Linear time display

• US 6,249,486 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prasanna R. Chitturi
• Inventors: Chitturi, Prasanna R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US09/164,411
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 368/21, 368/25, 368/228, 368/232, 368/239, 368/76, 368/242
• US Class Current: 368/21
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/207 by means of bands bands as time indicating means with a reference mark or window G04B19/04
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/228 with linear time graduation
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/02 by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the position of which represent the time, e.g. by using multiplexing techniques G04G9/0082 takes precedence

Abstract

A linear time display including a first and a second time clock for a first and a second locale of a first and a second time zone is disclosed. In one embodiment, each linear time clock includes a plurality of time unit representations. A first visual indicator is displayed to correlate a first time unit representation in the first linear clock to a corresponding time unit representation in the second linear clock, and a second visual indicator is displayed to correlate a second time unit representation in the second linear clock to a corresponding time unit representation in the first linear clock. A time difference represented by the spatial difference between the first and second visual indicators is also displayed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor coupled to the display to cause a first and a second linear clock for a first and a second locale in a first and a second time zone to be rendered on said display in a linear and time-wise aligned manner, with each of said first and second clocks having a plurality of time unit representations (TURs), and the TURs of the first and second linear clocks are linearly and time-wise aligned with each other thereby allowing past, present and future TURs of said first and second linear clocks of said first and second locales to be correspondingly related to each other, and

the processor further causing a first linear time correlation indicator to be rendered, correlating a first TUR of said first linear clock to a second TUR of said second linear clock, a second linear time correlation indicator to be rendered, correlating a second TUR of said second linear clock to a corresponding TUR of said first linear clock, and a time difference represented by the spatial difference between the first and second time correlation indicators to be rendered.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor causes said first and second linear clocks to be rendered in a selected one of a vertical and a horizontal orientation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor causes at least two visual indicators to be employed to differentiate day time hours and evening time hours when causing said plurality of time unit representations to be rendered.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said processor causes at least two colors to be employed to differentiate day time hours and evening time hours, when causing at least two visual indicators to be employed to differentiate day time hours and evening time hours.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second TURs of said first and second linear clocks are current time TURs of said first and second linear clocks.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises an enclosure integrally enclosing said display and said processor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a storage medium coupled to the processor, and having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions to be executed by the processor to cause said first and second linear clocks to be rendered on said display in said linear and time-wise aligned manner.

8. A storage medium having stored therein a first plurality of programming instructions to be executed by a host processor, wherein when executed, the first programming instructions cause the host processor of a first and a second linear clock for a first and a second time zone to be rendered on a display in a linear and time-wise aligned manner, with each of said first and second clocks having a plurality of time unit representations (TURs) and the TURs of the first and second linear clocks linearly and time-wise aligned with each other, thereby allowing past, present and future TURs of said first and second linear clocks of the first and second locales to be correspondingly related to each other, and

the programming instructions further cause the host processor to render a first linear time correlation indicator, correlating a first TUR of said first linear clock to a second TUR of said second linear clock, a second linear time correlation indicatr, correlating a second TUR of said second linear clock to a corresponding TUR of said first linear clock, and a time difference represented by the spatial difference between the first and second time correlation indicators to be rendered.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first programming instructions further cause said first and second linear clocks to be rendered in a selected one of a vertical and a horizontal orientation.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first programming instructions cause at least two visual indicators to be employed to differentiate day time hours and evening time hours when causing said plurality of time unit representations comprises to be rendered.

11. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the storage medium further comprises a second plurality of programming instructions to be executed by the host processor to provide calendar function.

12. A method comprising:

a processor rendering on a display a first linear clock for a first locale in a first time zone; and

the processor rendering on said same display a second linear clock for a second locale in a second time zone, wherein said first and second linear clocks are rendered in a linear and time-wise aligned manner, with each of said first and second clocks having a plurality of time unit representations (TURs) and the TURs of the first and second linear clocks are linearly and time-wise aligned with each other, thereby allowing past, present and future TURs of said first and second linear clocks of said first and second locales to be correspondingly related to each other, and

the processor further rendering a first linear time correlation indicator correlating a first TUR of said first linear clock to a second TUR of said second linear clock, a second linear time correlation indicator correlating a second TUR of said second linear clock to a corresponding TUR of said first linear clock, and a time difference represented by the spatial difference between the first and second time correlation indicators.