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WO1999038053A1 - Dispositif de mesure du temps - Google Patents

Dispositif de mesure du temps Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999038053A1
WO1999038053A1 PCT/GB1999/000213 GB9900213W WO9938053A1 WO 1999038053 A1 WO1999038053 A1 WO 1999038053A1 GB 9900213 W GB9900213 W GB 9900213W WO 9938053 A1 WO9938053 A1 WO 9938053A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
time
display
chronometer
display mode
base
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1999/000213
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Paul Francis Geary
Original Assignee
Universal Time Ltd.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Universal Time Ltd. filed Critical Universal Time Ltd.
Priority to AU21774/99A priority Critical patent/AU2177499A/en
Publication of WO1999038053A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999038053A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
    • G04G99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
    • G04G9/00—Visual time or date indication means
    • G04G9/0076—Visual time or date indication means in which the time in another time-zone or in another city can be displayed at will

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to time measurement devices, and in particular to personal chronometers such as watches and clocks.
  • chronometer will be used to include all forms of time-keeping devices for maintaining a track of a current time relative to an origin (eg. when the chronometer is set or started) and for providing an output of that current time, eg. by visual display or machine readable output.
  • a known solution to this problem is to provide a chronometer, or series of chronometers running in parallel to display the time at more than one "time zone".
  • Modern digital watches already provide "world time” functions to display the time in any of the internationally recognised time zones. Such watches merely add or subtract a predetermined number of hours from a base line or home time zone.
  • This solution is not ideal, because it does not necessarily take into account local times or local daylight saving times as they vary around the world, without additional knowledge from the user. It also still leaves room for error in a user misunderstanding which time zone a predetermined schedule is provided in, or providing an incorrect base line by confusion with their own time zone.
  • Universal time co-ordinate systems which can be used anywhere and are an exact reference to a point in time wherever a user is located have been suggested in the past.
  • a "time” in a universal time co-ordinate system cannot be repeated or mistaken for any other period of time regardless of the position on earth.
  • Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and UTC (Co-ordinated Universal Time, based on GMT) are in widespread use.
  • Such systems invariably follow a time base according to the Gregorian system of days, hours, minutes and seconds.
  • 1997 223 753 125 This can be displayed, for example, as 1997/223/753/125 or 1997223753125 or 1997 223 753 125 or in any other format where it can be interpreted as a universal time.
  • the figure above represents a moment in time which is smaller than nine hundredths of a second. It is unique and would not be repeated for another 10 000 years.
  • Such a metric time base can also take its datum from a universal time co-ordinate system such as UTC.
  • time base is used to refer to the duration of the basic time interval being used for counting (eg. second, or one-thousandth of a day);
  • time co-ordinate system is used to refer to the origin (datum) or zero point of the time units being counted (eg. where midnight falls) and the units of measure therefrom;
  • universalal time co-ordinate system refers to a time measurement system in which the datum and value is common throughout the world eg. UTC.
  • the time field can be the same length of time as a day (24 hours). It is divided in to 1000 units, where each unit is the equivalent of 86.4 seconds.
  • the time field is in base 10 and has a unit column, a tens column and a hundreds column.
  • the day field is the same as the time field but when it totals 366 it increments the year field by one and resets to one. In a leap year the field reaches 367 before incrementing the year field and resetting to one.
  • the year field has four columns in base ten, units, tens of units, hundreds of units and thousands of units. It can also have three columns instead of four, units, tens of units and hundreds of units. To simplify the display of metric time it can be displayed in any format such as:
  • Both displays can have a "U" prefix to indicate that the figure relates to a universal metric time base, although this is not essential. The moment in time is the same, the person reading the display would merely have to assume that it was the second millennium and when using the second display they would have to assume the year.
  • a thirteen digit number represents a period in time that is shorter than nine hundredths of a second and cannot be repeated in 10,000 years.
  • a nine digit number represents a length of time that is the equivalent of 1.44 minutes and cannot be repeated in 10,000 years.
  • Days can be shown as a number and so do not have any names or religious connections. By displaying a day number in a year, confusion over different numeric formats of day: month: year / month: day: year is avoided. Standard symbols such as FR to indicate day of the week could be used with a day number.
  • a conventional digital clock has four columns: minutes, tens of minutes, hours and tens of hours. Most people only use minutes in base 5, that is to say they will use "ten past, twenty past, quarter to, half past”. Minutes are only used to measure and state time more precisely.
  • the metric time field has three columns: units, tens and hundreds. One unit is the same length of time as 1.44 minutes. This means that although the time field only uses three columns it is still accurate enough for general time keeping. By using three fields it is more economical to display and use.
