Programmable timing device for indicating appointments

Claim 2

A programmable timing device comprising a support for receiving markings at locations corresponding to predetermined times in a given period, at least one electrically conductive bus bar and a plurality of electrically conductive paths, said markings either making or interrupting an electrical connection between one of said electrically conductive paths and said bus bar, said location being designated by characters which indicate the respective hours and predetermined intervals in minutes of the given period, timing means for deriving sequential timing signals at predetermined intervals during said period and means for deriving a predetermined time output signal whenever of said timing signals occurs at the predetermined time represented by the respective one of said marking.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 which is in the form of an electronic appointments calendar.

Claim 4

A device accring to claim 1 in which said paths and said bus bar are provided on an insulating surface of the device.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1 in which said paths are arranged parallel to one another in a column, the bus bar extending alongside the parallel paths and being spaced from the ends of the paths such that the gaps so formed can be bridged by markings made with conductive material.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 1, in the form of a watch said paths and said bus bar being provided on the surface of a peripheral rim of the watch.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 5 in which the body of the watch is circular and the body is provided with a rotatable bezel which is coupled to a ratchet, the bezel including a slot for inserting the point of an instrument for making said marking whereby one of the paths is connected to the bus bar.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 6 in which the bezel includes another slot for inserting an eraser to remove the marking.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 1 in which the bus bar is in the form of a conductive layer which is urged into releasable adhesive contact with a conductive path.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 1 in which each marking is made on an insertable sheet over a respective releasable contact.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 8 in which each releasable contact comprises a bistable diaphragm.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 8 in which the support is made of multi-layered construction including a pressure sensitive layer for visibly indicating the marking, the support including a separator for releasing the contact with the conductive path and for erasing the visible indication.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 8 in which the marking is made on an insertable sheet over the respective releasable contact.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 1 in which the timing means comprises a shift register which is advanced in time with each predetermined interval.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 1 in which the timing means includes: A rotary switch having contacts which are disposed in a circle and the number of which is equal to a quarter hour graduation within twelve hours, each of said contacts being coupled to a conductive path, said switch having a rotating contact arm which is electrically connected in succession to the contacts and which performs one complete revolution in twelve hours; A change-over switch having first and second switch contacts and a switch arm which is connected to a voltage source and is adapted to be switched over between said first and second switch contacts, said first switch contact being connected to the contact arm of the rotary switch; And a rotating cam disc which has four cams spaced equally apart on its periphery and which performs one complete revolution per hour, its cams being disposed in proximity to the changeover switch in such a manner that they successively engage the switch arm of the change-over switch to switch if over once every quarter-hour for a predetermined period of time to said first switch contact thereby successively connecting the contacts of the rotary switch to the respective conductive paths and to the voltage source.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 14 in which rotation of the contact arm of the rotary switch and of the cam disc are synchronised in such a manner that the switch arm of the change-over switch is switched over to said first contact when the rotating contact arm is traversing a contact of the rotary switch.

Claim 17

A device according to claim 14 in which the predetermined period of time within which the switch arm of the change-over switch is switched over to said first switch contact is determined by the shape of the cams of the cam disc.

Claim 18

A device according to claim 16 in which the predetermined period of time is within the range of the period of time that the rotating contact arm is traversing a contact of the rotary switch.

Claim 19

A device according to claim 15 wherein the contact arm of the rotary switch is coupled to the shaft of the hours hand of a clock and the cam disc is coupled to the shaft of the minutes hand of the clock.

Claim 20

A device according to claim 1 including an alarm circuit for receiving the predetermined time output signal, said alarm circuit including a flip-flop of which one actuating input is coupled to the bus bar, a reset output being coupled to the second switch contact of the change-over switch and its output being coupled to an indicator element; a timing signal on said bus bar setting the flip-flop to transmit an output signal for operating the indicator element, and connection of the voltage source by way of the switch arm of the change-over switch and said second switch contact causing the flip-flop to be reset to isolate the indicator element.

Claim 21

A device according to claim 19 in which the flip-flop is adapted to be reset by means of a manually operated contact.

