Alarm clock with adjustment function

• US 20120300598A1
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michael Martin Murray, Rebecca Michelle Murray
• Original Assignee: Michael Martin Murray, Rebecca Michelle Murray
• Inventors: Murray, Michael Martin, Murray, Rebecca Michelle
• Application Number:
  US13/134,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300598A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/251
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/02 at preselected times, e.g. alarm clocks

Abstract

An alarm clock that will adjust a wake-up time set by a user based on the detection of a predetermined external event that is not based on user input. Examples of such external events are school closings broadcast over a radio station and flight cancellations listed on an airline'"'"'s website. The adjustment can be deactivating the alarm or changing the wake time based on the event, e.g., a one hour flight delay can be set to adjust the alarm by one hour.

Claims

1. An alarm clock that will adjust a wake-up time set by a user, the alarm clock comprising;

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory having stored therein a wake-up time as set by a user;

an event detector coupled to said processor for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined external event from a source other than a user of the alarm clock;

said memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause said processor to perform the following steps;

(1) receiving a signal from said event detector indicating the occurrence of said predetermined external event; and

(2) adjusting said stored wake-up time based on said received signal.

2. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein said step of adjusting comprises changing said stored wake-up time by a predetermined amount of time.

3. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein said memory has additional instructions that will cause said processor to perform the additional step of activating an alarm based on said adjusted wake-up time.

4. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein said step of adjusting comprises deactivating said alarm so that it will not wake the user at said stored wake-up time.

5. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein said event detector monitors a data source for said predetermined external event.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said data source is a radio transmission.

7. An alarm clock that will adjust a wake-up time set by a user based on a detected external event, the alarm clock comprising a processor and memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause said processor to perform the following steps:

(1) setting an initial wake-up time based on user input;

(2) recognizing the occurrence of a predetermined external event from a source other than a user of the alarm clock; and

(3) adjusting said initial wake up time based on said recognized occurrence of said predetermined external event.

8. The alarm clock of claim 7 wherein said step of adjusting comprises changing said stored wake-up time by a predetermined amount of time.

9. The alarm clock of claim 7 wherein said memory has additional instructions that will cause said processor to perform the additional step of activating an alarm based on said adjusted wake-up time.

10. The alarm clock of claim 7 wherein said step of adjusting comprises deactivating said alarm so that it will not wake the user at said stored wake-up time.

11. The alarm clock of claim 7 wherein said recognizing step comprises monitoring at least one public data transmission for the occurrence of at least one key word in said data transmission.

12. A method for operating an alarm clock comprising the following steps:

(1) receiving user input setting an initial wake-up time;

(2) monitoring a public broadcast source for the occurrence of a predetermined event; and

(3) adjusting said initial wake up time to an adjusted wake-up time based on said recognized occurrence of said predetermined event.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of adjusting comprises changing said initial wake-up time by a predetermined amount of time.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein further comprising the step of activating an alarm based on said adjusted wake-up time.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of adjusting comprises deactivating said alarm so that it will not wake the user at said initial wake-up time.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said public broadcast comprises a radio broadcast.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said public broadcast comprises a television broadcast.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined event is the presence of at least one predetermined key word in the public broadcast.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined event is the announcement of a school closing over a public radio station.