JP2005098968A - Time signal time-piece - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a time signal time-piece for enabling even an infant who cannot understand a timepiece or an alarm clock to learn the absolute pitch continuously, unconsciously and correlatively with a keyboard in a daily life rhythm. <P>SOLUTION: This wall clock 10 for outputting time signals where each scale is heightened by a semitone at every correct time is provided with a keyboard display part 35. A lamp 37 of the keyboard 36 having the same scale as a time signal sound is lit during output of the time signal sound, to thereby display it conspicuously from other keyboards. Consequently, when hearing the time signal sound and looking back to the wall clock 10, the keyboard of the scale is impressed correlatively with the time signal sound, and thereby even an infant who cannot understand the timepiece can store the scale of the time signal correlatively with the image (position) of a specific keyboard. While a scale name is displayed on a liquid crystal element 16 and reading output of the time is performed following time signal output, when setting a high class mode by operating a mode setting switch 17, the reading output of the time is stopped to thereby heighten a learning load. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention includes not only clocks, table clocks, wristwatches, but also clock functions built into keyboard instruments and mobile phones. Related to "clock".

  Attempts have been made to incorporate the piano and sound recording materials into childcare for infants and family education for preschool children so that they can acquire absolute pitch. Absolute pitch is the ability to instantly determine the coincidence / mismatch, high / low of scales between memorized sounds and memorized sounds and listening sounds. It is said that the frequency of training should be habitual and unconscious. Absolute pitch is the ability to judge the pitch of all sounds that can be understood not only to the tone of the instrument but also to the everyday sounds. It becomes the basis of the ability to associate the fingering of the instrument operation instantly from the melody.

Patent Document 1 discloses a time signal clock that is composed of an electronic circuit and outputs a time signal sound of a different scale every hour. According to this time signal clock, every day, the time scale of the clock is repeatedly and unconsciously sent to the infants and schoolchildren in 1 octave and 12 steps, and the 12 steps are stored according to their daily rhythm and time. Can be made.
Patent Document 2 shows an alarm clock provided with a keyboard switch. When a set time comes, one of a plurality of types of scale alarm sounds prepared in advance is selected at random, and a key of the same scale is pressed. The scale alarm sound can be stopped. According to this alarm clock, the relationship between the scale and the keyboard can be learned at each set time.
Patent Document 3 discloses an alarm clock provided with a CD reader, and reproduces different music data as a time signal every hour read from a CD. According to this alarm clock, time signals of various tones and melodies can be used by exchanging the CD and replacing the sound data of the time signal.
Specification No. 1-71355 JP 2001-21673 A JP 2000-278889 A

  Sound education using piano and recorded teaching materials requires a certain amount of knowledge and experience, and strong will and passion are necessary to sustain sound education for a long period of time. It does not last long in an ordinary family. It's not easy to keep the interests of crisp infants, and it's painful for parents to continue to forcibly educate schoolchildren who don't like them. I'm sure I'm tired of it and throw it out.

In the time signal timepiece disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to understand the relationship between time and scale by looking at the timepiece, and an infant who cannot read the dial cannot store the scale in association with the time.
According to the alarm clock shown in Patent Document 2, it is possible to learn the coincidence / disagreement between the alarm and the scale of the keyboard, but it is used for infants who have only one or two learning opportunities a day and do not know the meaning of the alarm clock. I can't.
According to the alarm clock disclosed in Patent Document 3, a time signal sound with high sound quality and a large amount of data can be used, but the difficulty of scale learning remains constant, and the flexibilities that can change the learning load according to the proficiency level of the tone Lacks ability.

  The present invention enables an infant who cannot understand a clock or an alarm clock to memorize a scale corresponding to a daily rhythm and a time name (scale name) and to learn a practical absolute pitch corresponding to a keyboard. This time signal clock, in other words, the time signal clock shown in the specification and drawings of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 1-71355 was specialized in "pitch education corresponding to the keyboard" to further enhance the practicality of sound education. The purpose is to provide hourly clocks.

  The time signal clock of the present invention displays a time series clock that displays the time of every minute and outputs a time signal sound with a different scale every hour, and displays a keyboard string that can be displayed by distinguishing each key from other keys. There is provided a display means and a control means for displaying on the display means a key of the same scale as that of the time signal sound in distinction from other keys at the time of outputting the time signal sound.

