HK1053360B - Enhanced quadribalanced digital time displays - Google Patents

Description

Enhanced quaternary balanced digital time display

Technical Field

The present invention relates to timekeeping, and more particularly to the use of a digital time display for general timekeeping, which allows an individual to view and track his or her time while engaging in their daily activities.

Background

A quad digital time display is illustrated in us patent 4,271,497, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Those displays contain centrally located current hour numbers, i.e., incremental minute numbers are shown in the upper and lower positions on the right side of the display during the first and second quarter hours. Thereafter, the next hour number of increments, i.e., the decreasing minute number during the third and fourth quarter hours, are shown at the lower and upper positions on the left side thereof. In this way, four quarter-hours can be precisely defined, balanced and visually distinguished, while both elapsed and future times can be viewed in the first and second halves of each hour, respectively.

It has now been found that some of the characteristics of the prior quaternary balanced displays are not optimal. In particular, when the first to fourth respective quarters of an hour are displayed, they display only a limited portion of the total space around the centrally located hour for the corresponding minute. Throughout the hour, most of its space remains completely idle, so that some viewers feel an incomplete and contrary or incorrect idea that these spaces are not functional in the entire display, at least remaining blank at the time.

By contrast and by way of example, most conventional disc watches do not have this similar characteristic to a clock. They typically have four to twelve hour numbers, with or without intermediate minute tick marks, positioned around the disk so that the viewer visually perceives the entire area swept by the hour and minute hands, having a role in defining any one hour of travel. The lack of the symbology and effect of the 271,497 quaternary balanced display may compromise the utility and appearance of the display.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention significantly improves upon the conventional quaternary balanced display discussed above. In the enhanced quaternary balanced display of the present invention, one or more quarter hour positions not occupied by a digital minute are provided with indicia to inform the viewer that these positions are functional elements of the entire display, but are not actuated because the current time is defined by a digital minute displayed in another portion of the display. In this way, the idle of most of the space around the centrally located digital hour can be eliminated. Conversely, preferably, all four respective quarter hour minute positions are controllable to include an active digital display, including the first through fourth quarter minute positions, respectively, and, for differentiation and completeness, indicia at the other three quarter hour positions, respectively, to alert a viewer that those spaces are functional, although not currently associated with defining the current time. Reinforcing the quaternary balanced display previously described in this manner provides a considerable improvement in the appearance and utility of such a system for a general purpose timepiece. In addition, a single displaceable crown button (crown) control is provided to facilitate operation of the timepiece in which such a reinforced display is embedded.

Drawings

Other features and details of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a copy of fig. 1 of us patent 4271,497, with solid and dashed circles around the specific in-board (board) corners (relative to the center of the display) of the digital minute element.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail illustration of a corner included within a solid line circle of FIG. 1 for ease of viewing and understanding;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the same corner within the solid circle of FIG. 1 and showing the result of the mark being simultaneously actuated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4-7 are representations of representative time displays presented to a viewer during four quarter hours according to fig. 3.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a corner included within the dashed circle of FIG. 1, shown to the same scale as FIG. 2, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to fig. 3, showing the markings formed by another embodiment of fig. 8 on the same reduced scale as fig. 1.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11A-11D are illustrations of representative quarter hour time displays provided to a viewer by the embodiment of fig. 10.

Fig. 12A-12D are diagrammatic representations of another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13A-13D are illustrations of quarter hour marks provided to a viewer by the embodiment of fig. 12A-12D.

Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a single displaceable crown button for controlling all setting functions of the timepiece, programmable display of enhanced quaternary balance digit time in connection with the present invention, and incorporating a programmable alarm.

Detailed Description

Referring now to fig. 1, the digital display elements 10, 12 are located in the center of the display and are actuated to display hour values from 1 to 12, as previously described in U.S. patent 4,271,497.

