. pointer 26 may be used to display the time intervals (12 o ' clock, 3 o ' clock, 6 o ' clock, 9 o ' clock, 12 o ' clock), and pointer 24 to display the number of pills taken per time interval (1-10)), countdown timer (pointer 24 is used to display the number of minutes left), or any other parameter such as water pressure, water depth and oxygen left in the diver's oxygen tank (i.e. diver's watch); object finder (i.e. finding a car of a person or a road returning to a starting position); blood/sugar levels (glucometer); speed and distance (table of runners); displaying how much money is in the debit account; and combinations of the above, wherein all functions may be added to or without conventional timing functions.

Non-essential details of the invention can be found in the applicant's co-pending U.S. application serial No.10/441,417, the subject matter of which is herein fully incorporated by reference.

As described above, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a movement assembly for a wearable electronic device, which can control at least one display indicator of a first display assembly (e.g., fig. 4 disclosed below) and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly (e.g., fig. 8 disclosed below).

To achieve this or other objectives, the module 5 is provided with one or more subassemblies, wherein each subassembly includes at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears. Fig. 1-4 show several such subassemblies, each of which will now be disclosed in more detail.

Specifically, fig. 2 shows four (4) such subassemblies. In a preferred embodiment, the actuation mechanism is a stepper motor, generally indicated in the figures as M1, M2, M3 and M4, and all of said stepper motors are provided in the module 5. As understood in the art, the particular positioning of the actuation mechanism is a matter of design choice and dictated by limitations such as spacing, energy and torque requirements.

As in module 5, motor M3 is arranged to rotate pinion 25 ', which pinion 25' itself may be part of an additional gear/wheel. It is important to understand that rotation of the rotor of motor M3 rotates pinion gear 25' via a gear train, generally indicated at 63. Likewise, motor M4 is provided to rotate pinion gear 27 ', which pinion gear 27 ' may itself be part of an additional gear/wheel, and rotation of the rotor of motor M4 similarly rotates pinion gear 27 ' via a gear train, generally indicated at 64. The function of the motors M1 and M2 will be further disclosed below.

With the module 5 constructed as described in fig. 1-3, i.e. with the pinions 25 'and 27' extending from the housing 17, different display assemblies can be provided on said module 5.

For example, referring now to fig. 4, fig. 4 shows an exploded view of an electronic device constructed in accordance with a first embodiment. Wherein the electronic device of fig. 4 shows a first display assembly, generally indicated at 30, that includes at least one display indicator (e.g., display pointer 24 or display pointer 26). In general, the first embodiment comprises a module 5 in which a plurality of components are provided, the materials of which are within the scope of the invention and disclosed below. It should be understood that, for the sake of brevity, this disclosure will omit certain basic and well-known concepts relating to such electronic devices, such as the basic structure and arrangement of gears and/or gear trains that rotate a plurality of "standard" hands (e.g., hour hand 18 and minute hand 20, as part of a mechanical watch), as would be within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art. For completeness, it should now be understood that motor M1 is arranged to rotate hour and minute hands 18 and 20 in a known manner (e.g., coupled to a gear train 61 for transmitting rotational motion generated by the rotor of motor M1). The fourth pointer, the details and advantages of which are set forth in more detail in the aforementioned' 417 application, may be controlled by a stepper motor M2 and another gear train (generally designated 62). Moreover, the construction of these respective gear trains is also within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art.

In a preferred embodiment, at least motors M3 and M4 are bi-directional stepper motors, thereby being able to rotate in either direction, and acceptable structures in which the stepper motors functionally operate in this manner are widely available and within the purview of those skilled in the art. The motor M1 need not be bi-directional as known to those skilled in the art. It is preferred that motor M2 is also bi-directional.

The display assembly 30 of the first embodiment includes a dial 32 made of Mylar (Mylar) or another suitable plastic. The dial 32 has numbers thereon, such as 1-12 corresponding to the "hours" designation, printed, screen printed or otherwise formed on the dial 32. Other indicia to assist in telling the time are also provided on dial 32. Display assembly 30 includes one or more display hands (e.g., hands 24 and/or 26) as described above in addition to (optionally) conventional hour and minute hands.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the location/position of these display pointers is determined, for example, only by the position of the pins 25, 27, respectively (e.g., not by the pinion gears 25 ', 27' and the corresponding subassembly as shown in fig. 1). Thus, the particular positioning of the hands 24, 26 (e.g., at the 4 and 10 o' clock positions) is shown by way of example and not limitation.

