Sunrise alarm clock

• US 20100232261A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi Ming Suen
• Original Assignee: Chi Ming Suen
• Inventors: Suen, Chi Ming
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/256
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times

Abstract

An alarm clock including a rectangular base, a housing mounted on the base, an opaque portion on the front of the housing, a translucent portion on the front of the housing, a time display located on the front of the housing, and a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion, wherein a first time prior to a set time for an alarm a first number of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit, wherein on successive times prior to the set time for the alarm successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit, and wherein at the set time for the alarm the entire plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

Claims

1. An alarm clock comprising:

a rectangular base having a first horizontal axis and a second horizontal axis;

a housing mounted on the base, the housing having a substantially oval shape having a front and a back, the housing having a first oval axis aligned with the first horizontal axis and a second oval axis aligned with a width of the housing and aligned with the second horizontal axis;

an opaque portion on the front of the housing;

a translucent portion on the front of the housing;

a time display located on the front of the housing; and

a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion;

wherein a first time prior to a set time for an alarm a first number of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit;

wherein on successive times prior to the set time for the alarm successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit; and

wherein at the set time for the alarm the entire plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

2. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein a vertical axis of the housing is aligned vertically to the base.

3. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein the width of the housing is less than a height of the housing from the base.

4. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein the opaque portion on the front of the housing and the translucent portion on the front of the housing are separated by an arcuate line.

5. The alarm clock of claim 4 wherein the time display is intersected by the arcuate line separating the opaque portion on the front of the housing and the translucent portion on the front of the housing.

6. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein the first time is 20 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm.

7. The alarm clock of claim 6 wherein on a first successive time 15 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm a first successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

8. The alarm clock of claim 7 wherein on a second successive time 10 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm a second successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

9. The alarm clock of claim 8 wherein on a third successive time 5 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm a third successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

10. The alarm clock of claim 9 wherein at the set time for the alarm the entire plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

11. The alarm clock of claim 10 wherein at the set time for the alarm an audible alarm is sounded.

12. The alarm clock of claim 11 wherein one minute after the set time the audible alarm and the plurality of light emitting diodes are turned off.

13. The alarm clock of claim 1:

wherein the set time, the first time prior to the set time, and the successive times prior to the set time are settable; and

wherein the first number and successive number of light emitting diodes to light are settable.

14. An alarm clock comprising:

a substantially oval housing;

an opaque portion on the front of the housing;

a translucent portion on a front of the housing, wherein the opaque portion on the front of the housing and the translucent portion on the front of the housing are separated along an arcuate line; and

a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion;

wherein a first time prior to a set time for an alarm a first number of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit;

wherein on successive times prior to the set time for the alarm successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit; and

wherein at the set time for the alarm the entire plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

15. The alarm clock of claim 14 wherein the first time is 20 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm.

16. The alarm clock of claim 15 wherein on a first successive time 15 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm a first successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

17. The alarm clock of claim 16 wherein on a second successive time 10 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm a second successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

18. The alarm clock of claim 17 wherein on a third successive time 5 minutes prior to the set time for the alarm a third successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

19. The alarm clock of claim 18 wherein at the set time for the alarm the entire plurality of light emitting diodes are lit and an audible alarm is sounded.

20. The alarm clock of claim 19 wherein one minute after the set time for the alarm the plurality of light emitting diodes and the audible alarm are turned off.