The invention relates to a programmable electronic metronome, capable of registering all meter and speed characteristics of any musical work and of producing, when the musical work is to be performed, substantially sharp, perceivable, e.g. acoustic, signals representing said characteristics in the appropriate succession. The metronome comprises a keyboard for producing signals associated with at least three variables, which are bar number, speed and meter, and defining digital values for said variables, which values are stored in at least one volatile electronic memory, comprising segments severally correlated to each of said variables, to define digital data sequences. The metronome further comprises a reader for the data sequences, whereby to associate to each bar number digital values of speed and meter, and a transducer for transforming said values into electric impulses, which produce a corresponding succession of perceivable signals. Preferably a further transducer, having an inlet/outlet, is provided for transforming said data sequences into recording signals, which may be recorded onto and retrieved from a hard memory.

The rotating metal rim (19) is equipped with a toothed ring made of synthetic material (23) catch-fastened to the rotatating rim and catch-mounted on the frame (1) or by means of a band. The toothing of the ring (23) cooperates with at least one pawl (9) mounted in a recess of the frame and held in place on the one hand by a foot (11) and on the other hand by the rotating rim itself. The mounting of the unit and the after-sales service are facilitated.

The case (1) of the watch carries, along its periphery (5), hooking members in the form of rings (6a, 6a', 6b, 6b', 6c, 6c'), these rings being disposed radially relative to the center (7) of the dial (2) and hence of the watch. A chain (8) is fixed by loops (9, 10) at its ends to two (6c, 6c') of these rings and passes through the other rings (6a, 6a', 6b, 6b'), passing several of times around the wearer's wrist. After the loops (9, 10) have been detached from their respective rings, the chain (8) can be passed in a different manner around the case, so that the watch can be hung around the neck. In order to make this change, the chain is equipped with a flat link (13) which can pass through radial slots provided in the periphery of the rings.

A VCR schedule controller receives broadcast data over antenna (1) or cable (2) by a programmable tuner (3), which is connected to a teletext receiver (4). The teletext receiver (4) is connected to a microprocessor (5). Microprocessor output (11) is connected to a video display generator (10), used to create text for television receiver (60) to display a message from the microprocessor (5). After processing embedded data in a broadcast, the microprocessor (5) generates a cue for display on TV receiver (60). Remote control receiver (20) receives a command from a remote controller (22) from a viewer input in response to the cue. Remote control receiver (20) supplies a control signal to cause the microprocessor to store the embedded data in memory (9). The microprocessor then issues a message to the display generator (10) as an acknowledgement of the viewer input. The microprocessor (5) monitors the system clock (6) and compares it with stored schedules from the embedded supplemental data. When the system time corresponds to one of the scheduled times, the microprocessor (5) sets the programmable tuner (3) to the stored channel and initiates recording on VCR (30).

A clock security device to be hung on a wall of a facility such as, for example, a store. The clock face has a convex mirrored surface which provides reflected panoramic view of the facility. The clock security device also includes a mounting bracket which provides for the mounting of the clock security device on the wall with the concave mirrored surface at different positions from parallel to the wall to tilted downwardly at different selected angles to the wall.

A cap (2) is made of sintered hard metal and has on the inside a cylindrical surface (20) and a frusto-conical surface (21) that are true ground. The cap's cylindrical surface (20) is fitted with radial play around an outer cylindrical surface (9) of an underlying middle (1) and the cap's frusto-conical surface (21) has the same inclination as a subjacent frusto-conical surface (14) on the outside of the middle. The cap (2) and the middle (1) are secured to one another by a ring of deformable material sandwiched between their cylindrical surfaces (9, 20). On the outside the cap (2) is formed over its thicker main portion (18) with a trued and polished surface (22) having the same inclination as its inside frusto-conical surface (21) such as to provide the thicker portion (18) with a parallelogrammatic cross-section.

Apparatus comprising a dial provided with distinct zones formed by crown sectors 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 which are adjustable in function of a manual correction device respectively of a selecting device.

