WO2006109987A1

WO2006109987A1 - Universal timepiece which can display day-and-night

Info

Publication number: WO2006109987A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/001340
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoon-Hyoung Eo; Jang-Sung Choi
Original assignee: Yoon-Hyoung Eo; Jang-Sung Choi
Priority date: 2005-04-12
Filing date: 2006-04-12
Publication date: 2006-10-19
Also published as: KR20060108099A

Abstract

Disclosed therein is a universal timepiece, which can display time by rotation of needles. The universal timepiece includes: an inner plate displaying a world map placing the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describing the Southern or Northern Hemisphere, the inner plate turning around once a day in the same direction as the revolution of the earth; an outer plate having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time; and an hour hand indicating hours by turning around once a day. The universal timepiece enables a user to easily recognize the on-the-spot time and day-and-night of various regions in the world at once.

Description

[DESCRIPTION] [Invention Title] UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE WHICH CAN DISPLAY DAY-AND-NIGHT

[Technical Field]

<i> The present invention relates to a universal timepiece which displays time of a specific region in such a way that a user easily recognizes the time, and which enables a user to easily recognize times, dates, day-and- night etc. in several cities of the world. [Background Art]

<2> Presently, the Greenwich astronomical observatory defines 12.'OOP.M. at the region of longitude 0° when the sun crosses the meridian and 12:00A.M. at the region of longitude 180° for the standard hour commonly used in all over the world. The Greenwich also designates a date line at the region of longitude 180° so that the east region of the date line is a day ahead of the west region based on the Northern Hemisphere.

<3> 24-hours is a period of time that the earth rounds the sun with 360° , and thereby, longitude 15° corresponds to 1 hour. In reference of the north hemisphere, time goes slower by [longitude÷lδ] as being located toward the west of the Greenwich and faster by [longitude÷lδ] as being located toward the east of the Greenwich, because the sun moves from the east to the west.

<4> With development of transportation and communication, due to globalization of the world, opportunities for traveling abroad or doing an on-the-spot business with foreign enterprises are increased, whereby the world is frequently interchanged between various regions by telephone or Internet. Therefore, it becomes necessary to recognize the actual time on each spot exactly.

<5> According to such necessity, several methods for informing the actual time at each world-wide region have been disclosed.

<6> For a simple method, an equation timepiece describing time difference between cities is adopted so as to calculate actual time of main cities or regions in the world. However, such method has several problems in that it is too difficult to measure time and inconvenient to be carried, and in that it is incapable of informing time of cities excluded on the equation timepiece.

<7> To solve such problems, some offices, which frequently exchange messages with foreign countries, may install a number of watches displaying actual time of corresponding cities separately. However, such method also has several problems in that it is restricted with the office as well as needs much space and cost for installing the devices independently. <8> Furthermore, a commercial product that automatically displays actual time of cities located on the longitude passing a base line when rotating a world globe. However, disadvantageousIy, this is also unable to be carried due to a large volume.

<9> As a substitute measure, an electronic watch that memorizes information of on-the-spot time in worldwide cities has been disclosed. The electronic watch is advantageous in that a user can recognize time of cities without any calculation and carry it easily. However, the electronic watch is disadvantageous to require additional operation. Moreover, a conventional watch that includes a round plate combined to the axis of an hour hand, marking a number of cities thereon, and turning with the hour hand. However, such conventional watch also has several disadvantages in that the names of the cities marked on the round plate are limited. Even if informing time exactly, sensory time is influenced by the time of sunrise and sunset according to seasons and by latitude. So, because the length of the day and the night is not uniform, the prior art watches that do not indicate the day- and-night state of the actual space cannot exactly display the on-the-spot state.

<io> Meanwhile, during the recent several decades, development of electronic communication technology and spread of personal portable communication devices have been rapidly increased. Therefore, not a portable mechanical watch(for example, a wristwatch), or a simple portable electronic watch indicating time in number or displaying the hour hand and the minute hand on an LCD but an immaterial digital watch that exists in a portable communicate device or a computer programmatically is demanded.

<π> Additionally, according to diversification and sensitivity of people's desires, a watch of a new concept, that displays time of a specific region not in number but in a form sensed with eyes and body, namely, enabling people to sense the nature as it is, is needed.

