DIGITAL WRISTWATCH, DIGITAL WATCH, AND DIGITAL CLOCK

• US 20110255379A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joel Vidal
• Original Assignee: Joel Vidal
• Inventors: VIDAL, JOEL
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/70
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/025 acting only at one preselected time
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/026 acting at a number of different times
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/047 provided with means for displaying at will a time indication or a date or a part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/06 using light valves, e.g. liquid crystals

Abstract

Digital wristwatch, digital watch, and digital clock. For example, a digital wristwatch comprises: a clocking module able to track: (a) current real time, and (b) rounded time; and a display unit able to display at least the rounded time. Additionally or alternatively, the digital wristwatch comprises: a clocking module able to determine current real time; a rounding unit able to determine that the real current time is at least two seconds prior to a rounded horological hour, and able to calculate rounded-up horological information; and a display unit able to display the rounded-up horological hour.

Claims

1. A digital wristwatch comprising:

a clocking module able to track;

(a) current real time, and (b) rounded time; and

a display unit able to display at least the rounded time.

2. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to substantially continuously display the rounded time without displaying the current real time.

3. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the display unit is able to substantially continuously display a single integer number, wherein the single integer number is an integer in the range of 1 to 12, wherein the single integer number represents the whole horological hour which is closest to current real time, wherein the single integer number is updated exactly once per hour.

4. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to substantially continuously display:

(a) the rounded time; and

(b) the current real time.

5. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to substantially continuously display:

(a) the rounded time; and

(b) the current real time,

wherein the rounded time is displayed at a size greater than the current real time.

6. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the clocking module comprises:

a real-time hours counter to track real-time hours value;

a real-time minutes counter to track real-time minutes value;

a rounded-time hours counter to track rounded hours.

7. The digital wristwatch of claim 6, wherein the clocking module is to check whether current content of the real-time minutes counter differs from 60 by not more than a pre-defined rounding interval;

and if the check result is positive, to assign to the rounded-time hours counter a value which is equal to;

one plus current value of the real-time hours counter.

8. The digital wristwatch of claim 7, wherein, if the digital wristwatch utilizes a 12-hour time format, then the clocking module is to wrap-around to 1 a value of 13 assigned to the rounded-time hours counter;

wherein, if the digital wristwatch utilizes a 24-hour time format, then the clocking module is to wrap-around to 0 a value of 24 assigned to the rounded-time hours counter.

9. The digital wristwatch of claim 7, wherein the rounding interval is user-modifiable.

10. The digital wristwatch of claim 7, wherein the rounding interval is approximately 30 minutes.

11. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to update the rounded time displayed thereon exactly once per hour.

12. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to update the rounded time displayed thereon exactly twice per hour.

13. The digital wristwatch of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface to receive a user selection of a display mode, from a set of two or more available display modes;

wherein the clocking module is to command the display unit to display horological information according to the user selection of the display mode;

wherein the set of two or more available display modes comprises a set including at least two of the following display modes;

(a) a display mode which substantially continuously presents only the rounded time;

(b) a display mode which substantially continuously presents both the rounded time and the current real time;

(c) a display mode which substantially continuously presents the rounded time and, using a smaller font size, the current real time;

(d) a display mode which substantially continuously presents, alternately, the rounded time and the current real time.

14. A digital wristwatch comprising:

a clocking module able to determine current real time;

a rounding unit able to determine that the real current time is at least two seconds prior to a rounded horological hour, and able to calculate rounded-up horological information; and

a display unit able to display the rounded-up horological hour.

15. The digital wristwatch of claim 14, wherein the rounding unit is able (a) to round-up a first homological information and (b) to round-down a second horological information.

16. The digital wristwatch of claim 14, wherein the rounding unit is, within a period of 3600 seconds, (a) to at least once round-up a first homological information and (b) to at least once round-down a second horological information.

17. The digital wristwatch of claim 14, wherein the clocking module is able to determine, at least once per day, that current real time is 4:

58; and

wherein upon such determination, (a) the rounding unit is to round-up the time to 5;

00, and (b) the display unit is to display the time as either “

5”

or as “

5;

00”

.

18. The digital wristwatch of claim 14,

wherein the clocking module is to determine rounded horological time in which at least a value of an hours component differs from a value of real-time hours component, if one of the following conditions holds true:

(a) current value of real-time minutes component is smaller than 60 by not more than a pre-defined rounding interval;

(b) current value of real-time minutes component is smaller than the pre-defined rounding interval.

19. The digital wristwatch of claim 18, wherein the rounding interval is user-modifiable.

20. The digital wristwatch of claim 18, wherein the rounding interval is approximately 30 minutes.