To the right of the hour elements 10, 12 there is a pair of 10-segmented digital display elements 14, 16, which during the first half hour are actuated to display minutes in increments of 0 to 30, i.e. during the first quarter hour the uppermost 7 of the 10 segments are actuated in their upper and lower positions and during the second quarter hour the lowermost 7 of the 10 segments are actuated, while the current hour is displayed by the hour elements 10, 12. Similarly, a second pair 10 of segmented digital display elements 18, 20 is located to the left of their hour display elements 10, 12. This pair, during the second half hour, is actuatable to display a decreasing minute value of 29 to 0, i.e. during the third quarter hour, the lowermost 7 of the 10 segments are actuated in their lower and upper positions, and during the fourth quarter hour the uppermost 7 of the 10 segments are actuated while their hour elements 10, 12 are displaying their next hours.

Finally, the digital display elements 22, 24 are located beneath the centrally located hour elements 10, 12 and are actuatable to display a digital seconds value of 0 to 59 increments during each minute of the first half of the hour and 59 to 0 decrements during the second half of the hour.

The foregoing is an abstract of the disclosure of U.S. patent 4,271,497, further details of which will become apparent upon reference to the patent document.

Referring again to the numbered display elements 16 and 20 of FIG. 1, it can be seen that the uppermost and lowermost panel inner corners are contained within solid circles. The reason for this can be understood by referring to the detailed illustration of the same corner shown in fig. 2.

As previously described, each corner includes the terminal ends of two uppermost/lowermost horizontal and vertical components, closely adjacent to each other on opposite sides of a small 45 ° slanted gap (similar to a slanted junction). The same construction is shown in U.S. patent 4,271,497 at the corner of display elements 30b and 32a of fig. 1. However, in fig. 2 of this application, the adjacent terminals of each of the horizontal and vertical corner members in the circle referenced above are separated and separated from the remaining members a second time, again at 45 °, to provide a pair of very small segments 26, 28 which can be separately actuated as indicia in accordance with the present invention.

This all four pairs of separate actuations are plotted in fig. 3. It can be seen that the display segments separated in the four corners form slanted double stubs, preferably at 45 °, and their positions in the direction tend to enclose the central area occupied by the digital hour elements 10, 12. As a result, the viewer is given the sensation of rotation of the indicia, similar to the sweeping of a conventional stylus across the surface of a disk, instead of the empty condition presented by the display of the prior patent.

The overall composite effect, which differentiates from completion, is a quarter hour time display as is representative of figures 4 to 7. In fig. 4, the current time is nine minutes and 15 seconds past, and during the first quarter of an hour, is generated by selectively actuating the corresponding elements of the hour, minute and second display element in fig. 1. In addition, the remaining three lowermost and uppermost board inner corner segments of the digital minute elements 16 and 20 have been actuated simultaneously to form three sets of diagonal double dash marks at the top and bottom of the space to be displayed at the upcoming current minute time, i.e., during the second to fourth quarters of the same hour.

It is noted that the small indicia sections 26, 28 are also actuated when necessary to display the full length of their particular component as part of the displayed numerical minute value. Thus in fig. 4, the vertical marker segment 28 is actuated to provide a numerical minute value of 4 corresponding to the full length of the vertical leg in the board.

Fig. 5 shows a representative second quarter of the current time for the ninth hour, 26 minutes and 21 seconds, with the slanted double bar marks preferably actuated simultaneously in the remaining three spaces, where the current minute is normally shown during the first, third and fourth quarter hours. Both of the in-board marker segments 26, 28 are also actuated to provide a numerical minute value of 6 corresponding to the full length of the lowermost horizontal and vertical legs.

Fig. 6 shows a representative third quarter hour current time 18 minutes and 5 seconds before the tenth hour. Also, the slanted double dash markers are preferably actuated to normally display space during the current minute, i.e., the first, second and fourth quarter hours. As shown in fig. 4, the in-board vertical marker segments 28 are also actuated simultaneously to provide the full length of the corresponding lowermost vertical foot at the digital minute position of a numerical minute value of 1.

