JPH0682579A - Alarm clock - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an alarm clock which can be illuminated without requiring troublesome operation and without dissipating current uselessly. CONSTITUTION:When an alarm set switch 7 is turned into ON state or closed, ambient brightness is detected through a sensor section 12. When the output from the sensor section 12 represents a dark state, current time information measured through a current time measuring circuit 1 is compared with alarm time information stored in an alarm time memory circuit 4. If the current time is included in a time band from seven hours before alarm time to the alarm time or if an alarm is sounding, a control circuit 15 actuates a clockface light emitting section 13 and illuminates the analog time display part in a time display section 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an alarm clock.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are alarm clocks in which a time display portion is illuminated only when a light switch is operated, and alarm clocks in which a time display portion is illuminated only when a dark state is detected by CdS (cadmium sulfa) or the like. is there.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Generally, the purpose of using lighting in an alarm clock is to confirm the current time when an alarm is set, when waking up in the middle of the night or when an alarm is issued in a dark room. To do so.

When the present time is confirmed by illuminating the time display section only when the above-mentioned illumination switch is operated, the illumination switch must be operated at the time of getting up or at night when the consciousness is not clear. However, it has a problem that it is troublesome and it is easy to make a mistake in operation, and when the light is turned on when it is dark, when the room is darkened due to going out etc., the light turns on and the battery is wasted. It had a problem that it would end up.

An object of the present invention is to provide an alarm timepiece which can be illuminated without requiring a troublesome operation and consuming no unnecessary current.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, in an alarm timepiece which sounds an alarm sound at an alarm time when an alarm set switch is in an ON state, the time from a time before a desired time before the alarm time to the alarm time is increased. By providing the control means for operating the illumination means for illuminating the time display section when the alarm set switch is in the ON state and the detection means for detecting the ambient brightness detects the dark state in the time zone. , Achieves the above purpose.

Further, in a time zone from a time before a desired time before the alarm time to the alarm time and when the alarm sound is emitted, the alarm set switch is in an ON state and the detecting means is dark. The above object is achieved by providing control means for operating the illumination means when a state is detected.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a current time clock circuit,
It consists of a crystal oscillator, a frequency divider, etc. and measures the current time and calendar information. Reference numeral 2 is a mode designation switch for designating modes such as a current time set mode, an alarm time set mode, and a calendar set mode. Reference numeral 3 denotes an input section, which is composed of an up / down switch and the like, and is operated in a mode designated by the mode designation switch 2,
Set the current time and alarm time. An alarm time storage circuit 4 is composed of a RAM or the like and stores the alarm time set by the input unit 3. A coincidence detection circuit 5 outputs a coincidence signal when it detects a coincidence between the current time information measured by the current time clock circuit 1 and the alarm time information stored in the alarm time storage circuit 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a time display unit, which in this example is an analog time display unit for displaying the current time measured by the current time clock circuit 1 by a time pointer (not shown) and an LCD (not shown) current time clock circuit 1.
And a digital time display section for displaying the current time and the like. The digital time display section also displays setting information for each mode designated by the mode designation switch 2. Reference numeral 7 is an alarm set switch. Reference numeral 8 denotes a sounding device, which comprises a sounding circuit 9, an amplifier 10, a speaker 11, etc., and when the match signal is output from the match detecting circuit 5 with the alarm set switch 7 closed, the sounding circuit 9 operates. To output an alarm sound signal. This alarm sound signal is amplified by the amplifier 10 and sounded from the speaker 11. The alarm sound signal output from the sounding circuit 9 is for a desired time (about 5 minutes in this example) until the alarm set switch 7 is opened or a snooze switch (not shown) is operated. ) Output continues. Reference numeral 12 denotes a sensor unit that constitutes a detecting means, and in this example, is provided with CdS (cadmium sulfa) or the like and detects the ambient brightness. Reference numeral 13 denotes a dial plate light emitting portion which constitutes an illuminating means, which is composed of EL (Electro Luminescense) or the like and operates by the light emitting portion drive circuit 14 to illuminate the analog time display portion of the time display portion 6. Reference numeral 15 is a control circuit that constitutes a control means, and is composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM,
Controls various operations. Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG.

Now, it is assumed that the alarm time storage circuit 4 stores information of AM 6:00 as an alarm time.

