Solid state watch

Claim 2

A solid state timing device comprising a source of frequency controlled electrical timing signals, a time computer module coupled to said source including an integrated circuit divider for lowering the frequency of the signals from said electrical source, a solid state optical display coupled to said time computer module for displaying the timing signals from said module, and an electrical energy source coupled to energize said timing source, said time computer module and said optical display, said time computer module including a plurality of NOR logic gates coupled between said divider and said optical display for driving said display, said divider comprising a binary counting chain.

Claim 3

A solid state wristwatch comprising a wristwatch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base mounted in said case, a time computer module in said case coupled to said oscillator and including an integrated circuit dIvider for lowering the frequency of the signals from said oscillator, a solid state optical display in said case coupled to said time computer module for displaying the timing signals from said module, and an electrical energy source mounted in said case and coupled to energize said oscillator, said time computer module and said optical display, said case including a window through which said display is visible from outside said case, and an optical bandpass filter mounted in said window.

Claim 4

A solid state wristwatch comprising a wristwatch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base mounted in said case, a time computer module in said case coupled to said oscillator and including an integrated circuit dIvider for lowering the frequency of the signals from said oscillator, a solid state optical display in said case coupled to said time computer module for displaying the timing signals from said module, and an electrical energy source mounted in said case and coupled to energize said oscillator, said time computer module and said optical display, said case including a window through which said display is visible from outside said case, and an optical bandpass filter mounted in said window.

Claim 5

A solid state watch comprising a watch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base mounted in said case, a time computer module in said case including solid state divider and logic circuits for forming electrical timing signals from the output of said oscillator, a plurality of light-emitting diodes in said case coupled to said time computer module for optically displaying the timing signals from said module, an electrical energy source mounted in said case and coupled to energize said oscillator, said time computer module, and said light-emitting diodes, said case including a transparent window through which the light from said diodes is visible, and a demand switch operable from outside said case and coupling said energy source to said diodes for energizing said diodes only when said demand switch is operated, said diodes being arranged in groups to digitally display to the base ten the hours, minutes and seconds of time, said computer module including a delay circuit responsive to operation of said demand switch for maintaining the hours and minutes diodes at least intermittently energized over a predetermined interval of time independent of the condition of said demand switch at the end of said interval.

Claim 6

A solid state watch comprising a watch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base mounted in said case, a time computer module in said case including solid state divider and logic circuits for forming electrical timing signals from the output of said oscillator, a plurality of light-emitting diodes in said case coupled to said time computer module for optically displaying the timing signals from said module, an electrical energy source mounted in said case and coupled to energize said oscillator, said time computer module, and said light-emitting diodes, said case including a transparent window through which the light from said diodes is visible, and a demand switch operable from outside said case and coupling said energy source to said diodes for energizing said diodes only when said demand switch is operated, said diodes being arranged in groups to digitally display to the base ten the hours, minutes and seconds of time, said computer module including a delay circuit responsive to operation of said demand switch for maintaining the hours and minutes diodes at least intermittently energized over a predetermined interval of time independent of the condition of said demand switch at the end of said interval.

Claim 7

A solid state watch comprising a watch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base mounted in said case, a time computer module in said case including solid state divider and logic circuits for forming electrical timing signals from the output of said oscillator, a plurality of light-emitting diodes in said case coupled to said time computer module for optically displaying the timing signals from said module, an electrical energy source mounted in said case and coupled to energize said oscillator, said time computer module and said light-emitting diodes, said case including a transparent window through which the light from said diodes is visible, and a demand switch operable from outside said case and coupling said energy source to said diodes for energizing said diodes only when said demand switch is operated, an ambient light photosensor carried by said case, said photosensor being coupled to said computer module for varying the electrical energy supplied from said energy source to said diodes in accordance with the amount of ambient light incident on said photosensor.

Claim 8

A solid state watch comprising a watch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base mounted in said case, a time computer module in said case including solid state divider and logic circuits for forming electrical timing signals from the output of said oscillator, a plurality of light-emitting diodes in said case coupled to said time computer module for optically displaying the timing signals from said module, an electrical energy source mounted in said case and coupled to energize said oscillator, said time computer module and said light-emitting diodes, said case including a transparent window through which the light from said diodes is visible, and a demand switch operable from outside said case and coupling said energy source to said diodes for energizing said diodes only when said demand switch is operated, an ambient light photosensor carried by said case, said photosensor being coupled to said computer module for varying the electrical energy supplied from said energy source to said diodes in accordance with the amount of ambient light incident on said photosensor.

