JPH07198880A - Clock with alarm - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable setting and releasing of alarm time of a clock with alarm to be performed with an easy operation, easily identifying the alarm time and setting a plurality of alarm times in 24 hours. CONSTITUTION:Illuminated push button switches 3, 3 are arranged on the outer circumferential face of an analog indication type clock, and by alarm time points, alarm times are set to illuminate, and by pushing again, the alarm times are released to turn off the light. Thus, when the present time becomes equal to the alarm time, an alarm generation means 6 is activated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of an alarm timepiece which performs an alarm operation when the clock time coincides with the alarm time, and more particularly, it facilitates setting and cancellation of the alarm time and simply displaying the alarm time. Together with 24
The present invention relates to a new clock with an alarm that enables setting of a plurality of alarm times within a time range.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An analog display type timepiece with an alarm is usually provided with an alarm time setting hand in addition to an hour hand and a minute hand, and the alarm time is set by turning a specially provided knob. , By adjusting the hand to the position corresponding to the alarm time on the dial.

Further, the setting of the alarm time is released by a releasing means such as a slide mechanism or a push button provided separately.

[0004]

However, due to the emphasis on the time display, which is the main purpose of the timepiece, it is necessary to prevent the user from misreading the clock time due to the location of the alarm time setting hand. The alarm time setting hands are thinner and less visible than the hour and minute hands.

Therefore, it is difficult to read the alarm time and the setting operation is difficult for the elderly and the visually impaired.
It is a structure that cannot be touched, making it difficult to handle.

Further, since the alarm time setting hand is only one, the alarm time setting is limited to once. Therefore, when setting a plurality of alarm times, there is a disadvantage that a corresponding number of clocks are required.

The present invention eliminates the inconveniences of the conventional timepieces described above, and can be easily handled by seniors and persons with low vision, and can set a plurality of alarm times with a single timepiece, thus making it possible to set complicated schedules. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a convenient clock for prompting medications and daily routines for elderly people who have high utility value in business or who forget many things.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an analog display type timepiece mechanism and a plurality of alarm time setting devices on the outer periphery of a dial of the timepiece mechanism at equal intervals on the circumference. An alarm time setting panel provided with an illuminated push button switch, a switch number determination means for determining the switch number of the push button switch that is turned on, and an alarm time is set and stored from the switch number of the push button switch that is turned on. Alarm time setting means for comparing the clock time and the alarm time, and an alarm generating means for generating an alarm when they match, and an alarm generated by the push button by pressing the switch button switch that is turned on again. And an alarm canceling means for canceling the setting of the time.

[0009]

As shown in FIG. 1, the alarm timepiece 1 according to the present invention configured as described above has a plurality of illuminated pushbutton switches 3, 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as switches) arranged on the alarm time setting panel 2. ), The switch number discriminated by the switch number discriminating means 4 is discriminated.

At this time, the set alarm time is displayed on the clock face by causing the pressed switch to emit light.

Next, the alarm time setting means 5
The alarm time corresponding to the determined switch number is set and stored.

Then, the alarm generation means 6 compares the clock time with the alarm time, and when they match, the alarm mechanism is activated.

As the alarm generating means, it is possible to employ a sounding of a chime or a bell, or blinking of light of a specific part of a clock.

In the dial of a normal analog display type timepiece, 360-hour rotation of the hour hand corresponds to 12 hours, and the time display does not distinguish between am and pm. Therefore, in order to set the alarm time within 24 hours, it is necessary to separately set the morning and afternoon on the circumference. To achieve this, the difference between the alarm set time in the morning and that in the afternoon is changed by changing the position in the radial direction of the dial.

The switch number discriminating means 4 is capable of discriminating a plurality of switches which have been turned on, and therefore, it is possible to set an alarm time for a plurality of times within 24 hours.

The alarm time setting is released by pressing the switch 3 that has been turned on again by the alarm releasing means 7.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the alarm time setting panel 2 is constituted by two concentric ring-shaped switch groups 3 and 3 on the outer circumference of the dial, and the outer switch group sets the am time. , The switch group on the inside sets the afternoon time.

Twenty-four illuminated push-button switches (hereinafter simply referred to as switches) are arranged at equal intervals on the outer and inner rings, respectively. The time indicated by each switch is recognized by extending the display on the dial in the radial direction. For example, a switch located at an angle of 1 o'clock on the dial corresponds to 1:00 am on the outside and 1:00 pm on the inside.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shape of the front of the switch is a circle in the morning and a square in the afternoon in order to facilitate the distinction between the morning time and the afternoon time, and the numbers and angular positions representing the time are set. The same switch 3 is made larger than the others, but this is not an essential component of the present invention.

In the timepiece of the illustrated embodiment, the alarm time is set in units of 30 minutes, but if the dimensions allow, the number of switches can be increased and the alarm time can be set finely.

To set the alarm time, the switch corresponding to the time to be set is pressed to turn on the switch to emit light. The number of switches to be pressed may be one or more.