Fig. 7 completes a display period of 8 minutes and 27 seconds before the tenth hour for a representative fourth quarter of the time. The simultaneously actuated slanted double dashed marks preferably appear in the space of the current minute normally displayed earlier, i.e. during the previous three quarter hours. Furthermore, the two in-board indicia sections 26, 28 are actuated simultaneously, providing a corresponding level of the tens minute position for the minutes value 0 and the full length of the vertical foot. The new sign display illustrated in fig. 4-7 exhibits the enhanced effect of the present invention as compared to the prior quaternary balanced display of U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,497 by presenting the differentiation and completeness of the activation and deactivation of the entire display for a quarter of the time zone.

Fig. 8 and 9 are illustrations of another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 8 shows the numerical minutes 14, 18 more inwardly disposed in the inner corners of the plate, i.e., contained within the dashed circles of FIG. 1. These corners are also separated and separated in the manner illustrated in fig. 2. Although the split corners of fig. 2 result in the slanted double dash marks of fig. 3, with alternating negative (downward sloping from left to right) and positive (upward sloping from left to right) slopes during the respective four quarter hours, the reverse order of the positive-negative-positive-negative slopes is formed in fig. 8 and 9, since fig. 1 circles in opposite directions corresponding to the corners within the solid and dashed lines, respectively. The end result is that the alternating marks of FIG. 9 produce a lighting or highlighting effect on the central region of the display, in contrast to FIG. 3 producing a sense of a wrapping or rotating sweeping movement around the center of the display.

Additionally, a preferred embodiment of a digital display element embodying the present invention is shown in fig. 10, which includes all modifications of the display element of fig. 1. Thus, corresponding elements of FIG. 10 have the same reference number as in FIG. 1, but preceded by 100 as in FIG. 1, element 10 is referenced at 110 in FIG. 10, and so on. In addition, it is useful that FIG. 10 include a first two letter code where the display element 130 can display abbreviations for days of the week. An additional element 132 is included for displaying the date of the days per month.

The main difference between fig. 1 and fig. 10 is that all the display elements of the latter have pointed ends, which are shaped substantially like symmetrical arrows or spears, including substantially 90 ° angles. The tips are spaced and packed together as closely as possible, preferably with the space between them aligned at a substantially 45 ° inclination. As a result, the symmetry of the size and shape of all the time values shown by the elements 110-124 of FIG. 10 is enhanced. In addition, the separate in-board elements 116 and 120 of FIG. 10 have corners (labeled 126, 128) similar to those contained within the solid circles of FIG. 1, with the corner elements 26, 28 corresponding to FIG. 2 having different shapes. The latter comprises four pairs of marks each having the shape of a substantially parallelogram with two pairs of opposite sides in parallel. In fig. 10, similar references include pairs of elements, each in the shape of a trapezoid, with only one pair being parallel on opposite sides.

As a result, FIG. 10 marks the quarter hour space each extending to its mark, with a diffuse beveled edge at its proximal end and a square straight edge at its opposite distal end. This creates a resolvable shape that expands and enlarges to an empty quarter hour space while closing off the space with opposing straight edge boundaries that mark the uppermost or lowermost extent of the space. This is in contrast to FIG. 1, which marks the proximal and distal ends of the marker with sharp points, since they are in the shape of pairs of parallelograms, without the square corner shown in FIG. 10.

Fig. 11A-11D illustrate representative time/day/date displays obtained by actuating corresponding elements of fig. 10 during the first through fourth quarter hours, respectively. The difference in symmetry of element size and shape, and the different shapes of these indicia, can be seen by comparing the representative displays of fig. 4-7 derived from fig. 1.

