Abstract:
Among other things, a programmable, microprocessor-based timing device provides multiple, independent countdown-type timers in conjunction with a visual metaphor that provides a unique way to visually organize the timers such that multiple timers operating concurrently can be quickly associated with the item or items being timed.

Description:
[0001]    This description relates to countdown timing. 
         [0002]    Typically, a countdown timer is used to time an activity, such as a period of simmering a vegetable, in the case of cooking on a stovetop. 
         [0003]    In general, in an aspect, countdown timings of a selection of one or more activities are performed simultaneously. A visual cue is provided that enables a user to visually associate an aspect of each of the countdown timings with a corresponding one of the activities. 
         [0004]    Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The visual cue includes a configuration of indicators that correspond to a physical configuration associated with the activities. The activities include cooking activities, the physical configuration includes the configuration of burners on a stove, and the visual cue includes indicators in an arrangement corresponding to the configuration of burners. There are four activities and the visual cue includes four corresponding indicators each to indicate a status of a corresponding countdown timing. An amount of time is displayed corresponding to at least one of the countdown timings. Amounts of time corresponding to the countdown timings are displayed. An amount of time corresponding to one of the countdown timings is displayed and a user is enabled to select which of a second one of the countdown timings to display simultaneously with the one countdown timing. For the second one of the countdown timings selected by the user, a second visual cue is also displayed to indicate which of the countdown timings is being displayed. The visual cue indicates for which of one or more of the activities, countdown timings are simultaneously being performed. An alarm is issued when each of the countdown timings has expired. When at least one of the countdown timings has expired, counting up is commenced to indicate how much time has passed since the countdown timing has completed. 
         [0005]    In general, in an aspect, a visual cue is provided of an association of a status of each of two or more countdown timings with corresponding activities being timed. 
         [0006]    Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The visual cue includes an arrangement of lights corresponding to an arrangement of the activities being timed. The activities being timed include cooking activities on burners of a cook top, and the visual cue associates the status of each of two or more countdown timings of the activities with respective ones of the cooking activities. The visual cue includes four lights each of which indicates whether a countdown timing is active for a corresponding one of four burners of a cook top. Each of the lights has two visual states corresponding to two different states of the countdown timing. A display is configured to show an amount of time associated with one or more of the countdown timings. A control enables a user to select each of the countdown timings and to set a value for an amount of time for the countdown timing. The control includes two coaxial knobs. One of the knobs is biased to return to a center position and has a limited range of rotation in each direction. In some implementations, the timer includes a self-contained portable device. In some implementations, the timer is integrated into a device that has functions related to the activities with which the countdown timings are associated. 
         [0007]    In general, in an aspect, a timer includes circuitry to perform countdown timings of one or more selected activities, and two coaxial rotary knobs, one knob having positions associated with one of the countdown timings for one of the activities that may be selected, the other knob being rotatable continuously to indicate an amount of time corresponding to the selected countdown timing. 
         [0008]    Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The amount of time represented by a given angular rotation of the other knob depends on a state of the timer. The position of the one knob indicates which of the countdown timings has an active association with a function of the timer. The function of the timer with which the indicated countdown timing has an association includes selecting a running or paused state of the countdown timing. The function of the timer with which the indicated countdown timing has an association includes a display of an amount of time being counted by the countdown timing. The second knob is rotatable continuously in either direction. A control is provided to silence an alarm associated with one of the countdown timings. A control is provided to specify for which of the countdown timings the amount of time is shown on a display. Indicators are associated with states of respective ones of the countdown timings. The indicators have different visual states corresponding to different states of the corresponding countdown timers. The different visual states include at least one of color, brightness, and continuity. A clock function is provided. 
         [0009]    In general, in an aspect, countdown timing is done for an activity, for a time period set by a user, until the time has expired. An alarm is issued when the time has expired. The user is enabled to terminate the alarm. Beginning when the time has expired, counting up is done, and the amount of time counted up after the time of the countdown timing completed is displayed. 
         [0010]    Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The counting up is terminated when the user has terminated the alarm. A user is enabled to set countdown times for more than one activity. An alarm is issued when each of the times has expired. The user is enabled to terminate each of the alarms. Beginning when each of the times has expired, counting up is done, and the amount of time counted up after the time of the countdown timing completed is displayed for each of the activities. A user is enabled to restore a previously entered countdown time without having to set the time again. 