When a speech sound of at least a predetermined sound pressure is externally input while a time measurement is not being performed, a time measuring circuit starts a time measurement responsive to a signal from a speech detector. When another speech sound of at least a predetermined sound pressure is externally input while a time measurement is being performed by the time measuring circuit, a measurement time measured by the time measuring circuit at this moment is stored in a time information memory. After a predetermined time has elapsed, if a speech recognition circuit recognizes that the externally input speech sound is a "stop" command, the time measurement operation performed by the time measuring circuit is stopped, and the time information stored in the time information memory is read out and displayed as measurement time information on a display unit.

An analog type electronic watch having a step motor to drive hands has a movement indicator other than hands. The movement indicator has a magnet member and is driven with the magnetic influence of a rotor magnet of the step motor. The magnet member is arranged within a window provided in a dial plate of the watch within the range of the magnetic force of the rotor. The movement indicator is supported so as to be synchronously moved with the rotation of the rotor under the magnetic influence.

In an apparatus for recording and quickly retrieving video signal parts on a magnetic tape, during recording information about the local position of each video signal part is automatically stored in a memory associated with the apparatus, which is designed for storing identifying information for a large number of magnetic tape cassettes. The retrieval of each video signal part on each of the cassettes can be effected substantially without delay in the quick rewind mode of operation.

The disclosed device enables the recording of television broadcasts which are preprogrammed in a memory. The presence of data lines of the television signal in combination with the presence of a color television signal is checked. When the data lines stop, the video recorder is switched on in real time by a clock time signal.

A device and method provide for an accurate output from a unit, such as an oscillator and/or clock providing an output indicative of frequency and/or time. The device includes a processing section having a microprocessor that develops a model characterizing the performance of the device, including establishing predicted accuracy variations, and the model is then used to correct the unit output. An external reference is used to provide a reference input for updating the model, including updating of predicted variations of the unit, by comparison of the reference input with the unit output. The ability of the model to accurately predict the performance of the unit improves as additional updates are carried out, and this allows the interval between the updates to be lengthened and/or the overall accuracy of the device to be improved. The accuracy of the output is thus adaptively optimized in the presence of systematic and random variations.

A watch case back opener is provided having a base. A vise is rotatably mounted on the base for securing a watch case to the base. The vise includes a first jaw and a second jaw movable between an open and closed position. Holes are formed in the jaw. They are adapted to receive a plurality of posts to secure a plurality of different sized and shaped watch cases to the vise. An opener unit including an opening blade is mounted on the base for separating a watch case back from the watch case by twisting the lever relative to the base and then lifting the blade relative to the base.

An automatic programmed ventilation control system for operating a fan includes a fan drive circuit; a duty, cycle control circuit including means for selecting a duty cycle and means for setting the selected duty cycle; a timing circuit including means for selecting the time of day and means for setting the selected time of day; a fan speed control circuit including means for selecting a fan speed and means for setting the selected fan speed; and a manual override switch circuit for overriding the set duty cycle and fan speed for operating the fan at a predetermined speed for a preselected period of time.

A wind direction indicating and time display unit is provided for use at the tee areas of a golf course. The unit wind direction indicating device is mounted on an upper surface of a support structure and extends upwardly therefrom. The wind direction indicating device includes a support pole, a sleeve mounted for rotation on the pole at the top thereof, a wind direction indicating element, such as a flag, secured to the sleeve and movable in response to changes in wind direction, and a pole support fitting. Secured to the upper surface of the support structure. A time display device, such as a clock, is secured in a laterally facing wall surface of the support structure.

A method is described for detecting the time messages in the faulty signal of a time-signal transmitter comprising the steps below. Probabilities are assigned to the received information/bits as they are received and whose sign specifies the value of the bit and whose numerical value indicates the certainty of reception. Except for the bits designating the minute information, the probabilities of successive time messages are totaled with time correctness in a one-dimensional memory field. From the totaled probabilities, a reduced time message is reconstructed that initially contains no information on the minutes. If the reconstructed time message does not change over two successive time intervals, and if preset minimum values for the number of probabilities are exceeded for all bits, then the reduced time message is recognized as being correct. The minutes are determined separately and added to the time message recognized as being correct.