Claim 22

A device according to claim 1 in which an output circuit for receiving the predetermined time output signal contains a switching transistor having a control electrode coupled to the bus bar.

Claim 23

A device according to claim 1 in which said given period is tewelve hours, and including two additional conductive paths, each being for a twelve hour period, which additional paths can be selectively connected to the bus bar by means of markings, a day/night change-over switch having two switch contacts and a switch arm adapted to be switched over between these contacts, one switch contact of the day/night change-over switch being coupled to one additional conductive path for one twelve hour period and the other switch contact being coupled to the other additional conductive path for the other twelve hour period, a cam disc which makes one complete revolution in a week and which carries on its periphery seven cams spaced apart in the peripheral direction, the width and spacing of these cams being selected such that the width of one cam and of one space corresponds to a day, (twenty-four hours) and that said cam disc is opratively connected to the switch arm of the day/night change-over switch in which a manner that when a cam runs on to said switch arm the latter is switched over to the switch contact for one twelve hour period and when a space between the two cams is adjacent said switch arm, it is switched over to the switch contact for the other twelve hour period.

Claim 24

A device according to claim 22 in which a conductive path for a twelve hour period is fastened to the bus bar.

Claim 25

A device according to claim 1 in which there are provided, for each day of the week, two conductive paths for each of two twelve hour periods, the device including a contact disc having two contacts for each day of the week on its periphery and a contact arm making one complete revolution per week, and that of the two contacts for each day of the week, one is connected to the conductive path of the corresponding day of the week for one twelve hour period and the other is connected to the conductive path of the corresponding day of the week for the other twelve hour period.

Claim 26

A device according to claim 24 including a logical stage comprising two AND-gates, of each of which one input is coupled to the switch arm of the day/night change-over switch or to the contact arm of the contact disc, whilst another input is coupled to the bus bar, the outputs of the AND-gates being conjointly coupled to a flip-flop for actuating an alarm or to a switching ransistor for actuating an indicator.

Claim 27

A device according to claim 24 including a logical stage comprising two flip-flops, of each of which one input is coupled to the switch arm of the day/night change-over switch or to the contact arm of the contact disc whilst the other inputs are coupled to the bus bar, the outputs of the flip-flops being conjointly coupled to means for actuating an alarm or to a switching transistor for actuating an indicator.

Claim 28

A device according to claim 1 in which the timing means comprises an integrated circuit frequency divider and a ring counter.

Claim 29

A device according to claim 27 in which the ring counter can be reset to zero by means of a first switch and can be advanced by means of a second switch.

Claim 30

A device according to claim 27 in which for seconds programming over a period of one week, six serially connected ring counters are provided, which respectively represent seconds units, seconds tens, minutes units, minutes tens, hours, and days.

Claim 31

A device according to claim 29 in which a plurality of bus bar are subdivided in accordance with the number of ring counters.

Claim 32

A device according to claim 29 in which, for a plurality of marking locations, a corresponding number of subdivided bus bars are provided.

Claim 33

A device according to claim 31 in which the subdivided bus bars are coupled to AND-gates.

Claim 34

A device according to claim 29 in which light emitting diodes are provided for indicating the counting state of the ring counters.

Claim 35

A device according claim 1 including numeric recognition means having a series of numeric programming positions, in each of which programming positions, a numeral can be written with conductive marking material, the numerals representing a predetermined time; each of said positions including a plurality of conductors defining gaps which are closed by the conductive marking material for deriving coded signals representing the respective numeral.

Claim 36

A device according to claim 34 in which said gaps are disposed at locations corresponding with each indicating element of a numeric display cell.

Claim 37

A device according to claim 35 in which each numeric programming position comprises a bus bar in the form of a loop which defines a region in which the numeral is written, a first group of conductive paths connected to said bus bar and directed radially inwardly of said loop, and a second group of conductive paths; each member of said second group of conductive paths being adjacent to, and spaced from, a respective member of the first group of conductive paths to define elongate gaps, said gaps being transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the respective elements of a corresponding 7-segment display cell.

Claim 38

A device according to claim 36 in which said timing means includes a digital display having a plurality of 7-segment display cells for indicating the tens and units of hours and minutes in real time.

