Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a digital alarm electronic timepiece includ-
ing an up/down counter, which functions as an up counter in the timer setting
condition and as a down counter after the timer has been set.
It is known to include counters in timers in digital alarm timepieces,
however, conventlonally these have been only down counters, which have been
very difficult for the operator to set as the sequence of the time being set
steps backwards.
The present disclosure overcomes this problem, and also provides a
mechanism for displaying both main time of the timepiece and a subsidiary
time, such as may be required when the wearer of the piece travels to differ-
ent time zones from that for which the main time setting applies, without
the need to reset the main time. The counter for the alarm and for the
subsidiary time are the same.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described having
reference to the accompanying dra~ings in which:
~ Figure 1 shows a basic circuit block diagram of a timepiece.
P~ In Figure l,seconds pulses generated by an oscillator divider
~; circuit 1 are applied to a seconds counter 2. The output of the seconds
' counter 2 is connected to the input terminal of a minutes counter 3, and the
, 20 output of the minutes counter 3 is applied to an hours counter 4. The count-
ers 2, 3 and 4 thus form a main time display counter.
A signal from selecting switch 8 which may select either a subsidiary
' time function or an alarm function is connected to one input terminal of a
s NOR-circuit 17,and one input terminal of an AND-circuit 26 respectively, via
an inverter 15. The signal from selecting switch 8 is also directly connected
to one input terminal of a NOR-circuit 16. The output terminal 9a of an
alarm setting circuit 9 which carries a signal at "1" level during the alarm
setting operation is connected to the other input of NOR-circuit 16. The
output terminal 10a of a subsidiary time setting circuit 10 which carries a
' 30 signal at "1" level during the amending operation is connected to the other
input of NOR-circuit 17.
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The output of NOR 16 is connected to one input of an AND-clrcuit 20,
and the output of NOR 17 is connected to one input of an AND-circult 21. The
1 Hz seconds signal obtained from the oscillator divider 1 is connected to
~ the other inputs of AND-circuits 20 and 21. The outputs of AND 20 and 21
;~ are respectively connected to the inputs of an OR-circuit 22, and the output
of OR 22 is connected to the input of an alarm/subsidiary time seconds
counter 5 (hereafter also called A/S seconds counter). The output signal of
~' the A/S seconds counter 5 (divided from the seconds pulses to 1/60 Hz) is
applied to the alarm/subsidiary time minutes counter 6 (hereafter also called
A/S minutes counter)~ and the output of the A/S minutes counter 6 at 1/3600 Hz
is applied to the alarm/subsidiary time hours counter 7 (hereafter also
called A/S hours counter). The A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 form a reversible
up/down counter.
An OR-circuit 24 receives respectively the output of selecting switch
8,and output 9a of alarm setting circuit 9. OR-circuit 24 is connected to
the counters 5, 6 and 7. When a signal at level "1" is output from circuit
24, the counters 5, 6 and 7 operate as an up counter. However, when output
from OR-circuit 24 is at "O" level the counters 5, 6 and 7 function to count
down.
The output terminal 9b of the alarm setting circuit 9(which develops the
, . necessary counter setting signal during alarm set) is connected to one input of
an AND-circuit 18. Output terminal 9a (which develops a "1" during alarm
set) is connected to the other input of AND-circuit 18. The output of AND-
circuit 18 is in turn connected to one input of an OR-circuit 23. Terminal
lOb of the subsidiary time setting circuit 10 (which develops the necessary
counter setting signal during subsidiary time set) is connected to one input
of an AND circuit 19; output lOa (which develops a "1" during subsidiary time
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set) ls connected to the other lnput o[ AND-circuit 19. The output of AND-
circuit 19 ls ~n turn connected to the other input of OR-circuit 23. The
output of OR-circuit 23 is connected to the settin8 lnput terminals of A/S
counters 5, 6 and 7.
Main time counters 2, 3 and 4 are connected to one set of input
terminals of a display selecting circuit 12, whereas the A/S counters 5, 6
and 7 are connected to the other set of input terminals of the circuit 12.
This circuit 12 selects one or other of its sets of inputs and applies them
to the decoder/driver 13 in accordance with a signal from main time/subsidiary
time or alarm display selecting switch 11. The decoder/driver 13 applies the
~ appropriate output to the display device 14, so that the chosen one of the
¦ main time or subsidiary time or alarm setting is shown as a numeral display.
. The outputs of A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 are also applied respectively
to the three inputs of a NOR-circuit 25, the output of which is fed to one
, input terminal of an AND-circuit 26. The other input of AND-circuit 26
receives the output of inverter 15. The output of AND-circuit 26 is connected
to the input terminal of the alarm driver 27, which is connected to the alarm
device 28.