12A-12D illustrate the marker variation derived from FIG. 10, providing a more stylistic and streamlined sequence of quarter hour markers 226 and 228 than that of FIGS. 11A-11D. In FIGS. 12A-12D, only the intra-panel split corners for creating this mark are shown, somewhat enlarged for ease of understanding, similar to the FIG. 10 minute elements. As illustrated, in each of these pairs, the second component part line extends from the element tip point, at an acute angle across the elements, until it reaches and separates its inner horizontal and vertical edges. Thus, the triangular portions formed by these end points of the minute elements thereof may be separately actuated, resulting in quarter hour marks having the shapes shown in FIGS. 13A-13D. Like the 11A-11D icons, the icons of FIGS. 13A-13D are directed to the minute positions at which they spread out the inner edge icon with its more proximal end, but extend back to the sharp point at its opposite more distal end. This shape is more like the digital minute shape displayed during a quarter hour period and therefore is more preferable as a reminder to the viewer that the location of the mark will be used to display the time for the appropriate period of each hour.

The mark shapes illustrated in fig. 13A-13D are based on a second split line having an angle, having a length that results in a substantially isosceles triangular mark shape. However, other angles, lengths and angles of the line of separation may obviously be used to produce substantially similar but physically different shapes and sizes of such indicia.

In addition, the shape of the indicia of FIGS. 13A-13D, having the appearance of an overall arrow, produces a symbolic cue that enhances the graphical effect produced by the indicia. In particular, during the first half of the hour, the midpoint of the period is between the first and second four hours. Fig. 13A and 13B show, correspondingly, the spreading and convergence of the arrow back, tending to open and close at an angle from the quarter hour position, thus symbolizing expansion and contraction during these quarter hours. Also, the second indicia, FIG. 13B, points in the direction that the remaining third and fourth quarters of the hour will be displayed.

Also, the labels of fig. 13C and 13D provide similar advantages. The backs of the marks may also diverge and converge at an angular position toward and away from the two quarter hour position, indicating expansion and contraction at these times. Also, the label of FIG. 13D points to the top of the fourth, last, quarter hour position, symbolizing the end of the approach of the current hour, and at the same time, showing the beginning of the next hour.

Thus, the indicia of 13A-13D, when associated with a quad balanced time display, as representatively illustrated in FIGS. 11A-11D, provides an optimal time display scheme wherein each quarter hour of progress is visually distinguishable from the others, and the correct time for each is defined numerically and instantaneously with complete visual and numerical balance between the two halves and the quarter hour.

The above illustrates further embodiments, showing that there are many other options available for forming various shapes of indicia designs, more or less likely to produce a better result for different viewers. Using conventional dot matrix display devices or other high resolution devices to implement the teachings of the present invention, the shape of the indicia may be configured as one or more dots, dashes, star markers, stars, arrows, ramps, triangles, squares or other symbols that perform the functions described in the exemplary discussed embodiments above.

It should be understood that the spaces between elements 26, 28, 126 and 128, including the corresponding spaces of fig. 12A-12D, and their respective horizontal and vertical elements, are preferably as narrow as possible in all cases to enable the electronic energization of these elements separately while maintaining their tightest visual continuity for viewing.

Also, while in the preferred embodiment all four quarter hour zones are activated at the current time and there are three non-time indications during the entire hour, other sequences may be used. For example, the current time shown in one-fourth of an hour may be accompanied by a marker in the next or previous one-fourth of an hour space, or a pair of markers in the next or previous one-fourth of an hour space.

Referring now to fig. 14, a diagram of attributes of a single displaceable crown button control function is illustrated, for example, as disclosed in U.S. patent 4,720,823, incorporated herein by reference. Preferably, the crown control is used to operate all of the setting functions of an enhanced quaternary balance timepiece, in which a programmable alarm is also provided.

At the top, the crown button is illustrated with a solid line and a dashed outline, symbolizing that it can be displaced between alternative positions, i.e. crown button in (solid outline) and crown button out (dashed outline) in contrast to the case of a wristwatch, these positions are abbreviated as "CR-I" and "CR-R" in the other lower part of the diagram, respectively.

