Paging apparatus equipped with a clock function

• US 5,448,228 A
• Filed: 04/08/1993
• Issued: 09/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Haruhiko, Shiono, Mitsuji, Wagai, Kiyoshi, Sekigawa, Tatsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HILL, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US08/043,940
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 340/825.26, 340/825.27, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/311.1, 340/309.5, 340/825.37, 348/162, 368/47
• US Class Current: 340/7.55
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches

Abstract

A paging apparatus with a time information generating circuit comprises a combination switch having multiple switch positions in different operation directions, so that a time setting mode is set when a predetermined first operation is performed by the combination switch, and a paging mode is set other operations are performed. When a predetermined second operation is performed with the time setting mode set, time information measured by the time information generating circuit is replaced with time information input by the second operation. Even in the time setting mode, it is checked if a call is made to the apparatus. When there is such a call, a user is informed of this event without ignoring the occurrence of the call.

Claims

1. A paging apparatus, comprising:

time information generating means for measuring time and outputting measured first time information;

a combination switch having at least first, second and third switch positions;

mode setting means for setting a time setting mode when a first operation for setting said combination switch at said first switch position and then changing said combination switch to said third switch position is performed;

paging means for receiving a paging signal and informing a user of a call being made when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus;

time-setting control means for replacing said first time information from said time information generating means with second time information input by a second operation when a second operation is performed while said time setting mode is set by said mode setting means, said second operation being a combination of a switching operation between said first and second switch positions of said combination switch and a switching operation to said third switch position; and

time display means for displaying a predetermined time pattern for entering said second time information when said time setting mode is set.

2. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mode setting means sets said time setting mode only when said combination switch either is at said first switch position immediately after supplying power to said apparatus or when said combination switch is changed to said third switch position.

3. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said time display means also serves as message display means for displaying message information included in the paging signal received by said paging means.

4. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means stores information to that effect and informs a user of a call being made after time setting control by said time-setting control means is completed.

5. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means interrupts time setting control by said time-setting control means and informs a user of a call being made.

6. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means interrupts time setting control by said time-setting control means, informs a user of a call being made and returns control to said time setting control by said time-setting control means after call-informing is completed.

7. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said paging means receives said paging signal while in said time setting mode and while being set by said mode setting means, and said identification code included in said received paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means interrupts said time setting control by said time-setting control means and informs said user of said call being made, as well as temporarily stores a time setting progress of said time setting mode during the interruption and after the interruption returns control to said time setting control by said time-setting control means in accordance with storage contents representing said time setting progress.

8. A paging apparatus according claim 1, wherein said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means informs a user of a call being made while said time-setting control means executes time setting control.

9. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said time display means displays a predetermined time pattern for entering said second time information when said time setting mode is set, and displays information representing occurrence of a call in accordance with a call-informing operation performed by said paging means while simultaneously displaying said predetermined time pattern.

10. A paging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said paging means receives said paging signal in said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means and said identification code included in said received paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means informs said user of said call being made while said time-setting control means executes time setting control, and stores message information included in said received paging signal when said message information is addressed to the apparatus, and

said time display means displays a predetermined time pattern for entering said second time information when said time setting mode is set, displays information representing occurrence of a call in accordance with a call-informing operation by said paging means while simultaneously displaying said predetermined time pattern, and reads out said message information stored in said paging means and displays said message information after said time setting control by said time-setting control means is completed.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the third switch position of said combination switch is operated by movement of part of said switch along a first direction and the first and second switch positions of said combination switch are operated by movement of said part of said switch along a second direction and the first and second directions are different from one another.

12. A paging apparatus, comprising:

time information generating means for measuring time and outputting measured first time information;

operation input means;

mode setting means for setting a time setting mode when a predetermined first operation is performed by said operation input means, and for setting a paging mode when other operations are performed;

first paging means for receiving a paging signal with said paging mode being set by said mode setting means, and informing a user of a call being made when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus;

time-setting control means for replacing said first time information from said time information generating means with second time information input by a predetermined second operation when said second operation is performed by said operation input means while said time setting mode is set by said mode setting means; and

second paging means which receives said paging signal in said time setting mode, wherein when said identification code included in said received paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said second paging means controls said time-setting control means to interrupt said time setting control and informs said user of said call being made, as well as stores a time setting progress until after the interruption and then returns control of time setting control to said time-setting control means in accordance with storage contents representing time setting progress prior to the interruption.

