Patent Application
20120147714
The present invention relates to the display of time and, in particular, it is concerned with the display of time by way of fractional geometrical figures.
From nearly the beginning of the civilization, man has been fascinated by time and has created a vast multitude of instruments to keep and display it.
Early clocks tracked the apparent movement of the sun across the sky by the shadow cast on a sundial or the passage of a fixed amount of water or sand passing through an opening.
In more recent times, mechanical clocks, driven by weights, springs and/or electrical energy, have been widely used. These mechanical clocks typically feature a clock face having time demarcations. A number of hands rotatable at different angular velocities around a common axis are rotate over the clock face. Each hand rotates at different predefined rates indicating the passage of hours, minutes, and seconds.
Most recently, these analog clocks have been replaced in part by electronic clocks featuring electronic digital time display, thereby obviating the need for rotating hands.
While electronic digital display clocks are suitable for many purposes, there is considerable feeling that analog clocks, which display the time by way of spatial relationships are easier to read.
The state-of-the-art of digital clock and watch technologies include: LED or OLED displays, electronic ink displays, LCD displays. These technologies are capable of showing time as digital numbers, as binary dots, as a digital simulation of analog clock hands, etc.
There remains a need, and it would be advantageous to have, additional ways of displaying time using a timepiece, or clock, having no rotating hands.
The present invention is a clock configured to display time by way of the area enclosed within various geometrical figures.
According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided a clock comprising: (a) a time measuring mechanism; and (b) a plurality of electronic display areas for displaying a passage of time measured by the time measuring mechanism, each of the display areas being configured to be progressively activated in direct proportion to a gradual passage of one hour of time, thereby displaying a partial or a complete hour in any of the time display areas.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the each of the display areas are further configured to blink each second, thereby also displaying seconds on any one of the display areas.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of display areas are arranged in an array so as to form upon activation any dot pattern found on a domino block.
According to a further feature of the present invention, there is also provided one time display bar configured to indicate each second measured by the time measuring mechanism.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of display areas are disposed on two, spatially separate, display faces, the display areas being in operative communication with each other so as to collectively display a time.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the display areas are arranged in an array analogous to a six dot arrangement of a die.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of time display areas is arranged in a substantially straight line.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the time display areas are circular.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the time display areas are polygonal.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the time display areas are elliptical.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the display areas include LED arrangements.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the display areas include LCD arrangements.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a clock comprising: (a) a time measuring mechanism configured to measure a passage of time; and (b) a plurality of electronic display areas for displaying a passage of time measured by the time measuring mechanism, each of the display areas being configured to be progressively activated in direct proportion to a gradual passage of one hour of time such that a current time is displayed by a cumulative amount of activated electronic display areas.
According to a further feature of the present invention, each of the display areas are further configured to blink each second, thereby also displaying seconds on any one of the display areas.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of display is arranged in an array so as to form upon activation any dot pattern found on a domino block.
According to a further feature of the present invention, there is also provided one time display bar configured to indicate each second measured by the time measuring mechanism.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of display areas are disposed on two, spatially separate, display faces, the display areas being in operative communication with each other so as to collectively display a time.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the display areas are arranged in an array analogous to a six dot arrangement of a die.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a clock comprising: (a) a time measuring mechanism configured to measure a passage of time; and (b) a plurality of electronic display areas for displaying a passage of time measured by the time measuring mechanism, each of the display areas being configured to be activated in a random order, wherein each of the display areas is progressively activated in direct proportion to a gradual passage of one hour of time such that a current time is displayed by a cumulative amount of activated electronic display areas.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of display areas are arranged in an array so as to form upon activation any dot pattern found on a domino block.
According to a further feature of the present invention, each of the display areas are further configured to blink each second, thereby also displaying seconds on any one of the display areas.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a clock comprising: (a) a time measuring mechanism; and (b) a plurality of time display areas for displaying a passage of time measured by the time measuring mechanism, (c) a plurality of shutter arrangements, each of the shutter arrangements being associated with one of the time display areas, each of the shutter arrangements being configured to progressively change a quantity of one of the time display areas visible to an observer, the quantity of a time display area being in proportion to a corresponding portion of an hour having elapsed, thereby displaying a partial or a complete hour by way of any of the time display areas.
