WO2002054157A1 - Device for displaying time - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for displaying time comprising a marker which revolves one round in relation to a preferably circular reference field during the course of a day, said reference field being provided with indication means representing the times of sunrise and sundown, wherein the indication means include a division of the reference field into a day zone and a night zone, and in that the indication means are displaceable in relation to the geographical location, said indication means being one essentially horizontal dividing line, which extends across the reference field. In this manner, simple indication of time has been obtained which graphically simulates the daily circadian rhythm by the location of the sun in relation to sunrise and sundown irrespective of the geographical location, whereby it is made easy to determine where one is present within the daily circle.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS:

1. A device for displaying time comprising a marker which revolves one round in relation to a preferably circular reference field during the course of a day, said reference field being provided with indication means representing the times of sunrise and sundown, characterised in that the indication means include a division of the reference field into a day zone and a night zone, and in that the indication means are displaceable in relation to the geographical location, said indication means being one essentially horizontal dividing line, which extends across the reference field.

2. A device for displaying time according to claim 1, wherein the indication means are displaceable in accordance with seasonal changes.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the indication means are automatically displaceable.

4. A device according to claim 1 to 3, wherein the indication means are electronically displaceable.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the indication means are constituted by an annular field along the lower rim of the reference field for indication of the night zone.

6. A device according to claims 1 to 5, wherein the reference field is a graphical representation, such as an LCD display, a graphical object on a screen, or the like, on which the revolving marker and the indication means are represented by one or more graphical objects.

7. A device according to claims 1 to 6, wherein the displacement is controlled by computer means, which calculates the location of the indication means in accordance with predetermined information concerning seasonal changes and inputted geographical positioning data.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the geographical positioning data is gathered from a satellite-controlled global positioning system (GPS).

9. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device furthermore is provided with supplementary means for displaying the exact time, e.g. time display on an hourly basis and potentially minutes and seconds, and/or day and possibly month.

10. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the supplementary means for displaying time comprise facilities for timing and/or alarm purposes.

11. A device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the device is provided with operating means for adjustment of the indication(s) of time.

12. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the day and night zones on the reference field are illustrated by the indication means provided with contrast colours, e.g. black and white.