<12>

[Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

<i3> Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above- mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a universal timepiece which can display the on- the-spot time of each region in the world immediately without additional operation.

<i4> It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal timepiece which can display a day-and-night state immediately by displaying a location of the sun at each region in the world.

<i5> That is, the present invention is to provide a universal timepiece which can synesthetically display the on-the-spot time and geographical environments of each region in the world at once.

<16>

[Technical Solution]

<i7> To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a universal timepiece including." an inner plate displaying a world map which places the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describes the Southern or Northern Hemisphere, the inner plate being adapted to turn around once a day in the same direction as the revolution of the earth; an outer plate having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time; and an hour hand indicating hours by turning around once a day.

<18> [Advantageous Effects]

<i9> According to the present invention, a user can exactly recognize the present time of a region where the user stays and the on-the-spot time of various regions at once without additional operation.

<2o> Furthermore, the universal timepiece according to the present invention has a 24-hours display system so that the user can immediately recognize whether the on-the-spot time is the forenoon hours or afternoon hours, and displays day-and-night changeable according to seasons and latitude so that the user can visually recognize the day-and-night state on the spot at once.

<2i> Moreover, the present invention includes a date line and a 12 A.M. display line on the inner plate, so that the user can immediately recognize whether the on-the-spot time of a certain region is a day ahead of or after the time of a region where the user stays.

<22> In addition, the present invention includes a moon position display portion, so that the user can easily recognize the lunar date of the present day and the state of the moon such as fool moon and old moon without seeing a calendar.

<23> Additionally, the present invention can display the on-the-spot time of a wanted city and main information related with the city when the user indicates a position of the wanted city on the world map.

<24>

[Description of Drawings] <25> FIG. 1 is a view showing the spring equinox time according to an example of a universal timepiece of the present invention; <26> FIG. 2 is a view showing the winter solstice according to the example of the universal timepiece of the present invention; <27> FIG. 3 is a view showing the summer solstice according to the example of the universal timepiece of the present invention; <28> FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a process of automatically setting the on-the-spot time linked with a positioning system of the universal timepiece of the present invention; <29> FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a process of providing information of main cities in the world on the universal timepiece of the present invention; and <3o> FIGS. 6 and 7 are views respectively showing world maps fluoroscopically viewed according to an example of the universal timepiece of the present invention.

<3i> *******Reference numerals of the essential parts in the drawings******* <32> 10... inner plate 11... world map of hemisphere <33> 12... date line 13... day-and-night display <34> 20... standard hour display portion <35> 30... outer plate 31... time scale <36> 40... hour hand 41... minute hand <37> 42... secondhand

<38>

[Best Mode]

<39> A universal timepiece according to the present invention includes: an inner plate displaying a world map placing the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describing the Southern or Northern Hemisphere, the inner plate turning around once a day in the same direction as the revolution of the earth; an outer plate having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time; and an hour hand indicating hours by turning around once a day. At this time, it is preferable that the inner plate displays the date line and/or day-and-night on the world map.

<40> The timepiece according to the present invention may be a simply digitalized actual watch or a programmatically displayed watch mounted in a mobile phone, a PDA or a personal computer. Hereinafter, a "universal timepiece" or a "watch" described in the present invention means the above watches.

<4i> In the case where the inner plate displays a map of the Northern Hemisphere, the inner plate and the hour hand turn in the same direction as the revolution of the earth, namely, in the counterclockwise direction. On the contrary, in the case where the inner plate displays a map of the Southern Hemisphere, the inner plate and the hour hand turn in the clockwise direction. The hour hand may be set separately from the turning of the inner plate. Therefore, if a user wants to move to other region or recognize time and day-and-night of the region, the user sets the hour hand in such a way that the hour hand is positioned on a standard hour point of the corresponding region, and then, operates the watch.

