GB2125193A - Islamic praying time indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

A clock mechanism 1 includes a calendar device, a microprocessor 6 and a memory 5 into which are written the five Islamic praying times for each day of the year and for a plurality of countries. A selector selects a code for one of these countries (9). The microprocessor 6 reads from the memory 5 and stores the next praying time. When the stored time is equal to the time displayed by the clock, the microprocessor activates an alarm 7 for a predetermined time which may be adjusted by an adjuster 10. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Islamic praying time indicator This invention relates to an Islamic prayer-time indicator.

According to the invention there is provided an Islamic prayer-time indicator comprising a clock with time and date display means, a memory having written therein Islamic praying times the five daily praying times for each day of a complete year, at least some of the said times varying from day to day through a year, means for comparing the actual time with the times written for the actual date, and means for operating an alarm for a predetermined period whenever the actual time coincides with a time written in the memory.

Islamic prayers take place five times a day, according to the following scheduie.

No. Name of prayer Approximate time 1 FAGR At Dawn 2 ZOHR At Noon 3 ASR After Noon 4 MAGREB At Sunset 5 ISHAA One and a half hours after sunset Each prayer time is signalled by a characteristic announcement (vocal call for prayer) usually from a Mosque, Radio or T.V.

The prayer time indicator of the invention indicates the daily prayer times for Moslems when the normal announcements are inaccessible.

For each country, the five daily praying times have been determined for each day of the year by the Islamic Authorities. By writing into the memory the praying times for a plurality of countries and including a manually operable country selector whereby to select only those times applicable to the selected country, the indicator may be used when the user is travelling.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a front view of an Islamic prayertime indicator; Figure 2 is a block circuit diagram of the indicator shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows one form of country code; Figure 4 is a matrix table showing the arrangement of information stored in the memory of Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a flowchart of the program of the microprocessor shown in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the invention will be explained in detail, 1 is a clock mechanism, 2 is its dial, 3 is a digital Julian date display, 4 is a digital country code display.

In this embodiment, the clock mechanism 1 has alarm device. If the dial 2 only indicates 12 hours, means indicating AM and PM in digital fashion are provided in said digital Julian date display 3. The indication AM and PM for 1 2 hours can however be displayed in dial 2.

Fig. 2 illustrates an abridged block circuit diagram showing a principle of the present invention. In Fig. 2, 1 is a clock mechanism, 5 is a memory device for selecting Islamic praying time, 6 is a microprocessor which comprises means for selecting country code, means taking out a necessary information from memory device, means for selecting Julian date and time, means for transmitting alarm signal to alarm system, 7 is an alarm signal generating circuit. 8 is a Julian duy display mechanism, 9 is a country code selector, 10 is an Islamic praying time adjuster.

Islamic praying times (K1 K5) are different from each other in different countries, so it is necessary to provide matrix tables as shown in Figure 4 for each country all these matrix tables are memorized one in each country element (14 14) of memory device. Julian day display mechanism 8 for displaying Julian day of 366 days (J1 J366) and a country code selector 9 are provided in said microprocessor 6. When said microprocessor selects Kuwait (code No. 3) as shown in Fig. 1, the country code signal selected in said country code selector is transmitted to the memory device 5, the matrix table associated with that country, such as the code No. 3, is selected by said country code selecting signal.

In this case, January 1 st is displayed in the Julian day display device 8 as Julian day, said microprocessor 6 serves to provide alarm information for Islamic praying times for January 1 from the memory device 5. This alarm information of January 1 is shown in the matrix 13 as follows: No. Islamic Praying Time 1 05.15AM 2 11.58 AM 3 02.58 PM 4 05.06 PM 5 06.29 PM At these Islamic praying times, said microprocessor 6 transmits alarm signal obtained from the memory device 5 to alarm system 7 at the predetermined time, whereby the alarm system announces Islamic praying time to the Islamic people by vocal singing or music melody.

The Islamic praying times such as sunrise and sunset are changed day by day in each month. In this invention the whole matrix table is memorized in the memory device throughout year, the alarm can be alarmed in the predetermined Islamic praying time.

In another embodiment, said memory device 5 can be a disk memory device by inserting the memorized disk, and the memorized disk or memorized card memorized the matrix table of Julian day (366 days) in each country may be inserted to the memory device.

Fig. 3 illustrates a diagram of country codes, and it is preferable that this country code is attached to the back of memory device 5 so as to refer to the country code in any time as the user's need.

In case, the alarm system for Islamic praying time provides a time adjuster to adjust the standard time worldwide, the alarm time of clock mechanism can be adjusted by time adjuster attached with memory device and the alarm mechanism can have a correct signal of praying time, whereby Islamic people can serve the Islamic praying in any time anywhere by providing the correct alarm signal for Islamic praying time with the country code selector and the memory device by voice or music tone, even though the Islamic praying time such as sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset and after sunset, etc., is different in each country.

Therefore I suggest an alarm system either by vocal or musical sound giving same impressive tone to be applied in the following fields.

1. Wall clocks.

2. Alarm clocks.

3. Clock radios.

4. Digital watches.

5. Calculators with digital watches.

6. Any other article could be used for same purpose.

- The implementation of this alarm-system can be achieved by mechanical or electronic programming of the five daily praying times for one year for each country.

- So each country has its own programme.

- The number of programmes in one article depends upon its storage capacity, i.e. we can programme the praying times for several countries in one digital article.

- The alarm time (Melody) lasts for one to two minutes using vocal or musical Islamic tone (i.e. 1 "-2" display).

Clock description The new clock should consist of the following elements.

1. The hour time must be 24 hours or 12 hours AM and-12 PM.

2. The clock must show day and month.

3. It shows praying time selector.

4. It shows country code selector.

5. The memory needed at least 32k. (32000 ch/M.).

6. It needs a microprocessor.

7. It needs a connection (signal) to initiate from displayed time the alarm sound.

Memory information A. Record all elements shown in a matrix tables (32k memory-32000 ch/M.) as follows.

For each country (11 .... 14).

- Every month (January-December).

- Every day (Julian day from 1 st January up till 31st December) J1 J1......J366).

- Every praying time, 5 per day (4 characters each).

- So total characters for one country: 1 x366x5x4=7320 characters B. The element address is the Julian day start from 1 st January up till 31st December, it means 1 to 366.

C. Adjust the watch time to current time with day and month.

D. If more than one country available, adjust the country code I-country code must be clarified at clock back.

E. Adjust the next praying time K and start.

F. When the next praying time-clock starts sound by sending a signal from watch to alarm.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. An Islamic prayer-time indicator comprising a clock with time and date display means, a memory having written therein Islamic praying times the five daily praying times for each day of a complete year, at least some of the said times varying from day to day through a year, means for comparing the actual time with the times written for the actual date, and means for operating an alarm for a predetermined period whenever the actual time coincides with a time written in the memory.

2. An indicator according to claim 1 wherein the said predetermined period is from 1 to 2 minutes.

3. An indicator according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for comparing the actual time with the times written in the memory comprises a microprocessor programmed to store the next memorised time, to compare the actual time with the stored time and to operate the alarm and to read and store the next memorised time.

4. An indicator according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the memory has written therein the praying times for a plurality of countries and the indicator includes a manually operable country selector whereby to select only those times applicable to the selected country.

5. An Islamic prayer-time indicator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.