The displaceable crown is also illustrated at the top of the diagram, rotatable in a forward direction denoted "forward rotation of the crown" (forward arrow) and in an opposite rearward direction denoted "backward rotation of the crown" (reverse arrow), preferably about one-quarter rotation in either direction upon full rotation, as described in U.S. patent 4,720,823. These rotational movements are abbreviated as "R-FO" and "TR-BA" respectively in the other lower portion of the diagram.

The displaceable crown button is vertically connected to a lower horizontal line in fig. 14, and its titles include "Show equal-Time (Display enhanced quaternary balance Time)," Set Time "(Set Time)," Light Display "and" Set Alarm Time ". The two functional sequences "Light Display" and "Set Alarm Time" are entered without performing a CR-O operation under the heading, informing that these sequences are available with the crown button in the CR-I position. Therefore, under the "Light Display" heading, with the crown button at CR-I, repeated TR-FO rotations are programmed to alternately turn Light on and off, i.e., to correspondingly illuminate and de-illuminate the Display, so that the displayed time can be viewed in the dark. Thus, the TR-FO action of alternating crown buttons at the CR-I position is dedicated to performing a single function of illuminating and not illuminating the display.

Subsequently, under the "setarm Time" heading, with the crown button still in the CR-I position, repeated TR-BA rotations are programmed to turn it on and off, i.e., activated and deactivated, both as an alert symbol on the display and as an audible alert at a preselected Time. The rotation of the crown button in the alternative TR-BA position of CR-I is dedicated to the individual function of activating and deactivating its audible alarm and the symbols on its display.

Reference is then made to the headings "Show equal-Time, Set Time", "equal-T" which are shorthand for the enhanced quaternary balanced Time display of the present invention, as previously described above. The crown button is in the CR-I position, which is the type of time display provided to the viewer. Alternatively, when the crown button is displaced to its CR-O position, as shown in the first step below the heading, the display is programmed to automatically switch to display a conventional numerical time (abbreviated "Elap-T") consisting of the hour centrally located, the elapsed minutes to the right-hand upper position and the seconds elapsed below the hour flashing. These time values are maintained throughout the hour while the crown button is in the CR-O position to distinguish between the time-set mode and the enhanced quaternary-balance immediate mode that is restored when the crown button is returned to the CR-I position after the time-set or reset is completed, the disclosure of related U.S. patent 5,182,733 being incorporated herein by reference. This contrast is incremented to eliminate the markers typically included in the second, third and fourth quarter hour minute positions at the enhanced quaternary equilibrium time, to enhance the viewer's confirmation and understanding that the display is in the time-setting mode, i.e., the time-setting mode initiated by the displacement of the crown button to its CR-O position.

Continuing with the description of the time-setting function in the left column of the chart of fig. 14, it should be understood that each successive function is selected and flashed by rotation of the crown button TR-BA, and then each such function is set by rotation of the crown button TR-FO until the correct value is reached on the display. In addition, during any selected time-setting sequence, the display may be returned to the instant time, i.e., moving the crown button back to its CR-I position and moving back to equal-T time, as indicated by the arrow labeled CR-I to the right of each function, in a manner similar to that described in U.S. patent 5,182,733. So during the setup procedure, all TR-BA rotations are dedicated to the selected setup function of the flash, and all TR-FO rotations are dedicated to the setup flash function.

Finally, with reference to the heading Set Alarm Time, as mentioned previously, repeated TR-BA rotations will activate and deactivate the Alarm symbol and function when the crown is in the CR-I position. Thus, as shown in the graph, to prepare and set a selected warning time, the activated warning symbol/function is first established on the display by the TR-BA rotation of the crown button. The crown is then shifted to its CR-O position which programmably stores the set alarm time of the previous Equad-T time in the display, i.e., corresponding to the enhanced quaternary balance time, preferably including corresponding indicia of the three quarter positions not occupied by the alarm time minutes, as shown in the associated fourth quarter position, and preferably not including the seconds of any excess time set for any alarm time. Additionally, it is preferable that the last hour and minute that the alert time was previously set to have no initial flashing, since the exact instant time source displayed need not be synchronized to this time. Thus, by enabling the alert time setting of such an enhanced quad-balanced display, the viewer is provided with a clear contrast to the conventional Elap-T time used to set or reset the real-time display, as previously described.