<42> In FIG. 1, the outer plate has a time scale, but if the watch has a case (an actual case or a virtual case on a screen), the time scale and numbers may be indicated on the case without needing of the outer plate. <43> The universal timepiece according to the present invention can show the on-the-spot time and a sunrise or sunset state of the corresponding region at once without additional operation. The time of sunrise and sunset is influenced by seasons and latitude because the revolution axis of the earth is inclined. So, because the length of the day and the night is not uniform, the prior art watches cannot exactly display the sunrise or sunset state of each region in the world. However, according to the present invention, the world map displays the sunrise or sunset state with a difference of lines, shadows or colors (13), so that a user can recognize a geographical day-and- night state, passage of time from the sunrise, and the time left till the sunset at a specific region or all over the world without additional operation. FIG. 1 shows the spring equinox time, FIG. 2 shows the winter solstice, and FIG. 3 shows the summer solstice according to an example of the universal timepiece of the present invention.

<44> Meanwhile, in the universal timepiece according to the present invention, a region located in an area between the 12 P.M. scale indicated on the outer plate and the date line indicated on the inner plate in the counterclockwise direction is a day late, compared with regions located out of the area.

<45> Moreover, the timepiece according to the present invention may further include a minute hand (41) rotating once an hour, and/or a minute hand rotating once an hour and/or a second hand (42) rotating once a minute. The outer plate may separately include a scale indicating hours and a scale indicating minutes and seconds as shown in FIG. 1, but include a scale indicating hours, minutes and seconds together. As described above, the outer plate indicating minutes and seconds, and the case may be formed integrally.

<46> Furthermore, the timepiece according to the present invention may further include a standard hour display portion (20) divided into 24 hours at uniform angles on the center of a time plate, indicated with different colors according to the standard hour, and turning around once a day in the same direction as the revolution of the earth. At this time, the world map of the inner plate is indicated in the same color as the standard hour display portion according to the standard hour, whereby the user can immediately recognize the on-the-spot time without any calculation of time and any additional operation. The standard hour display portion may be located at any place of the watch. In FIG. 1, the standard hour display portion is located between the inner plate and the outer plate, but the location of the standard hour display portion is not restricted to the above.

<47> The timepiece of the present invention may be linked with a positioning system so as to automatically apply a time difference against the standard hour, so that the on-the-spot time indicated by needles can be automatically set. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the position check system. If the universal timepiece according to the present invention in which wireless communication means is mounted asks position information of the present position to a GPS (Global Positioning System), the GPS grasps position information through one of various methods, for example, communication with a satellite, and sends position information to the universal timepiece. The universal timepiece received position information adjusts the one-the-spot time automatically or manually. According to circumstances, the GPS may be manufactured integrally with the universal timepiece. Such system is very useful when the user travels various regions where the standard hours are different from one another, since the system automatically applies the standard hour of the actual place without additional operation.

<48> In addition, the universal timepiece of the present invention may indicate information of each region in the world. At this time, "each region in the world" may mean a country, a wide area or a subdivided administrative district of a specific country (for example, America, a state of America, a county of a state of America, Korea, a city of Korea, Gun of a city of Korea, and so on), or a main city of the world. The timepiece of the present invention may have information of each region of the world therein, or be linked with Internet sites containing the up-to-date information of each region of the world, whereby the timepiece can display main information of the corresponding region, such as news of the region, when the user indicates the region on the world map. If necessary, it is possible to provide a path capable of providing further information by linking the main information with other information. The user may indicate the wanted region using a keyboard, a touch screen, a mouse, or other proper inputting means. Actually, it is impossible to indicate all cities of the Northern Hemisphere on the inner plate. Therefore, it is preferable to apply a "tool tip" technique that has been widely known in an Internet programming field. For example, when a user moves an indicator such as a courser to a point of the corresponding region on the world map of the inner plate, the names of the corresponding regions are indicated at points within a predetermined distance from the courser by the tool tip technique. When the user selects the name of a specific region, information of the region is indicated in the form of tool tip.

<49> FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a process of providing information of main cities in the world. For example, when a user clicks a specific place (point or city) on the inner plate with the courser, information of the name of the corresponding place is extracted by the embedded program, and transmitted to a server through a wire or wireless communication network. The server extracts information of the corresponding region, and transmits it to the timepiece through the wire or wireless communication network. The transmitted information is displayed on a screen of the timepiece.

<50> The user can easily obtain information of the wanted region at any time using such system. At this time, the transmitted information may be information of various categories according to circumstances.