A time-locked cigarette case has time-controlled locking mechanism which is manually adjustable by the user and also has a first latch rod which normally retains the case in a closed condition and a second latch rod which moves to retain the case in a closed condition if the first latch rod is jolted to an open position so as to prevent the case from being opened by jolting before the manually set time delay has expired.

A process is disclosed for producing tertiary alcohols by radical addition of secondary alcohols to alkenes. The reaction is carried out as a continuous process in the presence of an organic peroxide as a radical initiator and during a mean contact time of the reaction mixture of up to a maximum of 1 hour.

Accessory for a laptop computer with LCD display which is connected to the laptop serial communications port and optically transmits data to a portable information device, such as a wristwatch designed to receive data as sequential pulses of light. The accessory includes a microcomputer with an RC timebase which is calibrated each time it is used by a special internal program, so that the input baud rate to the accessory matches the communications baud rate of the data received from the laptop. The internal program also permits selection of an output baud rate for the optically transmitted data.

A radio paging selective receiver determines that a received message is unread based on the time difference between the message reception time and the current time being larger that some predetermined value of time, and the paging selective receiver provides an indication of the unread message by displaying the reception time of the unread message in a second fashion which is visibly different from a first fashion normally used to display the current time.

An LCD is integrated with the cover glass of a wrist watch radio paging receiver which indicates the time data with a dial plate and hands, and a message is displayed on the cover glass by controlling this LCD. In this message display, the parts of the characters indicating the message are made transparent and the remaining parts intercept light. In this manner, message display is made possible by the difference in light transmissivity.

A system includes a system time counter associated with a micro controller and a secure clock module having a real time clock and an elapsed time counter. The system synchronizes operation between the secure clock module and the system time counter. The synchronized time entered into the system time counter is utilized in the operation of the system. The real time clock time can be caused to be entered into the elapsed time counter at certain point in the operation of the system. The relationship of the time provide enhanced systems security.

PCT No. PCT/CH96/00292 Sec. 371 Date May 22, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date May 22, 1998 PCT Filed Aug. 23, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO97/08592 PCT Pub. Date Mar. 6, 1997A method by which an elastomer is applied to a model (1) with relief marks to be reproduced. The purpose of the elastomer once set is to form a mold membrane (14) and incorporate within its own material the shape of the marks on the model. The mold membrane is then separated from the model and filled with a setting material, and the mold membrane is applied to a support in order to transfer the marks after preliminary pasting.

An apparatus for measuring a time interval between a start signal edge and a stop signal edge provides a stable clock signal as input to a delay line formed by a series of similar logic gates. The output signal of the last gate of the series is phase locked to the clock signal by adjusting a bias signal controlling the switching speed of all gates. The clock signal and the output signal of each gate form a set of phase distributed periodic timing signals applied to a start time measurement unit (TMU) and a similar stop TMU. The start TMU counts edges of one of the timing signals occurring between an edge of an arming signal and the start signal edge and generates output data representing a time delay between the arming signal and the start signal edge. The data represents the start delay as a whole and fractional number of clock signal periods by conveying the counter output and by indicating which of the timing signals had an edge most closely following the start signal edge. The stop TMU similarly produces output data indicating a whole an fractional number of clock cycles occurring between the arming signal and the stop signal edge. The delay represented by the start TMU output data is subtracted from the delay represented by the stop TMU output data to determine the interval between the start and stop signal edges.