         [0011]    These and other aspects and features, and combinations of them, can be expressed as methods, apparatus, systems, program products, as means for performing a function, and in other ways. 
         [0012]    Advantages of what is described here include one or more of the following. The device provides a unique way to visually organize running timers such that timers operating concurrently can be quickly associated with the item or items being timed with just a glance. The device is easy to set. The user interface is designed to handle intuitively the complexity introduced by incorporating a plurality of timers. Further, the device provides its features in an elegant and inexpensive fashion. 
         [0013]    Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION 
         [0014]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are a front view and a top view of a timer. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a view of an LCD display. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a view of an LED array. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a circuit diagram. 
       
    
    
       [0019]    As shown in the example implementation of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a timer  10  (an example of a “device”) has a housing  12  containing a display  14  located on a front side of the device. Also on the front, below the display, are located an array of LEDs  16  (which we sometimes call a “burner array”). In the center of the burner array  16  is a ‘Start/Pause’ momentary contact push-button switch  18 . Functionality of this switch is described below. Below the burner array  16  and ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18 , a value input collar  20  (sometimes called a “knob”) rotates freely and independently either clockwise (for incrementing values) or counterclockwise (for decrementing values) around a mode selector knob  22 . The mode selector knob, which is coaxial with the value input collar, enables a user to select different countdown timers and in other ways control the status of the device, the countdown timers, and the display. 
         [0020]    According to some examples, a ‘Mute/Toggle’ switch  26  is located on the top side of the device. Functionality of this switch is described below. 
         [0021]    A removable battery door  24  is located on the back side of the device and conceals the batteries used to power the timer. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 2  an example display  14  includes two regions  30 ,  34 . A main display region  30  includes digital clock display elements  15  and an associated set of main display burner icons  32 . A sub-display region  34  includes digital clock display elements  17  and an associated set of sub-display burner icons  36 . Functionality of the example display is described below. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 3  an example burner array  16  includes four (4) dual-color LEDs  40 - 46  arranged such that the four lamps are placed at the corners of a virtual square. In some embodiments, these lamps are meant to represent the similarly arranged coils on a four-burner stove or cook top. In some embodiments these lamps may number more or less than four and/or may be arranged in the shape of a rectangle, triangle, or any shape that is convenient for conveying information about what the lamps are meant to represent or the activities with which they are associated. The arrangement of the four lamps provides a visual cue to a user of the device to enable the user to visually associate aspects of each of the countdown timings performed by the timers with a cooking operation (or other activity) occurring on the corresponding burner. Functionality surrounding the example burner array is described below. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  illustrates one example of a ‘Set Timer Sequence’  100 . In implementations of this example, a user of the device initiates the sequence by positioning the mode selector knob  22  so that a marker  23  points to one of several (for example, four) numbered positions  21  labeled on the front face of the device. The numbered positions correspond to the burners as labeled in the main display burner icons  32  and sub-display burner icons  36 . The same relative positions are implied with regard to the burner array  16 . Each burner corresponds to one countdown timer. The selected burner (and hence the selected timer) is sometimes referred to as an “active” timer and is the timer which (a) is visible in the main display region  30  and (b) responds to inputs from the value input collar  20 . The main display burner icon  32  that corresponds to the currently active timer is displayed in a different style, color or brightness than the other icons of the set. 
         [0025]    Next in the sequence of  FIG. 4 , a user of the device adjusts the selected timer value (the amount of time to be counted down) by rotating the value input collar  20  either clockwise to increment the value or counter-clockwise to decrement the value. In at least some embodiments, the step size of the increment or decrement is dependent on how much total time is displayed for that timer (or in other ways on the state of the timer or its elements). If the total is between 0 and 30 minutes, the step value is 1 minute. Between 30 minutes and 2 hours, the step value is 5 mins. Between 2 hours and 24 hours, the step value is 15 mins. The timer value loops back to 0 or to the highest possible value at the extreme ends of this range. Other step sizes and ranges of time to which they apply could be used. In at least some embodiments, a timer value may also be adjusted while the active timer is running. 
         [0026]    Next in the sequence, the ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  is pressed to begin the active timer countdown towards zero. In at least some embodiments, the corresponding dual-color LED  40 - 46  illuminates in green to indicate the presence of a running timer in that relative location. Repeatedly pressing the ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  alternately pauses and restarts the active timer. In at least some embodiments, if the switch  18  is pressed and held for two (2) seconds, the active timer is reset to zero. In at least some embodiments, if the switch  18  is continued to be held for three (3) additional seconds, all timers are reset to zero. 
