NZ280479A - Clock displaying elapsed or remaining time as proportion of predetermined period - Google Patents

Description

28^86 COGN/flfW® 6.0 0 Patents Form No. 5 Our Ref: JM501436 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Complete After Provisional Nos 280479 & 286857 Filed: 1 5 December 1995 & 19 June 1996 PROPORTIONAL TIMER I, KUN WANG, a New Zealand company of 3 Marlborough Street, Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: N.Z. PATENT OFF iU MAR 1997 . RECEIVED JM:AD:PT0578201 28 0 4 7 9j28 6 8 The present invention relates to a means for representing the elapsing of an arbitrary time interval. In particular, the present invention relates to a proportional timer. Further, it relates to a timer which times out an arbitrary time interval and displays the proportion of that time interval which has expired, or alternatively remains, at any time within that interval.

Currently, time intervals are commonly timed out on a clock. However, a clock display is arranged to conveniently display the time in respect of hours, minutes and seconds of the day. If a user wants to time out a given interval, they do so by noting the time at the start of the time interval and the time at the end of the time interval. This requires the user to do some calculation. Also, the clock will display the time in minutes or hours rather than as a proportion of an arbitrary time interval.

A more convenient timer is commonly referred to as a countdown timer. Currently countdown timers can only count down and display the remaining time in hours, minutes and seconds.

Also known are game timers which time out a set time interval dictated by the game. These timers may include a hand which rotates around a face in the sst time period. These timers do not provide a means to arbitrarily vary the time interval.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a timer which overcomes or at least reduces the above-mentioned problems or which at least provides the public with a useful alternative. 28 0 47 9/* 868 Other objects of the invention may become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

One aspect of the invention provides a timer adapted to proportionally represent the elapsing of an arbitrary time interval comprising: - a first signal generating means adapted to produce a first periodic signal having a first given period, that period being substantially a given time unit multiplied by a given fraction; - a second signal generating means adapted to receive the first periodic signal and produce a second periodic signal having a second given period, the second given period being equal to the first given period multiplied by a multiplier (N), and the given time unit multiplied by the multiplier (N) equal to the arbitrary time interval, and - display means adapted to display elapsed or remaining proportions of the arbitrary time interval, said display means advancing in relation to each period, or multiple thereof, of the second periodic signal to complete a cycle in the duration of the arbitrary time interval.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of proportionally representing the elapsing of an arbitrary time interval comprising the steps of: - generating a first periodic signal of a first given period, that first given period being substantially a given fraction of a given time unit; - generating a second periodic signal of a second given period, that second given period being substantially equal to the first given period multiplied by a multiplier (N), and the given time unit multiplied by the 28 0 4 7 9/28 6 8 5 multiplier being equal to the arbitrary time interval; - displaying elapsed or remaining proportions of the arbitrary time interval; and - advancing said display in relation to each period, or multiple thereof, of the second periodic signal to complete a cycle in the duration of the arbitrary time interval.

Another aspect of the invention comprises a computing means adapted to perform the above-mentioned method.

Other aspects of the present invention may become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1: Shows a display face of a timer of the present invention in one preferred embodiment.

Figure 2: Schematically shows the operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3: Is a diagram of an electronic circuit of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 28 0 4 7 9/28 6 8 5- Figure 1 shows a display 1, which is similar to an analog stopwatch display. The display 1 includes a hand 2 which moves around the face 5 of the display 1. The hand may move in a clockwise or anticlockwise fashion.

The display also includes graduations 3. This embodiment of the invention includes 100 graduations, although any number may be included. The graduations 3 of the display may be marked with numbers 4 which may indicate a percentage of a revolution of the hand 2 around the display face 5.

The proportional timer may include selection means, not shown, with which to select the time interval to be timed out. The selection means may include a first dial, switch or the like used to select whether the period will be in time units of seconds, minutes, or hours, and a second dial, switch or the like used to select the number of those time units to be timed out.

In use, a length of time to be timed out is selected by a user of the proportional timer. When the proportional timer is started, the hand 2 moves around the display face 5 at a constant rate. The rate is such that one revolution of the hand requires the duration of the selected time interval. At any time within the selected time interval after the proportional timer has been started, the position of the hand 2 around the face 5 of the proportional timer will be proportional to the elapsed, or remaining, portion of the selected time interval. The proportion of the selected time interval that has elapsed or remains, may be read as the percentage from the graduations 3 and numbers 4 that correspond to the position of the hand. 28 0 4 7 9^28 6 8 5 It will be appreciated that the display employed with a proportional timer of the present invention is not limited to an analog stopwatch-type display. Digital displays are also envisaged in which the proportion of elapsed or remaining time is displayed as a percentage of the selected time interval.

Referring now to Figure 2, the proportional timer may include a signal generator, or clock, 10 which produces a clock signal 11 having a selected period. In the preferred embodiment that signal will have a period of 1/100 of a selected time unit (e.g. 1/100 seconds, minutes, hours or such like). Where the time unit is minutes then the signal will be at a frequency of 1.667 Hz. The dial or switches 14a is used to select the time unit and hence the clock signal 11.

The clock signal 11 is received by a counter 12. This counter counts periods of the clock signal 11 and produces a counter signal 13. The counter signal 13 consists of one pulse for each time a given number (N) of clock periods is counted. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment the counter signal 13 can be said to consist of a clock signal having a period of N/100 minutes.