An equatorial sundial apparatus with an adjustable base assembly utilizing one or more concave cylindrical focusing mirrors. One of the benefits that is derived from this apparatus is the use of one or more concave cylindrical mirrors to project a focused beam of light onto a calibrated surface from which the time can be read. This sundial has the additional benefit of not suffering from blurring of the time indicator in a shadow or non-focused beam of light typical of other sundials. This sundial's focused light forms a sharply demarcated indicator from which time can be read to the minute. A further benefit of this apparatus is the ability to incorporate multiple concave cylindrical focusing mirrors to reduce the size of the visual field or screen where the time is read and to incorporate various shapes and designs for ornamental purposes without significant compromise of the sundials accuracy for telling time. An additional benefit of this apparatus is the ability to quickly, accurately and easily adjust the apparatus to the proper tilt upon setup according to the latitude where it will be located by means of an adjustable base assembly.

A first circuit having a first coil electrically charges a second circuit having a second coil through electromagnetic coupling of the two coils. When data signals are to be transferred between the first and second circuits, signal transfer is started only after the second circuit has been charged for a predetermined period of time. The position relationship between the coils is also detected, and a charging/transfer selector changes a duty ratio between charge transfer and data transfer in accordance with the detected result. The charge is transferred in an intermittent manner, and the charging rate is adjusted according to the difference between the voltage of a secondary battery observed during a charging phase and the voltage of the secondary battery observed a certain time after interruption of the charging phase, or vice versa.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a display device by which a substrate is thinned efficiently. Onto one original substrate having an area for a plurality of display devices, the other original substrate is bonded via a sealing resin layer, the pair of bonded original substrates is divided and separated into a plurality of pairs of substrates of a size of each individual display device, and thereafter a substrate thinning process of thinning the substrates is performed in a state where the substrates are held by substrate holding means.

Control button having a metal body (10) provided along its axis with a blind hole (16) closed by a cap (18) and extended by a wall (14) of revolution. The body (10) includes a groove (20) made in the outer surface of the wall (14) and channels (26) connecting said surface to the inside of the blind hole (16). The button further includes a fitting (12) made of synthetic material, formed of a ring (28) closing the groove and extended radially by raised portions (34) as far as the openings of the channels (26) in the wall (14) of a radial structure with several branches (30) closing the channels (26), and a core (32) connecting the branches (30) to secure between them the different parts (28, 30, 32, 34) of the fitting (12).

In an electromagnetic converter comprising a rotor arranged by including a permanent magnet, a yoke disposed in the vicinity of the rotor for flowing magnetic flux and a coil wound around the yoke, at least a portion of the yoke is composed of an amorphous metal magnetic material. The amorphous metal magnetic material is a Co amorphous metal or a Fe amorphous metal. The electromagnetic converter is a small generator, a motor and the like. In an electronic timepiece provided with a generator device, the Co amorphous metal magnetic material is used for a first yoke (stator) and the Fe amorphous metal magnetic material is used for a second yoke (coil core). In an electronically-controlled mechanical watch, the Co amorphous metal magnetic material is used for a yoke. Portable electronic equipment is a timepiece provided with the electromagnetic converter, and so forth

A mechanism for determining whether the sun is visible at a diurnal solar event and for mechanically triggering actions based upon the sun being visible during the diurnal solar event is disclosed. The mechanisms of the invention can perform these operations without intervention or supervision for long periods of time. Certain embodiments have been applied to provide a diurnal solar event trigger based upon sidereal noon for a clock providing accurate timing for 10,000 years without intervention or supervision.

An electronic data system for use with sporting impliments for providing a user with an electronic device integrated into sport gloves to perform various functions unique to that particular sport. The electronic data system for use with sporting impliments includes a glove member designed for substantially enveloping a hand of a user. The glove member has a notch portion in a back side of the glove member. The notch portion is for facilitating insertion and removal of the user's hand from the glove member. The glove member has a tab portion positioned adjacent to a first side of the notch portion. A data assembly has a housing. The housing is operationally coupled to the glove member. The data assembly has a display for presenting a visual representation of information to the user.

