GB2054908A

GB2054908A - Time switch with microcomputer or microprocessor

Info

Publication number: GB2054908A
Application number: GB8023272A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: VEDETTE HORLOGERIE
Current assignee: VEDETTE HORLOGERIE
Priority date: 1979-07-18
Filing date: 1980-07-16
Publication date: 1981-02-18
Also published as: NL8004133A; DE3026128A1; FR2461972B1; FR2461972A1; DE3026128C2; SE8005188L; GB2054908B

Abstract

A time switch comprises a microprocessor or microcomputer and controls eight electrical circuits, each separately programmable with ninety- six possible changes of state per day. Ninety-six LCD, or LED indicators on a strip (7) display the programme of the circuits for the present day and present week as well as the annual derogation programme per week. A display (1) has digits (2, 3) indicating the hours of the day or the number of the week in the year, digits (4, 5) indicating minutes and a digit (6) indicating the day of the week. Push buttons (8) with indicators (12) relate to days of the week, a push button (9) allocates an eighth daily programme to any particular day of the week and push buttons (10, 11) adjust for summer or winter time. A cursor (13) selects reading and programming of the circuits and a cursor (14) selects normal operation (N), programming (P) or recording (E). A knob (17) adjusts time, or date and knobs (15, 16) permit manual control. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Time switch with reserve of clock rate and a microcomputer or microprocessor This invention relates to the field of programming miscellaneous control circuits and is particularly concerned with time switches with a reserve of clock rate, as well as a microcomputer or microprocessor.

An ever increasing number of uses is being found for time switches and must therefore generally make it possible to perform complex daily, weekly and annual switching programmes with respect to a relatively large number of electrical circuits.

The realisation of such programmes with known time switches leads to the use of numerous pieces of timing equipment and to combinations thereof. However, the display possibilities of the desired programmes are limited and the installation obtained is costly and difficult to operate.

The present invention aims at obviating these disadvantages.

According to the invention, there is provided a time switch essentially constituted by a microcomputer or microprocessor and by a time base with a reserve of clock rate, wherein the time switch incorporates eight electrical circuits each of which is separately programmable with ninety-six possible changes of state per day and per circuit and ninety-six LCD, LED or similar indicators making it possible to display a daily programme of each of the eight circuits for the present day and for the present week, as well as the annual derogation programmes per week and per circuit.

The indicators may be arranged in a linear or circular manner.

Each of seven of the eight daily programmes may be allocated to a day of the week and the eighth programme can be a derogation programme which can be substituted for any random one of the daily programmes, whereby each daily programme can be controlled by a push button having an indicator.

According to anotherfeature of the invention, the time switch may be provided with two control push buttons making it possible to change between summer and wintertime, each being provided with an indicator lamp, one for advancing the time by one hour and the other for putting back the time by one hour.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows an exemplified arrangement of control and display elements; and Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a time switch according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings and as can be seen from Fig. 1, the time switch is provided with a liquid crystal diaplay 1 using light-emitting diodes or the like with five digits 2 to 6, whereof the digits 2 and 3 indicate the hours or the number of the week, digits 4 and 5 indicate the minutes and digit 6 the day of the week, of ninety-six LCD, LED or similar indicators arranged in a linear strip 7 or in a circular manner. The time switch also has seven control push buttons 8, each representing a day of the week, a push button 9 for allocating an eighth daily programme to a particuiar day of the week and two control push buttons 10 and 11 permitting the programming of the time change between summer and winter. Each of the push buttons 8 to 11 is provided with an indicator 12.

The time switch according to the invention is also provided with a cursor 13 having seventeen positions 1,2,3,4,5, 6,7,8,D,9, 10,11,12,13, 14, 1 5, 1 6, serving for the selection in reading and in programming of the eight circuits used in weekly, annual and derogation functions and a three-position cursor 14 permitting the selection of three utilization modes of the time switch, namely in normal operation N, for programming P and for recording the programme E. Two push buttons 1 5 and 1 6 are provided for controlling the opening or closing of circuits, in manual control or in programming. Finally, a bidirectional knob 1 7 makes it possible to bring the switch according to the invention to the correct time, day or week.

