DE29505900U1 - Transceiver unit, in particular for an electronic pocket or wrist watch - Google Patents

Description

Transmitting/receiving unit, particularly for an electronic pocket watch or wrist watch

The invention relates to a transmitting/receiving unit, in particular for an electronic pocket watch or wristwatch, with a coding device for coding pushbuttons, manually input signals, a semiconductor memory into which the code signals can be written, a circuit for reading the code signals from the memory and for converting them into transmittable radio signals by means of a transmitter, with a receiver for receiving radio signals.

The miniaturization of electronic components makes it possible to use small components such as watches as multifunctional devices

• · ♦ ·

to equip, for example, by using pocket calculators, memo memories or microphone-loudspeaker units connected to an AD converter and a memory for digital signals in watches. In addition, so-called radio clocks have recently come onto the market, which record the time-of-day signals received at any time and, after electronic processing, reproduce them on a display or via an analogue display. Portable radio devices, which emit a tone when they receive a corresponding predefined signal, are also used in the form of on-call devices.

In addition, small-scale communication devices such as pocket dictation devices or answering machines are known, which are each equipped with tape drives and can record acoustic signals such as dictation or telephone calls on tape-shaped sound carriers, whereby the recording tape can be erased or copied over after listening. However, the tape-shaped sound carriers require a minimum size in order to ensure the required sound quality. In addition, the tapes are subject to mechanical wear and tear and must be replaced after a specified period of use. To remedy this, answering machines have been developed that have an analog-digital converter that converts the analog sound signals into digital signal sequences. The digitized signals are stored in a memory that can be called up when needed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a transmitting/receiving unit for an electronic clock of the type

type mentioned above, which can be made in a small design and which enables communication with third parties, in particular unknown persons, who wear a corresponding watch.

To solve this problem, a transmitting/receiving unit is proposed for an electronic watch according to claim 1, which is characterized according to the invention in that a comparator for comparing the stored, coded signals with the received radio signals is connected to a signal generator via a control system in such a way that, in the event of a match, a light and/or sound signal can be emitted. With such watches, it is easy to make contact with people who have stored corresponding data on their watch that matches the target specifications of the first person. Such watches enable a short-term answer to a large number of questions that would otherwise have to be clarified without verbal or written information exchange. This creates a multifunctional communication system that is based on radio transmission and with the help of which various previously entered parameters, which are compared with each other on the transmitter and receiver side, form the subject of communication. In the event of complete or partial signal match, depending on the programming of the watch, a light and/or sound signal is emitted as a message. This means that the electronic clock can be used for both professional and private purposes, whereby the clock can be used as an avalanche search system with only one permanent parameter transmission or check, or even for complex access control with or without parallel time recording.

Even if the electronic watch with the transmitter/receiver unit can be used in all communication areas, the following will only deal with the private area of partner searches in more detail. According to official statistics, there are over 11 million single households in Germany, including young people who still live with their parents and are looking for a partner, so that a total of around 25 million potential users can be assumed. If the electronic watch according to the invention is used, certain data about the user himself and about the desired goal can be entered. If the user's own and/or the specified data match as corresponding data and/or ideas, the aforementioned light and/or sound signal is emitted. This signal gives the wearer of the electronic watch an indication that the partner they are looking for is within the transmission range.

Further developments of the invention are described in the subclaims. Preferably, either two semiconductor memories or a single semiconductor memory with two levels are provided, each of which can be programmed with a first series of coded signals, with each semiconductor memory or each level being connected to a signal generator which emits a light or sound signal if the coded signals match the radio signals that can be stored in a second series. In particular, when looking for a partner, it is often difficult to find the ideal partner, so that even if there is a certain degree of match, such as gender, age, height or weight range and hair color, contact is desirable, which is un-

depending on other data that may not fully correspond to the desired expectations. Such data can be, for example, the length of the desired contact time (long-term relationship or holiday fling) or other type-specific characteristics.

In order to simplify the handling of the electronic watch, it is preferably provided that the manually entered signals are yes/no information that can be entered and stored as answers to sequentially retrievable, permanently programmed queries in the respective allocated memory locations of the semiconductor memory. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the permanently programmed queries can be specific data about gender, age, height, weight, hair color, type and/or desired information about this as well as the duration of contact, location and/or time. In the simplest embodiment, a first level has questions about gender (male/female), age (younger or older than 30 years), height (under or over 1.8 m) as well as weight and hair (light, dark, red). The user of the watch according to the invention can, for example, program his own gender and the gender of the desired contact person as an indication or specification as ^-/no information that is assigned to the special gender memory location, after which the radio signal emitted contains a corresponding coding. The same applies to age, height, weight and hair colour or similar, hard-coded questions, each of which must be answered with yes or no. If necessary, multiple answers are also possible, for example if both male and female interested parties are to be addressed for the purpose of carrying out leisure activities. Optionally, further specifications can be added on a second level, which include character traits or

Concerning inclinations, for oneself and as a goal for the desired person.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, an erasable read-only memory, in particular an EEPROM, is preferably proposed as the semiconductor memory. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the EEPROM has at least 2,048 memory locations.

To ensure contact within a manageable area, the radio signals transmitted are long-wave signals.

In view of the fact that with a large number of predeterminable data the probability of complete agreement decreases and compromises are also possible when searching for contact, a further development of the invention provides that the percentage of signal agreement at which a light or sound signal is desired can be variably specified. This means that the user of the electronic watch can, depending on the tolerance, specify a 50 percent agreement, for example, at which he wants a positive light and/or sound signal to be emitted if this is reached or exceeded. Preferably the percentage of* the signal agreement actually achieved is shown on a display of the watch.

