US 8,526,273 B2Granted

Time interval indicating device

AssigneeLearning Resources, Inc.

InventorsGayle E. Gordon, Ng Kwok-ho Victor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A device for indicating the passage of two or more time intervals is provided. In one embodiment, the device includes a base portion with a user interface and a light portion. The light portion includes three lights of different colors that are disposed in a vertical arrangement above the base portion. The user interface includes a display and a keypad for programming the device with one or more time durations, and for associating one or more of the lights with each time interval. A controller is in communication with the user interface and operatively coupled with the lights to illuminate and turn off each light during its associated interval. The device may include an audio section linked to the controller for further indicating the intervals or transitions therebetween by outputting one or more sounds.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A device for indicating a plurality of time intervals within a period of time, the device comprising:

an indicator for indicating which of the plurality of time intervals is pending;
a user interface including an incremental input, a decremental input, and an enter input for selecting whether the device operates in a first device mode or a second device mode, for inputting the period of time when the device operates in the first device mode, and for inputting a duration of each of the plurality of time intervals when the device operates in a second device mode;
an electronic display distinct from the indicator and responsive to user interface inputs;
and
a controller programmed to receive inputs from the user interface and to provide outputs to the electronic display and the indicator, wherein in the first device mode the controller subdivides the period of time into the plurality of time intervals, wherein in the second device mode the controller sums the durations of each of the plurality of time intervals to calculate the period of time.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/277,714Filed 20 Oct 2011 · continuation
Priority: 17 Dec 2004
Published: US 2012/0033532 A19 Feb 2012
Granted: 3 Sep 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G04G 11/00
Producing optical signals at preselected times
G04G 15/006
Time-pieces comprising means to be operated at preselected times or after preselected time intervals: for operating at a number of different times
G04G
Electronic time-pieces

Family

Application11/015,834Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Dec 2004
Application12/789,218Parent of this continuation · filed 27 May 2010
US 7,729,206 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Jun 2010
US 2012/0033532 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Feb 2012
US 8,072,846 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2006/0133215 A1Published application
US 2010/0302912 A1Published application
US 8,526,273 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.