Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Plural time zones
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-07
2001-08-14
Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Plural time zones
C368S025000, C368S076000, C368S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275449
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The inventor of this invention often travels around the world for international trade, and frequently troubled by time difference between countries or areas. At that time, the difficulties and complicate for finding the exact time are always discouraged people. Now for the better understanding, we make a comparison among the main exsisting types of world clocks.
I Circular display type such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,579,460 and 5,146,346, the primary design is to print the world map of North or South Pole projection with respecting to the right time and the right cities.
The drawbacks comprise:
1. Spherical projection is not as easy as cylindric projection;
2. People are not accustomed to the radical arrangement for the main cities, if compare the horizontal or vertical arrangement;
3. The cost is high for its complicate structure.
II Data-Bank type such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,532, whose main design is to built in a data bank of each respective regional time to the product for users to check by pushing button. Although this type is more compact and however, the operation process is repeated and complicate, and is not available f or displaying the exact time synchronously. In addition, the cities for reference are quite limited. Therefore, this type is not excellent, either.
III Type for reference between electronics and map such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,247, U.S. Pat. No. Des 312,788, and U.S. Pat. No. Des 312,971, whose design basically is a combination of data-bank and world concise map. Similarly, operations required, and unable to be displayed regional time synchronously, are the main drawbacks.
IV Globe type such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,193 and U.S. Pat. No. 5057024, both patents are related to the application of globe. The former one is joined with electronic clock of displaying regional time; the latter is combined with personal computer. Consequently, they are complicate and high cost. However, they also can not display the exact regional time synchronously.
V Digital type such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,251, this design concept is close to this invention. It move one box per hour carried by the closed belt and the machine power of digital clock, to display the hour of 24 regional time, and to show the minute by a 2-digital drum, and to set the minute display zero as the standard time for driving the belt. Because the said us patent does not provide drawings for reference, the detail invention is still unknown. However, since the belt is carried by the machine power of digital clock, and the extra load for carrying belt is not fully considered in original digital clock design, the punctual degree will be influenced, and results in stop moving lastly. During my research, I already found that even the driving of small belt also need a relative power and torque. This reveals that there are always certain difference between theory and practice.
From above discussion, we known that the existing world clocks are somewhat inconvenience for users. This is also the motive for me to create this invention.
BRIEF OF THIS INVENTION
The primary concept of the synchronous display world clock is to combine microprocessor, auto-control device and the color/grid texture display of all time zones together to create this new world clock.
In detail, the inventor utilizes the quartz oscilation element for timing. Each hour, the micro processor will produce a signal to start the DC micro-motor for rolling the close type mylor film belt which being printed with 00~23 twice, to move one grid forward repesenting one hour. One side of the said belt has display windows (
FIG. 1
) showing the 24 world standard time zones, and the 6 sub-time zones by referring to the GMT time table which located above the display windows. Therefore, we can easily have all the 30 time zones without any action or operation. The LCD display of this invention indicates the user's home town local time, and displaying minutes also represent the time of the other 24 standard time zones. The minute time of 6 sub-time zones require to be subtracted or added 30 minutes according to next forward or backward standard time zones.
The color grid/texture map display system of all time zone is the innovation of this inventor by diligently studying the practical distribution of the world time zones. In general concept, people realize that the world time zones distributes in respect of the longitude of GMT. Every 15 degrees of longitude move eastward, the local time will be plused one hour namely “GMT+1 GMT+2 . . . ”, and every 15 degrees of longitude move westward, the local time will be minused one hour namely “GMT−1, GMT−2 . . . ”. However, quite a few countries don't follow the above rules for their administration political boundary or other particular considerations. Therefore, there will cause very high error percentage, if we obtain every time zones by the preceding method. That is why the inventor divide the world time zones grid following the practical time distribution, and express time zones by different color grid and texture (
FIG. 1
) to get the world time zones distribution very easy to read and to know.
The film belt is indicated either with 4 textures or with 4 colors such as orange, yellow, green and navy blue represents respectively as morning (05 AM~08 AM), day time (09 AM~16 PM), dusk (17 PM~20 PM) and night time (21 PM~04 AM). Traditionally, people use 2 colors such as white and black or red and blue region to distinguish day and night for the practical situation.
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Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Goodwin Jeanne-Marguirite
Miska Vit
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