The use of display pointers 24 and 26 provides advantages not heretofore known in the art, and reference to application serial No.10/441,417 discloses only some of the advantages and uses provided thereby. As just one example, the use of display pointers 24 and 26 may provide for the display of the above-described parameters and information. The control of such display pointer rotation will be disclosed below.

5-8, FIGS. 5-8 illustrate a second exemplary display assembly, generally indicated at 130, having at least one display indicator at various stages of completion. Specifically, the second display assembly 130 includes a dial 33, the dial 33 having one or more windows 34 and 35. The display indicator of the second display assembly 130 preferably comprises a wheel or disk, the details of which will now be disclosed. The second display indicator 130 is configured to be operatively coupled to the module 5.

For example, fig. 5 (and fig. 3) shows module 5 with module board 132 disposed thereon. Fig. 5 also shows a first display indicator of the display assembly 130 in the form of a first disc 134 on which the "feet" and "meters" indications are displayed. Fig. 6 shows a second display assembly 130 having a second display indicator in the form of a second disk 136 positioned on a first disk 134. In the exemplary second embodiment, disk 136 exhibits an increase in height, shown with "11", "12", and "13" as exemplary indications. Obviously, in a commercial embodiment, other indications (e.g., "1", "2", "3". - "14", "15", "16", etc.) will be displayed. Fig. 7 shows the module 5 and the second display assembly 130 with the support plate 140 thereon, while fig. 8 shows the assembled display assembly 130 for an electronic device (e.g., an altimeter) of the second embodiment. Obviously, the above indication may be in units of 100s, 1000s, etc.

Returning to the first embodiment of fig. 4 and the second embodiment of fig. 5-6, it can be seen that in the first embodiment, the location of pins 25 and 27 are provided for mounting display hands 24 and 26, respectively, thereon. Thus in the first embodiment, pins 25 and 27 may be used to rotate hands 24 and/or 26.

On the other hand, fig. 5 shows how the first disc 134 may be sized and positioned to be driven by the pinion 27 '(the pinion 27' being disposed on the pin 27), while fig. 6 shows the second disc 136, the second disc 136 being sized and positioned to overlie the disc 134 such that the disc 136 may be driven by the pinion 25 '(the pinion 25' being disposed on the pin 25). More specifically, the pinions/gears on the respective pins 25, 27 preferably have teeth that mesh with corresponding teeth on the outer periphery of the discs 134 and 136, respectively. Fig. 5 shows that the pinion on pin 27 'is larger than the pinion on pin 25' to allow discs 134 and 136 to overlap each other and be properly driven by the proper pinion because if the pinions were formed to the same size, the discs would be difficult to independently drive/rotate as shown.

Setting the gear ratio for displaying the desired display rotation or movement of the pointer or disk/ring will be a matter of design choice depending on the desired or required incremental rotation of the display indicator, examples of which are set in the' 417 application. The number of wheels in any particular gear assembly may thus be more or less than that disclosed herein, and is in fact a design choice for the intended function, and based on a number of criteria known to the ordinary designer.

It can thus be seen that one module assembly, module 5, can be configured to house at least one display indicator (e.g., hands 24 and/or 26) of first display assembly 30 and at least one display indicator (e.g., disks 134 and/or 136) of second display assembly 130 in a wearable electronic device. Importantly, the control of the respective indicators requires different control functions.

The controller provides for the proper and accurate control, positioning and rotation of the hands 24 and 26 on the one hand and the disks 134 and 136 on the other hand. Details of a generic controller for controlling either of the two display assemblies described above may be found in the above-mentioned' 417 application with reference to the controller 100, while the controller of the present invention preferably includes all of the functional features described herein to achieve the objects and features of the present invention. Particularly added features of the invention will now be disclosed.

Referring now generally to FIG. 9, FIG. 9 is a partial block diagram of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 10) of the present invention illustrating the interfacing with motors M1, M2, M3, and M4 and switches S1-S5. Switches S1-S5 are used to generically represent side/top mounted buttons as well as side mounted rotatable crown and are thus responsive to actuation (pulling and/or pushing) thereof. In the case of a crown, a pull and/or push actuation can be provided for setting and/or calibrating hands 10, 20 on the one hand and disks 134 and 136 on the other hand. Preferred hand and disc calibration methods and arrangements are disclosed in the aforementioned '417 application and in applicants' co-pending or commonly owned application serial No.10/737,406, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. In this way, the hands 24, 26 and/or the discs 134, 136 can always be calibrated (i.e., initialized for their positions) so that the controller 100 can determine the respective positions of the hands and discs. The input/output control circuit 110 controls the actuation of the crown and the button switch, and supplies such signal information to the CPU 101.