The time switch according to the invention is also provided with sixteen connecting terminals (not shown) permitting the remote control of the opening or closing of the eight circuits.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the time switch according to the invention. In this diagram, all the control members are grouped into a block 23 and the display members into a block 22.

The microcomputer 18 of the time switch according to the invention which receives instructions from the programme stored in a readonly memory or ROM 20 processes and transmits in accordance with these instructions the input data translated by the actions of the user in the control members of the block 23 (cursor, push button, etc.) into a read/write memory or RAM 19.

The computer 18 is also able to transmit the data stored in the memory 1 9 to the different display members of the block 22 (diaplays, indicator lamps).

The computer 18 is connected to the blocks 22 and 23 by means of an input/output interface 21, which also provides supplementary outputs S2 for, for example, on the one hand coded signals permitting the time display control of printers, pricing counters or any off-line operation needing a time reference and on the other hand data pulses for the dynamic time.

The control outputs S1 of the various user circuits are connected to the microcomputer 1 8 by means of an output interface 24. Moreover, the microcomputer 1 8 can also directly manage outputs S1 by analog-type input data permitting supplementary functions such as the regulation of temperature, the rotation speed of an engine, the humidity of the air of the like.

According to another feature of the invention, the time switch is equipped with a reprogrammable, read-only memory 25 (EPROM) which can be programmed beforehand in accordance with requirements. The content of memory 25 can be transferred by means of a button 26 into the RAM memory 19. As a result of the memory 25, the user has available to him a preprogrammed time switch, whilst retaining the possibility of modifying its programme.

The time switch according to the invention functions as follows. In the shown position of the cursor 14 on N (normal operation), and for a random position of the cursor between 1 and 8, the strip 7 displays the daily programme of the circuit in question for the present day and week.

The indicators 12 corresponding to the seven days of the week then simultaneously indicate for the week in question the derogation profile of the said week through being lit up, extinguished or flashing. The flashing of an indicator lamp indicates that the normal programming of the corresponding day has been, is or will be replaced by the eighth daily programme. A lit up indicator lamp means that the replacement of the normal programme of the corresponding day by the Sunday programme has been or will be or is taking place. An extinguished indicator lamp corresponds to a performance of the normal programme of the corresponding day without derogation.

The lighting up of an indicator 12 of the push buttons 10 and 11 means the putting forward or back of the clock by one hour during the week, these time changes being carried out solely in the night between Saturday and Sunday.

The operation of one of the push buttons 15 or 1 6 respectively permits the opening or closing of the corresponding circuit. The following instruction will return the circuit to the position provided by the programming.

The operation of the push buttons 8 has the effect of lighting up the indicators 12 corresponding to the days allocated to the same programme as the selected day and a display of this programme by the strip 7. The five digits 2 to 6 of the display 1 indicate the hours, minutes and present day and these indications can be modified by means of the bidirectional knob 17.

Whilst maintaining the cursor 14 on position N and moving the cursor 13 to position D, digits 2 and 3 of display 1 indicate the number of the week whose derogation profile is displayed by the indicators 12 and the weekly derogation profile, i.e. the weeks during which at least one day is allocated with a derogation programme,is displayed by fifty-two indicators on the strip 7.

The number of the week can be changed by means of the bidirectional knob 1 7.

By maintaining the cursor 14 in the position indicated hereinbefore and by moving the cursor 13 to one of the positions 9 to 16, the digits 2 and 3 of display 1 indicate the number of the present week and the said fifty-two indicators of the strip 7 display the annual programme of the selected circuit.

