Electric clocks and remote controller

This invention relates to setting time on one or more clocks using a remote controller, one at a time. The remote controller synchronizes all the clocks to the same time. The same remote controller can also be used to set alarm on the clocks. The alarm can be set to the same time on all clocks or to a different time on each of the clocks. The clocks referred here contain necessary circuitry to receive the signals from the remote controller to set time or alarm automatically.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A schematic block diagram is presented in FIG. 1 to illustrate the overall system arrangement of the remote controller 1 and the clock 2 . This overall system arrangement is a representative embodiment of the present invention. According to this invention all electrical clocks in a building come with one remote controller 1 . FIG. 2 is the top plan view of the remote controller referred in FIG. 1 and is a representative top plan view of the remote controller of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the overall configuration contains the remote controller 1 and the clock 2 . The remote controller 1 is hand held and is normally battery operated device which sends control signals wirelessly (using infra-red or radio-frequency) to the clock 2 . The top plan view of the remote controller 1 is shown in FIG. 2 . The remote controller has a key pad comprising of a number of control keys/buttons for numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), AM, PM, Enter-Time, Time-Lock, Sync-Time, Enter-Alarm, Set-Alarm, Power-On, Power-Off, Clear, etc. Addition of various other buttons/keys not referred to herein will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art upon employing the invention to practice. The remote controller 1 also has a display, which enhances the user interface, aiding in initial set-up of clock-time or alarm-time before sending or transmitting “sync-time” or “set-alarm” setup signal to the clock 2 . The keypad on the remote controller 1 allows one to set the clock-time and lock it by pressing the “lock time” button on the keypad before transmitting the signal to the clock 2 for setting the time. The keypad on the remote controller 1 also allows one to set the alarm-time before transmitting the signal to the clock 2 for setting the alarm. The remote controller 1 also contains a built-in clock, whose time is set whenever initial set-up of clock-time is performed on the remote controller 1 using the keypad for the purpose of setting the time on the clocks and locked. From now onwards, the clock in the remote controller 1 maintains the time. This allows the user not to rush or run to all the clocks quickly. For example, you set the time on the remote controller 1 , say, to 9:37:30AM and took additional 20 seconds before you aimed the remote controller 1 at your first clock located in the living room wall 8 feet above. Now the clock on the remote controller 1 shows 9:37:50AM and the first clock in the living room gets set to 9:37:50AM. Next you took an additional one minute to go to your master bed room and aim at the clock on the wall. Now the clock in the master bed room gets set to 9:38:50AM. At this time the clock in the living room and the clock in the master bed room and the remote controller 1 all show the same time. Now you can continue this process with all clocks in your home. In just five minutes you can set all clocks in home to the same time easily without seeking the help of another person. You will love to set the clocks yourself. You need to have only one remote controller 1 for the whole house irrespective of how many clocks your house has. The same convenience can be extended to an office building, a school building, or a factory having multiple number of buildings, which may have multiple number of clocks. Just one person can synchronize all clocks in a building or in a multiple number of buildings. The remote controller 1 also has the provision to initially set-up alarm. You can initially set-up alarm-time on the remote controller 1 , aim towards the clock 2 with alarm and press “set-alarm” button to send the signals to the clock 2 to set the alarm on that clock 2 . The clock 2 contains circuitry to receive the signals from the remote controller 1 , process them, and set time immediately. The circuitry in the clocks can also distinguish if the received signals are meant for time setting or alarm setting on the clocks. The number of clocks controlled by the remote controller is atleast one. In other words, it is an apparatus for controlling one or a number of clocks remotely, comprising a wireless remote controller, which allows one to initially set time on the remote controller and lock it before transmitting radio-frequency (RF) signals or infra-red (IR) light signals to a number of clocks that are controlled by the remote controller; and the clocks, which contain a circuitry to receive the signals transmitted by the remote controller and process the signals to set the time automatically. The controlling function of the apparatus referred above includes a) the control for setting time on all the clocks synchronously, b) the control for setting same alarm time on one or a number of the clocks in a home or in a factory building or in a school. The alarm time can be set to different times on different clocks if desired by keep changing the alarm time setting on the remote controller before pressing the “set-alarm” button in front of each clock. The circuitry in the clocks can distinguish the clock time setting signals from the alarm time setting signals. The remote controller 1 and the clocks 2 come in various designs, patterns, shapes, and colors, traditional, antique or modem styles. The clock 2 referred in this embodiment may take any number of shapes, forms, and embedments. For example, the clock 2 may be a wall clock, a regular desk-top clock, a clock radio, a television, a VCR, DVD, a personal computer, microwave, house temperature controller or some other device that displays the time, which has a built-in remote time/alarm setting facility. Thus, the remote controller 1 can be used to set time on all the equipment/appliances in your home, namely, Microwave, VCR, TV, DVD, house temperature controller or some other devices that display the time. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.