In the time signal clock of the present invention, when outputting the time signal sound, only the keyboard corresponding to the time signal sound (which may be a chord) is displayed to stand out in the keyboard row. The keyboard is impressed with the time signal sound. In other words, using the instinctive reaction of the animal to focus attention by looking at the direction of the sound, the time signal sound and keyboard position are set by displaying the time signal sound keyboard at the location where the attention is concentrated. It ’s memorable. Therefore, even an infant who cannot understand the clock can store the scale of the time signal sound in association with a specific keyboard position in the keyboard row.
Moreover, since the scale is visually displayed using the keyboard sequence during the output of the time signal, the judgment heard by the ear can be visually confirmed / corrected. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the learning load step by step in accordance with the proficiency level of the absolute pitch, thereby enhancing the training effect of reflexive and unconscious scale judgment.
When the display for distinguishing the keyboard corresponding to the time signal sound from the other keys is continued longer than the time signal sound, even if the time signal sound is short, it is possible to avoid the situation where the display has already ended when the attention is concentrated.
In addition, when the display state that changes with time is repeatedly displayed (for example, blinking), when turning the clock with a time signal sound, the time signal sound in the keyboard row is strongly impressed and the training effect is enhanced. It is done.

  By providing a switch to enable / disable reading voice output and arranging time reports of the same scale in the order of single to long, the learning load can be adjusted step by step according to the level of mastery of absolute pitch.

1 is a front view of the wall clock of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the wall clock, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a time signal, FIG. 4 is a time chart of the time signal, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control of the wall clock, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing of a time signal.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wall clock 10 of the first embodiment has 12 hours on the dial 11 on which the numbers 1 to 12 are printed. The long hand 12 takes 60 minutes and the short hand 13 takes 12 hours. An analog clock with a period. A 6-digit liquid crystal element 16 is arranged by cutting out a part of the dial plate 11, and a solar cell 23 is arranged in the upper half space of the dial plate 11. When the time signal is not output, the liquid crystal element 16 displays an English month name (JAN, FEB, MAR,... DEC) and date (1, 2, 3,... 31) in the upper row. The setting mode (advanced / beginner), scale setting at 12 o'clock (C4 / A4), and the presence / absence of mute are displayed in the lower row. Note that the date and scale settings are displayed by an 8-segment element, and the setting mode and mute are displayed by overlapping the black segment of the liquid crystal under the black characters printed on the glass.
Inside the wall clock 10, a circuit board 14 that controls driving of the clock and output of a time signal, a power supply circuit 24, and a battery 15 are housed, and a time signal sound is output forward through a speaker 21 fixed to the circuit board 14.

The integrated circuit 25 attached to the circuit board 14 is a general-purpose one-chip IC developed for use as a melody clock, and includes an input / output unit 26, a memory unit 27, a calculation unit 28, and a D / A unit 29. The voice data written in the unit 27 can be reproduced and used for time signals and alarms.
The memory unit 27 can write various data, setting contents, programs, and the like in a nonvolatile manner. The input / output unit 26 drives the liquid crystal 16, the keyboard display unit 35, and the motor 30, while latching and reading setting operations through various setting switches 17 to 20. The calculation unit 28 includes a RAM element for calculation, and executes necessary calculation and control according to a program written in the memory unit 27.

The arithmetic unit 28 drives the motor 30 in pulses through the input / output unit 26. The rotation of the motor 30 is decelerated through the gear unit 31, and the long hand 12 is rotated at a speed of 60 minutes / revolution and the short hand 13 is rotated at a speed of 12 hours / revolution.
The calculation unit 28 operates the liquid crystal 16 through the input / output unit 26 and causes the liquid crystal 16 to display the date and various setting contents.
The arithmetic unit 28 obtains the scale of the time signal sound to be reproduced every hour, selects and calls the time signal sound data of the scale from the stored data in the memory unit 27, releases the compression of the sound data, and outputs the clock signal. Audio digital signals are played back in synchronization with
The D / A unit 29 converts the audio digital signal into an analog signal. The analog signal is amplified by the transistor 32 and drives the speaker 21. The volume 22 is manually operated to adjust the base current of the transistor 32 and adjust the reproduction volume of the speaker 21.

The keyboard display unit 35 is controlled by the integrated circuit 25 to display a specific keyboard separately from other keyboards. That is, a lamp 37 is arranged behind each of the translucent keyboards 36 constituting the keyboard row, and the lighting / extinguishing state of the lamps 37 is controlled by the driver 38, whereby one or a plurality of specific keyboards 36 are controlled. Only light up and shine, making it stand out from other keys.
The calculation unit 28 controls the driver 38 based on the obtained scale at every hour and lights the lamp 37 of the keyboard 36 corresponding to the scale.