13. A paging apparatus comprising:

time information generating means for measuring time and outputting measured first time information;

operation input means;

mode setting means for setting a time setting mode when a predetermined first operation is performed by said operation input means, and for setting a paging mode when other operations are performed;

first paging means for receiving a paging signal with said paging mode being set by said mode setting means, and informing a user of a call being made when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus;

time-setting control means for replacing said first time information from said time information generating means with second time information input by a predetermined second operation when said second operation is performed by said operation input means while said time setting mode is set by said mode setting means;

second paging means for receiving said paging signal, with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said second paging means preliminarily informs a user of a call and stores information indicating the call while said time-setting control means is executing time setting control; and

third paging means for formally informing the user of the call after the time setting control by said time-setting control means is completed, said third paging means formally informing the user of the call in the case where the second paging means stores the information indicating the call.

14. A paging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second paging means preliminarily informs the user of the call by displaying a mark indicative of the call, and said third paging means formally informs the user of the call by generating a sound.

15. A paging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said third paging means formally informs the user of the call by generating a sound for more than a predetermined time interval, and said second paging means preliminarily informs the user of the call by generating a sound for a time interval which is shorter than the time interval during which the third paging means keeps generating the sound.

16. A paging apparatus comprising:

time information generating means for measuring time and outputting measured first time information;

a combination switch having at least first, second and third switch positions;

mode setting means for setting a time setting mode when a first operation is performed, said first operation being a combination of a switching operation between the first switch position and the second switch position and a switching operation between one of the first and second switch positions and the third switch positions;

paging means for receiving a paging signal and informing a user of a call being made when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus;

time-setting control means for replacing said first time information from said time information generating means with second time information input by a second operation which is a switching operation between one of the first or second switch positions and the third switch position, said first time information being replaced with the second time information when said second operation is executed in the state where said time setting mode is set by said mode setting means; and

time display means for displaying a predetermined time pattern for entering said second time information when said time setting mode is set.

17. A paging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said time display means also serves as message display means for displaying message information included in the paging signal received by said paging means.

18. A paging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means stores information to that effect and informs a user of a call being made after time setting control by said time-setting control means is completed.

19. A paging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means interrupts time setting control by said time-setting control means and informs a user of a call being made.

20. A paging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means, and, when an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means interrupts time setting control by said time-setting control means, informs a user of a call being made and returns control to said time setting control by said time-setting control means after call-informing is completed.

21. A paging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when said paging means receives said paging signal while said time setting mode is being set by said mode setting means and said identification code included in said received paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means interrupts said time setting control by said time-setting control means and informs said user of said call being made, as well as stores a progress of time setting of said time setting mode until the interruption ends and then returns control to said time setting control by said time-setting control means in accordance with storage contents representing said time setting progress.

22. A paging apparatus according to claim 20, wherein when said paging means receives said paging signal with said time setting mode being set by said mode setting means and an identification code included in said paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means informs a user of a call being made while said time-setting control means executes time setting control.

23. A paging apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said time display means displays a predetermined time pattern for entering said second time information when said time setting mode is set and displays information representing occurrence of a call in accordance with a call-informing operation by said paging means while also displaying said predetermined time pattern.

24. A paging apparatus according to claim 22, wherein when said paging means receives said paging signal while said time setting mode is being set by said mode setting means and said identification code included in said received paging signal corresponds to the apparatus, said paging means informs said user of said call being made while said time-setting control means executes time setting control and store message information included in said received paging signal when said message information is addressed to the apparatus;

and

said time display means displays a predetermined time pattern for entering said second time information when said time setting mode is set, displays information representing occurrence of a call in accordance with a call-informing operation by said paging means while also displaying said predetermined time pattern, and reads out said message information stored in said paging means and displays said message information after said time setting control by said time-setting control means is completed.

25. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein:

the third switch position of said combination switch is operated by movement of part of said switch along a first direction and the first and second switch positions of said combination switch are operated by movement of said part of said switch along a second direction and the first and second directions are different from one another.