An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows a wristwatch with an analogue or digital dial 10 on a watch case 11, which can be fastened to the wrist by means of a bracelet 12. This dial 10 has a display for certain memory locations of the

Semiconductor memory has a display 13 which shows specific option numbers or pre-programmed questions, which can be called up in sequence. To answer these questions and thus to code the personal data, a yes button 14 and a no button 15 are provided, which can be pressed alternatively or simultaneously to enter the relevant information. The respective option number or pre-programmed question is set using the option selection button 16.

The dial also has LEDs 17 and 18 in different colors, e.g. red and green, whereby, for example, the LED 18 in red indicates confirmation of the selected no information (button 15) and the LED 17 in green indicates the yes confirmation of the pressed button 14. In addition, the LED 17 serves to indicate the correspondence of the specified data with the received signal data of a contact person as the wearer of a correspondingly designed watch.

To ensure that the described functions of the clock 11, in particular the contact display, only appear when required, an on/off switch 19 is provided.

In a specific example of memory space allocation, the following variants are selected:

Version 1:

1st level

I am you should be

Gender

* male

* female

Old

* 18 -

* older

Size

* 160 -

* greater

Weight

* 45 - 70kg

* 71 - 95kg

* heavier

Hair

* bright

* dark

* red

2nd level

I am you should be

Type

* Yuppie/Disco

* rustic

* domestic

Length of time

* for 1 night

Variant 2:

1st level

* for longer

I am

you should be

Gender male. 18 - 25 160 - 170 45 - 60kg long short * female. 26 - 35 171 - 180 61 - 75kg * blonde * blonde * Old 36 - 45 181 - 190 76 - 90kg * older greater heavier * Size Weight Hair * * * * * * * * * *

- 10 -

* brown

* black

* red

* brown

* black

* red

2nd level

I am

you should be

Type

* Yuppie

* rustic

* domestic

* dominant/submissive

* frivolous/shy

Length of time

* for 1 night

* for longer

In the first variant, rough specifications are given for gender (male/female), age, height, weight and hair, whereby the individual pieces of information can be set using the option selector switch 16 and answered with yes or no using buttons 14 or 15. If necessary, the hair option can also be skipped. In a second level of the first variant, type specifications and duration of contact are selected.

Variant 2 differs from the previously described variant in that it has a more finely structured specification, in which multiple affirmations are also possible, for example if a partner between the ages of 26 and 45 is desired or, excluding other age groups, the partner can only be between

- 11 -

see should be between 18 and 25 years old.

By selecting the assigned memory locations, the yes/no information is stored in the electronic clock and encoded in the form of a radio signal that can be transmitted, which is transmitted permanently or as a pulse sequence when the clock is switched on. As soon as the comparator determines that the radio signals transmitted correspond completely or partially to the radio signals received by a correspondingly constructed clock, the diode 17 lights up, from which the wearer of the clock can see that the person who has entered the corresponding data is in his or her area. This person can also see a light signal on the corresponding electronic clock via diode 17, after which the two contact persons can easily communicate by looking at each other and know that there is a corresponding data match due to the positive signal from the light-emitting diode 17.

Alternatively, the LED 17 can be replaced by a series of LEDs that, in the case of partial agreement, only light up in the number that corresponds to the degree of agreement in percentage terms. A display with a digital display of the percentage agreement is also possible here, e.g. 60.

Preferably, the EEPROM, which is used as a semiconductor memory, should enable 2,048 yes/no statements. A frequency of 40.68 MHz, for example, is suitable as the wavelength range of the transmitted and/or received signals, with an effective radius, i.e. a range of the radio signals of approx. 3 m.

Special fields of application include telephone access control, avalanche searches, forest rangers looking for dogs, entry authorizations, time recording, department store checkouts, hospitals with drug/pill cabinets and partner searches.

Claims (9)

ft · · - 13 - Claims 1. Transmitting/receiving unit, in particular for an electronic pocket watch or wristwatch, with a coding device for coding signals that can be entered manually via push buttons (14 to 16), a semiconductor memory into which the code signals can be written, a circuit for reading the code signals from the memory and for converting them into transmittable radio signals by means of a transmitter, with a receiver for receiving radio signals,
characterized, that a comparator for comparing the stored coded signals with the received radio signals is connected to a signal generator (17) via a control in such a way that in the event of complete or partial signal agreement a light and/or sound signal can be emitted. 2. Transceiver unit according to claim 1, characterized in that that either two semiconductor memories or a single semiconductor memory with two levels are provided, each of which is programmable with a first series of coded signals, and that each semiconductor memory or each level is connected to a signal generator (17) which emits a light and/or sound signal if the coded signals match the radio signals storable in a second series. 3. Transceiver unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in - 14 - that the manually entered signals are yes/no information that can be entered and stored in the respective allocated memory locations of the semiconductor memory as answers to sequentially retrievable, fixedly programmed queries. 4. Transceiver unit according to claim 3, characterized in that that the hard-coded queries are specific data about gender, age, height, weight, hair colour, type and/or preferences regarding this as well as the duration of contact, location and/or time. 5. Transceiver unit according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in ^that that the semiconductor memory is an erasable read-only memory, preferably an EEPROM. 6. Transceiver unit according to claim 5, characterized in that that the EEPROM has at least 2,048 memory locations. 7. Transceiver unit according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized, that the radio signals transmitted are longwave signals. 8. Transceiver unit according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized, - 15 - that the percentage degree of signal agreement at which a light and/or sound signal is desired can be specified variably. 9. Transceiver unit according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized, that the percentage degree of signal agreement can be shown on a display.