Programmable electronic timer
OwnerJoseph W. Kinginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method to control a programmable portable electronic timer to selectively provide AC power to an external electrical device by selecting a plurality of varying start times and stop times for each of at least two days, where each start time and stop time may be unique, and whereby the start/stop times define a period of timer operation to provide AC power to an external electrical device. An uninterrupted “count down” of timer information stored within the timer while AC power is unavailable to the timer is also provided, such that when AC power is restored to the timer, the providing of AC power to the external electrical device is not skewed by any period of time that the AC power is unavailable to the timer.
Claims18
A programmable portable electronic timer, comprising:
- a housing, including a plurality of function buttons disposed on an outer surface of the housing, a display disposed on the outer surface to visually display timer information, a first electrical power connector disposed on the outer surface to receive AC power from a local power grid, and a second electrical power connector disposed on the outer surface to provide AC power to an external electrical device;
- wherein the timer further includes internal electronic circuitry, including an AC/DC converter electrically connected to the first electrical power connector and having DC power output connected to the display, a memory electrically connected to the DC power output, and a controller electrically connected to the memory and to the DC power output;
- and
- wherein the second electrical power connector is automatically provided AC power by the controller from the local power grid during a selected time period in response to timer control information previously inputted and stored in the memory, such that start and stop times for the selected time period vary over sequential days of operation of the timer, and such that the second electrical power connector is provided AC power by the controller at a start time selected at random by the controller from a range of start time values, the range being bounded by a first start time and a second start time manually input by a user.
A programmable portable electronic timer to provide power from a local power grid to an external electrical device, comprising:
- a housing, including a plurality of function buttons, a display to visually display timer information, a first electrical power connector to receive AC power from the local power grid, and a second electrical power connector configured to provide AC power to an external electrical device;
- wherein the timer further includes internal electronic circuitry, including an AC/DC converter electrically connected to the first electrical power connector and having DC power output connected to the display, a memory electrically connected to the AC/DC converter DC power output, and a controller electrically connected to the memory and to the DC power output;
- and
- wherein the second electrical power connector is automatically provided AC power from the local power grid during a time period randomly selected by the timer in response to timer control information previously input and stored in the memory, such that the second electrical power connector is provided AC power by the controller at a start time selected at random by the controller from a range of start time values, the range being bounded by a first start time and a second start time manually input by a user.
A method of controlling a programmable portable electronic timer to selectively provide AC power to an external electrical device, including:
- selecting a plurality of unique start times and stop times for operation of the electronic timer for each of at least two days of timer operation, where each start time has an associated unique stop time which defines a period of timer operation;
- providing AC power to an electrical power connector disposed on the timer only during each defined period of timer operation, such that each defined period of timer operation includes a start time selected at random by the timer from a plurality of start time values including at least a first start time and a second start time manually input by a user, where the electrical power connector is capable of being connected to an external electrical device;
- and
- providing an uninterrupted “count down” of timer information stored within the timer while AC power is unavailable to the timer, such that when AC power is restored to the timer, timer operation of providing AC power to the electrical power connector commences and terminates, respectively, at the pre-selected start times and stop times without being skewed by a period of time that the AC power is unavailable to the timer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.