DE3822412C2 - - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for automatically setting autonomous radio clocks according to the preamble of claim 1.

It belongs generically to radio clocks, which keep its control signals not from special clock transmitters, but from master clocks he and Kings work both wirelessly and wired NEN. The master clocks receive the time information from special time transmitter and send a relatively rare, short time transmitter time signal to the radio clocks ( Fig. 1).

The distribution of time and date over radio for general applications is shown in Fig. 2 as an organization chart.

There are methods of time transmission coded using Sender time signals known. The in this international Stand until the beginning of 1988 is in the book "Zeitzeichenender" by Gerd Klawitter, 11th edition, published in May 1988 by Siebel Verlag GmbH, D-5309 Meckenheim, on pages 31. , , 97 be wrote.

Here are listed special time sender, the ever because valid local time in coded form constantly, or almost constantly radiate wirelessly. All today known radio clocks use such transmitter time signals.

The disadvantage here is that the radiated codes and Modulation methods are different and a worldwide Diffusion of uniform radio clocks in the way.

The disadvantage here is further that these are relatively less broadcasters are to supply large areas  which is by area by relatively low reception field strengths makes noticeable.

By the emission of the applicable local time are the Validity of the codes to areas within fixed clock limited time limits.

The advantageous for uninterrupted use of clock applications The time and date are radio-frequency-related Frequency utilization and environmental impact - as well as energetically un advantageous.

Full time information can be found in many codes relatively long time, z. B. a minute before. Within of the code is a criterion included for synchronization the receiver-side decoder is used. Should the sender time signal not constantly, but only temporarily received, then must For obtaining a valid time information first he thought to wait for the synchronization of the decoder which results in a receiver duty cycle be much longer than the encoded time information itself can.

The disadvantages listed are described by the April 1988 in the Federal Republic of Germany introduced the "Radio Data System" RDS partially avoided. As a service within the RDS is the stän dige transmission of time and date as additional information digitally and inaudibly provided for the radio program, such. In "Electronics" No 7 of 31. 3. 1988, p. 77. , , 82 by Dr.-Ing. Franz Stollenwerk under the title: "Data transmission in the FM round  radio ".

By Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Möll from the "Institute for Broadcasting Technology" IRT, D-8000 Munich, was titled: "Transmission of time Information about the future German broadcasting satellite "als Contribution to the symposium "Radio Clocks" in the Technical University Darmstadt, on 12./13. October 1987, the television broadcasting D2-MAC, in which the "Modified Julian Ka "MJD with" Coordinated Universal Time "UTC and local time offset coded in each line 625 of a television picture transmitted to earth becomes.

The transmission of time information within TV channels - According to existing television standards - is for televisions suitable, which do not belong to radio clocks genuswise. Known Radio-controlled clock methods therefore do not relate to such radio signals. because this is the production of cheap radio watches currently out closes.

The evaluation and processing of radio signals for watch applications Applications are varied. As an example, DE-AS 26 43 250 with quoted in all of the publications cited therein. Claims:

• 1. "Central-controlled clock with a receiver for the time signals coming from a central location, which may contain in coded form, inter alia, information about minutes, hours, calendar day, day of the week, calendar month and calendar year, with a decoder, an error checking device and an optical display device, wherein receiving, decoding, conditioning and error checking the time signals arriving from the central station in the centrally controlled clock, characterized in that the time signals containing no error are in an autonomous internal clock ( 33 ) which is part of the centrally controlled clock , where they are incremented by a time standard located in the central clock in accordance with the continuous time, and then, if they contain errors, are discarded, and that the time signals stored in the autonomous internal clock ( 33 ) are related to the visual display device ( 4 ) ".

A consideration of short-term and relatively rare radiated coded transmitter time signals with time reference was not because such transmitter time signals are not yet State of the art belong.

In the brochure "SM Process", January 1985, by W. Schulz, La denburger Straße 84, D-6940 Weinheim, published on occasion the "International Fair of Inventions and New Techniques", April 1988 in CH-1207 Geneva, is a "procedure for automatic Setting of autonomous radio clocks with the help of a time sign "after EP-PS 00 42 913 B1 described in more detail, in which case an un coded, short-term transmitter time signal is used. The method uses the high precision of electronic watches despite using inexpensive resonators, which is why corrections the course deviation and the oscillator frequency causing it only at longer intervals, eg. B. after every 24 hours before  need to be taken. The correction of the course deviation happens by changing the divided oscillator fre frequency. When the clock is changed, the frequency change takes place to zero, when following the clock to a high frequency value, preferably to twice the nominal value, since in this case the interference immunity is larger (pp. 8-4, 8-7 and pictures 8/4, 8/5).