The selection and setting of the alert Time will be described in the remaining sequence of setarm Time heading below the chart. Again, all crown knobs TR-BA are rotated to select and flash a set function, and all TR-FO are rotated to set the selected function. During either selection, shifting the crown to its CR-I position returns the display to equal-T time. Preferably, the warning symbol is retained in the display when the time since the warning setting operation has returned to the instant time, so that the viewer is assured that the warning will sound at that set time. Thereafter, one TR-BA turn will program the audible alarm and its symbol off until the same alarm time is reactivated by another TR-BA turn, restoring the alarm and its symbol in its display, or until a new alarm time is selected and set by the procedure described above.

The preferred embodiment of displaceable crown control illustrated in fig. 14 and described above provides substantial advantages due to the logical and procedural features of the operational embodiment. It will be noted that all repeated forward rotation of the crown button with the CR-I position will turn the illuminated display on and off, while all repeated backward rotation will activate and deactivate the annunciator and its symbol. These features are easy to remember and distinguish thereafter.

All settings of the display are achieved by the displacement of the crown button to its CR-O position, another feature is easy to remember (and also reminds the traditional disk watch of how to preset). If a CR-O shift is performed without actuating the warning symbol of the display, the display will enter the real-time setting mode of the conventional digital display. Conversely, if the CR-O is first activated to alert the display, the display will enter a contrast enhanced quaternary equilibrium setting mode, again providing easy-to-remember features and distinctions between these two setting function categories. Finally, during any one setting category, each function is selected and flashed for setting by the TR-BA rotation, and the function of such individual selection is set by the TR-FO rotation. This reverse movement is easy to remember and distinguish between the different operations performed by each.

Representative number unit minutes use the smaller size number zero as shown in figures 4 and 7 of the present invention. The advantages and implementation of such a display during the first and last nine minutes of each hour are further detailed as described in U.S. patent 5,805,534, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Moreover, the top six horizontal elements of the 10 segmented display elements 18, 20 of FIG. 1 of this application may be flashed during the last minute of each hour, as described in U.S. patent 5,757,730, the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, during the thirty-first to thirty-first minute intervals, an initial digital minute of value 30 and a digital second of values 0 to 30 are preferably displayed during the first half interval followed by a second half interval of a digital minute of value 29 and a digital second of values 29 to 0, as described in U.S. patent 4,627,737, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In view of the above, it is intended that the present invention be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such variations and modifications of the described embodiments of the present invention.

Claims (20)

1. A quaternary equilibrium time display in which the current digital hour is bordered on the right by digital minutes that increase in relative high and low positions during the first and second quarter hours, and during the third and fourth quarter hours, the next digital hour is bordered on the left by decreasing digital minutes in relative low and high positions,

wherein the quaternary balanced time display further comprises: a marker is provided at least one of the three minute positions not occupied by a digital minute at any one time, said marker being included so as to inform the viewer that the marker's position is a functional element of the display but cannot be actuated since the current time is defined by a digital minute being currently displayed in another of said minute positions.

2. The quaternary equilibrium time display of claim 1, wherein during the first quarter hour the numerical minute values displayed during the four quarter hours are 00-15, during the second quarter hour are 16-30, during the third quarter hour are 29-16, and during the fourth quarter hour are 15-01.

3. The quaternary balanced time display of claim 1, wherein during an hour, as the digital minutes defining the current time are displayed within each of the four positions representing the four quarter hours, the other three positions that do not display digital minutes are simultaneously provided with the indicia.

4. The quaternary balanced time display of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprise pairs of segments at the high and low corners of the horizontal and vertical display elements for a number of minutes, wherein the pairs of segments appear as diagonal double dashes when actuated, positioned to tend to encircle the number of hours at a central location of the display.