  • the present invention seeks to make it possible for persons to work to scheduled or timed events for which it is desirable to use an alternative time base to the present systems, which is based on a universal time coordinate system.
  • the present invention provides a chronometer that can display two different times each having a different time base.
  • time base we refer to a fundamental unit of time measurement such as the second (which we shall refer to as the conventional time base) as well as one which does not use the second, eg. a metric-based system in which the fundamental unit is one thousandth of a day.
  • the present invention provides a chronometer having an oscillator from which two separate base units of time are derived for time keeping in two different time systems. According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a chronometer having a first display mode in which a first time value is displayed and a second display mode in which a corresponding time value in a different time co-ordinate system and different time base is displayed.
  • the present invention provides a chronometer having a first time-keeping mode in which a first time count is maintained and a second time-keeping mode in which a corresponding time count, in a different time base from said first timekeeping mode, is maintained.
  • Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a conventional quartz watch
  • Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a watch modified according to the present invention.
  • the basic components of a conventional digital watch are shown in figure 1 as comprising a quartz crystal oscillator 10, and an electronic circuit 11 for providing control of the crystal oscillator and for providing time-keeping functions based on the output from the quartz crystal oscillator 10.
  • the electronic circuit 11 is coupled to a display output 13 which may be of any conventional type, for example, LED, LCD or analogue output.
  • a power supply 12 provides power to all components.
  • the circuit 11 provides a number of flip-flop circuits to successively divide the oscillation frequency down to the appropriate time base unit.
  • a watch 5 provides a quartz control oscillator 10 and a control circuit 15, and divide circuitry 20 comprising two divide circuits 21, 22 each producing an output at the appropriate frequency for a dual time base watch, eg. a 1 Hz output for a first, conventional, time base and a 1.15 Hz output for one-hundredth of a base unit according to a metric system described above.
  • the divide circuit 20 may include a common division element 23 which reduces the quartz oscillator frequency down to an intermediate frequency which is then further divided by respective divide circuitry 21, 22.
  • Each counter preferably includes storage for the current date as well as the current time in its respective time base and time co-ordinate system.
  • the metric time base is linked to the UTC universal time co-ordinate, which means that in certain time zones, the date as well as the time may be different according to the two counters at certain times of day.
  • the output of one of the time-keeper circuits 30, 31 is selected for output on a conventional display module 13 by way of a multiplexing circuit 40 which receives inputs 41, 42 from both counters 30, 31.
  • the time base for display is selected by way of select line 43.
  • the multiplexer 40 may be omitted if both conventional time and metric time are to be displayed simultaneously on a dual display.
  • the multiplexer may also be arranged to automatically alternate between displaying time in the first time base and the second time base.
  • the watch also includes an indicator for showing which time base and/or time zone is currently being displayed.
  • the watch also includes a conversion function provided by computation circuitry 50.
  • a user may provide as input to the computation circuitry 50 a specified time in either the first or second time bases, via input device 52.
  • the converted time is provided as output to the display device 13 via an output line 53 to the multiplexer 40 and by appropriate control of the select line 43.
  • this conversion function a user may readily enter a time in one co-ordinate system and time base and have the corresponding time in the other time base and co-ordinate system displayed for easy reference.
  • the chronometer may be set by the user or incorporate a receiver for receiving time signals from various transmitters throughout the world to adjust the absolute values of the time keeping circuitry at appropriate intervals, as known in the art.
  • the chronometer may include an offset generator in the conventional time keeping circuitry 30 to increment or decrement the time by a predetermined offset to obtain a local time zone, as required by the user.
  • this offset is a whole number of hours for most local time zones but can also include fractions of hours, in known manner.
  • the chronometer may also include a stop watch function adapted to display a count-up or count-down time in both the conventional time base and in the alternative, eg. metric time base.
  • the chronometer may also include an alarm function settable to a predetermined alarm time in the conventional time base and time co-ordinate system or in the alternative time base and time co-ordinate system.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electric Clocks (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un chronomètre destiné à garder et à afficher le temps dans deux modes différents, à savoir dans un premier système coordonné et de base temps, comme les heures, minutes et secondes, du type système grégorien, un temps correspondant étant affiché selon une seconde base de temps, du type système de base temps, métrique, coordonné et universel. Ce chronomètre peut comprendre un convertisseur destiné à convertir un temps déterminé entré par l'utilisateur selon une base de temps, dans l'autre base de temps, aux fins d'affichage.
PCT/GB1999/000213 1998-01-24 1999-01-21 Dispositif de mesure du temps WO1999038053A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU21774/99A AU2177499A (en) 1998-01-24 1999-01-21 Time measurement device