Claim 39

A device according to claim 37 including comparator means for comparing coded signals derived from each display cell with coded signals derived from the respective programming positions whereby the predetermined time output signal is derived when the time indicated by the display corresponds with the time written in numerals in the programming positions.

Claim 40

A drive according to claim 34 in which said supports for receiving markings includes at least one bus bar and a plurality of conductive paths which define gaps therewith, said gaps being designated with characters which represent time graduations in said given period; said timing means being operable to derive coded timing signals which are supplied to an addressing circuit connected to each of said conductive paths.

Claim 41

A device according to claim 34 including an a.m/p.m. selector whereby the predetermined time output signal is produced only when the markings correspond with preset times in a respective a.m. or p.m. period.

Claim 42

A device according to claim 40 wherein the selector comprises conductive paths defining gaps respectively representing a.m. and p.m. periods.

Claim 43

A device according to claim 41 wherein the timing means includes an a.m./p.m. display cell, said a.m./p.m. display cell and said selector being connected to a comparator for determining either the a.m. or the p.m. period of the predetermined times designated by said markings.

Claim 44

A device according to claim 34 wherein said support for receiving the markings includes a matrix of gaps between conductive paths, which gaps are joined by said markings to designate a predetermined time, a first group of the conductive paths designating predetermined intervals in minutes in a one hour period and a second group of said conductive paths designating the hours in a twelve or twenty-four hour period.

Claim 45

A device according to claim 43 wherein the timing means includes a display having cells respectively representing the tens and units of the hours and minutes in real time, said first group of conductive paths being connected through a first decoder to the cells representing the tens and units of the minutes in the display, the second group of conductive paths being connected through gating means and a second decoder to the cells representing the tens and units of the hours in the display, said gating means being enabled by coincidence between a signal from the first decoder, which signal is conducted by a conductive mark in one of said gaps, and a signal from the second decoder, when the display indicates the predetermined time corresponding with said conductive mark.

Claim 46

A device according to claim 1 wherein said support is a insertable sheet of insulating material with said conductive paths and at least one bus bar printed thereon.

Claim 47

A device according to claim 45 in which said paths and said bus bar are provided in the form of pressure contacts for contacting markings on said sheet, said pressure contacts being formed in a clamping strip for securing said sheet.

Claim 48

A device according to claim 45 wherein said marking are made with conductive material on said sheet to make an electrical connection between one of said electrically conductive paths and said at least one bus bar.

Claim 49

A device according to claim 45 wherein each of said plurality of conductive paths and said at least one electrically conductive bus bar are electrically connected and wherein said marking comprises a hole punched in a conductive path printed on said sheet to interrupt a conductive path.

Claim 50

A device according to claim 45 and further comprising means for clamping said sheet in a predetermined position on a supporting pad, said clamping means including a plurality of contacts for contacting said conductive paths and said bus bar.

Claim 51

A device according to claim 49 wherein said marking are made with conductive material on said sheet to make an electrical connection between one of said electrically conductive paths and said at least one bus bar.

Claim 52

A device according to claim 49 wherein each of said plurality of conductive paths and said at least one electrically conductive bus bar are electrically connected and wherein said marking comprises a hole punched in a conductive path printed on said sheet to interrupt a conductive path.

Claim 53

A programmable timing device comprising a support for receiving marking at locations corresponding with predetermined times in a given period, said location being designated by characters which indicate the respective hours and predetermined intervals in minutes of the given period, timing means for deriving sequential timing signals at predetermined intervals during said period, said timing means including a display having cells representing the tens and units of the hours and minutes respectively, said cells being connected to respective first and second decoders for producing coded timing signals representing each hour and predetermined interval in minutes in one hour period indicated by the display, the device including a reader for reading marking disposed on said support at locations corresponding with said predetermined times, a memory for storing data derived from the reader, and means for entering said coded timing signals into the memory to produce the predetermined time output signal when any one of the coded timing signals corresponds with the predetermined time stored in memory.

