WO2006112641A1

WO2006112641A1 - Universal timepiece which can display day-and-night

Info

Publication number: WO2006112641A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/001418
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoon-Hyoung Eo; Jang-Sung Choi
Original assignee: Yoon-Hyoung Eo; Jang-Sung Choi
Priority date: 2005-04-18
Filing date: 2006-04-18
Publication date: 2006-10-26
Also published as: KR20060109708A

Abstract

Disclosed therein is a universal timepiece, which can display time by rotation of a time plate, the universal timepiece includes: the fixed time 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 on which the date line and day-and-night are represented; an hour plate having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time, the hour plate turning around once a day in the opposite direction to the revolution of the earth; and a time indicator for indicating local time of a specific region. The universal timepiece enables a user to easily recognize the local time and day-and-night of various regions in the world at once.

Description

UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE WHICH CAN DISPLAY DAY- AND-NIGHT

Technical Field

[1] 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 the user to easily recognize times, dates, day-and-night etc. in several cities of the world.

[2]

Background Art

[3] Presently, the Greenwich astronomical observatory defines 12:00P.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.

[4] 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÷15] as being located toward the west of the Greenwich and faster by [longitude÷15] as being located toward the east of the Greenwich, because the sun moves from the east to the west.

[5] 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.

[6] According to such necessity, several methods for informing the actual time at each world- wide region have been disclosed.

[7] 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.

[8] 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.

[9] 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, disadvantageously, this is also unable to be carried due to a large volume.

[10] As a substitute measure, an electronic watch that memorizes information of local 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. Till now, it has not been reported about a clock for displaying information of cities related with not only local time but also on-the-spot weather of each region in the world.

[11] 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.

[12] 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.

[13]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[14] 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 local time of each region in the world immediately without additional operation. [15] 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.

[16] That is, the present invention is to provide a universal timepiece which can synes- thetically display the local time and geographical environments of each region in the world at once.

[17]

Technical Solution

[18] To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a universal timepiece including: a fixed time plate(lθ) displaying a world map(l 1) which places the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describes the Southern or Northern Hemisphere; an hour plate(30) having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time, which turns around once a day in the opposite direction to the revolution of the earth; and a time indicator(40) (see FIG. 1). Reference numerals of each of parts are shown in FIG. 2. At this time, it is preferable that the world map displayed on the time plate shows the date line(12) and/or day-and-night(13).

[19]

Advantageous Effects

[20] The universal timepiece according to the present invention allows a user to easily recognize local time and on-the-spot day-and-night state of various countries immediately.

[21]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[22] FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a universal timepiece of the present invention;

[23] FIG. 2 is a view showing the winter solstice according to the example of the universal timepiece having a minute plate;

[24] FIG. 3 is a view showing the summer solstice according to the example of the universal timepiece having the minute plate;

[25] FIG. 4 is a view showing another example of a time indicator of the universal timepiece according to the present invention;

[26] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a process of automatically setting the local time linked with a positioning system of the universal timepiece of the present invention;

[27] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a process of displaying information of main cities in the world on the universal timepiece of the present invention; and

[28] FIGS. 7 and 8 are views respectively showing world maps fluoroscopically viewed according to an example of the universal timepiece of the present invention. [29]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[30] A universal timepiece according to the present invention includes: a fixed time plate(lθ) displaying a world map(l 1) which places the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describing the Southern or Northern Hemisphere; an hour plate(30) having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time, which turns around once a day in the opposite direction to the revolution of the earth; and a time indicator(40) (see FIG. 1).

[31] Reference numerals of parts of the timepiece are shown in FIG. 2. At this time, it is preferable that the world map displayed on the time plate shows the date line(12) and/ or day-and-night(13).

[32] In the present invention, the time plate is fixed, but may be freely set if needed. For example, in FIGS. 1 to 4, a region where longitude 3O⁰E is the standard hour is located in a vertically upward direction (generally, the 12 hour direction of the clock), but if needed, a user may rotate the time plate in such a way as to set locate a wanted region in the vertically upward direction.