A network is described for providing estimates of the current time. The network includes multiple computer systems each configured to provide an estimate of the current time in response to a received request. The computer systems are logically arranged to form a hierarchical structure, wherein the hierarchical structure includes multiple levels ranked with respect to one another. Each of the computer systems is assigned one of multiple levels of trust, and occupies one of the levels of the hierarchical structure dependent upon the assigned level of trust. The level of trust assigned to a given computer system is dependent upon a timekeeping dependability of the given computer system. The assigned level of trust may also be dependent upon a timekeeping security of the given computer system, where the timekeeping security is dependent upon a tamper resistance of the time clock of the given computer system. Methods for delegating a level of trust to a new computer system (i.e., a computer system not part of the network) and for adding a new computer system to the network are also described.

A method and device for synchronizing the time between at least two integrated circuits (201, 202), which receive the same pulse signal. In the integrated circuits (201, 202) a counter (204, 206) is used to count the number of pulses in the received pulse signal to synchronize the common time between said integrated circuits.

The device consists in compensating for the distortion of the characters marked on the dial caused by a lens, by writing the characters with a reverse pin cushion or barrel distortion.

A portable self contained light generating device which is powered by a flow of granular material falling under the influence of gravity to impinge upon and cause a paddle wheel to rotate thereby turning a small generator producing electricity to power one or more light emitting diodes for illumination. The device equipped with a multi-position power/illumination control switch and in some embodiments also provided with a battery providing supplemental power.

A system and method for tracking and informing about a physical, emotional, or physiological cycle, such as a menstrual cycle, includes at least one definition entry and at least one date indicator. Each definition entry defines indicia such as color to represent a stage of a physical, emotional, or physiological cycle. Each date indicator includes a date section and a tracking section corresponding to each date section. The date section of the date indicator indicates at least one date, wherein the tracking section is capable of being marked so as to indicate indicia corresponding to a definition entry to signify the stage of the physical, emotional, or physiological cycle for each date. According to one embodiment, the date indicators are arranged according to phases of the moon to allow correlation of a user's cycle to the lunar cycle.

A musical rhythm is expressed by the number of the timing marks (for example, three timing marks when in simple triple time); and a musical tempo is expressed by the distance among the timing marks and a timing ball that moves at a fixed speed among those timing marks. Accordingly, a player may easily grasp the tempo of the music and easily determine the rhythm of the music in a sound game.

A method for detecting and conveying an alarm signal, when an absorbent article is unfastened or, completely removed from the body of the wearer. The method is intended to be used in parallel with a method for detecting wetness in the absorbent article and further relates to an integrated detection-and-alarm method for detecting unfastening and/or wetness in an absorbent article. A system for detecting and conveying an alarm signal when an absorbent article is unfastened or removed from the body of the wearer and/or when the article is wet. The system includes (a) and absorbent article having at least one absorbent layer, the object to be displaced, such as a fastening system, one or more sensoring devices, one or more transmitting devices, and (b) a remote receiver. Furthermore, the system relates to the use of the system in the care of children and adults suffering from incontinence and/or psychological illnesses.

The coupled resonator comprises a first low frequency resonator, such as a balance spring (1) and a second higher frequency resonator, such as a tuning fork (2), the two resonators (1 and 2) including permanent mechanical coupling means. Application to the regulating system of a timepiece.

A control device for a mobile body makes it possible to smoothly correct the deviation of an actual posture of a base body of a mobile body, which travels with the base body thereof moving up and down, from a desired posture of the base body while restraining an overshoot or an undershoot from occurring. To determine a required manipulated variable according to a feedback control law in order to converge a state amount deviation related to the posture of the base body of the mobile body to zero, the feedback gain of the feedback control law is determined by using the time series in a period from current time to predetermined time in the future in the time series of a desired inertial force of the mobile body or the base body. The required manipulated variable is determined by the calculation of the feedback control law on the basis of the determined feedback gain and an observed value of the state amount deviation.

A tunable resonator is provided that has a high Q for each resonate frequency. The tunable resonator is a MEMs tunable resonator wherein the tuner is affected by moving a moveable mass, associated with the resonating portion of the resonator, form a first position to a second position such that the moveable mass is held in the first position or second position by a detent rather than a constant electromagnet magnetic or electrostatic force applied thereon.

