Autonomous radio timepiece

• US 5,105,396 A
• Filed: 05/02/1991
• Issued: 04/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Junghans Uhren GmbH
• Original Assignee: Junghans Uhren GmbH
• Inventors: Hodapp, Wolfram, Ganter, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US07/694,690
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 368/46, 368/47, 368/49, 368/51, 368/59
• US Class Current: 368/47
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0064 in which functions not related to time can be displayed digital output to display devices of digital computers G06F3/14
• 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: G04R 20/08 the radio signal being broadcast from a long-wave call sign, e.g. DCF77, JJY40, JJY60, MSF60 or WWVB
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/04 Antennas attached to or integrated in watch bracelets

Abstract

An autonomous radio timepiece (1), in particular small, portable timepiece such as a travel alarm clock or a wrist watch includes a display (25) of the prevailing radio field intensity. The display (25) is capable of simultaneously signaling the actuation of a receiver (14) for the decoding of absolute time information and is conveniently combined, in the form of a bar graph, with day indicator flags adjacent a day-of-the-week display (26). When operating outside the time zone for which the transmitter emits the coded absolute time information, the time piece may be manually switched to the instantaneously prevailing time zone. The number of time zone changes may be entered and displayed, or the prevailing hour (H) of the time zone involved is entered, from which an electro-mechanical time display (18) then continues to advance.

Claims

1. An autonomous timepiece comprising:

an internal timekeeping circuit for generating an autonomous time signal;

a radio receiver for receiving radio transmissions of time information and generating an absolute time signal;

a register for registering time according to said absolute time signal when said radio receiver is activated and according to said autonomous time signal when said radio receiver is not activated, whereby the received time information corrects any deviation in the registered time according to the absolute time signal and the autonomous time signal advances the registered time when said receiver is not activated; and

a display for displaying the registered time and for displaying the field intensity of the time information transmission.

2. Radio timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the field intensity display is in the form of a bar graph.

3. Radio timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said display includes a day-of-the-week display and said field intensity display includes elements, wherein said elements also act as flags of said day-of-the-week display.

4. Radio timepiece according to claim 2, wherein said display includes a day-of-the-week display and said field intensity display includes elements, wherein said elements also act as flags of said day-of-the-week display.

5. Radio timepiece according to claim 3, wherein said display includes a day-of-the-week display and said field intensity display includes elements, wherein said elements also act as flags of said day-of-the-week display.

6. Radio timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a modulator for modulating said field intensity display during the actuation of a radio receiver.

7. Radio timepiece according to claim 2, further comprising a modulator for modulating said field intensity display during the actuation of a radio receiver.

8. Radio timepiece according to claim 3, further comprising a modulator for modulating said field intensity display during the actuation of a radio receiver.

9. Radio timepiece according to claim 4, further comprising a modulator for modulating said field intensity display during the actuation of a radio receiver.

10. Radio timepiece according to claim 5, further comprising a modulator for modulating said field intensity display during the actuation of a radio receiver.

11. Radio timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining the number of radio receptions said receiver has attempted but were futile, and wherein said display further indicates the number of past futile reception attempts, said indication optionally blinking during the actuation of said radio receiver.

12. Radio timepiece according to claim 11, wherein said display has a normal display mode and an auxiliary display mode, said display includes an opto-electronic display section and wherein the indication of the number of attempted receptions is provided on said opto-electronic display section when said display is manually switched to its auxiliary display mode.

13. Radio timepiece according to claim 12, wherein said opto-electronic display section includes day digits corresponding to current day and wherein the number of attempted receptions is indicated by at least one of the day digits of the opto-electronic display when said display is in its auxiliary display mode.

14. Radio timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a manual switch for switching said display between a normal display and an auxiliary display, and, in the case of said display is manually switched from its normal display, manually variable time zone information may be displayed.

15. Radio timepiece according to claim 14, wherein said display displays a time zone difference between a received time information and a prevailing hour of a local time zone.

16. Radio timepiece according to claim 14, wherein said display includes an electro-mechanical time display section and a digital display section, and wherein a prevailing hour of the local time zone may be displayed digitally and serve as the reference information for the adjustment of an electromechanical time display section.

17. Radio timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising

a case for housing the radio timepiece,

a wristband for securing said case to an object,

an antenna for receiving radio transmissions and integrated into wristband, and

a connecting device for connecting said antenna mechanically to said case and electronically to said radio timepiece,

wherein said display includes an electromechanical time display and a manually switchable opto-electronic display, said opto-electronic display located, relative to the electro-mechanical display, diametrically opposite said electrical and mechanical connecting device of said antenna.

18. Radio timepiece according to claim 2, further comprising a built-in power source, wherein the bar graph may be switched to display the capacity of a built-in source of power.

19. Radio timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a built-in power source, and wherein said display includes a digital display section with a switchable opto-electronic display, said opto-electronic display section displaying warning information when said built-in power source is critically low.