5. The quaternary balanced time display of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprise pairs of segments at the high and low corners of the horizontal and vertical display elements for a number of minutes, wherein the pairs of segments appear as slanted double dashes when actuated, extending in positions tending to extend from the number of hours at the center of the display.

6. A quaternary balanced clocking method in which during first and second quarter hours, relatively high and low positions adjacent to the right side of the current digital hour display increasing digital minutes, and during third and fourth quarter hours, relatively low and high positions adjacent to the left side of the next digital hour display decreasing digital minutes,

wherein the quaternary equilibrium time display comprises: displaying a marker at least one of the three minute positions not occupied by a digital minute at any one time, said marker being included so as to inform the viewer that the marked position is a functional element of the display but cannot be actuated since the current time is defined by a digital minute being currently displayed in another of said minute positions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: during the first quarter hour, digital minutes with values of 00-15 are shown during the four quarter hours, digital minutes with values of 16-30 are shown during the second quarter hour, digital minutes with values of 29-16 are shown during the third quarter hour, and digital minutes with values of 15-01 are shown during the fourth quarter hour.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: the numerical minutes defining the current time are displayed in each of the four positions representing the four quarter-hours, and the other three positions not displaying numerical minutes are marked simultaneously.

9. An enhanced quaternary balanced time display in which digital current and next hours are displayed by centrally located display elements which are actuatable to display the cell hours and tens of hours with seven display segment elements for the cell hours and more than one display element for tens of hours, wherein pairs of actuatable display element arrays to the right and left of the centrally located hour display elements, successively increasing cells and tens of minutes are displayed to the right of the current digital hour during the first quarter hour and to the second quarter hour, successively decreasing cells and tens of minutes are displayed to the left of the current digital hour at a relatively low position during the third quarter hour and to the fourth quarter hour, each array comprises ten display elements which are,

wherein the quaternary equilibrium time display includes providing a mark separate from the display element for each hour and minute display, said mark having a sharp tip.

10. A quaternary balanced time display as claimed in claim 9, wherein the indicia comprises a pair of high and low angular segments of the horizontal and vertical display elements of a number of minutes which appear as slanted double dashes when activated.

11. The quaternary balanced time display of claim 10, wherein each of the double stubs is substantially shaped as a parallelogram marker having two pairs of parallel sides.

12. The quaternary balanced time display of claim 10, wherein each of the double stubs is substantially shaped as a trapezoidal mark having two parallel sides.

13. A crown control system for facilitating operation of a timepiece having an embedded enhanced quaternary balanced time display, having at least second, third and fourth quarter positions and indicia at least the second, third and fourth quarter positions, comprising:

a single crown movable relative to the timepiece between crown in and crown out positions and rotatable in clockwise and counterclockwise directions in either of said positions;

(a) when this crown button is located crown button position:

(i) operatively switching on and off the light illuminating/non-illuminating display when the rotation in one of the directions is repeated; and

(ii) when repeatedly rotated in the other of said directions, is operable to activate and deactivate an alarm and an alarm symbol in the display to become audible at a predetermined time; and

(b) when the crown button is located at the button-out position:

(iii) if the annunciator and the annunciator symbol in the display are not actuated in advance, the display is operatively converted to a conventional numeric elapsed time without the enhanced indicia of quaternary equilibrium time in the second, third and fourth quarter positions, whereby the display can be set to an on-time by repeatedly rotating the knob in one of said directions to select and flash the time function and by repeatedly rotating the crown knob in the other of said directions to set said flash time function; and

(iv) upon prior actuation of the annunciator and the alert symbol, enhanced quaternary equilibrium time, no seconds display or flashing time value can be displayed such that the display can be set to a selected alert time by repeatedly rotating the crown button in one of said directions to select and flash the time function and by repeatedly rotating the crown button in the other of said directions to set said flashing time function; and

automatically shifting the display to an equivalent enhanced quaternary equilibrium time when the crown button is displaced back to the crown button advanced position after the associated setup procedure of (b) (iii) above; and

when the crown button is moved back to the crown button carrying position after the alarm setting procedure in (b) and (iv), the preset audible alarm and alarm symbol can be kept in the display.

