DE29803315U1 - Calculator device for converting national currencies - Google Patents

Description

Rainer A. Burkhardt Gymnasiumstr. 23/25 D - 88400 Biberach

CALCULATOR DEVICE FOR CONVERSION
OF LOCAL CURRENCIES

The invention relates to a pocket calculator device for bidirectional conversion of European national currencies into the currency of the "Euro", with a number input field and a display device for displaying numbers.

Pocket calculator devices of the type mentioned above are generally capable of carrying out a large number of different operations. The disadvantage of such devices is that for the purpose of converting from one currency to another, a respective conversion factor must be used externally and entered separately into the device and either with the multiplication function key or with the

Function key of a division. Converting from one national currency to another or to the currency of the "Euro" is therefore laborious for an experienced user of the device, and for an inexperienced user it is often associated with errors.

The object of the invention is to create a calculator device with which a conversion of a European national currency into the currency of the "Euro" and into another national currency can be carried out in a simple manner.

For a device of the type mentioned at the beginning, this object is achieved in that a storage device is provided for storing the exchange rate of at least one European national currency in relation to the "euro" currency, at least one currency key is provided, when pressed, the computer device converts an amount of the at least one European national currency entered via the number input field into the "euro" currency, and at least one "euro" key is provided, when pressed, the computer device converts an amount of the "euro" currency entered via the number input field or appearing on the number input field into the at least one European national currency.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

In the device according to the invention, the provision of a storage device for storing the exchange rate of at least one European national currency in relation to the "euro" in conjunction with at least one currency key, when actuated, the computing device converts an amount of the at least one European national currency entered via the numeric input field or displayed on the display device into the "euro" currency, and at least one "euro" key, when actuated, the computing device converts an amount of the "euro" currency entered via the numeric input field or displayed on the display device into the at least one European national currency, ensures that the conversion of a European national currency into the currency of the "euro" and back into the same or another European national currency can be carried out perfectly without separately entering conversion factors and actuating multiplication or division keys by simply actuating currency keys without any further mental activity.

According to a preferred embodiment of the pocket calculator device according to the invention, a currency key is provided. This embodiment, which is particularly small and handy and particularly cost-effective, is intended for those cases in which a quick conversion of a specific European national currency into the "Euro" currency and vice versa from the "Euro" currency into this European national currency is desired.

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According to another preferred embodiment of the pocket calculator device according to the invention, a currency key is provided for each country of the European Monetary Union. This makes it possible to convert an amount of money entered in a specific European national currency into the "Euro" currency and then from the "Euro" currency into any other European national currency. This automatically complies with a relevant European Union regulation according to which a conversion of a given European national currency into another European national currency must be carried out via the "Euro", i.e. that a given amount of money in a European currency must first be converted into a corresponding amount in "Euro" and then converted from this amount into another European national currency.

According to a preferred embodiment, the display device of the pocket calculator device according to the invention shows five decimal places after a conversion. This corresponds to the official conversion rule, according to which five decimal places must be taken into account when converting a European national currency into the currency of the "Euro". According to another preferred embodiment of the display device according to the invention, it shows two decimal places after a conversion. This is the number of places to which the value is to be rounded after a conversion process. The pocket calculator device according to the invention therefore preferably has a switching device,

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with which the number of decimal places of the

Display setting can be switched between "5" and "2".

In this way, both decimal representations can be read from the display device.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the inventive pocket calculator device, it contains a solar cell for providing operating voltage for operating the microprocessor unit, with the aid of which the conversions of national currencies are carried out in the inventive pocket calculator device.

The pocket calculator device according to the invention is explained below using two embodiments which are shown in the figures of the drawing. They show:

Fig.l a first preferred embodiment of the

inventive calculator device in

a top view;

Fig. 2 shows a second preferred embodiment of the

inventive calculator device in

a top view.

In the pocket calculator device 10 according to the invention shown in Fig. 1, a number input field 12 is connected via a microprocessor unit (not shown) to a display device 11 for Arabic numbers, in which the numbers shown are displayed with an accuracy of five decimal places. The display device (not shown)

For the purpose of power supply, the microprocessor unit is connected via an on/off switch 16 to a solar cell array 16, in which light is converted into electrical voltage. The pocket calculator device 10 has a currency key 13 for the currency DM (German Mark) and a "Euro" key 14, whereby a DM amount entered via the numeric input field 12 and displayed on the display device 11 is converted into the "Euro" currency by the microprocessor unit (not shown) when the "Euro" key is pressed and is then displayed on the display device 11. A "Euro" amount displayed on the display device 11, which has either been calculated by the microprocessor unit (not shown) or entered via the numeric input field 12, is converted into the currency DM by the microprocessor unit (not shown) when the DM currency key is pressed and is then displayed on the display device 11.

In the pocket calculator device according to the invention shown in Fig. 2, the same reference numbers designate the same components with the same function as in the embodiment of the pocket calculator device according to the invention shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, in addition to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, there are additional currency keys 13, 13', 13■ ', 13 '' ■ , 13 · ··',

13 ,13 ¹¹ ' ¹ ' ¹ , 13· · &igr;&igr;· ii, 13> · · · '''' and 13' ■ '' ■ ''''

By pressing these keys it is possible to select DEM (German Mark), FRF (French

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Franc), FIM (Finnmark), IEP (Irish Pound), NLG (Dutch Guilder), LUF (Luxembourg Franc), ITL (Italian Lira), ESP (Spanish Peseta), DKK (Danish Kroner) directly into "Euro", and also from "Euro" into another European national currency.

Claims (7)

&bgr; ·· Protection claims 1. Pocket calculator device for bidirectional conversion of European national currencies into the euro currency, with a numeric input field and a display device for displaying numbers, characterized in that a storage device is provided for storing the exchange rate of at least one European national currency with respect to the euro, at least one currency key is provided, when actuated, the calculator converts an amount of the at least one European national currency entered via the numeric input field into the euro currency, and at least one "euro" key is provided, when actuated, the calculator converts an amount of the "euro" currency entered via the numeric input field into the at least one European national currency. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a currency key is provided. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a currency key is provided for each European country. 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display device displays five decimal places after a conversion. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display device displays two decimal places after a conversion. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a switching device is provided with which the number of digits after the decimal point of the display device can be switched between "5" and "2". 7. Pocket calculator device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device contains a solar cell for providing an operating voltage.