The solar cell 23 converts part of the light incident on the dial 11 into current. The power supply circuit 24 transfers the power of the output of the solar battery 23 (for example, Japanese Patent No. 2829892) to charge the battery 15, detects the illuminance of the outside world, determines in three stages, and sends the determination signal to the input / output unit 26. Let them enter.
Based on the determination result, the calculation unit 28 reproduces the time signal at a normal volume when the outside world is bright, and also reads out the time when the beginner mode is set. However, when it is dark, the time signal is played at the lowest volume, and even if the beginner mode is set, the time is not read out. In the intermediate brightness range, the time signal is reproduced at an intermediate volume, but the time-to-speech reading is omitted even if the elementary mode is set.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the scale of the 12 o'clock hourly sound is set to C4 through the switch 18 for setting the scale (C4 mode), the scale of the 12 hourly sound signals from 12 o'clock to 11 o'clock is 12 steps from C4, and 1 octave at 11 o'clock (strictly speaking, C5 is excluded, so 11/12 octave). Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the hourly time signal is output for 1 second after a short time signal of 0.1 second, and a long time signal of 2 seconds is output. Reading is performed. During this period, the A4 keyboard lamp continues to be lit on the keyboard display unit 35 until the end of the speech reading.
The memory unit 27 stores the recording data of the 21st scale time signal for each semitone from C4 (262 Hz) to G5 sharp (831 Hz), and from C4 (262 Hz) to B4 (494 Hz), C4 mode, A4 (440 Hz). To G5 sharp (831 Hz) are assigned to the A4 mode.
The liquid crystal element 16 displays the scale name and frequency as shown in the column of the liquid crystal display in FIG. 3 instead of the normal date display during the output of the time signal of the scale.
When the beginner mode is set through the switch 17 for setting the learning difficulty level, the time is read out by voice following the time signal.
The time signal every 30 minutes on the hour is as short as 0.1 seconds based on the time signal sound of 30 seconds before, followed by the time sound of 0.1 seconds based on the time signal sound scale 30 minutes before, and after 30 seconds. A time signal is output, and a long time signal of 2 seconds in total is output for every second in the scale 30 minutes before and after 30 minutes with a blank for 1 second. Then, after that, the speech reading of what time 30 minutes is executed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the calculation unit 28 controls the wall clock 10.
In step 111, it is determined whether or not the switch 17 has been operated. If the switch 17 has been operated, the process proceeds to step 112 where the current beginner / advanced level (difficulty) is changed and the level display on the liquid crystal display 16 is also inverted.
In the beginner mode, as shown in FIG. 4, a short time signal is followed by a long time signal, and then the time is read out. In the advanced mode, the short time signal is similarly followed by the long time signal, but the time is not read out.

In step 113, it is determined whether or not the switch 18 has been operated. If it has been operated, the process proceeds to step 114, where the current mode is changed and the scale name of the 12 o'clock time signal set on the liquid crystal display 16 is displayed. To do.
If it is set to the C4 mode in which the musical scale at 12:00 (0 o'clock) as the starting point is set to C4, as shown in FIG. 3, the pitch rises by one semitone from C4 to B4 from 12:00 to 11:00. On the other hand, if it is set to A4 mode, it goes up from the A4 by a semitone from 12:00 to 11:00 and becomes G5 sharp at 11:00.

In step 115, it is determined whether or not the switch 19 has been operated. If the switch 19 has been operated, the process proceeds to step 116, where the current mute setting is changed and the presence / absence of mute is displayed on the liquid crystal display 16.
If mute is set, the time signal output and time reading are stopped, and the scale display by the keyboard display unit 35 and the scale name and frequency of the time signal output period by the liquid crystal display 16 are not displayed. That is, it looks like an ordinary wall clock without a scale learning function.
In step 117, it is determined whether or not the switch 20 has been operated. If the switch 20 has been operated, the routine proceeds to step 118, where the motor 30 is rotated at a high speed and the long hand 12 and the short hand 13 are rotated rapidly. Accordingly, while the switch 20 is kept pressed, the clock rotates rapidly, and the time counting is started from the position of the long hand 12 and the short hand 13 where the switch 20 is released.

  In step 119, it is determined whether or not the setting switches 17 to 20 have been operated for the past two seconds. If not, the normal clock operation and time signal output set in steps 111 to 118 are executed. To do.