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9801503.5 1998-01-24
GB9801503A GB2333615A (en) 1998-01-24 1998-01-24 Metric timepiece

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999038053A1 true WO1999038053A1 (fr) 1999-07-29

Family

ID=10825810

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1999/000213 WO1999038053A1 (fr) 1998-01-24 1999-01-21 Dispositif de mesure du temps

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2177499A (fr)
GB (1) GB2333615A (fr)
WO (1) WO1999038053A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000013067A1 (fr) * 1998-08-28 2000-03-09 Swatch Ag Piece d'horlogerie electronique comportant une indication horaire fondee sur un system decimal
US6811601B2 (en) 2000-05-27 2004-11-02 Basf Aktiengesellschaft Pigment preparations comprising alkoxylated polyethylenimine
US7636276B2 (en) 2006-01-03 2009-12-22 Alan Navarre Device for measurement of geo-solar time parameters

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TW517180B (en) * 2001-02-23 2003-01-11 Swatch Group Man Serv Ag Timepiece with analogue display of time related information based on a decimal system

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3117412A (en) * 1960-12-09 1964-01-14 Harold H Malone Time indicating means
FR2391508A1 (fr) * 1977-05-18 1978-12-15 Verger Maurice Compteur de temps calculatrice electronique
US4185452A (en) * 1976-07-08 1980-01-29 Arihiko Ikeda Digital time display system
US4926400A (en) * 1989-11-30 1990-05-15 Morton Rachofsky Combined twenty-four (24)/twenty-five (25) hour clock
EP0457032A2 (fr) * 1990-05-18 1991-11-21 Braun Aktiengesellschaft Pendulette de voyage avec affichage digital et indication de l'heure universelle
US5444674A (en) * 1994-06-08 1995-08-22 Sellie; Clifford N. Hand held decimal timer with improved frequency division

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4175378A (en) * 1974-02-19 1979-11-27 Shelton Vernon E Decimal timekeeping instrument
US4337530A (en) * 1980-05-27 1982-06-29 Toft Jr Leonard L Universal time-keeping system and apparatus
GB2274004A (en) * 1992-12-30 1994-07-06 Nigel Coole A timepiece.

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3117412A (en) * 1960-12-09 1964-01-14 Harold H Malone Time indicating means
US4185452A (en) * 1976-07-08 1980-01-29 Arihiko Ikeda Digital time display system
FR2391508A1 (fr) * 1977-05-18 1978-12-15 Verger Maurice Compteur de temps calculatrice electronique
US4926400A (en) * 1989-11-30 1990-05-15 Morton Rachofsky Combined twenty-four (24)/twenty-five (25) hour clock
EP0457032A2 (fr) * 1990-05-18 1991-11-21 Braun Aktiengesellschaft Pendulette de voyage avec affichage digital et indication de l'heure universelle
US5444674A (en) * 1994-06-08 1995-08-22 Sellie; Clifford N. Hand held decimal timer with improved frequency division

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
RAJA RAO T.: "Tome and Its Units", JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS (INDIA) INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL ENINEERING, vol. 54, pt.1, September 1973 (1973-09-01), india, pages 25 - 28, XP002101432 *

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000013067A1 (fr) * 1998-08-28 2000-03-09 Swatch Ag Piece d'horlogerie electronique comportant une indication horaire fondee sur un system decimal
US6809993B1 (en) 1998-08-28 2004-10-26 Swatch Ag Electronic timepiece including a time related data item based on a decimal system
KR100633676B1 (ko) * 1998-08-28 2006-10-11 스와츠아크티엔게젤샤프트 십진법에 바탕한 시간 관련 데이터 아이템을 포함하는 전자식 시계.
US6811601B2 (en) 2000-05-27 2004-11-02 Basf Aktiengesellschaft Pigment preparations comprising alkoxylated polyethylenimine
US7636276B2 (en) 2006-01-03 2009-12-22 Alan Navarre Device for measurement of geo-solar time parameters

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2333615A (en) 1999-07-28
GB9801503D0 (en) 1998-03-25
AU2177499A (en) 1999-08-09

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