Referring now to fig. 10, fig. 10 shows a block diagram of the controller 100. With specific reference to the motor control circuit 109, it receives the "next pulse number" of the command from the CPU core 101 and generates the pulses and phase signals required by the required motors (M1, M2, M3, M4) that move the required amount in the required direction. The pulse output of the motor control circuit 109 is buffered by the motor drivers MD1, MD2, MD3, and MD4 and acts on the respective motors M1, M2, M3, M4.

By appropriate construction and programming of the controller 100, it may be ensured that the function and operation of the controller 100 adjusts the display indicators of a particular display assembly. Thus, the controller 100 can be customized or changed to make adjustments to properly control a particular display indicator. Thus, the controller 100 may coordinate and control the display of any parameter of other information by a pointer, puck, or other component.

Reference is made to the' 417 application for a more detailed description of circuit configurations and/or pointer control features and elements to interface the electronic device 10 to the "outside world," while fig. 10, which shows a generic interface, is shown receiving signals from a parallel and/or serial sensor interface. By way of example and not limitation, some of the sensor circuits used to measure external parameters suitable for use in the present invention are ambient temperature, altitude and water depth, body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and compass heading, to name a few.

While the preferred embodiment provides for a high degree of integration of the controller 100, with all timing and display functions controlled in the controller 100, alternative embodiments may separate the timing function from the function of processing and displaying stored or sensed data, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Known methods provide for the smooth rotation of the display hands 14, 16 and the discs 134, 136, using sensors (internal or external (e.g. transducers such as the heart rate transducer shown by way of example)) or stored data (such as downloadable). For example, to determine the number and direction of pulses to move the rotor of a stepper motor to its next position, it is necessary to know the number of pulses the rotor is currently at, subtract the new sensor (or stored) value converted to pulses, and based on the magnitude and sign of the difference, provide the stepper motor with pulses that are the number of pulses needed to move the rotor the desired amount and direction. In an alternative embodiment, the above calculations may be performed using converted sensor (or stored) values in digital format, followed by application of an appropriate scaling factor to derive the number of pulses determined above. Well known programming techniques, along with the above methods, allow the controller 100 to determine whether and when to signal the motor control circuit 109 to step the corresponding stepper motor so that the pointer or puck rotates.

Moreover, appropriate microcontroller code and/or other programmed functionality allows the controller to be customized and changed to be appropriately configured to accurately control the display indicator regardless of the type or location of the display indicator on the module 5.

The' 417 application provides a better illustration of a specific example of using display information of a display indicator using stored, sensed or transmitted data.

It can thus be seen that the present invention provides a unique engine assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly in a wearable electronic device, wherein the at least one display indicator (e.g., display hand) of the first display assembly is disposed in a different configuration than the at least one display indicator (e.g., ring or disk) of the second display assembly, wherein the engine assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly. In other words, one common modular structure may be used to house/receive a plurality of different display assemblies.

As described above, the deck assembly includes a module having a subassembly disposed therein, the subassembly including: at least one actuating mechanism; one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism; and a controller operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism. According to the invention, the means for changing the function of the controller are used to control a specific display indicator of the display assembly on the module. The means for changing the controller function is based on which display component or what type of display component is to be used together.

In one embodiment, the means for changing the functionality of the controller comprises a software programmed functionality. Such software programmed functionality may be provided in a separate controller. For example, it should be clear that module 5 may be used to control (although not simultaneously) the display assemblies of fig. 4 (display assembly 30) and fig. 8 (display assembly 130). Thus, the essential difference from the movement assembly of fig. 1 is the replacement of the controller (except for minor modifications such as the addition of pinions 25 'and 27'). Thus, manufacturing costs and time can be significantly reduced simply by replacing the new controller with the function of driving the particular display assembly used.

The means for changing the function of the controller may also and/or alternatively comprise an arrangement on the display assembly itself. For example, a pin or other component may be provided such that when a particular display component is configured on the module 5, there is a "plug-in" like effect, thereby providing a signal to the controller indicating which display component has been provided on the controller. Such signaling techniques are known in the art, and the use of such techniques may eliminate the steps described above to replace the controller itself.

Still further, the means for changing comprises a button sequence, which may be initiated at the manufacturing stage or by the end user. For example, the functionality of the controller may be changeable or customizable, or modifiable (all such modifications and similar terms are used throughout this disclosure to denote the same concept of changing the functionality of the controller to control a particular display indicator of a particular display assembly on the module 5) by a user or after the electronic device is built. Such improvements allow the end user to change the display components if feasible or desired.

