# US 8,782,756 B2 · Time clock

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- Number: US 8,782,756 B2
- Document ID: US8782756B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/018,719
- Filed: 2011-02-01
- Published: 2011-06-02
- Granted: 2014-07-15
- Earliest claimed: 2008-08-06
- Assignees: Seiko Precision Inc.
- Applicants: Kenji Ozawa; Koji Ehara
- Inventors: Kenji Ozawa; Koji Ehara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8782756B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/109: Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
- G07C 1/00: Registering, indicating or recording the time of events or elapsed time, e.g. time-recorders for work people (registering or indicating the working of machines or vehicles G07C3/00, G07C5/00)
- G07C 1/14: with apparatus adapted for use with individual cards
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

A time clock 10, capable of outputting a datum to an USB memory 100 connected thereto, includes a controller authenticating whether or not the USB memory 100 is valid an external apparatus as an output destination to which the datum is output, and determining whether or not the datum is output on the basis of the authentication result. Further, the controller 25 authenticates an external apparatus on the basis of an authentication datum stored in the USB memory 100. The controller 25 performs the authentication on the basis of an identification datum of the time clock and an identification datum included in the authentication datum stored in the external apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A time clock capable of outputting data through a time-clock wire connector into a portable-electronic-memory wire connector of a portable electronic memory connected to the time clock, the portable electronic memory being connectable to the time clock for data transfer therebetween, and disconnectable from the time clock, the time clock comprising:
a clock portion including an oscillator and a counter, to provide a current time;
the time-clock wire connector;
a printer that, when a time card is inserted into an insertion opening of the time clock, prints the current time on the time card, and also stores the current time in a time-clock memory;
an authentication portion of the time clock, authenticating whether or not the portable electronic memory is valid as an output destination to which the data is output, wherein the authentication portion authenticates the portable electronic memory on the basis of an authentication datum stored in the portable electronic memory; and
a controller determining whether or not the data is to be output on the basis of the authentication result, when the portable electronic-memory-connector is connected with the time-clock connector;
wherein the authentication portion authenticates the portable electronic memory on the basis of an identifier included in the authentication datum stored in the portable electronic memory, and further authenticates the portable electronic memory by a password input to the time clock by a user of the portable electronic memory.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The time clock of claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of the time clocks, and each of the respective authentication portions thereof authenticates the portable electronic memory on the basis of a common identification datum provided in each of the time clocks and included in the authentication datum stored in the portable electronic memory.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The time clock of claim 1, wherein the authentication portion determines whether or not sound is output from a notice portion on the basis of the authentication result, or determines a kind of sound to be output on the basis of the authentication result.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The time clock of claim 1, wherein the data includes a time stamped datum.

### Claim 5

In combination, a time clock and a portable electronic memory that is disconnectable from the time clock and connectable to the time clock for data transfer therebetween, comprising:
the time clock, including an oscillator and a counter, to provide a current time;
a time-clock wire connector and a portable-electronic-memory wire connector mating with the time-clock wire connector;
a printer that, when a time card is inserted into an insertion opening of the time clock, prints the current time on the time card, and also stores the current time in a time-clock memory;
an authentication datum stored in the portable electronic memory;
a password stored in the time clock;
an authentication portion of the time clock authenticating whether or not the portable electronic memory is valid as an output destination to which time clock data is output, wherein the authentication portion authenticates the portable electronic memory on the basis of the authentication datum stored in the portable electronic memory; and
a controller, comprised in the time clock, determining whether or not the time clock data is to be output on the basis of the authentication result, when the portable electronic-memory-connector is connected with the time-clock connector;
wherein the authentication portion authenticates the portable electronic memory on the basis of an identifier included in the authentication datum stored in the portable electronic memory, and further authenticates the external electronic memory by the password input to the time clock by a user of the portable electronic memory.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The time clock of claim 1, wherein the time-clock wire connector and the portable-electronic-memory wire connector are USB connectors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The time clock of claim 5, wherein the time-clock wire connector and the portable-electronic-memory wire connector are USB connectors.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The time clock of claim 1, wherein the clock portion provides calendar information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The combination of claim 5, wherein the time clock provides calendar information.