Claims
- 1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
- alarm time sensing means for generating an alarm signal at a preselected time of day;
- tune storage means for storing information indicative of the frequency and duration of each of a desired series of musical notes, said tune storage means providing a series of note frequency and duration signals in response to the generation of an alarm signal by said alarm time sensing means;
- input means for altering the information stored in said tune storage means in response to an operator initiated input;
- a frequency generator for generating a high frequency time standard signal;
- divider means for producing a multiplicity of frequency from said high frequency time standard signal;
- means for selecting a desired frequency produced by said divider means corresponding to each desired musical note and responsive to its associated note frequency and duration signal produced by said tune storage means;
- means for enabling said means for selecting for a time duration for each desired note responsive to its associated note frequency and duration signal; and
- an audio generator for generating an audible musical note upon application of each desired frequency generated by said divider means for a time duration determined by said means for enabling;
- wherein time storage means includes:
- an M.times.N line matrix array means, said M lines corresponding in number and interconnected with the outputs of said divider means, said N lines corresponding in number to the number of note frequency and duration signals to be produced and thus to the notes of a desired molody to be generated, said M.times.N line matrix array means decoding said digital timing count into sequentially produced duration signals generated on said N lines and corresponding to the duration of said notes: and
- K.times.L line matrix array means, said L line corresponding in number and interconnected with said N lines of said M.times.N line matrix array, said K lines corresponding to individual scale notes, said K.times.L line matrix array means coding note frequency information into said duration signals to form the note frequency and duration signals;
- said M.times.N line matrix array means decoding more than one count of said digital timing count into a single duration signal on a signal N matrix line.
- 2. An electronic timepiece comprising:
- alarm sensing means for generating an alarm signal at a preselected time of day;
- tune storage means for storing information indicative of a desired series of musical notes and their durations, said tune storage means providing a series of note frequency and duration signals in response to the generation of an alarm signal by said alarm sensing means;
- a frequency generator for generating a high frequency time standard signal;
- a signal frequency divider connected to said frequency generator and having a plurality of selected division ratios;
- means for selecting the desired division ratio from said plurality of selectable division ratios to constrain said divider to produce a desired frequency corresponding to each desired musical note in response to its associated note frequency and duration signal produced by said tune storage means;
- means for enabling said means for selecting for a time duration for each desired note responsive to its associated note frequency and duration signal; and
- an audio generator for generating an audible musical note upon application of each desired frequency from said divider for a time duration determined by said means for enabling, said audio generator producing a musical tune by the successive generation of said desired series of musical notes.
- 3. An electronic timepiece alarm for an electronic timepiece including a frequency generator which produces a high frequency time standard signal, said alarm comprising:
- alarm time sensing means for generating an alarm signal at a selected time of day;
- tune storage means for storing information indicative of a desired series of musical notes and their durations, said tune storage means providing a series of note frequency and duration signals in response to the generation of an alarm signal by said alarm time sensing means;
- a single frequency divider connected to said frequency generator and having a plurality of selectable division ratios;
- means for selecting the desired division ratio from said plurality of selectable division ratios to constrain said divider to produce a desired frequency corresponding to each desired musical note and responsive to its associated note frequency and duration signal produced by said tune storage means;
- means for enabling said means for selecting for a time duration for each desired note responsive to its associated note duration signal; and
- an audio generator for generating an audible musical note upon application of each desired frequency from said divider for a time duration determined by said means for enabling, said audio generator producing a musical tune by the successive generation of said desired series of musical notes.
- 4. The electronic timepiece alarm of claim 2 or 3, wherein said single frequency divider includes a fixed division ratio divider including at least N stages, each of said stages having an output, said divider having a reset terminal; and
- wherein said means for selecting includes:
- an M row.times.N column transistor array, the N columns of said array being driven by said divider stage outputs, the M rows of said array being connected through a note enabling circuit ot the reset terminal of a count corresponding to the division ratio necessary to produce said desired frequency corresponding to that row; and
- note selection means responsive to said musical note signals and controlling said note enabling circuit for enabling at least one row of said array to thereby select said desired frequency.
- 5. The alarm of claim 4 wherein said alarm time sensing means comprises:
- alarm time storage means for storing a signal indicative of a desired alarm time;
- means for providing a signal indicative of the actual time of day; and
- means for comparing the signal indicative of said desired alarm time with the signal indicative of the actual time of day and producing an alarm signal upon coincidence thereof.
- 6. The timepiece of claim 2 or 3 wherein said high frequency time standard signal of said frequency generator is applied to said single frequency divider.
- 7. The timepiece of claims 2 or 3 wherein time storage means includes:
- an M.times.N line matrix array means, said M lines corresponding in number and interconnected with the outputs of said frequency divider, said N lines corresponding in number to the number of note frequency and duration signals to be produced and thus to the note of a desired melody to be generated, said M.times.N line matrix array means decoding said digital timing count into sequentially produced duration signals generated on said N lines and corresponding to the duration of said notes; and
- K.times.L line matrix array means, said L lines corresponding in number and interconnected with said N lines of said M.times.N line matrix array, said K lines corresponding to individual scale notes, said K.times.L line matrix array means coding note frequency information into said duration signals to form the note frequency and duration signals;
- said M.times.N line matrix array means decoding more than one count of said digital timing count into a single duration signal on a single N matrix line.
- 8. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, wherein said tune storage means is implemented with a read only memory (ROM).
- 9. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2 wherein said tune storage means is implemented with a random access memory (RAM) having external write and erase means.
- 10. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, wherein said tune storage means is implemented with a first integrated circuit separate and removable from a second integrated circuit including the remaining portions of said electronic timepiece.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
54-11157 |
Jan 1979 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation, of copending application Ser. No. 116,889, filed on Jan. 30, 1980 abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
116889 |
Jan 1980 |
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