EP0372432B1 - Autonomous radio clock - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an autonomous radio clock according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a radio clock is known from the contribution by W. Ganter "JUNG - HANS radio clock RC 2" in Goldschmiede - Zeitung, Issue 1/88, page 148. This radio clock, which quickly brought it to market leadership , switches the receiver on periodically, at specified times, to correct the current time display if necessary based on time telegrams currently received via radio. Irrespective of this, the receiver is switched on each time a reset or START switch is pressed, which simultaneously moves the current time display to a 00:00:00 h reference position, cf. also DE - GM 87 12 803. As soon as radio reception provides valid time information, the receiver is switched off again and the time display is moved to the corresponding position in rapid traverse. If mechanical parts (pointers or numerals - flaps) have to be moved for this purpose, the time required for this is taken into account in the control, so that the actual, current time is finally displayed.

A special microcomputer radio clock is described as building instructions in the magazine "radio fernsehen elektronik" (Berlin 1986, number 4, pages 215 to 217) for the case of a time display by means of electro-optical digital numerical display. In contrast, US 4,582,434 A is not a generic, autonomous radio-controlled clock, because no absolute time information is disseminated and decoded there, but only the current display deviation from a periodically occurring synchronization signal is evaluated; there with the peculiarity that the receiver for the provision of the synchronization impulses is equipped with an automatic reception switchover for currently optimal reception conditions and with devices for changing the current time display in accordance with a time zone or summer time change.

It may be problematic for the operation of an autonomous radio clock of the generic type that the time information transmitted by the transmitter by radio is related to a specific geographic time zone. In the case of a portable watch, such as a wristwatch or an alarm clock, the display on the carried watch no longer matches the hour display if the traveler crosses a time zone limit; because afterwards, based on the newly reached time zone, the hour display advances or lags by one hour (or, depending on the time zones - circumstances by half an hour).

It is known from US Pat. No. 4,117,661 A to adjust the time counter of an autonomous radio clock by means of additional manual inputs, which means in particular a change in summer time or a time zone change in which digital time display can also be taken into account there. The direct influencing of the time counters provided there is a disadvantage for the user, in particular because he has to count and keep the precisely entered additional impulses in order to be able to undo this manual change later, for example if he returns to the previously left time zone. Although this procedure is facilitated by a time difference display, as is known for a world time wristwatch (see DE - Z UJS 10/87, page 37), which in turn is not an autonomous radio clock, but rather around an autonomously running wristwatch with a time zone cursor that can be moved over a stylized world map for manual retrieval of the time in the currently displayed time zone.

If such a watch is to be put into operation, for example after changing the battery, the user will orientate himself to the current time information that is otherwise available and operate the buttons for advancing the digital display until the number of digits matches the current time. However, this type of handling is not possible with a generic autonomous radio clock, because it does not have any manual setting options for the display of the time, because this is determined by the START command and then periodically by radio and automatically checked and corrected if necessary . It is therefore problematic if such a generic radio clock is to be put into operation, but e.g. For example, due to local conditions at the receiving location (poor reception conditions) or due to operational conditions at the sending location (transmitter switched off), no (correct) time telegrams can be received at the moment - and possibly for the time being. However, the consumer expects a highly technical product such as a consumer radio watch to be able to use it as a fully fledged watch even in such exceptional radio-specific circumstances (which are usually not known to him).

In recognition of these circumstances, the object of the invention is to equip a radio-controlled clock of the generic type in such a way that it can continue to be used with a correct time display, even after a time zone change, without receiving time telegrams set to the new time zone, in particular also the possibility of - Lichity should be opened to be able to put a radio-controlled clock of the generic type into operation even in any case as a clock with customary accuracy if no usable time telegrams can currently be received via radio.

This object is achieved in that the generic radio clock is designed according to the characterizing part of claim 1.

Thus, the solution according to the invention is based on the knowledge that it suffices to manually correct (advance or reset) the previous hour display in the case of the correctly displaying radio clock after the time zone change, whereupon this time zone correction will automatically take place in the radio-controlled time display in the future is taken into account. For this purpose, the time zone correction value can be entered manually into a separate hourly memory, from which this correction value (taking into account its addition or subtraction sign) with the decoded hourly information currently received by radio from a transmitter who is set to a different time zone for the display of the actual local time. This means that the watch can also be radioed outside the time zone to which the transmitter is set. If the traveler returns to the area of the time zone that corresponds to the transmitter, then he can either undo the zone correction previously carried out by manually resetting the additional zone hour memory to zero, so that from now on the no hourly zone correction received via radio is added; or the radio clock is restarted by confirming the reset button, which simultaneously resets the hour correction memory to zero.

