Program to synchronize pace in a multimode alarm timepiece

• US 5,050,141 A
• Filed: 07/30/1990
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HE Holdings, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Timex Corporation (Tanager Group BV)
• Inventors: Thinesen, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US07/559,770
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/72-74, 368/107-113, 368/250-251, 364/410, 364/413.02, 364/561, 364/569, 340/309.15, 340/309.4, 340/384 E, 377/15, 377/20
• US Class Current: 368/73
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/025 Electronic metronomes rhytem generation for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/36
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/085 provided with date indication

Abstract

A multimode electronic timepiece has an electroptic display, an alarm, several pushbuttons and an integrated circuit programmed to keep time. Several timepiece operating modes include a pace mode, wherein audible periodic beeping sounds are produced by the alarm which correspond to the value of a preselected pace of an operator. A first manual actuation of a pushbutton commences a timing event, and second manual actuation of the pushbutton terminates the timing event. An internal program alters the preselected pace and stores an altered pace in response to the time elapsed between first and second actuation of the pushbutton. The program displays the altered pace and causes the alarm to beep at a rate equivalent to the altered pace.

Claims

1. Improvement in a multimode electronic timepiece having an electroptic display, an audible device, a plurality of manually actuated actuators and a mask programmable integrated circuit programmed to keep time and to provide a plurality of timepiece operating modes including a pace mode, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to permit an operator to switch between modes in response to actuation of at least a first of said actuators;

said integrated circuit being further programmed to accept and store information in memory in response to actuation of at least a second of said actuators, to perform calculations thereon and to display said information and results of said calculations on said elec display;

said integrated circuit being further programmed to provide, upon actuation of at least a third of said actuators, audible periodic electronic sounds produced by said audible device, wherein the frequency of said sounds varies proportionately to the value of a preselected pace of said operator, and wherein said improvement comprises;

means responsive to first manual actuation of a selected actuator coinciding with one footfall of the operator to commence a timing event;

means responsive to second manual actuation of said selected actuator coinciding with a later footfall of the operator to terminate said timing event;

program means to alter said preselected pace and store an altered pace which is inversely proportional to the time elapsed between first and second actuation of said selected actuator; and

,

means for displaying said altered pace and causing said audible device to sound at a rate equivalent to said altered pace.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein at least said selected actuator is a pushbutton which operates switch closures inside said timepiece, wherein said switch closures are closed only for so long as said pushbutton is depressed.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said elapsed time comprises the time between the opening of said switch closure after first actuation of said selected actuator and the closing of said switch closure upon said second actuation of said selected actuator.

4. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said first and second actuation of said selected actuator respectively comprise the manual depression and release of said selected actuator by said operator, wherein said depression and release of said selected actuator respectively correspond to the closing and opening of said switch closure, and wherein said elapsed time comprises the time between said opening and closing of said switch closure.

5. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said program means include an interval timer and incremental counter.

6. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein said program means are adapted to cause said audible device to produce a preselected number of sounds at a rate which varies proportionately to the pace value which is being currently stored in said pace mode.

7. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein said program means are adapted to provide for the return from a currently displayed mode to the mode last displayed before actuation of said selected actuator, if said selected actuator is not actuated within a predetermined count on said incremental counter.

8. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein said program means are adapted to provide for the checking of the status of said interval timer, and the resetting of said incremental counter and restarting of said interval timer if the difference in time between first and second actuation of said selected actuator exceeds a predetermined time to which said interval timer is set.

9. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to perform calculations and to display in said pace mode, a plurality of states selected from the group consisting of:

steps per minute;

minutes per mile; and

miles per hour.

10. The improvement according to claim 9, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to allow said operator, while in said pace mode, to cycle said timepiece through said plurality of states in a preselected manner through repeated manual actuation of one of said actuators.

11. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to provide for a calibration mode having means for storing an operator stride length, to display said value in response to actuation of one of said actuators and, whereby said operator may alter the value of said length of operator stride through the actuation of one of said plurality of said actuators.

12. The improvement according to claim 11, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to allow said operator to alternately display said length of operator stride in feet and inches or centimeters through the actuation of one of said actuators.

13. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to provide for an elapsed time mode, and to count down from a preselected time to continuously compute an elapsed time.

14. The improvement according to claim 13, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to store an operator stride length and to perform calculations to compute a distance to be traveled based on said elapsed time and said stride length.

15. The improvement according to claim 14, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to allow an operator to alternately display said elapsed time and said distance to be traveled through the repeated actuation of one of said actuators.

16. The improvement according to claim 13, wherein said integrated circuit is programmed to automatically place said timepiece in said elapsed time mode at preselected times after said elapsed time mode has been initiated.

17. The improvement according to claim 16, wherein said timepiece is placed in said elapsed time mode at a time that is one half of said preselected time to which said operator has set said elapsed time mode and wherein said electroptic display includes an indicia representing half of the distance to be traveled, and having means to actuate said indicia.