Display for electronic clocks and watches
AssigneeJack S. Kilby
InventorsJack S. Kilby, Robert F. Schweitzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic timepiece with minimal power requirements, employing a single ring of individual visual display elements selectively actuated to display hours, minutes, and seconds.
Claims27
In an electronic timepiece with horologic display, the combination which comprises:
- a. a plurality of individually energizable display elements arranged in a single ring;
- and
- b. logic means connected to said display elements to display the hour and minute on the same complete display element by indications of different visual character.
In an electronic timepiece with horologic display, the combination which comprises:
- a. a series of no more than sixty individually energizable display elements arranged in a single ring;
- and
- b. logic means connected to said display elements to display the hour and minute on the same complete display element by indications of different visual character.
In an electronic timepiece with a horologic display of light-emitting elements, the combination which comprises:
- a. a plurality of said light-emitting elements arranged in a single ring;
- b. a first logic circuit means for energizing only three of said light-emitting elements in any given second to display the second, minute, and hour;
- c. a second logic circuit means for indexing said hour display each twelve minutes;
- and
- d. a third logic circuit means for indicating the coincidence of hour and minute positions.
An electronic timepiece with horologic display of light-emitting elements, which comprises:
- a. sixty light-emitting diodes equally spaced in a single ring;
- b. a first logic circuit means for selecting and energizing said diodes positionally to display the second as a continuously illuminated diode advancing at one second intervals;
- c. a second logic circuit means for selecting and energizing said diodes positionally to display the minute as a flashing diode pulsed for illumination at a greater than one Hz rate and advancing at one minute intervals;
- d. a third logic circuit means for selecting and energizing said diodes positionally to display the hour as a continuously illuminated diode which advances at hour related intervals;
- e. control means to advance said hour indication at twelve minute intervals;
- and
- f. a fourth circuit means for intermittently energizing said hour display and an adjacent diode when coincident with the position of the minute indicator.
A method for displaying time in an electronic watch in which sixty individual visual display elements are arranged in a single ring at six degree intervals, comprising:
- a. selectively energizing said elements to display seconds as a continuous energization advancing in one second intervals;
- b. selectively energizing said elements to display minutes as a pulsating illumination advancing in one minute intervals;
- c. selectively energizing said elements to display hours as a continuous illumination advancing each twelve minutes;
- and
- d. signaling the coincidence of hour and minute positions by intermittently illuminating diodes immediately adjacent said display of hours.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.