According to the time signal clock of the first embodiment, when outputting the time signal sound, only the keyboard corresponding to the time signal sound is displayed so as to stand out in the keyboard row. In addition, the keyboard is engraved in relation to the time signal sound. Therefore, even an infant who cannot understand the clock can store the time scale in association with the image (position) of a specific keyboard in the keyboard row.
Also, because the time is read out and output following the time signal, the time scale sound scale can be stored in relation to the time name and life rhythm even if the sound level is not mature or the clock cannot be understood. If it is unclear, you can confirm / correct the judgment by listening to the voice output.
And if you can learn the pitch, you can operate the switch 17 to set the advanced mode, cut off the dependence on reading, and learn the pitch to learn seriously. It is possible to enhance the training effect of reflexive and unconscious scale judgment.

According to the time signal clock of Example 1, after making a reflexive and unconscious scale judgment with a short time signal, making a thoughtful and conscious scale judgment with a long time signal of the same scale and comparing both judgments Therefore, it is possible to increase the training effect of reflexive and unconscious scale judgment by adjusting the learning load in a stepwise manner according to the proficiency level of absolute pitch.
Since the scale name and frequency are displayed on the liquid crystal element 16 while the time signal is being output, the scale can be confirmed by paying attention to the dial 11 if the judgment is doubtful by listening to the time period or the time signal. Since the date display is performed except when the time signal is being output, the number of liquid crystal elements 16 is saved, and a large and conspicuous display can be performed within the limited area of the dial 11.
In addition, since the time signal at each hour outputs a long time signal following the short time signal, after making a reflective and unconscious scale judgment with the short time signal, the long time signal is thoughtful, The practice of making conscious scale judgments and comparing both judgments is repeated unconsciously. And if the sound is mastered, the scale name will be instantly recalled with a short time signal.
In addition, since the scale at 12 o'clock can be selected in two ways, C4 and A4, by operating the scale setting switch 18, if you are familiar with the scale based on C4, switch to the scale based on A4 to create new stimuli and changes Can be added.
Accordingly, the learning load is adjusted stepwise according to the proficiency level of absolute pitch, and the training effect of reflexive and unconscious scale judgment is enhanced.

In addition, the volume 22 is provided so that the volume of the time signal output can be adjusted manually, so that the volume can be adjusted in detail according to the distance between the wall clock 10 and the infant's bed, the size of the room, the level of noise, and the presence of visitors. A comfortable and effective learning environment.
In addition, since the ambient brightness is detected from the output of the solar battery 23 and the volume is lowered in the bright case than in the dark case, an effective learning environment suitable for the temporal noise level can be prepared. It saves battery output and prevents power outages. When the predetermined brightness is interrupted, the output of the time signal is stopped, so that the time signal is kept empty in an unattended room where charging does not occur, and the battery is not completely discharged and does not prevent late night sleep.
In addition, since the mute setting switch 19 can be provided to stop the pitch learning function, it can be used as an ordinary wall clock when there is an important visitor or when you get tired of scale learning.
In addition, since the charging circuit 24 stores the output of the solar battery 23 in the battery so that the battery can cover power consumption, there is no need for resource saving, energy saving, and a troublesome power cord, and battery replacement is unnecessary.

In addition, since the scale name and frequency are displayed by using the liquid crystal element 16 for displaying the date only for a short time of the time signal, it is not necessary to add a new display element dedicated to the display of the scale name and frequency, which disturbs the date display. It will not be.
In addition, since a general-purpose melody clock IC is used as the integrated circuit 25, recording data can be easily changed, cheap and light, electronic circuits are compactly packed, and the wall clock 10 with high reliability and high commercial value is given priority to the overall design. Can be configured.