<5i> Moreover, the universal timepiece according to the present invention may further include a moon position display portion and a sun position display portion. The moon position display portion may be located at any proper place on the time plate and set in such a way as to turn around once every 29.5 days, and the sun position display portion is located at a place where a high noon (12 P.M) is indicated. Meanwhile, the location of the moon is divided into an actual location according to the natural phenomena and a virtual location set according to the lunar calendar. For example, the moon is actually located at a specific location in the universal timepiece of the present invention, but the moon according to the lunar calendar is virtually located before or after the actual moon. Additionally, the universal timepiece may indicate the lunar calendar date. In this case, the user selects a date system used in each cultural range. That is, the user may select a proper date according to the cultural range, since the Islamic lunar calendar of the Islam cultural range and the lunar calendar of the Orient have different date systems.

<52> The system according to the present invention can roughly analogize the lunar calendar date according to relative locations of the sun and the moon.

That is, it is the 30 day according to the lunar calendar, the last day of a lunar month, when the moon is located at the 12 P.M. position like the sun. But it is the 15 day according to the lunar calendar, the fifteenth day of a lunar month, when the moon is located at the 12 A.M. position which is opposite to the position of the sun.

<53> Meanwhile, according to the present invention, the world map of the inner plate may display only the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, but it is also possible to display a full world map in such a way as to be fluoroscopically viewed from the South Pole or the North Pole. For this, for example, the world map is manufactured in such a way that a land part is shown translucently and the other part excepting the land part is shown transparently, and then, the visible land part and the projected land part are painted with different colors. FIG. 6 shows an example of the universal timepiece having a fluoroscopic world map viewed from the North Pole, and FIG. 7 shows another example of the universal timepiece having a fluoroscopic world map viewed from the South Pole. In the case where the fluoroscopic world map is applied to the timepiece, also the date line and the day-and-night may be displayed fluoroscopically.

<54> The universal timepiece according to the present invention may be applied to both of a digital watch and an analog watch. Moreover, the universal timepiece may be applied to a portable watch, a table watch, a wall clock, an online clock, and so on according to use purpose.

<55> This specification of the present invention describes just the configuration and turning speed of each plate, but those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs can easily embody the universal timepiece according to the present invention referring to this specification. That is, the universal timepiece of the present invention may be achieved by a mechanical method by combination of saw teeth which have a driving device and a specific rotational ratio, or by an electronically operated form, for example, a display device such as an LCD or a monitor.

<56>

[Industrial Applicability]

<57> The universal timepiece according to the present invention enables a user to easily recognize the on-the-spot time and day-and-night of various regions in the world at once.

<58>

Claims

[CLAIMS] [Claim 1] <60> A universal timepiece which can display time by rotation of needles, comprising: <6i> an inner plate displaying a world map which places the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describes the Southern or Northern

Hemisphere, the inner plate being adapted to turn around once a day in the same direction as the revolution of the earth; <62> an outer plate having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time; and <63> an hour hand indicating hours by turning around once a day.

<64>

[Claim 2]

<65> A universal timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the inner plate displays a date line and/or day-and-night on the world map thereof.

<66>

[Claim 3]

<67> A universal timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a minute hand rotating once an hour, and/or a minute hand rotating once an hour and/or a second hand rotating once a minute.

<68>

[Claim 4]

<69> A universal timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a standard hour display portion divided into 24 hours at uniform angles on the center of a time plate, indicated with different colors according to the standard hour, and turning around once a day in the same direction as the revolution of the earth,

<70> wherein regions in the world map of the inner plate are classified with colors corresponding to the standard hours of the standard hour display portion.

<71>

[Claim 5]

<72> A universal timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the universal timepiece is linked with a positioning system, whereby the universal timepiece receives information of latitude and longitude from the positioning system and automatically set the on-the-spot time of a specific place.

<73>

[Claim 6]

<74> A universal timepiece according to claim 1, further displaying information of each region in the world.

<75>

[Claim 7]

<76> A universal timepiece according to claim 1, wherein further displaying a location of the moon.

<77>

[Claim 8]

<78> A universal timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the world map of the inner plate is displayed in such a way as to be fluoroscopically viewed from the South Pole or the North Pole.

<79>