AU2019100527A4

AU2019100527A4 - Clocks and Time Displays

Info

Publication number: AU2019100527A4
Application number: AU2019100527A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Locke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-05-16
Filing date: 2019-05-16
Publication date: 2019-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-16

Abstract

Abstract A display for indicating the time of day. It has two arrays of numerals, each array comprising a non-linear arithmetic sequence. Each numeral is independently and 5 selectively illuminable. The hour component of the time is indicated by illuminating a first selection of numerals in one array such that the arithmetic sum of those numerals equals the indicated hour. The minutes component of the time is indicated by illuminating a second selection of numerals in the second array such that the arithmetic sum of those numerals equals the indicated minutes. |/. elo BINARY CLOCK. Fi0 Fig. I Fig. 2

Description

CLOCKS AND TIME DISPLAYS

Technical Field

This invention concerns displays for indicating the time of day and clocks which incorporate such displays.

Background

Clocks that show the time in decimal values using four 7-bit LED displays have been in use for decades.

Clocks and watches which show the time as a series of dots, usually single LEDs, against a scale have also been developed, and some of these represent the time against a binary scale. The latter developments are often called binary clocks or watches, and require the user to know the binary place value of the illuminated dot, or to refer to a scale or nearby numeric value. These arrangements do not work well in dark or night time situations because indicating the time depends upon dots of light being on or off, and one dot oi a series of dots of light at night has no external reference to the place value and no visible scale, so the time is not unambiguously shown.

An aim of the present invention is to provide clocks which overcome these difficulties.

Summary of Invention

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides a display for indicating the time of day, said display comprising two arrays of numerals, each array comprising a nonlinear arithmetic sequence wherein each said numeral is independently and selectively illuminable whereby:

- the hour component of said time is indicated by illuminating a first selection of numerals in a first of said arrays such that the arithmetic sum of said first selection of numerals equals said indicated hour, and — the minutes component of said time is indicated by illuminating a second selection of numerals in the second of said arrays such that the arithmetic sum of said second selection of numerals equals said indicated minutes.

Preferably, within each said array, said numerals are physically linearly aligned.

Preferably said two arrays are spaced parallel to each other.

Preferably each said array is aligned horizontally with said first array above said second array. Preferably said horizontal arrays are displayed little-endian from left to right.

Alternatively each said array is aligned vertically with said first array to the left of said second airay. Preferably said vertical arrays are displayed little-endian from top to bottom.

Preferably the numerals in said arrays follow a sequence other than base-10.

Preferably said arrays comprise decimal equivalents of binary digit place values.

Preferably said arrays are displayed little-endian from left to right or from top to bottom.

Preferably said second array consists of the numerals 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1 when reading left to right.

In another aspect the invention provides a clock having a time of day display as defined above.

Preferably the display on said clock comprises a front panel which:

- is mostly opaque,

- includes said numerals as transparent or translucent portions of said panel, and

- includes a separate respective LED behind each said numeral so that each said numeral may be independently illuminated by its respective separate LED.

Brief Description of Drawings

In order that the invention may be more fully understood there will now be described, by way of example only, preferred embodiments and other elements of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings where:

Figure lisa view of a clock according to a first embodiment of the invention and indicating a first time of day;

Figure 2 is a representation of the display elements shown in Figure 1 but indicating a second time of day;

Figure 3 is an alternative configuration of display elements indicating the minutes according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a further alternative configuration of the minutes display elements according to a further embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a further alternative configuration of the minutes display elements according to a further embodiment of the invention.

With respect to the different embodiments of the invention, features which have generally equivalent function in each embodiment are identified by numerals which are one hundred different from the numerals identifying equivalent features in another embodiment.

Description of Embodiments

The clock 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises a rectangular casing 12 having a front panel 14, rear panel 15, top panel 16, bottom panel 17 and two side panels 18. The front panel 14 is made from a translucent sheet material 21 onto the inside face of which is applied an opaque stencil material 19 having cut-outs 24 which form decimal numerals

26. The numerals are aligned in two arrays 20 and 22. The numerals are linearly aligned within each array and the two arrays are spaced parallel to each other. Each numeral 26 is backlit (from within the casing) by its own LED so that each numeral may be independently and selectively illuminated by its respective LED.

The time of day is indicated by projecting light from appropriate LEDs through their corresponding numeral cutout 24 and through the translucent sheet material 21 which acts as a diffuser.

In the display shown in Figure 2, the lower array 20 of numerals indicates minutes while the upper array 22 of numerals indicates hours. The hours array 22 has the numerals 8, 4 and 2 (which sum to 14) illuminated, and the minutes array 20 has the numerals 32, 2 and 1 (which sum to 35) illuminated. The illuminated numerals therefore indicate that the time of day is 14:35.

