Digital color clock

• US 9,581,974 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Systems Design, Inc. (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Systems Design, Inc. (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Roman, Adam C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W
• Application Number:
  US14/884,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20160033940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 368 82- 84, 368/223, 368239-242
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0017 in which the light emitting display elements may be activated at will or are controlled in accordance with the ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0052 using means to adjust the display in accordance with the ambient light, e.g. switching or controlling a supplementary light source
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0064 in which functions not related to time can be displayed digital output to display devices of digital computers G06F3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0082 by building-up characters using a combination of indicating elements and by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the positions of which represents the time, i.e. combinations of G04G9/02 and G04G9/08
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/04 by controlling light sources, e.g. electroluminescent diodes G04G9/0058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/045 provided with date indication
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/06 using light valves, e.g. liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/105 provided with date indication

Abstract

A digital color clock employs six Color Outputs to represent the time of day. A first Color Output represents a tens digit of hours, a second Color Output represents a ones digit of hours, a third Color Output represents a tens digit in minutes, a fourth Color Output represents a ones digit in minutes, a fifth Color Output represents a tens digit in seconds, and a sixth Color Output represents a ones digit in seconds. The digital color clock can optionally display the date, temperature, humidity, and/or barometric pressure using Color Outputs. Front and back light sensors can be included for measuring brightness of ambient light to enable adjustment of Color Outputs in response to changes in brightness of ambient light. In one embodiment, the Color Outputs are interspersed among other unchangeable Color Outputs of a display. The display can be a component of a stationary or hand-held computing device.

Claims

1. A digital color clock for displaying time of day comprising:

(a) a housing comprising a front face;

(b) a controller capable of generating time-keeping signals comprising an hours signal, a minutes signal and a seconds signal;

(c) a time display comprising six illuminated Color Outputs on said housing front face, a first of said Color Outputs receiving said hours signal to display a color representing a tens digit of hours, a second of said Color Outputs receiving said hours signal to display a color representing a ones digit of hours, a third of said Color Outputs receiving said minutes signal to display a color representing a tens digit in minutes, a fourth of said Color Outputs receiving said minutes signal to display a color representing a ones digit in minutes, a fifth of said Color Outputs receiving said seconds signal to display a color representing a tens digit in seconds, and a sixth of said Color Outputs receiving said seconds signal to display a color representing a ones digit in seconds, wherein said Color Outputs correspond to preexisting color codes promulgated by an independent authority for depicting an attribute of an electronic component; and

(d) a front light sensor located within said housing for measuring brightness of ambient light at a position in front of said housing front face and a back light sensor for measuring brightness of ambient light at a position behind said housing front face, said front and back light sensors capable of generating and transmitting brightness signals to said controller, said controller capable of adjusting said Color Outputs in response to changes in brightness of ambient light, and wherein said housing comprises integrated light sensors to adjust both the brightness and hue of the display color, thereby enhancing accuracy of color reproduction in a plurality of ambient lighting conditions, and wherein said controller comprises low-pass filters to enhance speed of changes in said Color Outputs.

2. The digital color clock of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) a controller capable of generating a date signal comprising a day signal, a month signal and a year signal; and

(e) a date display comprising six illuminated date Color Outputs located on said housing front face, a first of said date Color Outputs receiving said day signal to display a color representing a tens digit of the day in said date, a second of said date Color Outputs receiving said day signal to display a color representing a ones digit of the day in said date, a third of said date Color Outputs receiving said month signal to display a color representing a tens digit of the month in said date, a fourth of said date Color Outputs receiving said month signal to display a color representing a ones digit of the month in said date, a fifth of said date Color Outputs receiving said year signal to display a color representing a tens digit of the year in said date, a sixth of said date Color Outputs receiving said year signal to display a color representing a ones digit of the year in said date, wherein said controller is capable of receiving time data wirelessly from an external source.

3. The digital color clock of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) a controller capable of generating a temperature signal; and

(e) a temperature display comprising four illuminated temperature Color Outputs located on said housing front face, a first of said temperature Color Outputs receiving said temperature signal to display a color representing a hundreds digit in temperature, a second of said temperature Color Outputs receiving said temperature signal to display a color representing a tens digit in temperature, a third of said temperature Color Outputs receiving said temperature signal to display a color representing a ones digit in temperature, and a fourth of said temperature Color Outputs receiving said temperature signal to display a color representing a tenths digit in temperature, wherein said controller is capable of receiving weather data wirelessly from an external source.

4. The digital clock of claim 3, further comprising a minus symbol, said minus symbol capable of illumination when said temperature signal is indicative of a temperature below zero.

5. The digital color clock of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) a controller capable of generating a humidity signal; and

(e) a humidity display comprising four illuminated humidity Color Outputs located on said housing front face, a first of said humidity Color Outputs receiving said humidity signal to display a color representing a hundreds digit in humidity, a second of said humidity Color Outputs receiving said humidity signal to display a color representing a tens digit in humidity, a third of said humidity Color Outputs receiving said humidity signal to display a color representing a ones digit in humidity, and a fourth of said humidity Color Outputs receiving said humidity signal to display a color representing a tenths digit in humidity,

wherein said controller is capable of receiving weather data wirelessly from an external source.

6. The digital color clock of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) a controller capable of generating a barometric pressure signal; and

(e) a barometric pressure display comprising four illuminated barometric pressure Color Outputs located on said housing front face, a first of said barometric pressure Color Outputs receiving said barometric pressure signal to display a color representing a hundreds digit in barometric pressure, a second of said barometric pressure Color Outputs receiving said barometric pressure signal to display a color representing a tens digit in barometric pressure, a third of said barometric pressure Color Outputs receiving said barometric pressure signal to display a color representing a ones digit in barometric pressure, and a fourth of said barometric pressure Color Outputs receiving said barometric pressure signal to display a color representing a tenths digit in barometric pressure,

wherein said controller is capable of receiving weather data wirelessly from an external source.

7. The digital color clock of claim 1, wherein said first and second Color Outputs are located adjacent to one another to form an hours pair, said third and fourth Color Outputs are located adjacent to one another to form a minutes pair, and said fifth and sixth Color Outputs are located adjacent to one another to form a seconds pair, said housing front face further comprising:

(i) a first separator interposed between said hours pair and said minutes pair, and

(ii) a second separator interposed between minutes pair and said seconds pair.

8. The digital color clock of claim 7, wherein said first and second separators are illuminated, and wherein said first and second separators are illuminated in a different color than any of said Color Outputs.

9. The digital color clock of claim 7, wherein said first separator is a colon and said second separator is a period.

10. The digital color clock of claim 1, wherein each of said Color Outputs comprises red-green-blue light-emitting diodes, wherein said light-emitting diodes are capable of illumination from the side.

11. The digital color clock of claim 1, wherein each of said Color Outputs comprises red-green-blue liquid crystal displays, wherein said liquid crystal displays are capable of illumination from the side.

12. The digital color clock of claim 1, wherein said housing front face is a display for a stationary or hand-held computing device.

13. The digital color clock of claim 1, wherein each of said Color Outputs comprises red-green-blue light-emitting diodes, wherein said light-emitting diodes are capable of illumination from the rear.

14. The digital color clock of claim 1, wherein each of said Color Outputs comprises red-green-blue liquid crystal displays, wherein said liquid crystal displays are capable of illumination from the rear.