Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Astronomical
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-01
2001-08-07
Roskoski, Bernard (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Astronomical
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272076
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns an astronomic watch capable of indicating the position of heavenly bodies of the solar system at the current date and with respect to the Earth and the zodiac.
To the Applicant's knowledge, the only watch currently known which satisfies this definition is the mechanical wristwatch by the Ulysse Nardin S.A. company, called “Planetarium Copernicus”.
This watch which is partially described in the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,426, includes a planetarium which permanently indicates the astronomic positions of the Sun, the Moon and five planets other than the Earth, with respect to the latter and to the zodiac, as well as the phases of the moon and the current date.
In order to do this and also of course to display the current time, in other words the legal time, the Ulysse Nardin watch is fitted with an extremely complex, very compact and very accurate mechanism, which makes it practically a prohibitively expensive watch.
On the other hand, given the number of data displayed, it is not always easy to read such data and although one has attempted to reduce the dimensions of the watch as much as possible, it remains nonetheless distinctly more voluminous than a conventional wristwatch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a watch, in particular a wristwatch, which enables a user to know, at any time, when he so wishes, the position of a heavenly body of the solar system in the zodiac without the watch having the drawbacks which have just been mentioned. This object is reached due to the fact that the watch according to the invention is an electronic watch including a time base for generating a standard frequency signal, a circuit for determining the current time and date from this standard frequency signal, said current date including the day of the month, the month and the year, a manual control system allowing each of said heavenly bodies to be selected, a display system and means for determining the position of a selected heavenly body with respect to the Earth and the zodiac and to cause this position to be indicated by said display system.
In particular embodiments of the invention the heavenly bodies whose position can be indicated include the Sun and the eight solar planets other than the Earth.
Moreover, in these particular embodiments, the watch can also indicate the phases of the moon.
On the other hand, for different reasons, it can be advantageous or useful to know quickly what was or what will be the position of one or more heavenly bodies of the solar system at a date other than the current date and more or less distant from the latter.
Another object of the invention is to provide an astronomic watch which also offers this possibility.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4435795 (1984-03-01), Frank
patent: 4681459 (1987-07-01), Nabeyama et al.
patent: 4711583 (1987-12-01), Oechslin et al.
patent: 5197043 (1993-03-01), Strader
patent: 5208790 (1993-05-01), Sato
patent: 5457663 (1995-10-01), Mejaski
patent: 627 042 (1981-12-01), None
patent: 0 652 498 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 2 500 181 (1982-08-01), None
Asulab S.A.
Roskoski Bernard
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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