Claim 9

A solid state watch comprising a watch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base in said case, a plurality of display modules mounted in said case, each of said display modules including a group of light-emitting diodes arranged to display a digital number to the base 10, an integrated circuit divider in said case coupled to said oscillator for reducing the frequency of the output from said oscillator, said divider being in the form of a complementary MOS binary counter, solid state encoders in said case coupling said counter to said light-emitting diodes, said encoders acting to convert the output of said counter into timing signals for said diodes, a rechargeable energy source removably mounted in said case, said case including a window through which said diodes are visible from outside said case, and a demand switch in said case operable from outside said case coupling said energy source to said light-emitting diodes whereby said diodes are energized only when said demand switch is operated, a pair of shims mounted in said case, said modules being mounted on one of said shims and said divider being mounted on the otheR of said shims.

Claim 10

A solid state watch comprising a watch case, a crystal controlled oscillator forming a timing frequency base in said case, a plurality of display modules mounted in said case, each of said display modules including a group of light-emitting diodes arranged to display a digital number to the base 10, an integrated circuit divider in said case coupled to said oscillator for reducing the frequency of the output from said oscillator, said divider being in the form of a complementary MOS binary counter, solid state encoders in said case coupling said counter to said light-emitting diodes, said encoders acting to convert the output of said counter into timing signals for said diodes, a rechargeable energy source removably mounted in said case, said case including a window through which said diodes are visible from outside said case, and a demand switch in said case operable from outside said case coupling said energy source to said light-emitting diodes whereby said diodes are energized only when said demand switch is operated, a pair of shims mounted in said case, said modules being mounted on one of said shims and said divider being mounted on the otheR of said shims.

Claim 11

A solid state timing device comprising a watch case, a source of frequency controlled electrical timing signals mounted in said case, a time computer module coupled to said source including an integrated circuit divider for lowering the frequency of the signals from said electrical source, a solid state optical display including an hours and minutes display coupled to said time computer module for displaying the timing signals from said module, an electrical energy source coupled to energize said timing source, said time computer module and said optical display, a minutes setting switch in said case operable from outside said case, means responsive to operation of said minutes setting switch for applying a signal from said divider at a frequency of greater than 1 Hz to said minutes display, said optical display including means for displaying seconds in decimal form, and means in said case responsive to operation of said minutes setting switch for resetting said seconds display to zero.

Claim 12

A solid state timing device comprising a watch case, a source of frequency controlled electrical timing signals mounted in said case, a time computer module coupled to said source including an integrated circuit divider for lowering the frequency of the signals from said electrical source, a solid state optical display including an hours and minutes display coupled to said time computer module for displaying the timing signals from said module, an electrical energy source coupled to energize said timing source, said time computer module and said optical display, a minutes setting switch in said case operable from outside said case, means responsive to operation of said minutes setting switch for applying a signal from said divider at a frequency of greater than 1 Hz to said minutes display, said optical display including means for displaying seconds in decimal form, and means in said case responsive to operation of said minutes setting switch for resetting said seconds display to zero.

Claim 13

A timing device according to claim 1 wherein said divider comprises stages of complementary MOS transistor pairs.

Claim 14

A wristwatch according to claim 2 wherein said optical display includes a plurality of light emitting diodes giving off light in the visible red region, said filter acting to pass said red light.

Claim 15

A wristwatch according to claim 8 wherein said diodes give off light having a wavelength of about 6,500 Angstroms.

Claim 16

A wristwatch according to claim 9 wherein said diodes are made of gallium arsenide phosphide.

Claim 17

A watch according to claim 3 wherein said computer module includes a switching circuit coupled to said demand switch and said delay circuit for at least intermittently energizing said seconds diodes at the end of said interval if said demand switch in in an operative position.

Claim 18

A watch according to claim 11 in which said computer module includes a hold circuit for maintaining said seconds diodes at least intermittently energized after said interval as long as said demand switch is in an operative position.

Claim 19

A watch according to claim 12 wherein said delay circuit operates said switching circuit after a time delay of 1-1/4 seconds.

Claim 20

A watch according to claim 4 wherein said time computer module includes a duty cycle circuit coupled between said energy source and said diodes, said photosensor being coupled to said duty cycle circuit to vary its output to said diodes.

Claim 21

A watch according to claim 14 in which said duty cycle circuit has an output which may assume any one of four different levels of energy in response to the output of said photosensor, said duty cycle circuit output increasing in energy with increasing ambient light incident on said photosensor.

Claim 22

A watch according to claim 4 wherein said photosensor comprises a plurality of light sensitive transistors mounted in said case beneath said window.

Claim 23

A watch according to claim 6 including a demand switch, means in said case responsive to operation of said minutes setting switch for uncoupling said displays from the 1 Hz output of said divider, and means in said case responsive to subsequent operation of said demand switch to recouple said displays to said 1 Hz output.