Each array 20, 22 is a non-linear arithmetic sequence.

The displays in Figures 1 and 2 use the binary numeric system. The time of day is shown by illuminating the decimal equivalent(s) of calculated binary digit place value(s). A user then ‘reads” the time by adding the values illuminated.

The minutes array 20 comprises the six decimal numerals 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32, which are the values of the geometric sequence 2°, 2¹, 2², 2³, 2⁴ and 2⁵ respectively and are commonly referred to as a binary sequence or the binary numeric place value. The base-2 numeral system is a positional notation with a radix of 2. In that regard the numerals in the arrays 20 and 22 are the respective numbers at which an additional place value is added to the corresponding binary number. By way of example, the decimal numeral 7 is the 3-place-value binary number 111 and decimal numeral 8 is the 4-place-vaIue binary number 1000, so decimal 8 is the numeral at which an additional binary place value is added.

The hours array 22 comprises the five decimal numerals 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16. This allows the display to indicate 24-hour time. Alternatively, the hours may be represented by the four numeric values 1, 2, 4 and 8 in order to indicate 12-hour time. The minutes are indicated by six numeric values.

The modern Arabic numeral symbols are used in Figures 1 to 4 while Chinese numeral characters are used in Figure 5. Alternatively, Roman numerals or any other numeric system of symbols could be used.

The embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 combines the binary numeric place value with the illuminating light, so that the time can be read without reference to an external scale.

In alternative embodiments the time may be shown by each of the arrays extending linearly as rows or columns. Each array can be big-endian or little-endian. For ease of mental arithmetic, rows are preferably little-endian left to right, while columns are prefeiably little-endian top to bottom. In the case of rows, the row that represents hours of the day is preferably above the row that represents minutes in the hour as this makes it easier for a user to identify the time. For the same reason, if the arrays are alternatively shown as columns, the hour column is preferably to the left of the minutes column.

In Figure 2, little-endian rows are utilised to show the time, with the hour row placed above the minutes row. The upper row 22, showing five numeric values 16 to 1, indicates hours in 24-hour format. The lower row 20, showing six numeric values 32 to 1, indicates minutes.

The displays in Figures 1 and 2 use the binary numeric system. Other bases, such as octal, conventional decimal, or hexadecimal can also be used. In Figure 3 the minutes array 120 shown utilizes a hexadecimal (base-16) number system. In Figure 4 the minutes array 220 shown utilizes an octal (base-8) number system. In Figure 5 the minutes array 320 shown utilizes the conventional decimal (base-10) number system with the display shown in Chinese characters.

Having the binary digit place value represented by decimal numerals has several advantages:

• It can be readily used to teach addition.

• It can be used to teach binary digit place values.

• As the display has numerals, rather than relative positions, illuminated, the time can be established easily in dark surrounding. This contrasts with preceding binary clock designs where a binary place value is indicated by simple dots of light with no visible positional reference to establish the relative value of those dots of light.

Whilst the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention.

It will be also understood that where the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Claims

Claims

1. A display for indicating the time of day, said display comprising two arrays of numerals, each array comprising a non-linear arithmetic sequence wherein each said numeral is independently and selectively illuminable whereby:

- the hour component of said time is indicated by illuminating a first selection of numerals in a first of said arrays such that the arithmetic sum of said first selection of numerals equals said indicated hour, and

- the minutes component of said time is indicated by illuminating a second selection of numerals in the second of said arrays such that the arithmetic sum of said second selection of numerals equals said indicated minutes.
2. A display according to claim 1 wherein, within each said array, said numerals are physically linearly aligned.
3. A display according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said two arrays are spaced parallel to each other.
4. A display according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each said array is aligned horizontally with said first array above said second array.
5. A display according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each said array is aligned vertically with said first array to the left of said second array
6. A display according to any one of the previous claims wherein the numerals in said arrays of numerals follow a sequence other than base-10.
7. A display according to any one of the previous claims wherein said arrays comprise decimal equivalents of binary digit place values.
8. A display according to any one of the previous claims wherein said arrays are displayed little-endian from left to right or from top to bottom.

2019100527 16 May 2019
9. A display according to any one of the previous claims wherein said second array consists of the numerals 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1 when reading left to right.

5 10. A clock having a time of day display according to any one of the previous claims.

11. A clock according to claim 10 wherein said display comprises a front panel which:
10 - is mostly opaque,

- includes said numerals as transparent or translucent portions of said panel, and

- includes a separate respective LED behind each said numeral so that each said numeral may be independently illuminated by its respective separate LED.