In the first embodiment, the time signal is output with a single sound, but the time signal may be output with a chord as shown in FIG. In this case, the bass sound is raised by one semitone from 12 o'clock to 11 o'clock and is changed to 12 steps and 1 octave, and the scales of 2 degrees above and 3 degrees above are placed on the bass sound. In synchronization with the output of the chord, the keyboard 36 corresponding to the three sounds constituting the chord is illuminated by the lamp 37.
Even such chords can be easily realized by forming music data by recording or synthesizing and writing it into the integrated circuit 25 together with the control program of the lamp 37.
Further, in the first embodiment, the time signal is turned off by the mute setting switch 19, but it may be switched to the normal time signal by the chime recording data.
In the first embodiment, the scale at 12 o'clock is switched alternately to one of the C sound (do) and the A sound (la), but an ascending or descending scale starting from an arbitrary scale can be set. May be.
In the first embodiment, the adjustment of the learning difficulty level based on the presence or absence of reading of the time and the scale name has been described. However, the learning difficulty level may be changed by changing the tone of the time signal. For example, the scale change caused by a tuning fork is used as an introductory mode, increasing the difficulty of listening to piano, guitar, shakuhachi, orchestra, suzumushi, etc., so that the time signal can be received with a humble feeling while maintaining freshness. Can do. In this case as well, the keyboard corresponding to the scale of the time signal sound is illuminated, and the scale of the time signal sound is learned by associating it with the keyboard position so that the scale of the keyboard can be intuitively learned before touching the keyboard of the instrument. can do.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a table clock according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of the table clock.
As shown in FIG. 7, the table clock 40 of the second embodiment displays a time of 12 hours and one cycle on the liquid crystal element 41, and starts from a time signal of a scale at 12 o'clock. Is output. Then, in synchronization with the output of the time signal sound, the keyboard 49 having the same scale as the time signal sound in the keyboard display section 48 is blinked.
The liquid crystal element 41 has a dot matrix display section 42 at the top and a keyboard display section 48 at the bottom. The dot matrix display section 42 corresponds to each dot, and the keyboard display section 48 corresponds to each keyboard 49. A liquid crystal drive electrode is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 8, an integrated circuit 70, which is a one-chip IC developed for use as a melody clock, has a larger-capacity memory than that of the first embodiment and has an analog voice recording function. An output unit 74, a memory unit 72, a calculation unit 73, and a D / A unit 75 are provided. The integrated circuit 70 is supplied with electric power from the dry battery 60 and is supplied with a clock from the oscillator 62 to operate.
The calculation unit 73 operates according to the program written in the memory unit 72 and controls the dot matrix 42 and the keyboard display unit 48 of the liquid crystal element 41 through the driver 71 to execute each display described later. Further, the time display 43 is performed by counting the clock and measuring the elapsed time from the set time. When the hour comes, the time signal data of the necessary time signal sound and reading sound is read from the memory unit 72, the sound data is reproduced from the compressed data, and is input to the D / A conversion unit 75 to be converted into an analog sound signal to be converted into the speaker 21. Drive.
The input / output unit 74 inputs a data signal to the driver 71 of the liquid crystal element 41, latches the operation contents of the setting switches 50 to 55, and causes the calculation unit 73 to read them.

During the time signal output, the integrated circuit 70 controls the scale display by the keyboard display section 48 below the liquid crystal element 41, and displays the keyboard (for example, 49) of the same scale as the time signal sound by blinking (repeating black and white reversal).
The memory unit 72 stores 24 types of time signal data from C4 to B5 recorded using 3 types of musical instruments (piano, flute, violin). Frequency reading data is also recorded.

In each area, the dot matrix display unit 42 includes a time display 43 including AM / PM display, a musical instrument display 44 that displays the instrument name of the time signal sound, a mute display 45A that sets whether or not the mute mode is set, A scale display 45B for displaying the scale of the base point at 0 o'clock (12:00 in the time display), a difficulty display 46 for setting advanced / beginner level, and a date display 47 for displaying the date of the current day are arranged. As in the first embodiment, when the time signal sound is output, the date display 47 is switched to the scale name and frequency display of the time signal sound.
On the other hand, the keyboard display unit 48 is driven in synchronism with the time signal sound to visually display the scale of the time signal sound, and an independent electrode is arranged on each key (white, black, 49, etc.). Each of them can display black and white and blinking individually.

On the top surface of the table clock 40, six switches 50 to 55 that are operated in a manner to interact with the liquid crystal element 41 are arranged.
The calculation unit 73 repeatedly switches the musical instrument display 44 in the order of Piano, Flute, and Violin every time the switch 50 is continuously pressed for 1 second or more. The computing unit 73 selects and reads out the time signal data of the musical instrument corresponding to the musical instrument display 44 from the memory unit 72 when outputting the time signal.
The calculation unit 73 sequentially advances the scale display 45B each time the switch 51 is kept pressed for 1 second or longer, and sets the scale of the 12 o'clock time signal sound that becomes the base point. At this time, the calculation unit 73 causes the corresponding keyboards 49 of the keyboard display unit 48 to blink in order. In this way, 24 types of scales from C4 to B5 can be set. Then, when the scale of the hourly sound at 12 o'clock is set, the scale of the hourly sound at each hour is set in the order corresponding to the scale. For example, when C4 is set, a scale pattern that rises semitones every hour from C4 to B5 is set, and when B5 is set, a scale pattern that falls semitones every hour from B5 to C4 is set. When the switch 51 is pressed and released within 1 second, the calculation unit 73 immediately outputs 12 types of time signal sounds from the base point 12 o'clock to 11 o'clock in order. At this time, the corresponding keys on the keyboard display section 48 are also blinked in order. In this way, it is possible to check the scale pattern of the set time signal sound at any time with a guide on the keyboard display.

