Sunrise alarm clock

• US 8,867,318 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chi Ming Suen
• Original Assignee: Chi Ming Suen
• Inventors: Suen, Chi Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Amy Cohen
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US12/381,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20100232261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: 368/67, 368/68, 368/72, 368/73, 368/79, 368/82, 368/83
• US Class Current: 368/83
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times

Abstract

An alarm clock including a rectangular base, a housing mounted on the base, an opaque portion on the front of the housing, a translucent portion on the front of the housing, a time display located on the front of the housing, and a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion, wherein a first time prior to a set time for an alarm a first number of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit, wherein on successive times prior to the set time for the alarm successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit, and wherein at the set time for the alarm the entire plurality of light emitting diodes are lit.

Claims

1. An alarm clock comprising:

a rectangular base having a first horizontal axis and a second horizontal axis;

a housing mounted on the base, the housing having a substantially oval shape having a front and a back, the housing having a first oval axis aligned with the first horizontal axis and a second oval axis aligned with a width of the housing and aligned with the second horizontal axis;

an opaque portion on the front of the housing;

a translucent portion on the front of the housing;

a time display located on the front of the housing; and

a sunrise simulating light display adapted to simulate a sunrise, the sunrise simulating light display consisting of;

a plurality of groups of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion, wherein each group of light emitting diodes of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes has the same number of light emitting diodes, and each light emitting diode in each group has a same light intensity when turned on;

wherein the number of light emitting diodes in each group of the plurality of groups is greater than one;

wherein at a first time prior to a set time for an audible alarm a first group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is turned on to simulate a brightness of a first time of a sunrise;

wherein after the first time and at a second time prior to a set time for the audible alarm a second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes is turned on, and the first group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes stays turned on to simulate a brightness of a second time of a sunrise;

wherein after the second time and on each set successive time prior to the set time for the audible alarm an additional group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is turned on, and previously turned on groups of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes stay turned on to simulate a brightness of each successive time of a sunrise; and

wherein at the set time for the audible alarm the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes are all turned on to simulate a brightness of a risen sun.

2. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein a vertical axis of the housing is aligned vertically to the base.

3. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein the width of the housing is less than a height of the housing from the base.

4. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein the opaque portion on the front of the housing and the translucent portion on the front of the housing are separated by an arcuate line.

5. The alarm clock of claim 4 wherein the time display is intersected by the arcuate line separating the opaque portion on the front of the housing and the translucent portion on the front of the housing.

6. The alarm clock of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is 5 groups;

the first time is 20 minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm;

wherein the second time is 15 minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm; and

wherein each set successive time is 10, 5 and 0, respectively, minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm.

7. The alarm clock of claim 6 wherein at the set time for the alarm an audible alarm is sounded.

8. The alarm clock of claim 7 wherein one minute after the set time for the audible alarm, the audible alarm and the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes are turned off.

9. The alarm clock of claim 1:

wherein the first time, the second time, and each set successive time are settable.

10. An alarm clock comprising:

a substantially oval housing;

an opaque portion on the front of the housing;

a translucent portion on a front of the housing, wherein the opaque portion on the front of the housing and the translucent portion on the front of the housing are separated along an arcuate line; and

a sunrise simulating light display adapted to simulate a sunrise, the sunrise simulating light display consisting of;

a plurality of groups of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion, wherein each group of light emitting diodes of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes has the same number of light emitting diodes, and each light emitting diode in each group has a same light intensity when turned on;

wherein the number of light emitting diodes in each group of the plurality of groups is greater than one;

wherein at a first time prior to a set time for an audible alarm a first group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is turned on to simulate a brightness of a first time of a sunrise;

wherein after the first time and at a second time prior to a set time for the audible alarm a second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes is turned on, and the first group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes stays turned on to simulate a brightness of a second time of a sunrise;

wherein after the second time and on each set successive time prior to the set time for the audible alarm an additional group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is turned on, and previously turned on groups of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes stay turned on-to simulate a brightness of each successive time of a sunrise; and

wherein the first time, the second time, and each set successive time are settable; and

wherein at the set time for the audible alarm the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes are all turned on to simulate a brightness of a risen sun.

11. The alarm clock of claim 10 wherein:

the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is 5 groups;

wherein the first time is 20 minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm;

wherein the second time is 15 minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm;

wherein each set successive time is 10, 5 and 0, respectively, minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm; and

wherein each group has the same number of light emitting diodes.

12. The alarm clock of claim 10 wherein one minute after the set time for the audible alarm the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes and the audible alarm are turned off.

13. An alarm clock comprising:

a translucent portion on the front of the alarm clock;

a time display located on the front of the alarm clock; and

a sunrise simulating light display adapted to simulate a sunrise, the sunrise simulating light display consisting of;

a plurality of groups of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion, wherein each group of light emitting diodes of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes has the same number of light emitting diodes, and each light emitting diode in each group has a same light intensity when turned on;

wherein the number of light emitting diodes in each group of the plurality of groups is greater than one;

wherein at a first time prior to a set time for an audible alarm a first group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is turned on to simulate a brightness of a first time of a sunrise;

wherein after the first time and at a second time prior to a set time for the audible alarm a second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes is turned on, and the first group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes stays turned on to simulate a brightness of a second time of a sunrise;

wherein after the second time and on each set successive time prior to the set time for the audible alarm an additional group of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is turned on, and previously turned on groups of the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes stay turned on-to simulate a brightness of each successive time of a sunrise; and

wherein the first time, the second time, and each set successive time are settable; and

wherein at the set time for the audible alarm the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes are all turned on to simulate a brightness of a risen sun.

14. The alarm clock of claim 13:

the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes is 5 groups;

wherein the first time is 20 minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm;

wherein the second time is 15 minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm;

wherein each set successive time is 10, 5 and 0, respectively, minutes prior to the set time for the audible alarm; and

wherein each group has the same number of light emitting diodes.

15. The alarm clock of claim 14 wherein one minute after the set time for the audible alarm the plurality of groups of light emitting diodes are turned off.