The strip 7 displays the daily programme during movement of the cursor 14 to the programming position P and of the cursor 13 to one of the positions 1 to 8. The bidirectional knob 1 7 then permits, in combination with the push buttons 1 5 and 16, the programming or the modification of the daily programme corresponding to the selected circuit by means of the cursor 13. Digits 2 to 5 of the display 1 display the different selected reference points in hours and minutes and the push buttons 8 and 9 make it possible to allocate the daily programme in question to the desired days of the week. The eighth programme can be identical to this daily programme which can also be simultaneously allocated to several days of the week.

By maintaining the cursor 14 on P and moving the cursor 13 to position D, the two digits 2 and 3 of the display 1 indicate the number of the week, which can be modified by means of the button 1 7.

The push buttons 8 make it possible to modify the derogation programme, the operation of one push button changing the derogation state of the corresponding day.

During movement of the cursor 1 3 to one of the positions 9 to 1 6 with the cursor 14 remaining on P, the strip 7 displays the annual programme. The bidirectional knob 1 7 then makes it possible in conjunction with the push buttons 1 5 and 1 6 to programme or modify the annual programme corresponding to the circuit selected with the cursor 13 and the two digits 2 and 3 of the display 1 indicate the number of the week selected by means of the button 1 7.

Finally, when the cursor 14 is moved to position E, the time switch according to the invention performs the recording of the programmes, i.e. their storage in the read/write or yRAM memory 19 and the display remains unchanged.

As a result of the invention, it is possible to provide a time switch permitting numerous programming and utilization possibilities with a small number of display and control members.

Such a switch makes it possible to effect three annual derogations, namely the allocation for the eighth circuit simultaneously of the Sunday programme to any day of any week of the year, the allocation for the eighth circuit simultaneously of an eighth daily programme to any day of the week and the maintenance in the open state of the circuits one by one for a whole week throughout the entire year, the latter derogation having priority over the other two.

The invention is not limited to the above described embodiment but modifications are possible, notably by the substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A time switch essentially constituted by a microcomputer or microprocessor and by a time base with a reserve of clock rate, wherein the time switch incorporates eight electrical circuits each of which is separately programmable with ninety-six possible changes of state per day and per circuit and ninety-six LCD, LED or similar indicator making it possible to display a daily programme of each of the eight circuits for the present day and for the present week, as well as annual derogation programmes per week and per circuit.

2. A time switch according to claim 1, wherein the indicators are arranged in a linear or circular manner.

3. A time switch according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of seven of the eight daily programmes is allocated to a day of the week and the eighth programme can be a derogation programme which can be substituted for any random one of the daily programmes, whereby each daily programme can be controlled by a push button having an indicator.

4. A time switch according to any preceding claim, wherein the time switch is provided with two control push buttons making it possible to change between summer and winter time, each being provided with an indicator lamp, one for advancing the time by one hour and the other for putting back the time by one hour.

5. A time switch according to any preceding claim, wherein it is equipped with a 17-position cursor permitting the selection in programming and in reading of the eight electrical circuits used in weekly, annual or derogation functions.

6. A time switch according to claim 5, wherein it is equipped with two push buttons permitting a manual or programmed control of opening or closing of the circuit selected by the 1 7-position cursor.

7. A time switch according to any preceding claim, wherein it is provided with a three-position cursor making it possible to select three possible utilization modes of the switch, namely in normal operation, in programming and in storing, the normal operation position permitting no change to the already stored programme.

8. A time switch according to any preceding claim, wherein it is provided with a liquid crystal display with light-emitting diodes or the like with five digits indicating the hours, minutes, day or number of the week, a bidirectional knob permitting the regulation of the different counters of the display.

9. A time switch according to any preceding claim, wherein it is provided with sixteen connecting terminals permitting the remote control of the opening or closing of the eight circuits.

10. A time switch according to any preceding claim, wherein it is equipped with a read-only memory (EPROM) which can be programmed beforehand in any required manner, the content of this memory being transferrable by means of a push button into the read/write memory of the microprocessor.

11. A time switch substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.