Electronic alarm timepiece

Claim 1

In an electronic timepiece having oscillator means for generating a standard high frequency signal for timekeeping, a divider circuit receiving and dividing down said standard high frequency signal into lower frequency timekeeping signals, counter means for accumulating said lower frequency timekeeping signals in categories representative of time, said categories including at least hours and minutes, display means for visual presentation of timekeeping data, and means for driving said display, said counter means inputting time data signals to said means for driving, the improvement therein comprising: a note producing circuit, said note producing circuit including a memory circuit for storing note and time duration data, at least one programmable counter means for automatically variably dividing pulses outputted by said oscillator means to produce in sequence difference notes of determined frequency in response to said data in said memory circuit; circuit means for controlling the duration of each note, said circuit means for controlling duration including a time counter dividing down said standard signals from said oscillator means, the division ratio of said time counter being automatically variable in response to said time duration data stored in said memory; an address counter receiving the output of said time counter and outputting a signal to said memory, said time counter output signal advancing the memory address, data for the next succesive note being input from said memory circuit to said programmable counter means; an electro-acoustic transducer receiving the output of said note producing circuit and audibly outputting said sequence of notes to produce a special sound effect; means to actuate said note producing circuit; switch means for selectively connecting said first programmable counter means to said oscillator means directly or to a stage in said divider circuit, either of two frequencies being selectively inputted to said programmable counter means by operation of said switch means, said notes being produced in response to said data stored in said memory in two octave ranges.