The calculation unit 73 switches the difficulty level display 46 and switches the level of the sound training each time the switch 52 is continuously pressed for 1 second or longer. As difficulty levels, beginners (Beginner), intermediates (Intermed), advanced (Advanced), and advanced (Professional) can be selected.
In beginner's mode, at each hour, as in the first embodiment, after a short time signal sound of the same scale is played, a long time signal sound is reproduced and then a scale name is output, and then a long time signal sound of the same scale is output. Output twice in succession.
In the intermediate mode, only the short time signal sound, the long time signal sound and the scale name of the same scale are output as sound.
In the expert mode, only a short time signal sound and a long time signal sound of the same scale are output as sound, and the scale name is omitted.
In the superlative mode, only a short time signal is output.
In any mode, the corresponding keyboard of the keyboard display unit 48 starts blinking in synchronization with the start of the time signal sound, and the blinking display of the keyboard ends when 1 second has elapsed after the end of the time signal sound.

The calculation unit 73 switches the mode display 45A to ON / OFF and sets the learning mode and the mute mode every time the switch 53 is pressed for 1 second or longer. When the mute mode is selected, the pitch learning function is stopped. It can function as an ordinary alarm clock with no time signal.
The switch 54 adjusts the clock, and the calculation unit 73 fast-forwards the time display 43 of the liquid crystal element 41 while the switch 54 is being pressed. When the push operation is stopped, the time count as a clock is resumed 2 seconds later, as in the first embodiment.
The switch 55 sets the volume of the time signal sound, and the volume of the time signal sound and the reading of the scale name is set using a digital volume function built in the integrated circuit 70 in advance.

According to the time signal clock of the second embodiment, when outputting the time signal sound, only the keyboard corresponding to the time signal sound is displayed so as to stand out in the keyboard row. In addition, the keyboard is engraved in relation to the time signal sound. Therefore, even an infant who cannot understand the clock can store the time scale in association with the image (position) of a specific keyboard in the keyboard row. Since the flashing display continues until 1 second later even after the time signal sound ends, it is possible to make a strong impression by seeing the keyboard of the time signal sound scale on the table clock 40 turned around by the time signal sound.
In addition, since the keyboard display section 48 is displayed on the liquid crystal element 41 and the keyboard of the corresponding scale (49, etc.) blinks in synchronization with the time signal sound, the liquid crystal is instantly displayed when the scale of the time signal sound cannot be recognized. By looking at the display 41, the time signal sound can be stored in correspondence with the position of the flashing keyboard on the keyboard display section 48.
In addition, since the position of the flashing keyboard on the keyboard display unit 48 is moved for each time signal, it is an image training for piano operation, and it is possible to sensibly memorize where the time signal sound is in an octave scale configuration.
In addition, when the scale pattern of the time signal sound is reproduced by operating the switch 51, the corresponding keyboard of the keyboard display section 48 blinks in synchronization with the time signal sound, so that the time scale sound scale pattern is associated with the blinking position of the keyboard row. In other words, it is possible to perform training for understanding which scale in the scale pattern the time signal sound is associated with the keyboard position.

According to the time signal clock of Example 2, training with the optimal learning load is possible by changing the difficulty of listening to beginner, intermediate, advanced, advanced, etc. according to the skill level of the trainee's pitch. It can be performed. In particular, at the beginner level, since the time signal of the scale is heard again after the scale name, the sound can be memorized smoothly.
In addition, by using the selected 12 o'clock scale as a starting point, the hourly tone scale is raised or lowered semitones at 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock and every hour, so that one octave (overtone) is obtained for 12 time signals until 11 o'clock. Are not included)). Therefore, if you switch to a scale when you are not familiar with the time signal, you can enjoy new stimuli and changes, and adjust the learning load step by step according to the degree of proficiency in absolute pitch, making it reflective and unconscious. The training effect of the simple scale judgment increases.
In addition, because you can select instruments, you can train the listening ability (pitch) of frequencies that do not depend on instruments, and if you get tired of one instrument sound and lack concentration, you can select another instrument and change your mood. It also helps maintain the concentration and interest of trainees. Since the instrument name is displayed on the liquid crystal element 41, the setting of the instrument that the user does not want to hear can be changed quickly without having to listen to the first time signal.
Further, since the scale pattern can be reproduced by operating the switch 51 for setting the scale pattern of the time signal sound, it is possible to easily confirm the scale pattern just set by the ear and prepare the correspondence between the scale of the time signal sound and the time. . Since the current scale pattern can be heard at any time, immediately after listening to the time signal sound, the switch 51 is operated to listen to the scale pattern, thereby performing training to determine which scale in the scale pattern the time signal sound is. be able to.

