Receiving device with timekeeping function

• US 5,265,070 A
• Filed: 06/07/1991
• Issued: 11/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Minowa, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US07/713,251
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 368/47-61
• US Class Current: 368/47
• 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 20/14 the radio signal being a telecommunication standard signal, e.g. GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/18 Decoding time data; Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches

Abstract

A receiver with timekeeping function for maintaining and displaying at least two different times of day which are each updated based on an external signal. The receiver includes first timekeeping circuitry for generating first time related information and second timekeeping circuitry for generating second time related information. Each time of day is represented by hours, minutes and seconds. The second time of day is further adjusted based on the adjustments made to the first time of day to insure that the second time of day does not gain or lose a minute of time.

Claims

1. A receiver and dual timekeeping device comprising:

receiver means for receiving an external signal;

first timekeeping means for generating first time related information;

second timekeeping means for generating second time related information maintainable at a selected time interval from said first time related information said external signal, said first time related information and said second time related information each including data representing hours, minutes and seconds; and

control means coupled to said receiver means, said first timekeeping means, and said second timekeeping means for receiving said external signal and adjusting said hours, minutes and seconds of said first time related information of said first timekeeping means and for adjusting only said seconds and minutes of said second time related information of said second timekeeping means based on the external signal and not adjusting the second time related information representing the hours based on the data representing hours of said external signal or on any adjustment to the data representing hours of said first time related information so as to maintain said selected time interval between the minutes information, if any, of said first and second time related information.

2. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said second time related information is adapted to be additionally set and adjusted manually.

3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said control means determines the amount of adjustment made to the data representing minutes of said first time related information and further adjusts the data representing minutes of said second time related information based on the amount of adjustment made to the data representing minutes of said first time related information and the difference between the minutes of the first and second time related information prior to adjustment of said first time related information.

4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said control means is operable for maintaining the data representing seconds of said first time related information and the data representing seconds of said second time related information at the same value.

5. The receiver of claim 1, further including storage means for storing said amount of adjustment made to said first time related information.

6. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said control means is further operable for determining the presence of time related information in said external signal and inhibiting adjustment to said first time related information and said second time related information in the absence of time related information in said external signal.

7. The receiver of claim 1, in combination with wireless transmitter means, said transmitter means for transmitting said external signal.

8. The receiver of claim 1, further including display means for displaying said first time related information and said second time related information.

9. The receiver of claim 8, wherein said display means is a liquid crystal display device.

10. The wireless receiving device of claim 8, further including switching means for controlling said display means to selectively display said first time related information and said second time related information.

11. The receiver of claim 1, further including oscillator means for providing an oscillating signal, said first timekeeping means and said second timekeeping means responsive to said oscillating signal in generating said first time related information and said second time related information, respectively.

12. The receiver of claim 3, wherein said control means is further operable for determining the presence of time related information in said external signal and inhibiting adjustment to said first time related information and said second time related information in the absence of time related information in said external signal.

13. The receiver of claim 4, wherein said control means is further operable for determining the presence of time related information in said external signal and inhibiting adjustment to said first time related information and said second time related information in the absence of time related information in said external signal.

14. The receiver of claim 4, further including display means for displaying said first time related information and said second time related information.

15. The receiver of claim 14, wherein said display means is a liquid crystal display device.

16. The wireless receiving device of claim 15, further including switching means for controlling said display means to selectively display said first time related information and said second time related information.

17. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said external signal further includes a non-time related message and wherein said control means is operable for processing said non-time related message and further including warning means to identify processing by said control means of said non-time related message.

18. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said control means further adjusts at least data representing seconds of said second time related information based on the data representing seconds of said first time related information following adjustment to the latter.

19. The receiver of claim 8, wherein said control means further adjusts at least data representing seconds of the second time related information based on the data representing seconds of the first time related information following adjustment to the latter.

20. The receiver and dual timekeeping device of claim 1, wherein said selected time interval is selectable at a value not being a multiple of one hour.

21. The receiver of claim 3, further including a single oscillator, said first timekeeping means and said second timekeeping means responsive to said single oscillator in generating said first time related information and said second time related information.

