Digital time indicator

• US 20020126584A1
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard C. Wimberly
• Original Assignee: Richard C. Wimberly
• Inventors: Wimberly, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,556,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/82
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/23 by means of additional hands or additional pairs of hands simultaneous indication on several dials G04B19/025; indicating devices giving several simultaneous indications G04B19/048
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/083 Watches distributed over several housings
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0076 in which the time in another time-zone or in another city can be displayed at will
• 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

Abstract

There is provided a digital dial face for facilitating a display of time. The dial face of the present invention comprises at least one centrally located hour indicator and a plurality of minute indicators disposed about the periphery of the hour indicator. Each of the minute indicators may be selectively operative to display a prescribed series of minutes of time. The hour indicator and the minute indicators may collectively function to facilitate the acknowledgment of time. The arrangement of the hour and minute indicators may be reversed such that a single minute indicator and a plurality of hour indicators are provided. In either case, the user may determine time by reading the alpha-numeric display of the central indicator and recognizing the position of the illuminated peripheral indicator. Information displayed on the peripheral indicator need not be read to provide an approximation of time.

Claims

1. A digital timepiece dial face comprising:

a) a timepiece display, having a center region and a periphery region;

b) at least one hour indicator, disposed in the center region, the hour indicator being operative to display a prescribed series of hours of time; and

c) a plurality of minute indicators disposed about the periphery, each of the minute indicators being sequentially operative to display a prescribed sequence of minutes of time assigned to each minute indicator;

d) wherein the hour indicator and the minute indicators collectively function to display time.

2. The timepiece as set forth in claim 1 wherein the prescribed series of hours of time is numerically sequenced.

3. The timepiece as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a series of sequentially illuminated seconds indicators disposed about the hour indicator.

4. The timepiece set forth in claim 1 further comprising a series of sequentially illuminated second indicators disposed about the periphery region.

5. The timepiece as set forth in claim 1 wherein the minute indicators are spaced uniformly around the periphery of the hour indicator.

6. The timepiece as set forth in claim 5 wherein only one of the minute indicators is illuminated at a time.

7. The timepiece as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sequentially illuminated second indicators extending radially between the hour indicator and an associated one minute indicators, each of the second indicators being operative only during one second of each minute.

8. The timepiece as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hour indicator and one of the minute indicators collectively function to display the hour and minute of time.

9. The timepiece as set forth in claim 1 wherein the minute indicators comprise twelve minute indicators, each operative to sequence through five (5) uniquely assigned numbers.

10. The timepiece as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one hour indicator and the minute indicators collectively function on a computer screen.

11. The dial face as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the hour indicators are displayed within a respective non-numerical image, the non-numerical image each having an AM/PM indicator operative to alternately display between AM and PM indicia.

12. The dial face as set forth in claim 1 wherein the minute indicator and the hour indicators collectively function on a clock dial.

14. The timepiece as recited in claim 13, wherein the first distance is greater than the second radius.

15. The timepiece as recited in claim 13, wherein the first time function is an hour display function.

16. The timepiece as recited in claim 13, wherein the second time function is a minute display function.

17. The timepiece as recited in claim 13, wherein the third time function is a second display function.

18. The timepiece as recited in claim 13, wherein the first and second time indicators are each an individual LCD display.

19. The timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein the first, second and third time indicators are each an individual LCD display.

20. The digital timepiece as recited in claim 13, wherein the second time indicators comprise a plurality of sequentially operative minute indicators, each minute indicator being operative to display a series of numbers uniquely assigned thereto.

21. The digital timepiece as recited in claim 13, wherein the third time function comprises a geographic time zone display, and wherever each of the third time indicators represent a different geographic time zone.

22. The digital timepiece as recited in claim 13, further comprising a plurality of fourth time indicators disposed radially about each of the second time indicators, and operative to sequentially display a fourth time function.

23. The digital timepiece as recited in claim 22 wherein the fourth time function is a sixty (60) second display.

24. The digital timepiece as recited in claim 13, further comprising a plurality of fifth time indicators arrayed as spokes extending radially from the first time indicator to each of the second time indicators, the each spoke being sequentially operative to display a fifth time function.

25. The digital timepiece as recited in claim 22, wherein the fifth time function is an incremental second display.

13. A timepiece comprising:

a) a first time indicator substantially centered upon a clock face and operative to display a first time function;

b) a plurality of second time indicators, arrayed concentrically about the first time indicator, at a first distance therefrom, operative to display a second time function; and

c) a plurality of third time indicators, arrayed concentrically about the first time indicator, at a second distance therefrom, operative to display a third time function.