Claim 54

A programmable timing device comprising a support for receiving marking at locations corresponding with predetermined times in a given period, said location being designated by characters which indicate the respective hours and predetermined intervals in minutes of the given period, timing means for deriving sequential timing signals at predetermined intervals during said period, said timing means including a display having cells representing the tens and units of the hours and minutes respectively, said cells being connected to respective first and second decoders for producing coded timing signals representing each hour and predetermined interval in minutes in one hour period indicated by the display, the device including a reader for reading marking disposed on said support at locations corresponding with said predetermined times, a memory for storing data derived from the reader, and means for entering said coded timing signals into the memory to produce the predetermined time output signal when any one of the coded timing signals corresponds with the predetermined time stored in memory.

Claim 55

A device according to claim 52 comprising an electrically conductive bus bar and a plurality of electrically conductive paths, said marking either making or interrupting an electrical connection between one of said paths and said bus bar.

Claim 56

A device according to claim 52 in which the reader includes a plurality of sensors which are mounted for relative movement with respect to said support for receiving said markings, said sensors being disposed at locations corresponding with columns of markings representing each hour and the predetermined intervals in minutes in a one hour period.

Claim 57

A device according to claim 54 wherein said support includes preprinted control markings representing each hour, which control markings are designated by characters representing said hours, and columns of locations for receiving marking material to record the predetermined intervals in minutes in rows corresponding with the preprinted hour control markings.

Claim 58

A device according to claim 54 wherein each sensor is a photosensitive device for sensing opaque markings on said support.

Claim 59

A device according to claim 54 wherein the reader includes means for sensing relative movement between said support and the sensors in one direction for deriving a signal to actuate addressing circuits for entering data from the reader into the memory, and means for sensing relative movement between said support and the sensors in the opposite direction to actuate the addressing circuits for entering the coded timing signals into the memory.

Claim 60

A device according to claim 52 including an alarm circuit comprising bistable circuit means responsive to the predetermined time output signal for operating an alarm, and resetting means which can be manually operated to reset the bistable circuit means to terminate the alarm.

Claim 61

A device according to claim 58 wherein said bistable circuit means includes automatic resetting means responsive to timing signals produced at predetermined minute intervals for terminating the alarm.

Claim 62

A device according to claim 59 wherein the automatic setting means comprises a bistable circuit responsive to the output of an OR-gate which is connected to a display cell for indicating minute units, the input to the OR-gate being responsive to coded signals representing different predetermined minute units whereby the alarm is terminated automatically within an interval, in minutes, depending on the difference between said predetermined minute units.

Claim 63

A device according to claim 58 in which the alarm comprises a sound signal generator and an AND-gate connected to the sound signal generator, the AND-gate including an input for receiving pulses corresponding with predetermined second units in real time, an input for receiving a pulsating signal at a given frequency and an input for receiving the output signal from the bistable circuit means, whereby the sound signal generator is pulsed at a predetermined frequency to give the alarm.

Claim 64

A device according to claim 61 including a visual alarm indicator which is reset by manual operation of the resetting means, the visual alarm remaining energised when the sound alarm is terminated.

Claim 65

An electronic appointments calendar comprising a support for receiving markings at locations corresponding with predetermined times in a given period, said markings being visible and conductively connective, said location being designated by characters which indicate the respective hours and predetermined intervals in minutes of the given period, the support being such that, at least in one position on said device, said markings can be updated and are visible prior to automatic scanning thereof, timing means for deriving sequential timing signals at predetermined intervals during said period, means for automatically and sequentially responding to said markings with respect to said sequential timing signals and means for deriving a predetermined alarm output signal only when the respective timing signal occurs at the time represented by the respective one of said markings.

Claim 66

An electronic appointments calendar comprising a support for receiving markings at locations corresponding with predetermined times in a given period, said markings being visible and conductively connective, said location being designated by characters which indicate the respective hours and predetermined intervals in minutes of the given period, the support being such that, at least in one position on said device, said markings can be updated and are visible prior to automatic scanning thereof, timing means for deriving sequential timing signals at predetermined intervals during said period, means for automatically and sequentially responding to said markings with respect to said sequential timing signals and means for deriving a predetermined alarm output signal only when the respective timing signal occurs at the time represented by the respective one of said markings.