JPH01302194A - Time/date inputting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate input of time and date by providing a time and date input mechanism having input keys numbered from #1 to #12 and arranged annularly with key #12 being set at the top. CONSTITUTION: A keyboard 1 for day planner comprises a time input mechanism 2, an LCD clock display 3 indicating current time, a recording key 4, and a message key 6. At the time of inputting a notice of AM 10:15, the LCD 3 responds with 10 when a user depresses a key indicative of 10 o'clock on the dial and then responds with '10:15' when the user subsequently depresses a key indicative of 3 o'clock on the dial. When the key 4 is depressed, the notice can be recorded and it is reproduced at a preset time.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (b) Industrial application field This invention is a clock for electrical or electronic devices.

Concerning the date input mechanism.

(b) Prior Art Examples Various parts of widely used equipment such as EVAs, video cassette recorders (VCRs), cooking stoves, alarm clocks, environmental control systems, and safety devices are known to It is equipped with a timer that can be set in advance to ensure that it is turned on and off at certain times.

For example, a video cassette recorder allows users to
A timer is provided that allows the machine to be set to record television programs.

Such timers are digital, which means that
This means that if a program starts at 10:15am, the user has to set four numbers: 1 and 0 for 10am and 1 and 5 for past 15 minutes. . Thought and care is required to convert the time, which is usually customary in analog format (on a clock face), to a number (for example, five minutes after 1:00 is 0° 1.0.5).

(c) Object of the Invention An object of the invention is to provide a time and date input mechanism that allows the user to set the time more easily and conveniently in a format that is already understood (i.e., on a clock dial). The goal is to provide the following.

Furthermore, this mechanism can also be configured to set the month and day.

(B) Structure of the Invention The present invention provides a time or date input mechanism in which the means for setting the time or date is in the form of keys arranged in a closed configuration. The closed shape, which is convenient for setting the time, is similar to the shape of a traditional clock dial, with keys numbered 1 to 12 arranged in a ring shape with 12 at the apex. It has become.

This closed shape is arranged in a ring with 12 as the vertex.
2 keys, the time that can be set with it is in 5-minute increments, whereas the closed shape has 60 keys arranged in a ring with the apex at 60. If so, the time that can be set thereby is in 1 minute increments. Regarding the arrangement of the dial, the choice of 12 or 60 keys depends on how precisely the time has to be set in the device in which the element is used. For example, on a VCH, setting the time to 5 minutes is likely to be satisfactory, and more precise adjustments to times shorter than 5 minutes may be possible using existing means of such operation built into normal VCHs. However, setting the time to 1 minute may be desirable in the cooking open.

If the time input mechanism is in the form of a clock dial with 12 keys arranged symmetrically around its circumference, it is necessary to provide means for selecting AM or PM. This is 12
It can be in the form of a tens and - key that can be used to quickly and easily jump through increments of time.

If the time input mechanism is in the form of a watch dial with symmetrical VC60 keys arranged around it, then when the device is in "time mode" one of the 60 keys, for example number 23, can be pressed. Therefore, you can (a) set the time to the nearest hour (either 12-hour or 24-hour format, e.g. 9,0OK), or (b) set the time and minutes to the nearest compound form, e.g. It can also be set to 04,36.

You can return to the established state by pressing the CLEAR key or "Timeout".

If the time setting mechanism is built into the alarm clock, and the user wishes to set the wake-up time to 8:15 a.m., only keys 8 and 3 representing the hour and minute hands need to be pressed.

This mechanism has 31 days in its closed shape forming the number of days in a month.
If the key is ring-shaped, it can be used as a date input mechanism instead of a time input mechanism.

The present invention is an electronic "day planner" that can take the form of a desktop solid-state voice recorder and timer that can be utilized to announce appointments or convey messages at precise times over the next 24 hours.
” is especially used as part of the The most important feature of this device is the ease with which time settings can be programmed using this method with only two keystrokes. The devices typically include LEDs to display time and other information in a digital manner.

In certain embodiments, up to 16 announcements can be pre-recorded and announced during the next 24 hours or during business hours. Good things K, announcements are made 2
Seconds before, a chime-like signal is given. Messages can be played back or deleted at any time.

Instead of playing a prerecorded announcement, use a flashing LED or chime to alert the user about the appointment;
Or it can act as a suggestion. For example, to enter an announcement for the start of the user's workday, say 10:15 a.m., the user simply presses the key representing 10 o'clock on the dial, the LCD responds with "10" and then the text Press the key representing 3 o'clock on the board, and the LCD will display "
10:Reply with 15J. The "Record" key is then pressed so that the announcement can be recorded and will be played at the preset time.