The functionality (of the microcontroller) may also be changed or selected by bonding options, such as by adding or omitting bonding wires, or by closing or opening electrical connections on a printed circuit board, such as by adding or omitting solder joints.

All of the above thus indicate that the display function of the wearable electronic device is changeable based on the display assembly being operatively coupled to one or more gears in the module, and for that reason the module and subassembly can provide different display functions based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

In a particular embodiment, the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is a display pointer (e.g., fig. 4), and the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly is a disk (fig. 5, 6). Alternatively, the display indicator of the second display assembly may be a ring (e.g., a date ring in but one example).

Also, of course, the display indicator of the first embodiment may be a ring or a disk, and the display indicator of the second embodiment may also be a ring or a disk. In such an arrangement, the novelty of the present invention still exists because the indicators are for indicating different parameters or different information. That is, the controller still needs to change to account for the information displayed will change, while the scale, parameters, algorithms used to display such information all need to change, depending on the physical type of display indicator (e.g., ring, puck, or pointer), and what the display indicator will indicate importantly (e.g., the display indicator of the first embodiment may be a puck that displays height (e.g., FIG. 8), while the display indicator of the second embodiment may be just a date ring/puck (e.g., FIG. 12 or 13)). Thus, the functionality of the controller 100 must be changed/modified and/or customized to account for such different display settings.

Therefore, the invention also discloses wearable electronic equipment comprising the movement assembly. And thus it should be apparent that the improvement comprises a controller having a changeable function, said controller operatively coupled to an actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism, wherein the function of the controller operating a first display assembly is different from the function of operating a second display assembly, whereby the display function of the wearable electronic device is changeable based on the display assembly being operatively coupled to one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functions based on the display assembly being coupled to the module and subassembly. Similarly, the improvement may include customizing the controller to separately or operatively control the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly and operatively control the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly. Moreover, the physical structure of the display indicators may be different (e.g., display hands versus a disc or ring), or the parameters/information to be displayed may be different between similar rings of different display assemblies (e.g., heart rate versus height, to name but one example).

Finally, there is, of course, provided a method of constructing a wearable electronic device including a movement assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly. As set forth in more detail above, the method includes the steps of providing the wearable electronic device with a controller having a function dedicated to the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly and having a function dedicated to the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism; wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly differently in function from the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly; to this end, the display functionality of the wearable electronic device is changeable based on the display assembly being operatively coupled to one or more gears in the module, and for this reason the module and subassembly is used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly being coupled to the module and subassembly. This variability closes or opens electrical connections on the printed circuit board by external (external programming) or internal (e.g., "button sequencing"), selectable bonding options (i.e., adding or omitting bond wires), and/or by adding or omitting solder joints.

It can thus be seen that the present invention is both patentable and a significant improvement over known devices. In particular, the present invention provides a unique way of providing a single module assembly that can accommodate different display assemblies. Improvements to a generally constructed platform that requires only customized (or otherwise changeable or modifiable) controllers to provide versatility and mobility are considered novel but non-obvious over known techniques.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, instead of a ring or disc, elongated members (e.g., the moon phase in fig. 14) may also be used.

Similarly, the pins and/or pinions (e.g., 25 ', 27') are made larger or smaller depending on the constraints and requirements of the electronic device (e.g., spacing, torque, power). Also, the position of such pins and pinions may be changed to accommodate different disc and/or pointer positions, such as the unique display assembly of FIG. 14. Still further, additional intermediate wheels may be used, such as between display indicators (e.g., rings or disks), on the one hand, and pinions 25 'or 27' on the other hand, so that the rings/disks (or even the display hands) may be flexibly disposed about the face of the display without moving the actual stepper motor or gear assembly. Thus, for example, if an intermediate wheel is used to operatively engage two pinions, the pinion 25 'may drive a small ring at the 9 o' clock position as desired.

Claims (23)

1. A cartridge assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly in a wearable electronic device, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is provided in a different configuration than the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the cartridge assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, wherein the cartridge assembly comprises:

a module in which a subassembly is disposed, the subassembly including at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears;

a controller operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism; and

means for changing the controller function based on one of the first display assembly and the second display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module,

whereby the display functionality of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly being operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly being coupled to the module and subassembly.

2. The cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for changing the controller function includes a software programming function.