The solution according to the invention also makes it possible to wait for the synchronization signal emitted, for example, by radio transmitters at certain full hours, and then to actuate the reset or START switch, in order to start up the clock without instantaneous reception of valid time telegrams. This will reset the time display to 00 minutes and 00 seconds and start the watch under its internal time base for time display advancement - however with an arbitrarily - incorrect (randomly given) hour display or with the hour 00 if the hour display is also reset was set to 00. The hour display is corrected together with the update of the remaining current time display if a valid radio time telegram should still be received and decoded. If this is not the case after a reasonable period of waiting, then, as in the case of a time zone change, the obviously incorrect hourly display is corrected manually by setting the additional hourly memory. Based on this correction information, the hourly display is updated from the internal time base. If there are any circumstances in which usable time telegrams can be received and decoded, the hour memory assigned to the receiver (in the display register) is set to the transmitter hour and the hour memory assigned to the hour switch must be corrected accordingly so that the displayed hour again corresponds to the local (geographical) conditions.

Corresponding to the tracing of the current time display into the actual, current time also applies to the zeroing of the time display when the rest or START switch is actuated, that the display change can be implemented practically without inertia if it is a non-mechanical time display, that is for example, an electronic display for the display of indexable pointer or number symbols; that the solution according to the invention can also be implemented in the case of time displays which are to be mechanically switched on (i.e. geared pointers or other mechanical displays such as numerals - falling sheets), in which case the time delay for entering the 00 from the currently given display position is known only in such a manner - Correct reference position must be taken into account if the START switch was actuated when the hour synchronization mark appeared. The display is then switched on and off from the internal time base as soon as the current display has reached the actual, current time.

Additional alternatives and further developments as well as further features and advantages of the invention result from the further claims and, also taking into account the explanations in the summary, from the following description of a preferred implementation example for the solution according to the invention, which is highly abstracted as a single-pole block diagram, limited to the essentials . The only figure in the drawing shows an autonomous radio clock with a digital time display and manually operated synchronization and time zone switches.

The autonomous radio clock 11 outlined as a block diagram rejects a frequency transmitter frequency connected to an antenna 12 and tuned receiver 13 with decoder 14 for the current time information 15 contained in the demodulated reception information. This decoded time information 15 is implemented in a register 16 for the segment control of a display 17 with hours (H), minutes (M) and seconds (S) display as the time information 15 ′ to be displayed.

For reasons of energy saving, in particular in the interest of a long operating time of the battery (not shown) of a portable radio clock 11, the receiver 13 with decoder 14 in particular are not in constant operation. Rather, operation is only started when a reset or START switch 18 is actuated by means of switch-on information 20; OR if the time decoder 14 has detected a predetermined point in time (such as reaching a full hour) (illustrated in the drawing by an additional query of the minute register 16M), but now only for a period of time determined by a timer 19.

The START switch 18 also acts on a register reset in order to then continue to clock the display register 16 from an internal time-keeping circuit 22. The output of e.g. time information 15 obtained from the comparison of two successive time telegrams, via a reversal information 21 (shown here only in a functionally simplified form) and a flip-flop 30, causes the receiver 13 and possibly the decoder 14 to be switched off again and the time information 15 corrected in accordance with the time telegram from then on is counted further from the internal clock circuit 22. This clock circuit 22 is expediently a quartz-stabilized oscillator which can have been synchronized from the receiver 13 via a second clock line 23 to the modulation clock of the time telegrams transmitted by radio.

The jump in hours to be carried out when changing from summer time to winter time is taken into account on the modulation side in the time telegram transmitted by radio and therefore leads to the next time-controlled generation of the switch-on information 20 being taken into account in the control of register 16 and thus to correcting the hour display H. However, if this radio clock 11 is carried on long-distance trips, for example, where a time zone limit is exceeded, then the hour correction required for this - information cannot be contained in the received time telegram from the time transmitter set to the previous time zone - regardless of whether this transmitter is from a distance the next time zone can still be received. However, the fact of a time zone change is communicated to flight passengers, for example. The hour display H belonging to the past time zone can now be corrected via a manually operated hour switch 24, with the minutes and seconds displays M, S being continuously activated. This provides, e.g. by repeated actuation of a key or rotation of a rotary switch, a sequence of hour correction pulses 25 or the direct input of a numerical value H into an hour memory 26 provided in addition to the hour register 16 H, which - like register 16 before - due to actuation of the START switch 18 had been reset to the initial position zero via its reset input. For the display 17, the current register hour information 15H is combined in a summer 27 with the correction information AH in the hour memory 26 to take into account the positive or negative deviation of the current time zone hour from the transmitter-related register hour 15 'H in the hour display 17 H. On an additional display 28 in or next to the time display 17, the current correction input in the time zone hour memory 26 can be shown in order to provide quick information about how many (counting up or down and possibly half or whole) hours the current time zone-related hour display 17 H differs from the time zone hour 15 'H of the transmitter location. When the traveler returns to the transmitter time zone, all he needs to do is delete the correction memory 26 again (by resetting the hour hand 24 or pressing the START switch 18 again), so that no future time zones will appear in the hour display 17-H - Correction is taken into account more additively or subtractively, instead - eat again the transmitter-related register hour 15 'H as the currently applicable hour display 17 H appears.