A dial or switch 14b is connected to, or incorporated into, the counter 12 to allow a user to select the number N for the counter. The number N corresponds, in this case, to the number of minutes to be timed out.

The counter signal 13 is received by a timer display device 1 5. In the preferred embodiment this timer display device 15 is an analogue device and includes the display 1 as well as electronics to drive the display. The display device 15 operates such that the hand 2 completes one revolution when the 28 0 4 7 9 /28 6 0 5 timer display device 15 receives 100 pulses of the counter signal 13, This number of pulses corresponds to one pulse for each tooth on a 100- tooth cog-wheel used to display the hand 2. The display timer 15 may advance the hand 2 by one graduation 3 for each pulse of the counter signal 13.

Therefore, one revolution of the hand 2 around the display face takes N minutes to complete.

The counter signal 13 may also be received by a second counter 17.

When the second counter 17 counts 100 pulses of the counter signal 13, corresponding to one revolution of the hand 2, it supplies a signal to the first counter 1 2 to stop that counter or activate an alarm, light or other signal to indicate that the selected time interval has elapsed.

The proportional timer may include means for a user to stop, start, and reset the device. Suitable means will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Figure 3 shows an electronic circuit which performs the features of a preferred embodiment of the proportional timer. The electronic circuit shown in Figure 3 may be divided into three functional blocks: 20, 21, and 22.

Block 20 includes the above-mentioned signal generator. In this example the signal produced is VlOO minutes per cycle, or 1.667 Hz. The block 20 includes an 872815 Hz quartz oscillator and two integrated circuits both comprising a 19-degree frequency divider. In an alternative embodiment there may be means for adjusting the period of the clock signal output from block 20 to result in a signal output corresponding with Vl00 seconds, 28 0 4 7 9/28 6 hours, etc., or indeed any other fraction of a time unit.

Block 21 includes the above-mentioned counter 12. The counter signal 13 is received by the timer display 15, not shown. The counter 12 includes a set of switches 24.

These switches 24 allow a user to select the number N of time units to be entered into the counter. The number N is entered into the counter 12 in the form of a binary-coded decimal (BCD) number.

Block 22 includes the above-mentioned second counter 1 7.

An alternative embodiment of the invention may comprise a computer or microprocessor which performs functions analogous to those of the electronic circuit of the preferred embodiment.

In yet another alternative embodiment of proportional timer of the present invention the display device may comprise an LCD display, VDU display or the like which shows a proportion of time elapsed or remaining.

The preferred embodiment of the invention provides a means to time out a time period and display the percentage of that time period which has elapsed or remains. This may find application, for example, with people performing tasks having an arbitrary time limit where those people want a convenient visual indicator of the percentage, or some other proportion, of the time interval elapsed or remaining. 28 0 4 7 9/28 6 8 5 It is to be understood that the above description relates to preferred embodiments of the present invention. Variations and modifications which lie within the scope of the invention defined by the following claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 28047928605 WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

Claims (11)

CLAIM

1. A timer adapted to proportionally represent the elapsing of an arbitrary time interval comprising: - a first signal generating means adapted to produce a first periodic signal having a first given period, that period being substantially a given time unit multiplied by a given fraction; - a second signal generating means adapted to receive the first periodic signal and produce a second periodic signal having a second given period, the second given period being equal to the first given period multiplied by a multiplier (N), said multiplier multiplied by the given time unit being equal to the arbitrary time interval, and - display means adapted to display elapsed or remaining proportions of the arbitrary time interval, said display means advancing in relation to each period, or multiple thereof, of the second periodic signal to complete a cycle in the duration of the arbitrary time interval.

2. A timer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display means is an analogue

3. A timer as claimed in either of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the second signal generator is a counter adapted to count periods of the first periodic signal and produce a signal pulse each time a number of periods is counted, that number being the multiplier, (N). display. 28 0 4 7 9/28 6 8 -11 -

4. A timer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising selection means adapted to enable selection of the arbitrary time interval.

5. A method of proportionally representing the elapsing of an arbitrary time interval comprising the steps of: - generating a first periodic signal having a first given period, that period being substantially a given time unit multiplied by a given fraction; - generating a second periodic signal having a second given period, that period being substantially equal to the first given period multiplied by a multiplier (N), said multiplier multiplied by the given time unit being equal to the arbitrary time interval; - displaying elapsed or remaining proportions of the arbitrary time interval; and - advancing said display in relation to each period, or multiple thereof, of the second periodic signal to complete a cycle in the duration of the arbitrary time interval.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the step of stopping said display at the completion of the arbitrary time interval.

7. A method as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the second periodic signal is generated by counting periods of the first periodic signal and producing a signal pulse each time a number of periods is counted, that number equalling the multiplier (N). 28 0 4 7 9/28 6 0 5 7 -12 -

8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7 further comprising the step of selecting said arbitrary time interval by selection means.

9. A computer means adapted to perform the method of any one of claims 5 to 8.

10. A timer substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of proportionally representing the elapsing of an arbitrary time interval substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. JM:AD:CSPEC78113 (a/ Q. \—oj Guv N,Z. PATENT OFFICE 14 MAR 199? . RECEIVED mseS