3. The engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for changing the controller function includes a configuration on the display assembly itself to provide a "plug-in" like effect, thereby providing a signal to the controller indicating which display assembly is disposed on the controller.

4. The engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for changing the function of the controller comprises a button sequence.

5. A cartridge assembly according to claim 1, wherein the means for changing the controller function is obtained by bonding options, i.e. by providing and/or omitting bonding wires, closing or opening selected electrical connections and/or adding or omitting selected soldered contacts.

6. The engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is a display hand and the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly is a puck.

7. The engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is a display hand and the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly is a ring.

8. A wearable electronic device comprising a movement assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly, wherein the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is different from the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the movement assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the movement assembly comprising a module in which a subassembly is disposed, the subassembly comprising at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, wherein the improvement comprises:

a controller having a changeable function operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism;

wherein the controller operates a function of the first display assembly that is different from a function of the second display assembly;

whereby display functionality of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the subassembly and the module are configured independently of whether the first display assembly or the second display assembly is operatively coupled to the one or more gears.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is a display pointer and the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly is a disk.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is a display pointer and the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly is a ring.

12. A wearable electronic device comprising a movement assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly, wherein the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is different from the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the movement assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the movement assembly comprising a module in which a subassembly is disposed, the subassembly comprising at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, wherein the improvement comprises:

a custom controller operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism;

wherein the controller is customized in function to individually and operatively control the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly and operatively control the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly;

wherein the controller is operable to control a function of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly to be different from a function of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly; whereby display functionality of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

13. A method of constructing a wearable electronic device, the electronic device comprising a cartridge assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly, wherein the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is different from the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the cartridge assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the cartridge assembly comprising a module in which a subassembly is disposed, the subassembly comprising at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears that rotatably engage the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

providing the wearable electronic device with a controller having a function dedicated to the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly and having at least one display indicator function dedicated to the second display assembly, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism; and

wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly differently than the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly;

whereby display functionality of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is a display pointer and the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly is a puck.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is a display pointer and the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly is a ring.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the means for changing the controller function comprises a software programming function.

17. A method of constructing a wearable electronic device, the electronic device comprising a cartridge assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly, wherein the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly is different from the configuration of the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the cartridge assembly is adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the cartridge assembly comprising a module in which a subassembly is disposed, the subassembly comprising at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears that rotatably engage the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

providing the wearable electronic device with a controller having a changeable function for operatively controlling the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly and operatively controlling the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an actuation mechanism for controlling actuation of the actuation mechanism; and

wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one display indicator of the first display assembly differently than the at least one display indicator of the second display assembly;

whereby display functionality of the wearable electronic device can be changed based on the display assembly operatively coupled to the one or more gears in the module, and whereby the module and subassembly can be used to provide different display functionality based on the display assembly coupled to the module and subassembly.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising the step of changing the function of the controller by software programming downloaded from an external source.

19. A method according to claim 17, including the step of changing the function of the controller by providing a signal to the controller indicating which display assembly is provided on the engine assembly.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising the step of changing the function of the controller through a button sequence.

21. The method of claim 17, comprising the step of altering the functionality of the controller by at least one of (i) providing and/or omitting bond wires, (ii) closing or opening selected electrical connections on a printed circuit board, and/or (iii) adding and/or omitting selected solder joints on the printed circuit board.

22. A cartridge assembly for controlling at least one display indicator of a first display assembly and at least one display indicator of a second display assembly in a wearable electronic device, the first display assembly being different from the second display assembly and the cartridge assembly being adapted to separately receive the first display assembly and the second display assembly, the cartridge assembly comprising:

a module having a subassembly disposed therein, the subassembly including at least one actuation mechanism and one or more gears rotatably engaging the actuation mechanism, wherein actuation of the actuation mechanism rotates the one or more gears, the one or more gears adapted to operatively couple the display indicators of the first and second display assemblies;

a first controller having a first function, the first controller adapted to be operably coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling the actuation mechanism; and

a second controller having a second function, the second controller adapted to be operably coupled to the actuation mechanism for controlling the actuation mechanism differently than the first controller,

the display function of the wearable electronic device may be changed as to which of the first and second controllers is operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism, whereby the engine assembly provides different display functions based on a display assembly coupled to the engine assembly.

23. The cartridge assembly of claim 22, wherein the first controller and the second controller are provided in a single controller having selectable first and second functions, and further comprising a function changing device for selecting a function of the controller.