Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – Phonetic
Reexamination Certificate
1996-08-01
2001-10-23
Roskoski, Bernard (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
Phonetic
Reexamination Certificate
active
06307813
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a timepiece, and more particularly to a novel timepiece which exactly indicates the approximate time but only rarely, if ever, indicates the exact numeric time correct to the minute.
Modern timepieces have become extremely precise within a relatively short period of time. Over the last fifty years, timepieces have progressed from being wound by hand, to wound by wrist movement, to a battery-operated quartz movement, and finally to a movement which daily checks for accuracy with a national time standard and resets itself accordingly.
This enhancement in precision timekeeping has been matched by an increase in the precision in the way time is indicated by the timepiece. The precision of the now popular digital readouts (such as the digital LED readouts) avoid the difficulty in attributing the exact location of analog hands and permit a precise digital time to be conveyed.
Nowadays one is almost ashamed to read the time in an oral conversational term such as “it's about three,” “just past three,” “a little after three,” “almost a quarter past three,” “about a quarter after three,” between a quarter and half past three,” “coming up to half past three,” “half past three,” and the like. These conversational terms include the exact numeric time to the minute only at integral multiples of 15 minutes—for example, “it's exactly three, it's exactly a quarter past three, it's exactly half past three”. Also the words “noon,” “midday” and “midnight” are used to describe the appropriate 12 o'clock hour.
While it may be argued that the precision with which we tell time merely reflects the “time is money” business attitude prevalent nowadays, the present invention is based on the belief that, where possible, dealing with time in a less precise way may be psychologically therapeutic.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a timepiece for indicating the approximate time.
Another object is to provide such a timepiece which, in a preferred embodiment, indicates the approximate time, either visually or orally, in conversational terms.
A further object is to provide such a timepiece which, in a preferred embodiment, either never indicates the exact numeric time correct to the minute or indicates the exact numeric time correct to the minute only on integral multiples of 15 minutes.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a timepiece which, in a preferred embodiment, uses different terms to tell the same time on different occasions.
It is another object to provide such a timepiece which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, maintain and use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found that the above and related objects of the present invention are obtained in a time piece for indicating the approximate time. The timepiece comprises a timepiece face without a minute hand, and means for indicating in conversational terms the approximate time.
The indicating means may be visual or oral, and the conversational terms may either never indicate the exact numeric time correct to the minute or indicate the exact numeric time correct to the minute only on integral multiples of 15 minutes. The timepiece may also be without an hour hand.
In a preferred embodiment, on different occasions different conversational terms may be used to describe the same time. In other words, for example, the conversational terms may be “it's coming up on four,” “it's almost four,” or the like.
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Amster Rothstein & Ebenstein
Roskoski Bernard
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