The control circuit 15 uses the alarm set switch 7
Is off, that is, not closed (step 2)
a), the operation of the light emitting section drive circuit 14 is stopped and the dial plate light emitting section 13 is turned off (step 2b).

When the alarm set switch 7 is closed and the output of the sensor section 12 indicates a bright state (step 2c), the dial light emitting section 13 is turned off similarly to the above (step 2b).

When the alarm set switch 7 is closed and the output of the sensor unit 12 indicates a dark state, the current time information measured by the current time clock circuit 1 and the alarm time stored in the alarm time storage circuit 4 are stored. The information is compared (step 2d), and if the current time is included in the time zone from the time 7 hours before the alarm time to the alarm time (step 2e), in the present case, 7 hours before 6:00 AM If the current time is included in the time, that is, the time zone from 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM, the control circuit 15 determines that the user may confirm the time at night,
The dial plate light emitting section 13 is caused to emit light to illuminate the analog time display section of the time display section 6 (step 2f).

If the current time is not included in the above time zone,
When the alarm sound is being emitted (step 2g), the control circuit 15 determines that the user has not yet clearly awakened, and causes the dial plate light emitting portion 13 to emit light in the same manner as above, and the time display portion 6 is displayed. The analog time display section of is illuminated (step 2f).

If the alarm sound is not emitted during the operation of step 2g, it is determined that the user is awake and the dial plate light emitting portion 13 is turned off in the same manner as described above (step 2b).

As described above, in the above example, the time display portion is illuminated when the alarm is set and the surroundings are dark in the time zone from the time 7 hours before the alarm time to the alarm time. When you set an alarm and wake up in the middle of the night or when an alarm is issued in a dark room, you can check the current time without the need for complicated operations.

In the above, the example in which the time display portion can be illuminated even while the alarm sound is sounding has been shown, but an example in which the time display portion is not illuminated while the alarm sound is sounding is shown below. In addition,
The circuit configuration is the same as in FIG.

The operation will be described with reference to FIG.

If the current time is not included in the time zone from the time 7 hours before the alarm time to the alarm time, the control circuit 15 stops the operation of the light emitting section drive circuit 14 and turns off the light. Thereafter, the same operation as described above is performed.

In the above example, when the alarm set switch is ON, the time display section is illuminated in the time zone from 7 hours before the alarm time to the alarm time and when the surroundings are dark. The possible time period is not limited to the above, and may be a time period from 6 hours before the alarm time to the alarm time, and can be changed appropriately. In addition, it is desirable that the length of the above-mentioned illumination-enabled time zone is the sleeping time of the user.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the alarm set switch is in the ON state, in an alarm clock that sounds an alarm sound at the alarm time, in a time zone from a time before a desired time before the alarm time to the alarm time, When the alarm set switch is in the ON state and the detecting means for detecting the ambient brightness detects the dark state, the alarm means is set by providing the control means for operating the illuminating means for illuminating the time display section. Then, when you wake up in the middle of the night or when an alarm is issued in a dark room, you can check the current time without any troublesome operation. Moreover, it is possible to eliminate wasteful consumption of current.

Then, in the time zone from the time before the alarm time to the alarm time and when the alarm sound is emitted, the alarm set switch is in the ON state and the detection means is dark. In addition to the above effects, by providing a control means for operating the above-mentioned lighting means when a state is detected, the lighting is turned on even when an alarm is issued in a dark room, so that it is easy to wake up. You can check the current time on.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 Alarm Set Switch 6 Time Display Section 13 Lighting Means 12 Detecting Means 15 Control Means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An alarm timepiece for producing an alarm sound at an alarm time when an alarm set switch is in an ON state, an illumination means for illuminating a time display portion, a detection means for detecting ambient brightness, and the alarm described above. When the alarm set switch is in the ON state and the detection means detects a dark state in a time zone from a time before a desired time to the alarm time, a control means for operating the illumination means is provided. An alarm clock characterized by being equipped. 2. An alarm timepiece which emits an alarm sound at an alarm time when the alarm set switch is in an ON state, an illumination means for illuminating a time display portion, a detection means for detecting ambient brightness, and the above alarm. In the case where the time zone from the time a desired time before the time to the alarm time and the alarm sound are sounded, when the alarm set switch is in the ON state and the detection means detects the dark state, An alarm timepiece comprising: a control unit that operates the illumination unit.