Combined digital and analog timepiece and radiation monitor assembly

• US 4,733,383 A
• Filed: 11/21/1986
• Issued: 03/22/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nelson J. Waterbury
• Original Assignee: Nelson J. Waterbury
• Inventors: Waterbury, Nelson J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US06/933,129
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/11, 250/370, 250/526
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/00 Details of radiation-measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature

Abstract

A portable electronic timepiece and radiation monitor assembly formed by a timekeeping section so linked to a radiation monitoring section that the user is provided not only with a time display but also with a reading of the existing level of penetrating radiation to which he is exposed. The timekeeping section includes a stable, high-frequency time base from which is derived low-frequency timing pulses that serve to actuate an analog or digital time display. The radiation monitoring section includes electronic means such as a microprocessor coupled to a radiation detector yielding signal currents or pulses at a rate depending on the existing intensity of radiation. These electronic means are responsive to clock pulses from the timekeeping section to determine the number of radiation pulses yielded within a fixed time interval to provide a radiation intensity value whose magnitude is indicated on a radiation intensity display. In one preferred embodiment of the assembly realized in a wrist watch format, these radiation intensity values are stored in a special memory of the microprocessor and accumulated therein to provide on a radiation digital time display a reading in terms of RAD'"'"'s or other radiation measurement units giving the cumulative dosage to which the wearer has been subjected.

Claims

1. A timepiece and radiation monitor assembly comprising:

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said time display is an analog display.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said time display is a multi-station digital display, and said timing pulses are applied to a pulse processor whose output is applied to the digital display.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detector is a P/N junction diode.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detector is a surface barrier diode.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detector is a transistor.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said time base is constituted by a piezoelectric crystal oscillator.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said case is waterproof to permit immersion thereof in a liquid which may be radioactive, said case being immersible to a depth well below sea level.

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said radiation intensity display is constituted by a series of stations each of which when excited produce a different color.

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein said stations are constituted by LED'"'"'s of different colors.

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein said stations are constituted by solid state chromatic displays.

18. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 in a wrist watch format provided with strap components to attach the case to the wrist of the wearer.

19. An assembly as set forth in claim 14, further including a stress detector mounted on one of said strap components and coupled to said electronic means selectively in place of said radiation detector to provide on said time display a stress level indication.

20. An assembly as set forth in claim 14, further including a body temperature sensor mounted on one of the strap components and coupled to said electronic means selectively in place of said radiation detector to provide on said time display a temperature level indication.

21. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said assembly is in a clock format.

22. An assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein said clock has an analog hand display and said radiation intensity display is in the standard symbol format.

2. A. a case provided with a face;

3. B. a timekeeping section housed in the case and including a stable high-frequency time base coupled to frequency divider stages from which are derived timing pulses that are applied to a time display mounted on the face whereby the time display presents time indications in an analog or digital format, said divider stages also yielding reset pulses at timed intervals;

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said pulse processor in the timekeeping section is provided with counters yielding seconds, minutes, hours, days and months pulses whereby said digital display also provides calendar indications.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said digital time display is constituted by a series of LCD multisegment stations which are actuated through a pulse decoder coupled to the counters to provide alphanumeric indications appropriate to the data being presented thereby.

4. C. a radiation detector mounted on or in the case to provide signal pulses whose rate is dependent on the prevailing intensity of penetrating radiation;

and

5. D. a radiation monitoring section housed in the case and linked to the timekeeping section which functions as a timing clock therefor, the monitoring section including a resettable electronic dose rate counter responsive to said reset pulses and coupled to the radiation detector for counting the number of signal pulses received during each of said time reset intervals to provide an intensity value whose prevailing level is indicated on a radiation intensity display independent of the time display and also mounted on said face, whereby the assembly provides radiation intensity as well as time indications, said radiation monitoring section further including a manually-settable dosage counter coupled to said radiation detector for continuously counting the signal pulses received from the detector from the instant the dosage counter is reset, a dosage indicator, and a switch which when actuated transfers the count accumulated in the dosage counter to the indicator.