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
e depict a time display having display areas arranged in a domino based, dot arrangement with various options of displaying the time 7:00.
d depict a single display area at different stages of filling corresponding to the beginning and end of a complete hour, a quarter and three quarters of an hour, respectively.
a depict a time display having a seconds bar in a non-illuminated, and non-illuminated states, respectively.
c depict an exemplary manner of displaying the times 5:00, 5:15, 6:00, and 6:30, respectively.
c depict a square display area at different stages of filling corresponding to the beginning and the end of the hour, and various fractions of an hour, respectively.
d-6g depict a hexagonal display area at different stages of filling corresponding to the beginning and the end of the hour, and various fractions of an hour, respectively.
d depict a mechanical time display in progressively exposed states displaying 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 hours, respectively.
The present invention is a clock configured to display time by way of the area enclosed within various geometrical figures. The principles and operation of the method according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
As shown in
d depict a non-limiting exemplary, embodiment of display face 7 and time display areas 5 arranged in a domino based dot arrangement displaying the time 7:00. By way of example, any combination of full activated electronic time display areas 5 that add up to seven represents 7:00. It should be noted that the present invention includes an option for displaying times by way activating display areas 5 in a pre-defined combination or in a random combination; in both instances the collective activated display areas 5 depicts the current time. Random activation means that sometimes a particular time is displayed by activation of a particular combination of display areas 5 that may or may not differ from the combination of display areas previously activated when displaying the same time.
d depict a single time display area 5 at different stages of illumination. The completely non-illuminated circle of
a depict a time display having a flashing seconds bar 10 disposed in display face 7 a non-illuminated and illuminated states, respectively. Seconds bar 10 is implemented as a LED configured to flash every second in a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment. It should be appreciated that in a second, exemplary embodiment, each time display area 5 is configured to flash every second thereby advantageously displaying three different units of time; hours, fractions of hours (i.e. minutes), and seconds.
c depict a progression of time from 5:00-6:30. At 5:00 there are exactly five fully illuminated time display areas 5. At 5:15, there are still five fully illuminated time display areas 5 that are not necessarily identical to those illuminated at 5:00 plus one additional time display area 41 25% illuminated. At 6:00, there are exactly six time display areas 5 fully illuminated; but again, not those necessarily illuminated at 5:15, and finally, at 6:30, there are six time display areas 5 fully illuminated, different than those illuminated at 6:00 plus one additional time display area 42 illuminated 50%.
c depict an alternative embodiment in which the time display areas are implemented as squares 11 and
d depicts a non-limiting alternative embodiment of one of a plurality of mechanical time displays disposed in displace face 7. Transparent window 19 provides visual access to a shutter arrangement 21 disposed between window 19 and colored time display area 20. Shutter arrangement 21 is driven by electric motor 18 such that shutter 18 progressively exposes colored time display area 20 in proportion to a corresponding passage of time. At the beginning of the hour shutter 21 entirely covers colored time display area 20 and progressively exposes colored time display area as shown in states displaying 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 hours, respectively. Shutter arrangement 21 associated with each time display area 20 is configured to either remain in an entirely retracted state at the end of an hour or to reassume a default state entirely covering time display area 20. The particular state in which shutter arrangement 21 assumes at the end of an hour is determined by the particular combination of display areas 20 to be employed for displaying the cumulative time as described above. It should be appreciated that shutter arrangements driven by spring arrangements are also included within the scope of the present invention. It should also be appreciated that embodiments configured to display time by progressively covering colored time display area 20 are included within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that in non-limiting, exemplary embodiments, colored display area 20 are implemented so as to contrast with shutter color, such as a black time display area and white shutter arrangement, for example.
In non-limiting, exemplary embodiments, timing mechanism 3 and time display 2 are powered by any power source. Clock 1 is fitted with a USB connection for transferring time data from a computer in a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment. These elements are disposed inside a housing constructed of hard plastic or any other material suitable for such use. In non-limiting, exemplary models, the clock is fitted with a touch screen, or electromechanical mechanisms for setting the time, and a light sensor configured to illuminate time display areas 5 with light of different color as a function of changing ambient light conditions. It should be appreciated that the present application has application as a wrist watch, a wall clock, a screen saver, or any other application in which a user is interested in obtaining the current time.
It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