[33] 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.

[34]

[35] The universal timepiece according to the present invention has no hour hand and minute hand, differently from traditional timepieces. Instead of those, the hour plate having the time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time indicates time while turning around once a day. At this time, if necessary, additional scales may be subdivided between the scales indicated on the hour plate, so that the user can exactly recognize a specific time in a minute unit just by the hour plate.

[36] In the case where a map of the Northern Hemisphere is represented on the time plate, the hour plate turns around in the opposite direction to the revolution of the earth, namely, in the clockwise direction. On the contrary, in the case where a map of the Southern Hemisphere is represented on the time plate, the hour plate turns around in the counterclockwise direction. Hereinafter, the timepiece on which the map of the Northern Hemisphere is represented will be described.

[37] The hour plate may be mounted on the outer rim portion of the time plate, but a transparent hour plate may be mounted on the time plate. On the contrary, a fixed transparent time plate may be located on the hour plate. In the case where the transparent hour plate is mounted on the time plate, since a radius of the hour plate may be reduced, it can solve a problem related with maintenance of planarity of the hour plane during rotation.

[38]

[39] Furthermore, to more easily display time, the universal timepiece according to the present invention may further include a minute plate(32) having a scale(33) divided in uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating minutes, which turns around once an hour in the opposite direction to the revolution of the earth (see FIG. 2). In the same way, the universal timepiece may further include a second plate having a scale divided in uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating seconds, which turns around once a minute in the opposite direction to the revolution of the earth. In a different way, to display time accurately, the universal timepiece may further include a minute plate having a scale divided in uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating minutes and a minute hand turning around once an hour, (not shown). In the same way, the universal timepiece may further include a second hand turning around once a minute. At this time, rotating directions of the minute hand and the second hand may be freely determined. Moreover, the universal timepiece may include not only an analog type clock (having the hour hand, minute hand, and second hand) but also a digital type clock for displaying time in number at the same time or separately.

[40] Also, the minute plate and the second plate may be located on the outer rim of the time plate or beneath a transparent time plate, or a transparent minute plate and a transparent second plate may be located on the time plate like the hour plate. The mutual position of the hour plate, the minute plate and the second plate is not important.

[41]

[42] The universal timepiece according to the present invention can show the local 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 shadows or colors(13), so that a user can recognize a 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. An indicator part for displaying day-and-night turns on the revolution axis of the earth once a day in such a way as to indicate day at the 12 A.M. portion and reflects a difference in length of day-and-night according to seasons. FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively show examples of the universal timepiece of the present invention at the time of the winter solstice and the summer solstice. The universal timepiece according to the present invention allows the user to easily recognize a geographical status of the earth focused on the user since the time plate on which the user's wanted region is displayed is fixed on a specific position of the timepiece.

[43] Meanwhile, in the universal timepiece according to the present invention, a region located in an area between the 12 A.M. scale indicated on the outer plate and the date line indicated on the time plate in the counterclockwise direction is a day late, compared with regions located out of the area.

[44] The user can recognize an approximate time of the specific region even though the time indicator is not provided to the timepiece, but it is preferable that the time indicator is provided to the timepiece for allowing the user to more exactly recognize time. In FIG. 1, the time indicator is mounted on the timepiece in a form of an indicator needle(40) for indicating time of the specific region, but the time indicator may adopt any form (including a scale, an arrow, a triangle, and so on) capable of indicating an exact time. It is also possible to additionally mount an outer plate for the time indicator or fit the time indicator onto a standard hour display portion. In the case where the timepiece has a case, a figure such as a line, a figure like an arrow or a triangle may be displayed on the case instead of the time indicator. One time indicator for indicating the specific region may be mounted on the timepiece, or a number of discriminative time indicators may be mounted on the timepiece so that the user can exactly recognize time of various regions corresponding to the standard hours as many as the number of the time indicators. In this case, it is preferable that the time indicators automatically or manually display the names of main regions corresponding to the standard hours. Therefore, the user can easily recognize local times of each wanted regions.

