System and method for indicating elapsed time

• US 20070091726A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Escali Corp.
• Original Assignee: Double U Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Whitehurst, Kathleen, Stauffer, Deborah
• Granted Patent: US 8,441,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 10/00 Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means

Abstract

An electronic timing device is disclosed for simply and easily indicating elapsed time since a food container was opened. The electronic timing device can be directly attached to the food container and can be activated when first opening the food container. Activation occurs via a simple one-button-press operation. Thereafter, the electronic timing device displays elapsed time in days. Additionally, via a further one-button-press operation, the electronic timing device can display elapsed time in hours within the current day. Thereafter, viewing the display readily indicates the elapsed time since the food container was first opened. The electronic timing device can be reused by directly attaching it to another food container and re-activating the electronic timing device. The electronic timing device can be used with any container or to indicate elapsed time of any event having occurred.

Claims

1. An electronic timing device comprising:

an electronic timer;

a switch for activating the electronic timer;

a display for showing elapsed time as determined by the electronic timer; and

a suction cup for directly attaching the electronic timing device to a container.

2. The electronic timing device of claim 1 wherein the display for showing elapsed time alternates between showing days elapsed and hours elapsed.

3. The electronic timing device of claim 2 wherein the display for showing elapsed time is a two-digit numerical elapsed time display and an alphanumeric scale display.

4. An electronic timing device comprising:

an electronic timer;

a switch for activating the electronic timer;

a display for showing elapsed time as determined by the electronic timer; and

a magnet for directly attaching the electronic timing device to a metallic portion of a container.

5. The electronic timing device of claim 4 wherein the display for showing elapsed time alternates between showing days elapsed and hours elapsed.

6. The electronic timing device of claim 5 wherein the display for showing elapsed time is a two-digit numerical elapsed time display and an alphanumeric scale display.

7. An electronic timing device for indicating elapsed time after opening a food container, the electronic timing device comprising:

a housing;

an electronic timer for measuring elapsed time, the electronic timer located within the housing;

a switch for activating the electronic timing mechanism to begin measuring elapsed time, the switch located inside the housing;

a button for triggering the switch, the button accessible from outside the housing;

a display for showing the elapsed time, the display visible from outside the housing; and

a suction cup for directly attaching the electronic timing device to the food container, the suction cup located on the bottom of the housing unit.

8. The electronic timing device of claim 7 wherein the display for showing elapsed time alternates between showing days elapsed and hours elapsed.

9. The electronic timing device of claim 8 wherein the display for showing elapsed time is a two-digit numerical elapsed time display and an alphanumeric scale display.

10. A method of determining elapsed time since opening a container, the method comprising:

directly attaching an electronic timing device to a container;

opening the container;

activating a timing function of the electronic timing device;

counting elapsed time since activating the timing function of the electronic timing device; and

displaying the counted elapsed time in days.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying the counted elapsed time in hours within a current 24 hour period.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container is via a suction cup.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container is via a magnet.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container is via Velcro or adhesive tape.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein opening the container occurs before directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein activating the timing function of the electronic timing device occurs before directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein activating the timing function of the electronic timing device is accomplished by pressing a button on the electronic timing device for a predetermined period of time.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying the counted elapsed time further comprises displaying an alphanumeric time scale display.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein displaying counted elapsed time further comprises displaying an operating indicator.

29. The method of claim 11 wherein reading a display of the counted elapsed time further comprises reading a display of an operating indicator.

20. A method of determining elapsed time since opening a container, the method comprising:

directly attaching an electronic timing device to a container;

opening the container;

pressing a button on the electronic timing device for a predetermined time to activate a timing function of the electronic timing device thereby causing the timing device to start counting elapsed time; and

reading a display of the counted elapsed time in days.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein reading the display of the counted elapsed time in days further comprises reading a display of the counted elapsed time in hours within a current 24 hour period.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container is via a suction cup.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container is via a magnet.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container is via Velcro or adhesive tape.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein opening the container occurs before directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein pressing the button to activate the timing function of the electronic timing device occurs before directly attaching the electronic timing device to the container.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein pressing the button on the electronic timing device to activate the timing function of the electronic timing device is for a predetermined period of time.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein reading a display of the counted elapsed time in days further comprises reading a display of a time scale.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein reading the display of the counted elapsed time in hours within a current 24 hour period occurs after pressing the button on the electronic timing device for a shorter period of time than the predetermined time to activate the timing function of the electronic timing device.