Reminder clock

• US 5,199,009 A
• Filed: 09/03/1991
• Issued: 03/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Geno Svast
• Original Assignee: Geno Svast
• Inventors: Svast, Geno
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US07/753,877
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 368/28, 368/29, 368/30, 368/41-44, 368/239, 368/241, 368/242, 368/240
• US Class Current: 368/240
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 19/02 by electric lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times

Abstract

A programmable clock includes a memory for storing times, dates and messages for subsequent read-out and display in providing a reminder of a birthday, anniversary, doctor'"'"'s appointment, meeting, etc. The clock is adapted for prominent display by mounting to a wall or other support structure and provides a user with a visual display of stored reminder messages, as well as an indication of the content of the reminder message, over a given future time period, i.e., all stored reminder messages for today, tomorrow, or some other selected day in the future. The reminder clock also includes a speaker and an audio recorder for providing a reminder message in the user'"'"'s own voice, as well as a printer for providing more extensive reminder messages as well as a list of all stored reminder messages. The reminder clock makes use of any one of several analog and combined analog and digital time displays which are easily read and understood, including a display presenting an analog representation of hours and a digital display of minutes. Various audio and/or video alarms are provided to indicate the read-out and display of a reminder message. An electronic pendulum is provided to indicate proper operation of the reminder clock as is a calendar indicating the days and times when stored reminder messages are to be recalled from memory and displayed.

Claims

1. A reminder clock mounted to a wall or similar support structure for entering and storing reminder messages of events and appointments for subsequent recall, said reminder clock comprising:

clock means adapted for attachment to and suspension from a wall or similar support structure, said clock means including a plurality of first analog and first digital display means for displaying current time in hours and minutes, respectively, and a plurality of second analog and second digital display means for displaying the time in hours and minutes, respectively, of the time of recall of each of said reminder messages, wherein each analog display means represents an hour position on said clock means and each digital display means comprises a digital read-out disposed adjacent each of said analog display means, and wherein said first and second analog display means comprises a common set of first display elements disposed in a generally circular manner on said clock means, and wherein said first and second analog display means are color coded with said first analog display means having a first color and said second analog display means having a second color for respectively representing the current time in hours and the hour of recall of a reminder message, and wherein said first and second digital display means comprise a common set of second numeric display elements each disposed adjacent a respective one of said first display elements for respectively indicating the current time in minutes and the recall time of a reminder message in minutes, and wherein each of said first display elements is disposed at a respective hour indicating position on said clock means;

keyboard means disposed on said clock means for entering the reminder messages and the time for recall of each of said reminder messages;

controller means coupled to said clock means and to said keyboard means for processing said reminder messages and recall times associated therewith and for providing said recall times to said clock means;

memory means coupled to said controller means for storing said reminder messages for subsequent recall at said recall times by said controller means; and

alphanumeric display means disposed on said clock means and coupled to said controller means for displaying said reminder messages read from said memory means by said controller means at a respective one of said recall times.

2. The reminder clock of claim 1 further comprising AM/PM indicating means disposed on said clock means adjacent to each of said plurality of first and second analog display means.

3. The reminder clock of claim 1 wherein each of said first display elements is a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal diode (LCD), or other source of color coded light.

4. The reminder clock of claim 1 wherein said controller means is adapted for reading from said memory means reminder messages associated with a date other than the current date entered via said keyboard means for recalling said reminder messages from said memory means and displaying said reminder messages on said alphanumeric display means and the times associated therewith on said clock means.

5. The reminder clock of claim 4 further comprising day display means for providing a visual display of the selected day for which said reminder messages are displayed.

6. The reminder clock of claim 5 wherein said day display means comprises a plurality of LEDs or LCDs, each representing a given day including the current day and a selected number of next consecutive days.

7. The reminder clock of claim 1 further comprising a perpetual calendar for displaying the day and date of a current month, said calendar further including stored message display means for displaying the recall time of reminder messages for each day of a given month.

8. The reminder clock of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of second analog display means for displaying current time in seconds.

9. The reminder clock of claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of second analog display means includes a plurality of LEDs disposed about an associated digital minutes display means, with each LED illuminating with the passage of each second.

10. The reminder clock of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of second digital display means for displaying current time in seconds.

11. The reminder clock of claim 10, wherein each second digital display means is disposed adjacent an associated pair of first analog and first digital display means.