The disadvantage is that the day counter / calendar module 10 must be loaded at the first installation or after a service case of the radio clock with an additional device.

The object of the method described here is to overcome this disadvantage the transmitter time signal measuring method by an automatic loading avoid procedure without the known advantages, such as. B. short receiver duty cycle, waiver of use special time transmitter, interference-free operation, independence from Time limits, production of inexpensive radio clocks, even only part set aside.

The task continues to be the special time broadcast time information, in the Federal Republic of Germany country at the same time "legal time", with the help of as many as possible Master clocks located at central locations of existing networks are in short-term, relatively rare Sender-Zeitsi implement the latter, both wireless and wired to better supply the population with the To allow time information.

This object is achieved in a generic method by the  characterizing features of claim 1 solved.

By the emission of suitable, short-term transmitter time signals within existing networks ( Fig. 1) the cited transmitter time signal measurement method is taken into account and a wide Verbrei tion of the time information allows. To keep the transmitter time signal short and relatively infrequent, it is only broadcast at full UTC hours, with the minute information then becoming fluid.

According to the requirements of the transmitter time signal measuring method ge two short-term transmitter time signals per day. This will be only one used to control the radio clocks. If just At this time of day regularly disturbances occur, is the off soft attached to a second transmitter time signal. Also more a lack of transmitter time signals causes no radio transmission tion in the controlled radio clocks. These - from the theory her known - requirements do not say that not more as two short-time transmitter time signals broadcast per day that should.

As suggested here, the same transient time signal is used both for the correction of the rate deviation and the oscillator frequency with the aid of the time reference n and for the charge of the day counter / calendar module 10 with the aid of the UTC time information h ( FIG. 5). Since it should be possible to operate radio clocks at many times of the day, it is advisable to broadcast a short-term transmitter time signal at many times of the day. According to claim 3, the short-term transmitter time signal is sent only at full UTC hours, which is why the label is "rare" compared to constantly existing transmitter time signals to hen hen.

Especially with wireless transmission coded signals, the Origin of the signals or details of the transmitter be of interest. In the transmitter-time signal measuring method was ange give the receiver microcomputer to the transmitter with the the highest field strength automatically or on a pre-set The transmitter locks into place. This work can be supplemented by additional information tions in the broadcast code. It deals This is information that is rarely needed. But if they are rarely aired, the time must be known to the radio clock. According to claim 5, the Mittei happens over the time of day, at which an extended transmitter time gnal with additional information is broadcast, within the häu figer appearing, short-term transmitter time signals.

Since the day counter / calendar module 10 is only loaded when a new installation or service case of the radio clock, it is very important to check the time information coming from the receiver for accuracy, especially because no comparisons can be made with already loaded data. The possibility here for is given with predictable probability, if in the short-term transmitter time signal, the time information is present three times in succession. From local and summer time calculator 7 ge happens a data transfer with k in the day counter / calendar module 10 only if two out of three time information were identical. To further secure the data already loaded in the daily counter / calendar module 10 , it is recommended to switch on the real-time decoder 6 several times with the local time and summer time calculator 7 and receiver 11 at several full UTC hours in succession. The time information then received is temporarily stored in FIG. 9 and subjected to evaluation. The result of the evaluation confirms or corrects the data already loaded in the daily counter / calendar module 10 . Thereafter, the construction stages real-time decoder 6 with local and summer time calculator 7 are passive and can be kept de-energized by means of the turn-signal m. An unconditional recognition of the operating states "new installation" and "servicing" is very important in order to activate the switch-on signal m. If a valid date is stored in the read-only memory or resident part of the working memory during the production of a radio-controlled clock series, then the request for data to be read in via the switch-on signal m can be carried out with the aid of a date comparison because values smaller than the fixed values are impossible. This method is helpful to the criterion of power failure before geous.

Strong disturbances in the environment of the radio clock can make a regular check of the time information stored in the daily counter / calendar module 10 . With the help of the turn-on m then the Vorgän described ge, z. B. several times a year, be repeated. This is FITS special when the daily pulse over a relatively moderately long line to day counter / calendar module 10 is performed.

The coding device 8 enables mass production of the radio clocks for the international market. A pre-set code refers to the local time of a country with the summer time regulation valid there. In some cases, a pre-set code applies to multiple countries simultaneously. In conjunction with the features of claim 1 so that the task position with respect to independence of time limits is met ( Fig. 3).

By solving the tasks you can reach with the Ver drive the following advantages:

• 1. The day counter / calendar module 10 in radio clocks can be loaded automatically.
• 2. There will be a further spread of the "legal time" allows.
• 3. An internationally uniform distribution regime "Coordinated Universal Time" UTC without preference natio The valid time information is technically uncomplicated.

