Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With simultaneous time indicating means
Patent
1981-01-27
1983-11-15
Roskoski, Bernard
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With simultaneous time indicating means
368267, 368204, 368 68, G04B 2302, G04B 100, G04C 300
Patent
active
044152736
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clock with a digital time display.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Clocks have already been proposed which can display successively both the time and date in digital form (German Pat. No. 2,528,502, German Offenlegungsschrift 2,530,341, German Pat. No. 2,544,472). These clocks always normally display the time in hours, minutes, and possibly in seconds as well, while pressing a button displays the data instead of the time. These known clocks also permit establishing an alarm setting and initiating a snooze alarm cycle, whereby the button used to initiate the snooze alarm cycle is also used to display the alarm setting (German Offenlegungsschrift 2,544,472). Optical display of the alarm setting has been found to be highly advantageous in practice, since it is very difficult, when alarm settings change frequently, to determine what the alarm setting is.
However, the known display also suffers from the disadvantage that the alarm setting must be called up by pressing a button. Since the button is relatively small, it can only be found with difficulty in the darkness. Hence, it can happen that the user of a digital alarm clock, awaking at night or early in the morning, and wanting to know the time at which the alarm is to go off, cannot find the button in the darkness.
In order to eliminate this disadvantage, another digital clock has already been proposed which incorporates a device in the clock housing which is located at a predetermined angle to the horizontal base, and comprises a cavity wherein a ball can run along an axis, with electrical contacts being provided at one end of this cavity, said contacts being connectable with one another electrically by the ball (German Offenlegungsschrift 2,638,885).
In this known clock, the alarm setting can be displayed in simple fashion by picking up the clock and tilting it to a certain angle. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that a switch must still be operated to display the alarm setting. This disadvantage arises from the fact that only one display is provided, showing the time and the alarm setting in succession. This double function of the display also usually makes it a tedious process to set both the time and the alarm.
Hence, the goal of a invention is to provide a clock wherein both the time and the alarm setting can be displayed and adjusted in a simple fashion.
The advantage achieved with the invention consists generally in the fact that the alarm setting is always apparent and readily adjustable. Moreover, the clock according to the invention has a very simple design because it uses a microprocessor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawing shows one embodiment of the invention, described in greater detail hereinbelow.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the clock according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the clock shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the clock shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a view of the bottom of the clock shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross section though the clock shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the clock according to the invention;
FIG. 7a is a pulse diagram for controlling the time and alarm setting display tubes;
FIG. 7b is a pulse diagram for controlling a buzzer, whereby this diagram is associated with the diagram shown in FIG. 7a and comprises a constant alternating frequency;
FIG. 8 is a first part of a main program for the microprocessor controlling the clock;
FIG. 9 is a second part of a main program for the microprocessor controlling the clock;
FIG. 10 shows the organization of the main memory;
FIG. 11 is a detailed illustration showing the first area of the first part of the main program;
FIG. 12 is a subprogram which runs essentially during the time a display digit is lit.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clock 1, said clock having a digital display 3 for the time and a digital display 4 for the alarm setting on its front 2. Operating devices are provided on the top 5 of this clock 1, said devices servi
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Electronic Clock in Alarm Call Radio, Radio Mentor Electronic (German), vol. 40, No. 6, pp. 243-245, Jun. 74.
TMS 1000 Series Data Manual, 1976, Texas Instruments.
Fluorescent Digital Clock Display Device, Futaba Corporation TD-7677d Mar. 1977, Technical Information Japan.
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Busch Peter
Hoffman Harald
Pacher Lothar
Raducanu Dan C.
Braun Aktiengesellschaft
Roskoski Bernard
Shack Robert A.
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