, In alarm operation, when the display selecting switch 11 is switched
f 20 to the alarm/subsidiary time display position, the display selecting circuit
12 applies only the output of the A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 to the decoder/driver
13, so that the content of the A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 is shown on the display
, 14. Further when the switch 8 is set to alarm function (the "O" signal level)
the output of NOR-circuit 16 connected to switch 8 becomes "1", provided the
other input of NOR-circuit 16 is "O", that is during no alarm setting condi-
tion. AND-circuit 20 thus receives a "1" input. The other input of the AND-
circuit 20 receives the 1 Hz signal from oscillator divider 1 and the 1 Hz
~,- signal is thus applied to the A/S seconds counter 5 via the OR-circuit 22.
,,- In this case, since output 9a is at "O" both inputs of OR-circuit 24
are "O", and A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 thus operate as a down counter, whereby
, the contents of said counters are stepped down in accordance with the 1 Hz
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seconds signal applied through OR-circuit 22. When the content6 of all of
the A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 become "O", NOR-circuit 25 generates the signal
"1". At this time, both inputs of AND-circult 26 and "1~' 00 that the alar~
driver 27 is brought to ON-condition, the alarm device 28 operates.
On the other hand, the output of inverter 15 is "1" so that the
output of said NOR-circuit 17 is "0", and AND-circuit 21 is blocked and has
"0" output.
When the alarm time is being set, that is when circuit 9 is operated,
a "1" is generated at output terminal 9a. The output of NOR-circuit 16
becomes "0", and AND-circuit 20 gives a "0" output. Since AND-circuit 21
also has "0" output, no output is generated from OR-circuit 22 so that
continuous "0" is applied to the A/S seconds counter 5. The "1~' signal at
terminal 9a instantaneously provides a "1" signal at the output of OR 24, so
that counters 5, 6 and 7 are changed from the down to the up counting mode.
Thus, the alarm time can be set as desired by stepping the timer in the up-
count mode in accordance with the appropriate signal developed at terminal 9b.
When the alarm time has been set, the ouptut terminal 9a returns to
"0", the output of OR-circuit 24 becomes "0" and A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 are
returned to the down-count mode. NOR-circuit 16 generates the signal "1"
when the signal on terminal 9a becomes "0" (select switch 8 also is in the
"alarm" condition), and thus the AND-circuit 20 passes the 1 Hz signal to the
input of A/S seconds counter through the OR-circuit 22. As a result, count
down occurs from the set alarm time. When all of the A/S counters 5, 6 and
7 become "O", the alarm is operated.
Reference will now be made to operation in the subsidiary time
function.
When the selecting switch 8 is placed in the subsidiary time setting,
it produces a "1" output. The output of NOR-circuit 16 becomes "0", and AND-
circuit 20 provides a steady "0" output. The output of NOR-circuit 17,
however, is "1" (since the output of inverter 15 is "0") when the subsidiary
time is not being set (that is when the output terminal 10a is "0"). Hence,
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AND-circuit 21 glves a 1 ~Iz output to OR 22, and hence to seconds counter 5.
One input terminal o f OR circuit 24 is "1" and thus counters 5, 6 and 7
operate in the up-count mode in accordance with the 1 Hz slgnal.
When it is desired to set the subsidiary time display select 11 is
set to alarm/subsidiary time position,and switch ~ is placed in the subsidiary
time position and setting circuit 10 is actuated to change the output 10a
from "O" to "1". The output of NOR-circuit 17 becomes "O", and AND-circuit
21 is blocked. AND-circuit 20 is also blocked by the "0" output from OR 16,
so that OR 22 has "0" output. Thus, the 1 Hz signal from circuit 1 is not
applied to the A/S seconds counter 5.
Suppose it were necessary to set Eastern Standard Time as the subsid-
iary, and suppose Japanese time was already set as the main time, it would
then be necessary to set the subsidiary time 14 hours delayed against the
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main time. The subsidiary time setting signal is generated from the output
terminal lOb of the circuit 10 when the circuit 10 is operated, and is applied
to the setting input terminals of said A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 via the AND-
circuit 19 and the OR-circuit 23, whereby one numeral is sequentially
s advanced by each respective pulse of said setting signal.
s When the numeral display selecting switch 11 is put into the
subsidiary time, alarm display position, the contents of the A/S counters
5, 6 and 7 are displayed on display device 14. It is thus possible to set
the subsidiary time by watching the display.
When setting the subsidiary time is completed the output terminals
, 10a and 10b of circuit 10 return to "0", the output of NOR-circuit 17 becomes
"1" and again AND-circuit 21 is unblocked. The lHz signal is then, once more,
applied to the A/S seconds counter 5 via AND-circuit 21 and OR-circuit 22,
the content of the counter is advanced one unit for every pulse. The output
of OR-circuit 24 is maintained at "1", and A/S counter thus operates as an
~ up counter.
'? 30 Accordingly, it is possible to read the main time by putting the
s selecting switch 11 to th= twin tite display position, and it is possible to
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read the subsidiary time by putting the switch 11 in the subsldiary time/
alarm display position.
When the contents of the A/S counters 5, 6 and 7 are "O~', that is 0
hours OO minutes OO seconds, NOR-circuit 25 will generate a "1" signal.
However, AND 26 will not produce an output to actuate alarm 28, because a
"O" signal appears on the other input terminal of AND 26 from the inverter
15, whose input is "1".
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