Since the timepiece device itself is publicly known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the switch number discriminating means 4, the alarm time setting means 5 and the alarm releasing means 7 shown in FIG.
Can be constituted by a substantial electric circuit, but in the illustrated embodiment, its function is realized by a microcomputer.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 8 indicates a microcomputer, which mainly comprises a microprocessor (central processing unit) 9, a memory (storage device) 11, and an interface (input / output signal processing circuit) 1.
2 and.

The interface 11 includes 48 electric switch groups 13 arranged in a matrix of 6 columns and 8 rows.
And the same number and the same group of 48 light emitting element groups 14 arranged in a matrix.

An electric switch S constituting the electric switch group 13 and a light emitting element L such as a light emitting diode corresponding to the electric switch S on the matrix form a switch 3. The latter is built into the former.

Then, the electric switch group S, in the first to fourth rows,
S and light emitting element groups L and L are from 0:30 am to 12 am
Hourly, those in lines 5-8 correspond from 0:30 pm to 12:00 pm.

For example, the switch S (A1) and the light emitting element L
(A1) is S (P6) and L (P
6) corresponds to the switch 3 corresponding to the position of 3:00 pm.

Next, the control by the microcomputer 8 will be described with reference to a flow chart. P1 to P in the figure
Reference numeral 21 indicates each step of the flowchart.

FIG. 3 shows the main flow chart of this control.
When the power of the watch is turned on, it automatically starts in step P1.

Whether or not the alarm time has been set for each switch is determined by turning on and off a timer set flag signal (hereinafter simply referred to as a flag). Here, ON is a state where the flag is set, and OFF is a state where the flag is not set.

The flag is tested in step P2, and the result is O
If it is FF, the alarm generation means 6 is turned on in step P3.
Set to FF and return to step P2.

If the result is ON in step P2, it is verified in step P4 whether the clock time is equal to the alarm time. If the result is YES, the alarm generating means 6 is activated in step P5.

If the result is NO in step P4, the process returns to step P2.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for setting the alarm time.

In step P6, a clock is periodically interrupted to the main flow, all switches are scanned in step P7, and it is verified in P8 whether or not the switches are on. If the switch is not on, the process returns to step P7.

If the switch is turned on in step P8,
In step P9, the switch number being switched on is determined. This switch number is taken out as a coordinate signal from the electric switch group 13 (see FIG. 2).

In step P10, the flag of the switch number is verified. If the result is OFF, the LED corresponding to the switch is turned on in step P11, and then the flag of the switch is turned on in step P12.
After setting the alarm time corresponding to the switch in step 3, the process returns to the main flow in step P14.

If the result is ON in step P10, P
At step 15, the LED corresponding to the switch is turned off, then at step P16, the flag of the switch is turned off,
At step P17, the alarm time of the switch is released,
The process returns to the main flow in Step P14.

The steps P6 to P9 realize the function of the switch number judging means 4, and the steps P10 to P17 realize the function of the alarm time setting means 5 and the alarm canceling means 7, respectively.

Although FIG. 5 shows a flow for interrupting an alarm, this alarm interruption is not an essential constituent element of the present invention.

The user operates the bell stop button 15 (see FIG. 2).
By pressing, the main flow is interrupted in step P18, and the alarm generation means 5 is turned off in step P19.
Test whether N or not.

If the test result is YES, step P20
Then, the alarm generating means 5 is turned off, and the process returns to the main flow in step P21. If the result is NO in step P19, the process returns to the main flow in step P21.

[0045]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the illuminated push button switch for setting the alarm time is provided on the outer circumference of the dial, and the switch corresponding to the desired alarm time is pressed. , You can set the alarm time,
Since the switch can be released by pressing the switch again and the switch for which the alarm time has been set emits light, there is an effect that it is easy for an elderly person and a weak-sighted person to handle and easily identify.

Also, since it is possible to set a plurality of alarm times within 24 hours, it is convenient to promote medication and daily routines for elderly persons who have improved utility value in business with complicated schedules or who have become more forgetful. There are various effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an alarm watch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of a control unit of the alarm timepiece according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a main flow of a microcomputer for control.

FIG. 4 is an interrupt flowchart for setting an alarm time.

FIG. 5 is an interrupt flowchart for interrupting an alarm.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Clock with Alarm 2 Panel 3 Switch 4 Switch Number Discrimination Means 5 Alarm Time Setting Means 6 Alarm Generation Means 7 Alarm Release Means 8 Microcomputer 9 Microprocessor 11 Memory 12 Interface 13 Electrical Switch Group 14 Light-Emitting Element Group 15 Bell Stop Button

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An analog display type timepiece mechanism, and an alarm time setting panel comprising a plurality of alarm time setting illuminated pushbutton switches arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the dial of the timepiece mechanism. Comparing the clock time with the alarm time, switch number discrimination means for discriminating the switch number of the push button switch that has been switched on, and alarm time setting means for setting and storing the alarm time from the switch number of the push button switch that has been switched on However, it has an alarm generating means for generating an alarm when these match and an alarm canceling means for canceling the setting of the alarm time made by the push button by pressing the push button switch that is turned on again. A clock with an alarm.