The device may be equipped with semi-automatic AM/PM selection. This allows the announcement time setting selection operation to be made more rapid, but it does not mean that the time you are trying to set is within the next 1
This is because if it is within two hours, the user does not need to select morning or afternoon before setting the time.

When the time is entered as shown above, the computer anticipates up to 12 hours and selects the upcoming morning or afternoon. If you want to set the time so that the announcement to be recorded will be transmitted later than the next 12 hours, select AM or PM by pressing the AM/PM selection key or +
/- key.

Therefore, if a "day planner" is used in an office where working hours are set from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the time entry mechanism can be configured to automatically select the next slot in the work day. can be programmed. For example, if a user types in 1=00 at 4:00 p.m., the input mechanism automatically sets the Day Planner to issue an announcement at 1:00 p.m. the next day, and then presses the AM/PM (i.e. + or -) key. By using it, adjustments can be made over 12 hours. For home use, it may be more convenient if "working hours" are not programmed into the device. However, in such a day planner it would probably be desirable to enter an announcement for several days in the future, by pressing the tens key 2N times if the announcement is for N days ahead. The time input mechanism can be programmed to ensure this.

(e) Examples Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a day planner keyboard 1 according to the present invention.
, which incorporates a time entry mechanism 2 with twelve time entry keys numbered 1 to 12 and arranged in the shape of a conventional watch dial. Also included is an LCD clock display 3 showing the current time. To record a message, the record key 4 is pressed and the message is entered by the microphone. The time at which the announcement is to be issued can be preset by pressing the appropriate key on the time input mechanism 2. A message can be deleted by pressing key 5 and repeated by pressing key 6. Key 7 is LCD
It can be used to set the exact time on the clock display 3. Time input mechanism 2 using arrow 8
12 hours of forward movement and increments in the opposite direction using arrow 9.

If only an audible signal is desired before or without a voice message being generated, the chime key 10 must be pressed after the time has been set by the time input mechanism 2.

FIG. 2 shows a circuit for the day planner of FIG. 1, in which 20 is a first memory chip and 21 is an arbitrary second memory chip. 22 is a memory chip 20 and 2
1 and an audio chip connected to a microcomputer 23 that controls the time input device 2 and the LCD display 3.

In the foregoing description, modifications, changes and alternatives are possible, and in some instances some features of the invention may be utilized without corresponding use of other features. Therefore, it is appropriate that the claims be interpreted broadly and consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a day planner keyboard incorporating a time input mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram for the day planner of FIG. In the figure, 1 is the keyboard, 2 is the time input mechanism, and 3 is the LED
Clock display, 4 is the record key, 5 is the delete key,
6 is a repeat key, 7 is a clock correction key, 8 is a 12-hour skip, 9 is a 12-hour reverse, 10 is a chime key,
Reference numerals 20 and 21 indicate a memory chip, 22 an audio chip, and 23 a microcomputer, respectively. Patent Applicant Cytic Limited

Claims (8)

[Claims] (1) Time, characterized in that the means for setting the time or date is in the form of keys arranged in a closed shape;
Date input mechanism. (2) In the input mechanism according to claim 1,
The time and date input mechanism, wherein the closed shape is in the shape of a clock dial, and the keys constitute the time on the dial. (3) In the input mechanism according to claim 2,
The time and date input mechanism, wherein the closed shape is in the shape of a dial of a 12-hour clock. (4) In the input mechanism according to claim 2,
The time and date input mechanism, wherein the closed shape is in the shape of a dial of a 24-hour clock. (5) In the input mechanism according to claim 1,
The closed shape is in the form of a clock dial with keys from 1 to 60 arranged symmetrically around the dial, so that the time can be set in minute increments. The time and date input mechanism is characterized by: (6) The input mechanism according to claim 3 or 5, further comprising additional + and - keys, by which 12 hour increments of time are selected. The time and date input mechanism is characterized by: (7) In the input mechanism according to claim 1,
The time and date input mechanism, wherein the closed shape is annular and the keys constitute the days of one month. (8) A programmable apparatus for generating one or more prerecorded signals or spoken messages at one or more preset times, the apparatus comprising: 8. Programmable device, characterized in that it includes a time and/or date input mechanism according to any one of the preceding clauses.