Method for timing a clock

Details Method for timing a clock Method for timing a clock

2000-12-15

2002-10-29

Miska, Vit (Department: 2841)

Horology: time measuring systems or devices

Plural timepiece system or system device

With wireless synchronization

C368S079000, C368S239000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06473366

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for timing a clock, and more particularly to a method having multiple equi-spaced references marked on the hour hand wheel so that a photoelectric element is able to sense these references for timing the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand respectively in a short period of time.
2. Prior Art Description
A radio clock (R/C) can receive a signal sent from the time station for timing. The conventional ways of timing a clock include a power-on timing, a forcing timing and a periodic timing. The power-on timing is the function when the clock is initiated for the first time by power. The forcing timing is the function initiated by the user. The periodic timing is the function initiated automatically in a predetermined time interval.
With reference to
FIG. 1
, the current radio clock includes a receiving circuit
12
and a processor
13
. The receiving circuit
12
receives a time signal sent from the time station via an antenna
11
and decodes the signal before sending it to the processor
13
for processing. The processor
13
is in charge of the operation of the entire timing. When the time function is initiated, the processor
13
will control the hour, the minute and the second hands back to zero (12 o'clock). Taking
FIG. 2
for reference, the control of the hour, the minute and the second hands back to zero normally is completed by a photoelectric element
16
. The timing function generally is operated by the photoelectric element
16
by judging a reference
17
marked on the hour hand wheel
18
(or the wheel of the minute hand or the wheel of the second hand). With the reference
17
, the photoelectric element
16
is able to tell whether the hour, the minute and the second hands are at the right position. That is, if the photoelectric element
16
senses the reference
17
on the hour hand wheel
18
, the hour hand is at the right position (at the numeral of 12 on the R/C).
As for the mechanical clock, the wheel of the second hand is driven by a rotor. Then, a first reduced gear is applied to the second hand to drive the wheel of the minute hand. A second reduced gear is used to drive the wheel of the hour hand. Thus, initiation of the timing function to the clock will take much time to set the hour, minute and the second hands back to zero (12 o'clock). In other words, when the photoelectric element
16
senses the reference
17
on the wheel
18
of the hour hand, the wheel of the second hand will revolve 660 times and the corresponding second hand will also revolve 660 times before the reference
17
is sensed. Because of that, the mechanical radio clock uses two sets of motors to drive the second hand and the minute hand respectively, as shown in FIG.
1
. One set of the motor
14
drives the second hand and the other set of the motor
15
drives the minute hand so that the movement of the wheel of the second hand is independent to the wheels of the hour hand and the minute hand. Taking
FIG. 2
for reference again, the minute hand wheel
19
drives the hour hand wheel
18
through the reduced gear (not shown). The reference
17
is marked on the hour hand wheel
18
. When the photoelectric element
16
senses the reference
17
, which means the corresponding hour and minute hands are back to their original positions (12 o'clock). As for the second hand, the same manner is used to see if the second hand is back to the zero position (12 o'clock). Suppose the timing function is initiated at one o'clock (01:00), one revolution of the second hand wheel will allow the photoelectric element
16
to sense the reference marked on the second hand wheel. However, when the reference
17
is sensed by the photoelectric element
16
, the minute hand wheel
19
will revolve eleven (11) times. Although this method indeed saves a lot of time in timing when compared with the one described earlier, it still wastes much time.
The present invention provides an improved method for timing a radio clock to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the invention is to provide an improved method for timing a clock by using multiple equi-spaced references marked on the hour hand wheel so that a photoelectric element is able to sense these references for timing the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand respectively in a short period of time.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4290131 (1981-09-01), Kume et al.
patent: 4420263 (1983-12-01), Besson et al.
patent: 4645357 (1987-02-01), Allgaier et al.
patent: 5231612 (1993-07-01), Allgaier et al.
patent: 5270993 (1993-12-01), Besson et al.
patent: 5363348 (1994-11-01), Damle
patent: 5898644 (1999-04-01), Ganter et al.

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