14. The crown button control system of claim 13 wherein rotation of all crown buttons in one of said directions is clockwise and rotation of all crown buttons in the other direction is counterclockwise.

15. A crown control system for facilitating operation of a timepiece for displaying digital time, comprising:

a single crown movable relative to the timepiece between crown in and crown out positions and rotatable in clockwise and counterclockwise directions in either of said positions;

(a) when this crown button is located crown button position:

(i) when rotation in one of said directions is repeated, it may be dedicated solely to switching on and off the light illuminating/non-illuminating display; and

(ii) when repeatedly rotated in the other of said directions, is dedicated solely to activating and deactivating a warning symbol and alarm in the display, making it audible for a preset time; and

(b) when the crown button is located at the button-out position:

(i) if the alarm and the alarm symbol in the display are not actuated in advance, the display can be set to the instant time solely and exclusively by repeatedly rotating the crown button in one of the directions to select and flash one time function and by repeatedly rotating the crown button in the other of the directions to set the flash time function; and

(ii) when the annunciator and the alert symbol are actuated in advance, the display can be individually dedicated to selecting and flashing the time function by repeatedly rotating the crown button in one of the directions and setting the flashing time function by repeatedly rotating the crown button in the other of the directions to set a selected alert time; and

when the crown button is displaced back to the crown button advanced position after the associated setting procedure of (b) (i) above, automatically returning the display to the set real time; and

when the crown button is moved back to the crown button carrying position after the alarm setting procedure in (b) and (ii), the predetermined audible alarm and the alarm symbol are maintained in the display.

16. The crown button control system of claim 15 wherein when the button is in the (b) (i) position, its repetitive rotation in a counterclockwise direction will cause a time function to flash for setting in sequence seconds, minutes, hours, morning/afternoon, day name, date, month and year.

17. The crown button control system of claim 16 wherein the prescribed sequence begins repeating itself as many times as desired by the user by successively performing such counterclockwise rotations upon the next counterclockwise rotation of the button.

18. A crown control system for facilitating operation of a timepiece for displaying digital time, comprising:

a single crown movable relative to the timepiece between crown in and crown out positions and rotatable in clockwise and counterclockwise directions in either of said positions;

(a) when this crown button is located crown button position:

(i) when rotated in a clockwise direction repeatedly, may be dedicated solely to turning on and off the light illuminating/non-illuminating display; and

(ii) when repeatedly rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, may be dedicated solely to activating and deactivating a warning symbol and alarm in the display, making it audible at a preset time; and

(b) when the crown button is located at the button-out position:

(i) if the alarm and the alarm symbol in the display are not actuated in advance, the display can be set to the instant time solely and exclusively by repeatedly rotating the button in the counterclockwise direction to select and flash a time function and by repeatedly rotating the crown button in the clockwise direction to set the flashing time function; and

(ii) when the warning indicator and the warning symbol are actuated in advance, the time selection and flashing function can be independently and specially used for selecting and flashing time by repeatedly rotating the crown button along the anticlockwise direction, the flashing time function is set by repeatedly rotating the crown button along the clockwise direction, and the display is set to be a selected warning time; and

when the crown button is displaced back to the crown button advanced position after the associated setting procedure of (b) (i) above, automatically returning the display to the set real time; and

when the crown button is moved back to the crown button carrying position after the alarm setting procedure in (b) and (ii), the predetermined audible alarm and the alarm symbol are maintained in the display.

19. The crown button control system of claim 18 wherein when the button is in the (b) (i) position, its repetitive rotation in a counterclockwise direction will cause a time function to flash for setting in sequence seconds, minutes, hours, am/pm, day name, date, month and year.

20. The crown button control system of claim 19 wherein the prescribed sequence begins to repeat as many times as desired by the user by successively performing such counterclockwise rotations upon the next counterclockwise rotation of the button.