Exemplary embodiments and expedient applications of the method are largely self-explanatory in the drawings. It shows

Fig. 1 of the time information dissemination of existing networks,

Fig. Org 2 of the radio-time services for general applications and an example of the wireless transmission momentary transmitter time signals via broadcasting networks,

FIG. 3, for easy overcoming of a time limit,

FIG. 4, a momentary transmitter time signal to drahtlo sen broadcast by radio stations,

Fig. 5 block diagram of a radio clock according to the time signal transmitter with Zusatzbaustufen measuring method for automatically loading the day counter / calendar device 10.

Fig. 5 is explained in more detail below:

It is only the blocks and signals that are relevant for understanding lines of a radio clock according to the transmitter time signal Meßverfah drawn without necessarily being complete are.

The signals a, b of the correction stage 5 for pre- and Nachstel sources of the display 3, 4 cause the known pulse additions and pulse suppression to influence the pulse frequency e between the oscillator 1 and display control. 2 They are also intended to take into account the summer time so that analogue working show 3 and digitally working displays 4 can be equally angesteu ert. This does not rule out that in purely digitally working displays 4 not other control signals c, d, leading to the display control unit 2 , a leaping change in the display 4 can cause.

To trigger a time scale jump (here: start or end of daylight saving time) via the signals a or b or c or d, a loading order to the correction stage 5 must go from the signals f or g. These signals f and g are only short-term pulses.

If data are requested from the day counter / calendar module 10 , that is, when its contents have fallen below a predetermined value or voltage failure has been registered, or if already loaded data are to be checked, then the real-time decoder 6 is switched on with the location and summer time calculator 7 and latch 9 via the switch-on signal m.

So that the receiver 11 can be turned on several times in succession to full UTC hours, although the time reference contained in the short-term transmitter time signal is not needed, a linkage of the signal m with the "receiver switch-on signal" via the OR gate 12 is provided , The signal "capture range" prevents an evaluation of the received time reference, which does not occur in the same time rhythm as the "periodic time signal".

The data received several times in succession - corrected by the respective hourly offset from the data first received - are stored in the buffer 9 and subjected to a rating. The evaluation result either confirms or overwrites the data received first and loaded into the day counter / calendar module 10 . In conjunction with a redundantly broadcast UTC time information within a single transient transmitter time signal, e.g. As shown in FIG. 4, results in a high data security in the day counter / calendar stone 10 .

The location and summer time calculator 7 operates in conjunction with the external coding device 8 for preselecting the country in which the radio clock is installed. The direct decoding of the UTC time information in the real-time decoder 6 does not give valid time information, apart from winter months within the Greenwich time zone. Only the conversion of the UTC time information within the local and summer time calculator 7 or within the day counter / calendar module 10 using the pending code for comparison of 8 generates the time at the place of arrival valid time information including there gel border summer time. Not shown is the ability to store data for different summer time regulations in a separate read-only memory so that changes in the summer time regulation makes a cheap change of the read-only memory the radio clock further usable.

Fig. 4 is explained in more detail below (the following part of the specification was filed after the filing date):
There are innumerable realization possibilities of short-term transmitter time signals which satisfy the described requirements, conceivable.

In order to adhere to already established standards and standards of radio, telecommunications, data technology or energy supply within existing networks, Fig. 4 shows an example suitable for broadcasting networks. The frequencies in the audible range fi, fr, f0 to f9 and the associated numerical transmission method are taken from the "European paging service" and described in FTZ Directive No. 171 R 52, Deutsche Bundespost, Darmstadt: January 1986. This makes it possible to fall back on experience with regard to high-frequency propagation phenomena in the VHF range and appropriate receiver design. With proven suitability of such radio signals in the sector of telephone technology, the technical functionality of the sender time signal exemplified in FIG. 4 for clock applications is also indirectly demonstrated. Conversely, series productions suitable for this purpose could also favorably influence radio clock receivers for the "European paging service".