When staying in an area in which no time transmitter can be received or for which no time transmitter is operated at all, the radio clock 11 as an autonomously operated clock from its clock circuit 22 can be put into operation in a timely manner that exactly when a, for example, the public Broadcasting at certain full hours of the time signal (which therefore only represents a time synchronization mark, no encrypted complete time information), the START switch 18 is actuated. The start information 29 triggered thereby sets the tilting stage 30 in order to trigger the switch-on information 20 for a new reception attempt. In addition, register 16 for the Time display 17 is set to 00:00:00 and operated from this full-hour display by clock circuit 22 in a time-keeping manner. So that (within the accuracy of the actuation of the START switch 18 when the synchronizing signal appears) the continuous minute display M and second display S agree with the actual time lapse, but not (unless it was just about the midnight synchronizing signal) the current hour display H. From the obvious lack of indication of the hour display 17 H, for example in relation to the time of day, it can then be seen that the clock 11 only works on the time-keeping basis of the internal clock circuit 22 and the valid hour display H must still be set manually using the hour switch 24. In order to make this fact more conspicuous, it can be provided that the hour display H is activated intermittently, for example, until the hour switch 24 has been actuated to enter the hour correction or until decodable time information 15 has been obtained again via the receiver 13. Incidentally, when the hour switch 24 is actuated - represented in the simplified circuit by a control line 31 on the flip-flop 30 and the timing element 19 - the receiver is always switched over to periodic operation (queried for example from the minutes - register 16 M) for a new start-up that the time in the display 17 is corrected immediately when the wearer of the watch 11 again enters an area in which the time telegram transmitter associated with the reception frequency can be received again. This corrects the possible minor error message that had to be accepted when, due to the lack of time telegram reception options, clock 11 could only be started by referring to neutral hour reference information, at that time with correction of the hour display 17 h based on information obtained otherwise about the current hour of the day. With the first detection of radio time information 15, the information in the separate hourly memory 26, which is no longer required, is then expediently deleted, so that an incorrect hour H is not displayed via the totalizer 27 when the user of the watch 11 resets via the Switch 24 forgets. In the exemplary embodiment, the reset input R of the memory 26 is controlled via an OR gate 32 if, as mentioned, a new reception start is initiated via the switch 18, or if a receiver changeover information 21 appears. If the wearer of the watch is in an incorrect time zone, he can modify the display again via the hour memory 26 as described.

Claims (10)

1. An autonomous radio - controlled clock (11) having an internal time-keeping circuit (22) and having a time display, the registers (16) of which are displaceable into a predetermined initial position in response to actuation of a START-switch which switches on its receiver (13), characterised in that it is additionally equipped with an hours switch (24) for varying the hours display (17), in which respect with actuation of the START - switch (18) the reg - isters (16) are reset to ZERO and are then immediately operated from the internal time-keeping circuit (22), whilst parallel thereto the receiver (13) is switched on, in order to correct the registers (16) upon receipt of a valid time telegram, in which respect additionally an hours store (26), manually adjustable by way of the hours switch (24), for an item of correction information (AH) is provided, the con - tent of which is additively combinable with the hours register (16 H) and is erasable again by the receiver (13) upon receipt of a valid time telegram.

2. A radio - controlled clock according to claim 1, characterised in that its hours display (17 H) results from the combination of an item of register hours information (15' H) derived from the receiver and the item of correction hours information (Δ H) from the store (26) associated with the hours switch (24).

3. A radio - controlled clock according to claim 1 or 2,
characterised in that by way of the START - switch (18) at the same time a time - keeping stepping-on of the time display from the internal timing circuit (22) is started.

4. A radio-controlled clock according to claim 3, characterised in that the time - keeping timing circuit (22) is synchronizable from the receiver (13) with the coding seconds timing of time telegrams.

5. A radio - controlled clock according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an additional display (28) for the manually predetermined correction quantity for the hours display (17 H) is provided.

6. A radio - controlled clock according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is equipped with an electro-optical display (17), which can be switched over in a practically delay-free manner, for at any rate the minutes display (M) and the seconds display (S).

7. A radio - controlled clock according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is designed as a wristwatch.

8. A radio - controlled clock according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is equipped with a transmitter selector switch for receiving and decoding the time telegrams from different time transmitters, with the actuation of which a blockage, for instance trig - gered off by the hours switch (24), of the operation of the receiver (13) is abolished.

9. A radio-controlled clock according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that with actuation of the START - switch (18) apart from the register (16) also the manual hours-correction setting - up (AH) is reset.

10. A radio - controlled clock according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that with each actuation of the hours switch (24) an in future periodically ensuing temporary switching-on of the receiver (13) is initialized.

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