In the time signal clock of the second embodiment, a one-chip integrated circuit 70 developed for a clock application having a recording function is adopted, and recorded data is stored in a memory unit 72 built in the integrated circuit 70. An independent large-capacity memory device may be employed to increase the capacity of individual recorded data, thereby improving the sound quality of the time signal. Such an independent memory element may be replaced with a reader (media reader) that detachably holds various detachable semiconductor memory devices, or a CD-ROM drive that can exchange a data CD-ROM.
Further, instead of manually operating the switch 54 to set the current time, a radio clock function may be installed to automatically adjust the current time.

By the way, in the second embodiment, the date, time, and various settings are displayed using the liquid crystal element 41 provided with the dot matrix display section 42. However, the liquid crystal element 80 as shown in FIG. The liquid crystal element 41 may be replaced. In the liquid crystal element 80, the keyboard display unit 86 is shared with the second embodiment (keyboard display unit 48), and the dot matrix display unit 42 is replaced with a so-called segment digit display.
As shown in FIG. 9, when outputting a 2:30 hourly signal with the scale display 81 set to the A4 mode, a B5 time signal at 2 o'clock followed by a C5 time signal at 3 o'clock. Is output. At this time, the keyboard 84 blinks and B4 display (scale name and frequency) 82 is displayed in synchronization with the B4 time signal sound, and the keyboard 85 blinks in synchronization with the subsequent C5 time signal sound. At the same time, the C5 display 83 is displayed.
By adopting such a liquid crystal element 80, the number of liquid crystal electrodes to be driven is reduced, and accordingly, the necessary liquid crystal elements and the component cost of the driver are reduced.

In addition, a liquid crystal element 80 may be adopted to constitute a time signal clock for C4 / A4 mode switching as in the first embodiment.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the scale display 81 is A4 in the A4 mode in which 12:00 is set to A4 (440 Hz), and the scale display 81 is C4 in the C4 mode in which 12:00 is set to C4 (262 Hz). . In the morning / afternoon display 64, M is expressed by a fixed character, and A and P are switched and displayed by 7 segments and 1 digit. The scale name and frequency display are configured by combining 9-segment digits and 7-segment digits, and are replaced with date displays in the same manner as in the first and second embodiments except during 2-digit time signal output. The 9-segment digit is a wide digit obtained by adding two vertical center line segments for displaying the capital letters M and W to the 7-segment digit for numerical display.

  When set to A4 mode, the hour signal of A4 sharp (466 Hz), B4 (494 Hz), and C5 (523 Hz) is output in semitones at 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, and 3 o'clock on the right, and A4S (sharp) and 466 Hz respectively. , B4 and 494 Hz, and C5 and 523 Hz are displayed as characters.

According to such a time signal clock, the front and rear hour scales are continuously output at 30 minutes on the hour, resulting in a melody that rises by a semitone in the middle, and should not be confused with the hour signal of a flat melody. .
In addition, at 30 minutes on the hour, if one of the preceding and following scales can be heard, the time can be estimated to estimate the scale that could not be heard.
Moreover, since the frequency is displayed during the output of the time signal, the relationship between the scale name and the frequency can be learned.
In the 2:30 time signal, B4 (494 Hz) at 2 o'clock and C5 (523 Hz) at 3 o'clock are output continuously in the middle, but the scale name and frequency display at that time are as follows: For 10 seconds from the start of the time signal, the scale name may be fixed to B4 / C5, and only the frequency may be switched alternately between 494 Hz and 523 Hz. By displaying the scale name and frequency in 10 seconds from the start of the time signal, the scale name and frequency can be confirmed slowly by looking at the liquid crystal element 80 after judging the scale by listening to the time signal.

  In addition to wall clocks and table clocks listed in the embodiments, the present invention includes not only wristwatches, but also accessory clock functions built into keyboard instruments, electronic metronome, tuners, mobile phones, etc. It can be used for a device that outputs a time signal with a different scale every hour.

