Automatic time zone adjustment of portable receiver

• US 5,089,814 A
• Filed: 07/23/1990
• Issued: 02/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: DeLuca, Michael J., DeLuca, Joan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weissman, Peter
• Application Number:
  US07/554,958
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/311.1, 340/825.26, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 340/825.49, 340/825.04, 368/47, 368/21, 368/22, 368/23, 455/181
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0076 in which the time in another time-zone or in another city can be displayed at will
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems

Abstract

A portable receiver has a time of day clock and receives a signal indicative of the location of the portable receiver. The portable receiver has a memory which has a plurality of locations with corresponding time zones. Upon reception of the location signal, the receiver determines the time zone of the location and the time zone of the time of day clock. The time of day clock is then adjusted to correspond to the time zone of the location. The location signal may also be used to adjust the operating frequency of the receiver.

Claims

1. A portable receiver for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals on at least two frequencies, the portable receiver comprising:

receiving means for receiving the signals, the signals comprising a periodically transmitted location signal, the location signal comprising one of a plurality of geographic identification signals, each of said plurality of geographic identification signals uniquely identifying a geographic location corresponding to a local area RF signalling system transmitting the signals;

decoding means for decoding the location signal;

memory means for storing at least one predetermined location signal;

frequency adjusting means coupled to said receiving means for selecting a first of said at least two frequencies in response to said decoded location signal not being equivalent to any of said at least one predetermined location signal and for selecting one of said at least two frequencies other than said first of said at least two frequencies in response to said decoded location signal being equivalent to one of said at least one predetermined location signal;

time keeping means for keeping time of day; and

time adjusting means for adjusting said time keeping means to the time of day corresponding to the geographic location of said local area RF signalling system in response to the decoded location signal matching one of said at least one predetermined location signal and for not adjusting said time keeping means to the time of day corresponding to the geographic location of said local area RF signalling system in response to the decoded location signal not matching any of said at least one predetermined location signal.

2. The portable receiver of claim 1 further wherein:

said time keeping means keeps the time of day in at least hours and minutes portions; and

said time adjusting means adjusts the hours portion of the time keeping means.

3. The portable receiver of claim 1 wherein said time adjusting means comprises:

means for determining a first time adjustment corresponding to the decoded location signal;

means for determining a second time adjustment corresponding to the time keeping means; and

means for determining the difference between the first and second time adjustments; and

wherein said time adjusting means adjusts said time keeping means in response to said difference.

4. The portable receiver of claim 1 wherein said memory means further stores a predetermined time adjustment corresponding to each of said at least one predetermined location signal wherein the time adjustment corresponding to the decoded location signal is determined by selecting a predetermined time adjustment corresponding to one of the at least one predetermined location signal matching the decoded location signal;

and wherein said time adjusting means adjusts said time keeping means in response to said predetermined time adjustment.

5. The portable receiver of claim 4 further comprising a display means responsive to said time keeping means for displaying the time of day.

6. The portable receiver of claim 5 wherein:

said memory means further stores an indication of a time zone corresponding to each of the at least one predetermined location signal, and

said display means further displays the indication corresponding to the decoded location signal.

7. The portable receiver of claim 5 wherein the location signal further comprises a message for reception by the portable receiver, the message including an address associated with the portable receiver and information associated with the message, and said receiving means further includes:

address decoding means having a predetermined address, said address decoding means for processing the location signal and determining if the address of the message matches the predetermined address and for generating a detect signal in response thereof; and

information decoding means responsive to the detect signal for processing the information of the message, wherein the information of the message is displayed on said display means.

8. The portable receiver of claim 1 further wherein said time keeping means additionally includes date information wherein said time adjusting means additionally adjusts the date information in response to the decoded location signal.

9. A portable radio frequency (RF) receiver for receiving signals transmitted by a plurality of RF signalling systems, the portable RF receiver comprising:

receiving means for receiving said signals, said signals comprising a periodically transmitted location signal, the location signal comprising one of a plurality of geographic identification signals, each of said plurality of geographic identification signals transmitted by one of said plurality of RF signalling systems and uniquely identifying a said one of said plurality of RF signalling system;

decoding means for decoding the location signal;

time keeping means for keeping time of day; and

time adjusting means for adjusting said time keeping means to the time of day corresponding to a geographic location of said one of said plurality of RF signalling systems in response to the decoded location signal comprising one of said plurality of geographic identification signals corresponding to said one of said plurality of RF signalling systems.

10. The portable receiver of claim 9 further wherein:

said time keeping means keeps the time of day in at least hours and minutes portions; and

said time adjusting means adjusts the hours portion of the time keeping means.

11. The portable receiver of claim 9 wherein said time adjusting means comprises:

means for determining a first time adjustment corresponding to said geographic location in response to the decoded location signal;

means for determining a second time adjustment corresponding to the time keeping means; and

means for determining the difference between the first and second time adjustments; and

wherein said time adjusting means adjusts said time keeping means in response to said difference.

12. The portable receiver of claim 9 wherein said time adjusting means includes:

memory means having a plurality of predetermined geographic identification signals with a time adjustment corresponding to each of said plurality of predetermined geographic identification signals wherein the time adjustment corresponding to the decoded location signal is determined by selecting a time adjustment corresponding to one of the plurality of predetermined geographic identification signals matching one of the plurality of geographic identification signals comprising the decoded location signal; and

wherein

said time adjusting means adjusts said time keeping means in response to said one of the plurality of predetermined time adjustments.

13. The portable receiver of claim 12 further comprising a display means responsive to said time keeping means for displaying the time of day.

14. The portable receiver of claim 13 wherein:

said memory means further includes an indication of a time zone corresponding to each of the plurality of predetermined geographic identification signals and the corresponding time adjustment, and

said display means further displays the indication corresponding to the one of the predetermined geographic identification signals matching the one of the plurality of geographic identification signals comprising the decoded location signal.

15. The portable receiver of claim 13 wherein the location signal further comprises a message for reception by a selective call receiver, the message including an address associated with the selective call receiver and information associated with the message, and said receiving means further includes:

address decoding means having a predetermined address, said address decoding means for processing the location signal and determining if the address of the message matches the predetermined address and for generating a detect signal in response thereof; and

information decoding means responsive to the detect signal for processing the information of the message, wherein the information of the message is displayed on said display means.

16. The portable receiver of claim 9 further wherein said time keeping means additionally includes date information wherein said time adjusting means additionally adjusts the date information in response to the decoded location signal.