GB2179181A

GB2179181A - Time-announcing timepiece

Info

Publication number: GB2179181A
Application number: GB08617341A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kazuhiko Shiratori; Hiroshi Yamazaki
Original assignee: Seikosha KK
Current assignee: Seikosha KK
Priority date: 1985-07-19
Filing date: 1986-07-16
Publication date: 1987-02-25
Also published as: GB8617341D0; JPS6221089A; KR870001499A; DE3623842A1

Abstract

A time-announcing timepiece comprises a manually operable switch (1), a counter (3) for counting the number of times a switch is operated in a given period; a selecting circuit (9) for selecting an item of information from a number of items of information in accordance with the count of the counter, and an information circuit (11, 12) for audibly announcing the item of information selected by the selecting circuit. Where only two items of information may be selected as shown the counter (3) can be a flip-flop. For greater numbers of items a numerical counter is used. The given period may be one second and is established by a counter (5) counting clock pulses. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Time-announcing timepiece This invention relates to time-announcing timepieces which announce items of information, such as time of day, alarm time, etc., audibly.

One known timepiece announces the time of day audibly upon operation of a switch. Since this conventional timepiece audibly announces only the time of day, when a user wants to know a pre-set alarm time or whether or not an alarm is set, he must change from a display mode of the timepiece to an alarm mode so as visually to read the required information.

The present invention seeks to provide a time-announcing timepiece in which an item of information selected from a plurality of items of information can be announced audibly.

Although the present invention is primarily directed to any novel integer or step, or combination of integers or steps, herein disclosed and/or as shown in the accompanying drawing, nevertheless, according to one particular aspect of the present invention to which, however, the invention is in no way restricted, there is provided a time-announcing timepiece comprising: a manually operable swtich; counting means for counting the number of times the switch is operated in a period; selecting means for selecting an item of information from a plurality of items of information in accordance with the count of the counting means; an information means for audibly announcing the item of information selected by the selecting means.

In one embodiment the selecting means includes a flip-flop circuit for selecting one of two items of information. In another embodiment the selecting means includes a numerical counter for selecting an item of information from three or more items of information. The information means may comprise a pronunciation circuit and a voice synthesising circuit.

The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawing which is a block diagram of one embodiment of a time-announcing timepiece according to the present invention. The timepiece comprisesa: a manual switch 1; a one-shot circuit 2; flip-flop circuits 3,4; a counter 5 with a count time of, for example, one second; a switching circuit 6 which controls clock pulses passing therethrough; an alarm register 7; a time counting circuit 8; a selecting circuit 9; a latch circuit 10; a pronunciation control circuit 11; a voice synthesising circuit 12; and a delay circuit 13.

The operation of the timepiece will now be described. The time counting circuit 8 counts the time of day and an alarm time is stored in the alarm register 7.

The user presses the switch 1 once to confirm the time of day. In response to this operation, a pulse is generated from the oneshot circuit 2. The flip-flop circuit 4 is thereby reset, the switching circuit 6 is turned ON, and the counter 5 counts the clock pulses applied to its input. At the same time, the flip-flop circuit 3 is triggered by the pulse supplied from the one-shot circuit 2, the output Q of the flip-flop 3 being set thereby to ''1''.

The output of the time counting circuit 8 is selected by the selecting circuit 9 and is supplied to the latch circuit 10. Then, after the counter 5 has counted one second, the content of the counting circuit 8 is latched in the latch circuit 10 by the output of the counter 5, and the pronunciation control circuit 11 is triggered. The present time is thereby announced audibly by the voice synthesising circuit 12.

The flip-flop circuit 4 and the counter 5 itself are reset by the above output of the counter 5, and the flip-flop 3 is reset with a slight delay determined by the delay circuit 13.

When the user wants to know the alarm time, he presses the switch 1 twice. The output Q of the flip-flop circuit 3 is thereby turned to "0", and the output of the alarm register 7 is selected and supplied to the latch circuit 10. After the counter 5 has counted one second, the content of the alarm register 7 is latched in the latch circuit 10. The alarm time is announced audibly by the voice synthesising circuit 12.

If the interval between the two operations of the switch 1 is more than one second, the whole timepiece is reinitialised by the output of the counter 5.

In addition to the alarm time, the timepiece can announce various other items of information, such as whether or not an alarm operation is set, remaining time of a timer, whether or not the timer is operating, elapsed time in a stopwatch mode and whether or not the stopwatch mode is operational. If the items of information to be announced are three or more, each item is selected by a numerical counter corresponding to the number of items of information that can be selected. The numerical counter is in place of the flip-flop circuit 3.

In the time-announcing timepiece described above either the time of day or other items of information can be selected to be announced audibly in accordance with the number of times the manual switch is operated, so that it is possible to confirm audibly the alarm time, whether the alarm time is set, the remaining time and operational status of a timer, the elapsed time and operational status of a stopwatch, etc., by simple operations. The timepiece is thus easy to use.