[45] The time indicator may be fixed, but preferably, rotated for visually showing the local time of the wanted region by the user's manipulation. Alternatively, it is also possible to rotate the time plate in a state where the time indicator is fixed so as to set the local time of the wanted region by the user's manipulation.

[46] Moreover, the universal timepiece according to the present invention may further include the standard hour display portion(20) fixed on the time plate, divided into 24 hours at uniform angles on the center of the time plate, and indicated with different colors according to the standard hours. At this time, the world map of the time 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 local time without any calculation of time and any additional operation. The standard hour display portion may be located at any place of the time plate. In FIG. 1, the standard hour display portion is located integrally with the outermost rim of the time plate, but the location of the standard hour display portion is not restricted to the above.

[47]

[48] The universal 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 local time indicated by the time indicator can be automatically set. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the positioning 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.

[49]

[50] 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 network 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.

[51] Actually, it is impossible to indicate all cities of the Northern Hemisphere on the time 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 time 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.

[52] FIG. 6 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 time 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.

[53] 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.

[54] In addition, the universal timepiece of the present invention may further include a display portion for indicating positions of the sun (high noon) or the moon. The display portion for indicating the positions of the sun or the moon may be freely located at any place of the timepiece. In the case where the display portion indicates the position of the sun, the display portion turns around once a day, while in the case where the display portion indicates the position of the moon, the display portion turns around once every 29.5 days. 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.

[55] 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 3θ' day according to the lunar calendar, the last day of a lunar month, when the moon and the sun keep the same angle to a central axis of the timepiece. And, it is the 15 day according to the lunar calendar, the fifteenth day of a lunar month, when the moon and the sun are located in the opposite direction from each other to the central axis of the timepiece (namely, at an angle of 180°).

[56] Meanwhile, according to the present invention, the world map of the time 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. 7 shows an example of the universal timepiece having a fluoroscopic world map viewed from the North Pole, and FIG. 8 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 flu- oroscopically.

[57] 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.

[58] 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.

[59]

Industrial Applicability

[60] According to the present invention, a user can exactly recognize the present time of a region where the user stays and the local time of various regions at once without additional operation.

[61] Furthermore, the universal timepiece according to the present invention has a

24-hours display system so that the user can immediately recognize whether the local 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 (or at the wanted region) at once.

[62] Moreover, the present invention includes a date line and a 12 A.M. display line on the time plate, so that the user can immediately recognize whether the local time of a certain region is a day ahead of or after the time of a region where the user stays.

[63] 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 full moon and old moon without seeing a calendar.

[64] Additionally, the present invention can display the local time of a wanted city and main information related with the city when the user indicates a position of the wanted region on the world map. [65]

Claims

[1] A universal timepiece for displaying time by rotation of a time plate, comprising: a fixed time plate(lθ) displaying a world map which places the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describing the Southern or Northern Hemisphere; an hour plate having a time scale divided at uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating time, which turns around once a day in the opposite direction to the revolution of the earth; and a time indicator for indicating local time of a specific region.

[2] A universal timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the time plate displays a date line and/or day-and-night on the world map thereof.

[3] A universal timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising: a minute plate having a scale divided in uniform angles on the center thereof for indicating minutes; and a minute hand turning around once an hour.

[4] A universal timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a standard hour display portion fixed on the time plate, which is divided into 24 hours at uniform angles on the center of the time plate and indicated with different colors according to the standard hours, wherein regions in a hemisphere map of the time plate are classified with colors corresponding to the standard hours of the standard hour display portion.

[5] 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 local time of a specific place.

[6] A universal timepiece according to claim 1, further displaying information of each region in the world.

[7] A universal timepiece according to claim 1, wherein further displaying a location of the moon.

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