The audible FM modulation frequencies have the following meaning:

fi = dial tone  1153.1 Hz fr = repeating sign  1062.9 Hz f0 = digit 0  979.8 Hz f1 = number 1  903.1 Hz f2 = number 2  832.5 Hz f3 = number 3  767.4 Hz f4 = number 4  707.4 Hz f5 = number 5  652.0 Hz f6 = number 6  601.0 Hz f7 = digit 7  554.0 Hz f8 = number 8  510.7 Hz f9 = number 9  470.8 Hz

The upper half of Fig. 4 shows a short-term transmitter time signal with two repetitions of the numerical values for hour (h), day (T), month (M), year (a), weekday (WT). After a full UTC hour (plotted as a time reference), there will be a five-fold change between low and high frequency (f9, fr) for clearer identification of a full hour. In the transmitter-time signal measuring method, only the time reference of the time reference on the time scale, but not any coded information, serves for the aisle and oscillator correction of the radio-controlled clock. This signal represents a single pulse - denoted by n in FIG. 5 - and is obtained from the time change after the appearance of the digits for a, WT in the time signal decoder. The additional information identifier, also sent three times, consists of digits between 00 and 23. It indicates the time of a full hour at which an extended, short-term transmitter time signal appears. This hour indication is used in the radio clock to find the correct turn-on time of the receiver to record the additional information contained in the extended short-term transmitter time signal.

An ensuing automatic local time announcement is a matter the respective broadcaster and is done appropriately by retrieving a speech signal from a purpose to be provided Only memory. Of course, the coded before sent UTC hour information - after conversion - this  Find use.

The total duration of the short-term transmitter time signal is 10 s specified, where the time reference is theoretically infinite short mark located exactly in the middle. The receiver duty cycle remains unaffected by the time announcement, so it is shorter in this example by 3 s.

A local time announcement is important to compatibility with previous ones To maintain time announcements.

The lower half of Fig. 4 shows an extended, short-term transmitter time signal, in which case only the extension, ie the time between seconds 0 to 55 is shown. From 55 second, the time range explained above is repeated.

The occurrence of such an extended, short-term transmitter time signal is enough once or twice a day. In addition to calendar information, which also exists in the short-term transmitter time signal from 55 second are now additional information about the signal origin (Transmitter / master clock) broadcast. Exemplary here was the information About Country, Sender, Frequency, Location, Performance each indicated 6 digits. Further information, such as: B. Times at which short-term transmitter time signals occur regularly, should also be part of the extension. In the Radio clock can provide such information for cheap receiver activation be used.

All encoded information sent only fulfill marginal conditions at the radio clock, but make all time information automatically evaluable and internationally valid.

Claims (13)

1. A method for automatically setting autonomous radio clocks using a - wirelessly or Drahtgebun the radiated - short time transmitter time signal with time reference, which is only relatively rarely broadcast, characterized in that the short-term transmitter time signal in addition to a time reference and the "Coordinated Universal time "UTC - without consideration of local and summmer time - in coded form contains, which can be loaded via a local and summertime calculator ( 7 ) the Tageszähler / Kalenderbau stone ( 10 ) in the main clocks wireless or wired radio controlled clocks , 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the radiated by master clocks wirelessly or by wire, short-term transmitter time signal from the respective valid and widespread local time is derived so that a ent-held place and summer time offset is eliminated, and the Signal type of the emitted, short-term transmitter Zeitsi gnals the requirements of each available network, which is taken to spread the time claimed, corresponds ( Fig. 1). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized net that the short-term transmitter time signal only to full UTC Hours is broadcast. 4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized marked records that the short-term transmitter time signal is not minutes contains information. 5. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized gekenn records that in the short-term transmitter time signal a Ken contained in coded form, the information on a Time of day gives to which a prolonged transmitter time signal To provides set information. 6. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized gekenn records that an extended transmitter time signal with addition information is broadcast periodically and less frequently than the short-term transmitter time signal appears. 7. The method of claim 1, 2, 3 or 6, characterized ge indicates that additional information in the extended Sen the time signal from the radio clock to automatic tuning is used.   8. The method of claim 1, 2, 3 or 6, characterized ge indicates that additional information in the extended Sen the time signal for deriving a periodic receiver on switching signal is used. 9. The method of claim 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that the receiver ( 11 ) with real-time decoder ( 6 ) and local and summer time calculator ( 7 ) is switched several times in succession to gnal only in the short-term sender-Zeitsi to include information about the current date, including any additional information of interest, without taking into account the hourly information also broadcast. 10. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the receiver ( 11 ) with real-time decoder ( 6 ) and local time and summer time calculator ( 7 ) is automatically switched only switched OFF, if due to certain operating conditions or after relatively long time intervals the need exists here for. 11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the Activation signal (m) also serves to control a display. 12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that already in the radio clock production a current date for the evaluation of a received time information and Ablei direction of a switch-on criterion for the construction stages ( 11 ), ( 6 ), ( 7 ) in the memory of the radio clock Resident is filed. 13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the local and summer time calculator ( 7 ) or the day counter / Kalen derbaustein ( 10 ) with an external coding device ( 8 ) be switched, which allows the country code in the the radio clock should be installed.