1. A time-announcing timepiece comprising: a manually operable switch; counting

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Time-announcing timepiece This invention relates to time-announcing timepieces which announce items of information, such as time of day, alarm time, etc., audibly. One known timepiece announces the time of day audibly upon operation of a switch. Since this conventional timepiece audibly announces only the time of day, when a user wants to know a pre-set alarm time or whether or not an alarm is set, he must change from a display mode of the timepiece to an alarm mode so as visually to read the required information. The present invention seeks to provide a time-announcing timepiece in which an item of information selected from a plurality of items of information can be announced audibly. Although the present invention is primarily directed to any novel integer or step, or combination of integers or steps, herein disclosed and/or as shown in the accompanying drawing, nevertheless, according to one particular aspect of the present invention to which, however, the invention is in no way restricted, there is provided a time-announcing timepiece comprising: a manually operable swtich; counting means for counting the number of times the switch is operated in a period; selecting means for selecting an item of information from a plurality of items of information in accordance with the count of the counting means; an information means for audibly announcing the item of information selected by the selecting means. In one embodiment the selecting means includes a flip-flop circuit for selecting one of two items of information. In another embodiment the selecting means includes a numerical counter for selecting an item of information from three or more items of information. The information means may comprise a pronunciation circuit and a voice synthesising circuit. The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawing which is a block diagram of one embodiment of a time-announcing timepiece according to the present invention. The timepiece comprisesa: a manual switch 1; a one-shot circuit 2; flip-flop circuits 3,4; a counter 5 with a count time of, for example, one second; a switching circuit 6 which controls clock pulses passing therethrough; an alarm register 7; a time counting circuit 8; a selecting circuit 9; a latch circuit 10; a pronunciation control circuit 11; a voice synthesising circuit 12; and a delay circuit 13. The operation of the timepiece will now be described. The time counting circuit 8 counts the time of day and an alarm time is stored in the alarm register 7. The user presses the switch 1 once to confirm the time of day. In response to this operation, a pulse is generated from the oneshot circuit 2. The flip-flop circuit 4 is thereby reset, the switching circuit 6 is turned ON, and the counter 5 counts the clock pulses applied to its input. At the same time, the flip-flop circuit 3 is triggered by the pulse supplied from the one-shot circuit 2, the output Q of the flip-flop 3 being set thereby to ''1''. The output of the time counting circuit 8 is selected by the selecting circuit 9 and is supplied to the latch circuit 10. Then, after the counter 5 has counted one second, the content of the counting circuit 8 is latched in the latch circuit 10 by the output of the counter 5, and the pronunciation control circuit 11 is triggered. The present time is thereby announced audibly by the voice synthesising circuit 12. The flip-flop circuit 4 and the counter 5 itself are reset by the above output of the counter 5, and the flip-flop 3 is reset with a slight delay determined by the delay circuit 13. When the user wants to know the alarm time, he presses the switch 1 twice. The output Q of the flip-flop circuit 3 is thereby turned to "0", and the output of the alarm register 7 is selected and supplied to the latch circuit 10. After the counter 5 has counted one second, the content of the alarm register 7 is latched in the latch circuit 10. The alarm time is announced audibly by the voice synthesising circuit 12. If the interval between the two operations of the switch 1 is more than one second, the whole timepiece is reinitialised by the output of the counter 5. In addition to the alarm time, the timepiece can announce various other items of information, such as whether or not an alarm operation is set, remaining time of a timer, whether or not the timer is operating, elapsed time in a stopwatch mode and whether or not the stopwatch mode is operational. If the items of information to be announced are three or more, each item is selected by a numerical counter corresponding to the number of items of information that can be selected. The numerical counter is in place of the flip-flop circuit 3. In the time-announcing timepiece described above either the time of day or other items of information can be selected to be announced audibly in accordance with the number of times the manual switch is operated, so that it is possible to confirm audibly the alarm time, whether the alarm time is set, the remaining time and operational status of a timer, the elapsed time and operational status of a stopwatch, etc., by simple operations. The timepiece is thus easy to use. CLAIMS

1. A time-announcing timepiece comprising: a manually operable switch; counting means for counting the number of times the switch is operated in a given period; selecting means for selecting an item of information from a plurality of items of information in accordance with the count of the counting means; an information means for audibly announcing the item of information selected by the selecting means.

2. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 in which the selecting means includes a flip-flop circuit for selecting one of two items of information.

3. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 in which the selecting means includes a numerical counter for selecting an item of information from three or more items of information.

4. A timepiece as claimed in any preceding claim in which the information means comprises a pronunciation circuit and a voice synthesising circuit.

5. A time-announcing timepiece substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

6. Any novel integer or step or combination of integers or steps, hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawing, irrespective of whether the present claim is within the scope of or relates to the same or a different invention from that of, the preceding claims.

7. A time-announcing time-piece comprising a switch, a counting means for counting the number of times said switch is operated in a fixed time, a selecting means for selecting either the present time or other content in accordance with the times counted by said counting means, and an information means for verbally counting the contents selected by said selecting means.