A wristwatch, which comprises an atomic oscillator comprising a system for detecting the beat frequencies obtained by the Raman effect.

Smoking cessation lighter is configured for lighting cigarettes for a smoker, and learning software is provided for monitoring smoking behavior of a smoker during a first data collection period and guiding a smoker's smoking cessation by directing the smoker when the smoker is to smoke a cigarette based on data collected during the first data collection period. The learning software monitors user behavior and collects data during use of the lighter by the smoker after the initial data collection period in order to analyze and further guide the smoker based on the smoker's cheating behavior, the smoker's behavior of lighting a cigarette for a friend, and the smoker's behavior of skipping use of the lighter at a time when the smoker has been directed to light a cigarette by the lighter.

A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controller receives new data that is to be written, wherein the new data is indicated in blocks of a first block size. The RAID controller reads old data, and old parity that corresponds to the old data, stored in blocks of a second block size that is larger in size than the first block size. The RAID controller computes new parity based on the new data, the old data, and the old parity. The RAID controller writes the new data and the new parity aligned to the blocks of the second block size, wherein portions of the old data that are not overwritten by the RAID controller are also written to the blocks of the second block size.

A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controller receives new data that is to be written, wherein the new data is indicated in blocks of a first block size. The RAID controller reads old data, and old parity that corresponds to the old data, stored in blocks of a second block size that is larger in size than the first block size. The RAID controller computes new parity based on the new data, the old data, and the old parity. The RAID controller writes the new data and the new parity aligned to the blocks of the second block size, wherein portions of the old data that are not overwritten by the RAID controller are also written to the blocks of the second block size.

Various systems and methods are described for configuring a data storage system. In one embodiment, a plurality of actual capacities of a plurality of storage devices of the data storage system are identified and divided into a plurality of capacity slices. The plurality of capacity slices are combined into a plurality of chunks of capacity slices, each having a combination of characteristics of the underlying physical storage devices. The chunks of capacity slices are then mapped to a plurality of logical storage devices. A group of the plurality of logical storage devices is then organized into a redundant array of logical storage devices.

A sequence of storage devices of a data store may include one or more stripesets for storing data stripes of different lengths and of different types. Each data stripe may be stored in a prefix or other portion of a stripeset. Each data stripe may be identified by an array of addresses that identify each page of the data stripe on each included storage device. When a first storage device of a stripeset becomes full, the stripeset may be shifted by removing the full storage device from the stripeset, and adding a next storage device of the data store to the stripeset. A class variable may be associated with storage devices of a stripeset to identify the type of data that the stripeset can store. The class variable may be increased (or otherwise modified) when a computer stores data of a different class in the stripeset.

Methods and systems for load balancing read/write requests of a virtualized storage system. In one embodiment, a storage system includes a plurality of physical storage devices and a storage module operable within a communication network to present the plurality of physical storage devices as a virtual storage device to a plurality of network computing elements that are coupled to the communication network. The virtual storage device comprises a plurality of virtual storage volumes, wherein each virtual storage volume is communicatively coupled to the physical storage devices via the storage module. The storage module comprises maps that are used to route read/write requests from the network computing elements to the virtual storage volumes. Each map links read/write requests from at least one network computing element to a respective virtual storage volume within the virtual storage device.

A computing system includes a plurality of dispersed storage (DS) processing units operable to receive a continuous data stream, simultaneously disperse storage error encode the continuous data stream to produce a plurality of encoded data slices and store the plurality of encoded data slices in a DS memory.

A memory storage apparatus, a memory controller and method for transmitting and identifying data streams are provided. The memory controller passes at least a portion of a data stream received from a host system to a smart card chip of the memory storage apparatus. Then, the host system accurately receives a response message from the smart card chip by executing a plurality of read commands. The memory controller is capable of adding a first verification code to a response data stream sent to the host system, and is capable of adding a write token to each of data segments of the response data stream. The host system confirms the accuracy of the response data stream by verifying the first verification code or by verifying the write token of each of the data segments.