22. A receiver and dual timekeeping device comprising:

receiver means for receiving an external signal;

first timekeeping means for generating first time related information;

second timekeeping means for generating second time related information, maintainable at a selected time interval from said first time related information, said external signal, said first time related information and said second time related information, each including data representing hours, minutes and seconds; and

control means coupled to said receiver means, first timekeeping means, and second timekeeping means for receiving said external signal and adjusting said hours, minutes and seconds of said first time related information of said first timekeeping means based on said external signal, for determining the amount of adjustment made to said first time related information and for adjusting only said minutes and seconds of said second time related information based only on the amount of adjustment made to said minutes and seconds of said first time related information following adjustment to the latter and not adjusting the data representing the hours of said second time related information based on any adjustment to the data representing hours of said first time related information so as to maintain said selected time interval between the minutes information, if any, of said first and second time related information.

23. The receiver of claim 22, wherein said control means determines the amount of adjustment made to the data representing minutes of said first time related information and further adjusts the data representing minutes of said second time related information based on the amount of adjustment made to the data representing minutes of said first time related information.

24. The receiver of claim 23, wherein said control means further adjusts at least data representing seconds of said second time related information based on the representing seconds of said first time related information following adjustment to the latter.

25. The receiver of claim 22 wherein said control means is operable for maintaining the data representing seconds of said first time related information and the data representing seconds of said second time related information at the same value, said second time related information being adapted to be additionally set and adjusted manually.

26. The receiver of claim 24, wherein said control means is operable for maintaining the data representing seconds of said first time related information and the data representing seconds of said second time related information at the same value.

27. The receiver of claim 22, further including storage means for storing said amount of adjustment made to said first time related information.

28. The receiver of claim 22, wherein said control means is further operable for determining the presence of time related information in said external signal and inhibiting adjustment to said first time related information and said second time related information in the absence of time related information in said external signal.

29. The receiver of claim 22, in combination with wireless transmitter means, said transmitter means for transmitting said external signal.

30. The receiver of claim 22, further including display means for displaying said first time related information and said second time related information.

31. The wireless receiving device of claim 30, further including switching means for controlling said display means to selectively display said first time related information and said second time related information.

32. The receiver of claim 22, further including oscillator means for providing an oscillating signal, said first timekeeping means and said second timekeeping means responsive to said oscillating signal in generating said first time related information and said second time related information, respectively.

33. The receiver of claim 22, wherein said external signal further includes a non-time related message and wherein said control means is operable for processing said non-time related message and further including warning means to identify processing by said control means of said non-time related message.

34. The receiver and dual timekeeping device of claim 22, wherein said selected time interval is selectable at a value not being a multiple of 1 hour.

35. A method of timekeeping by a wireless receiver and dual timekeeping device having first timekeeping means for generating first time related information, second timekeeping means for generating second timekeeping information, and control means for adjusting said first time related information and second time related information, comprising the steps of:

receiving an external signal;

generating first time related information by said first timekeeping means;

generating second time related information by said second timekeeping means, said external signal, said first time related information and said second time related information each including data representing hours, minutes and seconds;

maintaining a selected time interval between said first time related information and said second time related information;

adjusting said hours, minutes and seconds of said first time related information of said first timekeeping means by said control means based on said external signal; and

automatically changing only said minutes and seconds of said second time related information of said second timekeeping means by said control means based on said external signal and not changing said hours of said second time related information based upon said external signal so as to maintain said selected time interval between the minutes information, if any, of said first and second time related information.

36. The method of claim 35, further including the step of providing means for manually adjusting at least the hours and minutes of said second tie related information.

37. The method of claim 35, further including determining the presence of time related information in said external signal and inhibiting adjustment to said first time related information and said second time related information in the absence of time related information in said external signal.

38. The method of claim 37, further including displaying said first time related information and said second time related information.

39. The method of claim 35, further including identifying processing by said control means of non-time related information.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of changing includes changing the data representing minutes of said second time related information based on the amount of adjustment made to the data representing minutes of said firs time related information and the difference between the minutes of the first and second time related information prior to adjustment of said first time related information.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of changing also includes changing at least data representing seconds of said second time related information based on the data representing seconds of said first time related information following adjustments to the latter.

42. The method of claim 35, further including maintaining the data representing seconds of said first time related information and the data representing seconds of said second time related information at the same value.

43. The method of claim 35, further including determining the presence of time related information in said external signal and inhibiting adjustment to said first time related information and said second time related information in the absence of time related information in said external signal.

44. The method of claim 35, further including identifying processing by said control means of non-time related information.

45. The method of claim 37, further including identifying processing by said control means of non-time related information.

46. The method of claim 35, further including the step of selecting a time interval which is not a multiple of one hour.