Horologic instruments with random timing source
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorAlan R. Reinberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic horologic instrument, such as an electronic watch or clock, utilizes randomly-generated energy to produce electrical pulses in synchronism with the generated energy. The electrical pulses are counted until a predetermined count is reached. When this occurs, the timekeeping circuitry is stepped by a unit of time such as one second or some other convenient fraction thereof. The electrical pulses produced, although random over a short time period, have an average rate over a long time period that follows well-established statistics, to provide a horologic instrument with an acceptable degree of accuracy.
Claims18
An electronic timekeeping apparatus comprised of:
- a. a random energy generator which is of sufficient accuracy over the long term to provide a timekeeping reference, said generator including:
- (i) a radioactive energy source, and
- (ii) detector means for detecting energy generated by said radioactive source and producing electronic signals in synchronism therewith;
- b. electronic counter means coupled to the detector means of said generator for counting said electronic signals and for generating a timing signal each time a preselected count is reached;
- c. timekeeping circuitry coupled to said counter means, said timekeeping circuitry being stepped by one unit of time for each timing signal generated by said counter means;
- and
- d. compensation circuitry for compensating for changes in pulse rate due to radioactive decay of said radioactive energy source.
An electronic timekeeping apparatus comprised of:
- a. a radioactive source of randomly-generated energy which energy is generated with sufficient accuracy over the long term to provide a timekeeping reference;
- b. detector means for detecting the energy generated by said radioactive source and for producing electronic signals in synchronism therewith;
- c. electronic counter means coupled to said detector means for counting the electronic signals and for generating a timing signal each time a preselected count is reached;
- d. timekeeping circuitry coupled to said counter means, said timekeeping circuitry being stepped by one unit of time for each timing signal generated by said counter means;
- e. compensation circuitry for compensating for changes in pulse rate due to radioactive decay of said radioactive source;
- and
- f. display means coupled to said timekeeping circuitry for displaying the time count provided by said timekeeping circuitry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.