         [0027]    When a running timer expires (that is, the countdown timing ends or reaches 0:00:00), an audible tone (an example of an alarm) sounds and the corresponding dual-color LED  40 - 46  flashes in a red color. In at least some embodiments, upon expiration, the expired timer value flashes in the display and the timer proceeds to count up from 0:00:00 in order to indicate the time that has elapsed since expiration. In some examples, the duration of the audible tone is one minute before it is muted automatically. In some examples, the maximum count-up duration after timer expiration is one hour. By counting up time after the countdown timer has expired, and displaying the counted up time, a user can know, for example, how long the beef stew (for example) has cooked beyond the originally intended time. 
         [0028]    In some examples there exists a “batch” feature. If a user would like to repeat the same countdown duration that just expired on the active timer, the ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  is pressed, thus recalling that value. Once recalled, that value may be adjusted using the value input collar  20  prior to commencing the countdown using ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18 . 
         [0029]    In some examples, additional timers may be caused to run at the same time that the first timer is running. Use of the mode selector knob  22 , value input collar  20 , and the ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  to select, set, and begin countdown of a second running timer in the main display region  30  causes the first running timer to be automatically displayed in the sub-display region  34 . Additional timers can also be selected, set, and triggered to count down. Furthermore, in some examples, if one or more timers are running or paused (but not expired), the ‘Mute/Toggle’ switch  26  may be used to repeatedly cycle the timer value viewable in the sub-display region  34 . The timer viewable in the main display region  30  may be changed using the mode selector knob  22  (and in the process be made the “active” timer). The burner icons  32  and  36  indicate which timer is currently visible in the associated display region  30  and  34 , respectively. In some examples, after all timers are cycled in the sub-display, an additional press of the ‘Mute/Toggle’ switch  26  clears that display region prior to repeating the cycle. 
         [0030]    In some examples, the ‘Mute/Toggle’ switch  26  may be used to silence one or more expired timer(s) and to reset the related count-up timer(s) to zero. 
         [0031]    In the example circuit  50  shown in  FIG. 5 , a central Microprocessing Unit (MPU)  52  receives user inputs via momentary contact switches  58 , mode selector knob circuitry  56 , and value input circuitry  54 . Visual and/or aural feedback is provided to the user via dual-color LEDs  60 - 66 , speaker  68 , and LCD  70 . Power to the circuit is provided by batteries  72 . Software run by the MPU effects the functions and processes described here and could be adjusted to provided variations in the functions and processes. The functions and processes could be implemented by any combination of hardware, software, and firmware on a wide variety of platforms. 
         [0032]    In some examples of the device, a user may opt to display the current time of day by using the mode selector knob  22  to select a ‘Time’ mode  31 . In these examples, a ‘Set Time of Day’ sequence is invoked by pressing and holding ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  for two (2) seconds while the mode selector knob  22  is in the ‘Time’ position. Upon invocation, the display flashes either ‘12 Hr’ or ‘24 Hr’ which may be toggled by rotating value input collar  20 . Pressing the ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  locks in the user selection and flashes the current time of day on the display which may subsequently be adjusted in the same manner. A final press of the ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  confirms the user-entered time of day and returns the device to ordinary ‘Time’ mode. 
         [0033]    In some examples of the device there exists an ‘Off’ mode  33 . When a user positions the mode selector knob  22  to this position any running timers are paused and the display  14  is turned off to save power. The paused values of the previously running timers are retained and the user may choose to resume countdown for one or more of these timers by repositioning the mode selector knob  22  to one of the corresponding numbered positions  21  and pressing the ‘Start/Pause’ switch  18  to resume operation. 
         [0034]    Other implementations are also within the scope of the following claims. 
         [0035]    For example, the activities that are the subject of the countdown timings need not be cooking operations on burners but could be any kind of activities at all for which a user wishes to perform one or more countdown timings. The visual cue provided to the user need not be in the form of an array of lights, but rather any kind of a broad range of visual cues could be provided as long as they enable a user to visually associate each of the countdown timings with a corresponding one of the activities. The device can be a stand alone handheld device and may also be integrated into another device, such as a stove. The visual cue can be provided in other ways than using lamps.