Silent alarm timepiece

• US 5,282,181 A
• Filed: 08/23/1991
• Issued: 01/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shelly Karen Entner
• Original Assignee: Shelly Karen Entner
• Inventors: Entner, Shelly K., Blanco, Ernesto E., Lichtman, Philip R., Gernes, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US07/749,206
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 368/72-74, 368/230, 368/246, 368/250, 368/255, 340/407
• US Class Current: 368/73
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 25/04 Alarm clocks or watches with devices stimulating the skin normal pocket or wrist alarm clocks G04B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/021 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00

Abstract

A timepiece to be worn on the person which provides a silent mechanism alarm in the form of a tactile stimulus to the wearer when the chosen alarm time is reached. The tactile stimulus is provided by a motor attached to or integral with the timepiece and which may be driven by the same battery. The motor may actuate an element which creates the tactile stimulus in the form of vibrations, oscillations, a thumping sensation or a tightening of the wristband, among others.

Claims

1. An alarm timepiece capable of being worn on a person'"'"'s wrist which comprises, in combination:

an electrically operated timekeeper comprising (1) an electrically-operated time-keeping means including visual time display means and a watch circuit for keeping time and operating said time display means, said watch circuit including means for generating an electrical alarm signal at pre-selected times, and (2) a watch casing containing said time-keeping means; and

a tactile alarm mechanism attached to said timepiece so as to be in physical contact with the wrist of a person wearing said timepiece, said tactile alarm mechanism comprising a housing attached to said casing, an electric motor mounted within said housing, a tactile stimulus generating means carried by said housing operable to generate a tactile stimulus, means in said housing coupling said tactile stimulus generating means to said electric motor so that operation of said motor will cause operation of said tactile stimulus generating means, and a motor operating circuit carried by said housing, said motor operating circuit being connected to said watch circuit and having means for turning said motor on and off in response to said electrical alarm signal, whereby a tactile stimulus is generated and transmitted to said person each time said electrical alarm signal is generated, said tactile stimulus generating means comprising a plunger movably mounted in said housing, spring means biasing said plunger towards the skin of the person wearing the timepiece, latch means restraining said plunger against movement toward the skin of said person, and means actuatable in response to operation of said motor for releasing said latch means, whereby said spring means acts to thrust said plunger against the skin of the person wearing the timepiece.

2. The timepiece of claim 1 wherein said time-keeping means includes means for generating an audible alarm in response to said electrical alarm signal.

3. The timepiece of claim 1 wherein said tactile stimulus generating means is adapted to deliver the tactile stimulus by thrusting said plunger through a hole in a portion of said housing bearing against the skin of said person'"'"'s wrist.

4. The timepiece of claim 1 further including a battery mounted within said casing for providing power to operate said time-keeping means, and further wherein said battery is connected by said watch circuit to said motor operating circuit, whereby when said motor is turned on by said motor operating circuit, power is supplied to said motor at substantially the full voltage of said battery.

5. An alarm timepiece capable of being worn on a limb of a person which comprises:

a watch including an electrically operated time display means, a watch circuit operative to keep time and operate said time display means, means associated with said watch circuit for setting a preselected alarm time, an electrical power source coupled to said watch circuit for operating said watch, means coupled to said watch circuit for generating an alarm signal at said alarm time, and a watch casing containing all of said foregoing means, said watch casing having a front side and a back side with said time display means disposed so as to provide a time display at the front side of said casing;

a discrete alarm mechanism including an electric motor, a tactile stimulus generating means for applying a tactile stimulus to the limb of a person wearing the timepiece, a motor operating circuit, and a housing containing said motor, said tactile stimulus generating means and said motor operating circuit, said housing being attached to said back side of said watch casing; and

means for removably fastening the timepiece to a limb of a person so that said housing will bear against said limb;

said motor operating circuit being connected to said watch circuit so as to receive said alarm signal and having means responsive to said alarm signal for applying power from said power source to said motor so as to operate said motor and actuate said tactile stimulus generating means;

said tactile stimulus generating means comprising a plunger aligned with a hole in a rear surface of said housing, a spring urging said plunger to thrust through said hole, latch means holding said plunger in retracted position, and means actuatable by operation of said motor to release said latch means so as to permit said spring to thrust said plunger through said hole against said limb, whereby when said timepiece is fastened to a person'"'"'s limb with said housing bearing against said limb and said alarm signal is generated, said motor will operate to release said latch means so as to allow said spring to thrust said plunger through said hole against said limb and thereby transmit a tactile stimulus to said limb.

6. An alarm watch adapted to be worn on a limb of a person, said watch comprising a watch circuit including time display means and means for providing an alarm signal in the form of a train of pulses at a preselected alarm time, a battery coupled to and providing electrical power to said circuit, and a watch casing containing said circuit and said battery;

said watch being further characterized by a tactile alarm mechanism mounted to said casing and comprising an electric motor, a tactile stimulus generating means, means coupling said tactile stimulus generating means to said motor so that said tactile stimulus generating means will be operated by said motor when said motor is energized, and a motor operating circuit coupled to said watch circuit, said motor operating circuit being adapted to respond to said train of pulses by producing a motor drive signal at the full voltage of said battery and apply said drive signal to said motor so as to energize said motor in response to said train of pulses;

said motor operating circuit including a pair of FET'"'"'s connected in series, the first being a P-channel FET which is turned on by said pulse train and brought to ground potential, the second being an N-channel FET which is turned on when said P-channel FET reaches ground, thereupon providing said motor drive signal.

7. The watch of claim 6 wherein said motor control circuit has means to provide an intensifier signal to said display means to insure its visibility at such time that said motor operates.

8. The watch of claim 6 wherein the output of said second FET is controlled by a charging couple circuit that permits said second FET to remain on for a selected time after the first mentioned FET is turned off.

9. The watch of claim 6 further including a housing releasably attached to said watch casing and containing said motor and said tactile alarm mechanism.