1 is a front view of a wall clock according to Embodiment 1. FIG. (Example 1) It is a circuit diagram of a wall clock. (Example 1) It is explanatory drawing of a time signal. (Example 1) It is a time chart of a time signal. (Example 1) It is a flowchart of control of a wall clock. (Example 1) It is explanatory drawing of the time signal by a chord. It is explanatory drawing of the table clock of Example 2. FIG. (Example 2) It is a circuit diagram of a table clock. (Example 2) It is explanatory drawing of a liquid crystal element.

Explanation of symbols

10 Clock 11 Dial 12 Long hand 13 Short hand 14 Circuit board 15, 60 Battery 16, 41, 80 Liquid crystal element 17, 18, 19, 20, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 Switch 21, 61 Speaker 22 Volume 23 Solar cell 24 Power supply circuit 25, 70 Integrated circuit 26, 74 Input / output unit 27, 72 Memory unit 28, 73 Operation unit 29, 75 D / A unit 30 Motor 31 Gear unit 32 Transistors 35, 48, 86 Keyboard display unit (keyboard Column)
36, 49, 84, 85 Keyboard 37 Lamp 38 Driver 40 Table clock 42 Dot matrix unit 43 Time display 44 Musical instrument display 45A Mute display 45B, 81 Scale display 46 Difficulty display 47 Date display 82 B4 display 83 C5 display

Claims (16)

In a time signal clock that displays the hourly time and outputs a time signal sound with different scales every hour,
A display means for displaying a keyboard row which can be displayed by distinguishing each key from other keys;
A time signal clock having a control means for displaying on the display means a key of the same scale as the time signal sound and distinguishing it from other keys when outputting the time signal sound. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
The control means continues the display for distinguishing the keyboard corresponding to the time signal sound from other keys until later than the time signal sound. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
A time signal clock characterized in that the display for distinguishing each key from the other keys is a display that repeats the display state of the time-varying keyboard. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
Provide switch means to start the test operation,
As soon as this switch means is operated, all hourly hourly sound signals are output in order of time starting from 12:00, and the control means synchronizes with each hourly sound signal and the corresponding keyboard of the display means. Is a time signal clock characterized by displaying it separately from other keys. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
Provide setting means to set the scale of the time signal sound at the base time from a predetermined option,
A time signal clock that outputs a time signal sound obtained by raising or lowering the scale by a semitone at every hour from a set time signal sound. In the hourly clock of claim 5,
A time signal clock that always displays the set scale name of the time signal sound at the base time. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
Character display means for displaying characters is provided,
A time signal clock characterized by displaying a scale name or a scale frequency on a character display means when outputting a time signal sound. The time signal clock according to claim 7,
A time signal clock in which the date is displayed as characters on the normal character display means, and the scale name or scale frequency is displayed as characters by replacing the date when the time signal is output. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
There is a switching means to select and set the beginner mode and advanced mode,
When the beginner mode is selected and set, the hourly sound name is output following the time signal sound, but when the advanced mode is selected and set, the time signal sound name is not output. Hourly clock. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
A time signal clock that outputs a long time signal sound of the same scale following a short time signal sound. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
Data holding means for holding recording data of time signals from multiple types of sound sources;
Provide sound source selection switch means,
A time signal clock characterized in that the sound quality of the time signal sound can be changed by operating the selection switch means to arbitrarily select a sound source to change the recording data read from the data holding means. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
At an intermediate time of 30 minutes on the hour, two hourly time signal sounds sandwiching the intermediate time are alternately output, and two corresponding keyboards of the display means are alternately displayed separately from other keys. A time signal clock. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
A time signal clock comprising adjusting means for adjusting the volume of the time signal sound. The hourly clock of claim 13,
Adjustment means
(1) Detect the ambient brightness level and control the volume of the hourly sound.
(2) Detect the ambient noise level and control the volume of the hourly sound. If the noise level is low, lower the volume than when it is high.
(3) Detect the ambient brightness level to control the volume of the hourly sound, and stop the hourly signal output if the predetermined brightness is interrupted.
A time signal clock characterized by being one of the following. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
A time signal clock provided with changeover switch means capable of setting the same time signal or no time signal sound every hour instead of the time signal sound having a different scale every hour. In the hourly clock of claim 1,
A solar cell and a charging circuit for charging the battery with the electric power of the solar cell;
Time signal clock that features power consumption from battery output.

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