Electrooptical timepiece display with conventional hour and minute hands

Claim 2

AN ELECTRINIC TIMEPIECE HAVING AN ELECTRICHROMIC DISPLAY COMPRISING: A FIRST SUBSTRATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE HANDS FORMED THEREON FOR INDICATING MINUTES, SAID FIRST SUBSTRATE BEING COATED WITH ELECTRICHROMIC MATERIAL AT LEAST OVER THE AREA OF THE MINUTE INDICATING HANDS, A SECOND SUBSTRATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE HANDS FORMED THEREON FOR INDICATING HOURS, SAID SECOND SUBSTRATE BEING COATED WITH ELECTRICHROMIC MTERIAL AT LEAST OVER THE AREA OF THE HOURS INDICATING HANDS. A COUNTER ELECTRODE, ELECTROLYTE MEANS SEALED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SUBSTRATES SUCH THAT IT IS IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID COUNTER ELECTRIDE AND THE ELECTRICHROMIC MATERIAL ON THE FIRST AND SECOND SUBSTRATED, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY APPLYING A POTENTIAL BETWEEN ONE MINUTE INDICATING HAND AND THE COUNTER ELECTRIDE AT A BETWEEN ONE HOUR HAND AND THE COUNTER ELECTRODE AT A TIME SO AS TO ACTIVATE A HAND AND HANDS REPRESENTATIVE OF

Claim 3

An electronic timepiece as in claim 1 wherein: there are 60 minute hands formed radially on the first substrate which extend substantially to the center of the display; and there are at least 12 hour hands formed radially on the second substrate which extend substantially to the center of the display.

Claim 4

An electronic timepiece as in claim 1 wherein: the counter electrode being disposed peripherally of the viewable display.

Claim 5

An electronic timepiece as in claim 1 wheRein: the counter electrode being disposed on a substrate.

Claim 6

An electronic timepiece as in claim 4 wherein: the counter electrode being disposed around the hour hands.

Claim 7

An electronic timepiece as in claim 1 wherein: the counter electrode being disposed between said first and second substrates and insulated therefrom by insulating means.

Claim 8

An electronic watch having an electrochromic display for indicating subdivisions of time in a substantially conventional watch format comprising: an oscillator providing an output signal of a preselected frequency; means controlled by said oscillator for providing electrical signals representing time information; an upper substrate having formed thereon no more than 60 conductive radial minute hands which extend substantially to the center of the display, said upper substrate being coated with electrochromic material at least over the area of said minute hands; a lower substrate having formed thereon at least 12 conductive radial hour hands, said lower substrate being coated with electrochromic material at least over the area of said hour hands; a counter electrode located between and electrically insulated from direct connection with the hands on the substrates and disposed peripherally of the viewable display; an electrolyte sealed between the upper and lower substrates and in electrical contact with said counter electrode and with the electrochromic material on the upper and lower substrates; means for electrically connecting the hour and minute hands and counter electrode to said means providing electrical signals representing time information whereby the hour and minute hands are selectively activated to display the time information in at least hours and minutes.

Claim 9

An electronic watch having an electrochromic display for indicating subdivisions of time in a substantially conventional watch format comprising: an oscillator providing an output signal of a preselected frequency; means controlled by said oscillator for providing electrical signals representing time information; an upper substrate having formed thereon no more than 60 conductive radial minute hands which extend substantially to the center of the display, said upper substrate being coated with electrochromic material at least over the area of said minute hands; a lower substrate having formed thereon at least 12 conductive radial hour hands, said lower substrate being coated with electrochromic material at least over the area of said hour hands; a counter electrode located between and electrically insulated from direct connection with the hands on the substrates and disposed peripherally of the viewable display; an electrolyte sealed between the upper and lower substrates and in electrical contact with said counter electrode and with the electrochromic material on the upper and lower substrates; means for electrically connecting the hour and minute hands and counter electrode to said means providing electrical signals representing time information whereby the hour and minute hands are selectively activated to display the time information in at least hours and minutes.

Claim 10

An electronic watch as in claim 3 wherein: the counter electrode is insulated from the hands on the upper and lower substrates by insulating means disposed between the upper substrate and the counter electrode and between the lower substrate and the counter electrode.