Multiple time zone, alarm and user programmable custom watch

An improvement in an integrated circuit watch, including a main random access memory for storing a plurality of addressable binary words and including a programmable logic array coupled to said main RAM to selectively increment said binary words, to compare said binary words against a limit value, to generate an output binary word, and to generate a carry signal if appropriate, said improvement comprising:

• control means for generating a plurality of distinguishable states, each said state corresponding to a watch mode and configuration, said main random access memory being addressed in response to at least one of said plurality of distinguishable states, indicative of said plurality of distinguishable states and generated by said control means, said control means selectively generating a plurality of time delay request signals;
• and
• time delay means for generating after a selected timed delay, a plurality of time delay reset signals corresponding to said plurality of time delay request signals, said time delay reset signals being coupled to said control means to selectively configure said control means to a selected one of said plurality of distinguishable states,
• whereby user programmability is provided by said integrated circuit watch.

A method for keeping time in a multiplicity of zones in an integrated circuit watch having a main random access memory for storing a plurality of binary words and having a programmable logic array coupled to said main random access memory to implement timekeeping operations, said method comprising the steps of:

• selectively accessing a set of flag bits of a plurality of flag bits corresponding to one of said multiplicity of zones, said flag bits stored in a flag random access memory coupled to said programmable logic array;
• processing said accessed set of flag bits in a processor coupled to said flag random access memory in response to a plurality of instruction signals from said programmable logic array and from a control means for generating at least some of said instruction signals;
• and
• coupling said processed and accessed set of flag bits to said programmable logic array for use in said timekeeping operations,
• whereby a multiplicity of independent timekeeping functions can be accomodated be a single integrated circuit watch without increased complexity or use of chip space.

A method for keeping time in an integrated circuit watch having a main random access memory for storing a plurality of binary words and having a programmable logic array coupled to said main random access memory to implement timekeeping functions, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating one of a plurality of distinguishable states in a control means, each said state corresponding to a watch mode and configuration, said main random access memory being addressed in response at least in part to one of a plurality of state signals indicative of said plurality of distinguishable states and generated by said control means;
• generating one of a plurality of time delay request signals by said control means;
• generating one of a plurality of time delay reset signals by a time delay means, each said time delay reset signal corresponding to one of said time delay request signals;
• and
• coupling said one time delay reset signal to said control means to selectively configure said control means in a selected one of said plurality of distinguishable states,
• whereby user programmability is provided in said integrated circuit watch by time dependent instructions.