Patent Publication Number: US-2010124152-A1

Title: Image Clock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a image clock. More particularly, this invention relates to a image clock, which extends the usage time of a personal digital assistant with more electrical power provided in a charging portion of the image clock. 
     Clocks have had hands and dials. For the most of the time, clocks had hands or pendulum bob which are powered and move mechanically. 
     These days, almost everything is digital. Mechanical movement has been curtailed much using the digital technology. Digital clock or watch are so prevalent that sometimes it is hard to find a clock having moving hands. 
     However, people change very slowly. Even with all the nice and precise digital watches, some of them want to look at a “regular” looking color, which has dials and hands. 
     Accordingly, a need for an image clock has been present for a long time. This invention is directed to solve these problems and satisfy the long-felt need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention contrives to solve the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     An objective of the invention is to provide an image clock displaying time in various formats. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an image clock, which can display time in formats changing with time or under conditions. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an image clock, which enhances reading time by adjusting the display design. 
     An aspect of the invention provides an image clock. 
     The image clock comprises a plurality of dials, a plurality of hands, a plurality of first images, a plurality of second images, a background, and a controller. 
     The plurality of dials are disposed in a pattern configured for indicating numbers, and the dials comprises a plurality of numbers, numerals, and symbols, and wherein the pattern are controllable. 
     The plurality of hands are configured for indicating time with the plurality of dials, and the hands comprises symbols, geometrical shapes, and colors, and wherein the shape and the color of the hands are controllable. 
     The plurality of first images are provided around the plurality of dials, and the first images comprises symbols, shapes, and colors. The symbols, shapes, and the colors of the first images are controllable. 
     The plurality of second images are provided in central regions surrounded by the plurality of dials, and the second images are comprises symbols, shapes, and colors. The symbols, shapes, and the colors of the second images are controllable; 
     The background comprises a plurality of occupied portions and unoccupied portions, and the dials, the hands, the first and second images are disposed on the plurality of occupied portions of the background. The unoccupied portions comprise shapes and colors. 
     The controller is configured for controlling the symbols, the shapes, and the colors of the dials, the hands, the first and second images, and the background. 
     The background comprises one or more displaying devices. In fact, therefore, all the other components are displayed on the background as images. 
     The background may be circular in shape. The pattern of the plurality of dials may comprise a circle. 
     The plurality of hands may comprise an hour hand and a minute hand. The plurality of hands may further comprise a second hand. 
     The hour hand and minute hand may have a same color. Alternatively, the hour hand and the minute hand may have different colors. Also, the hour and minute hands may have different shapes or similar shapes. 
     The plurality of hands may comprise a common center and revolve axially against the plurality of dials. 
     The first images may be configured to make a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of dials represented in a reverse image. The first images may comprise a concentric circular band covering the plurality of dials. A subset of the first images may be darkened, and hours represented by the subset of the first images may correspond to nighttime of a day. The subset of the dials may be reversed in color or tone. 
     The controller may determine the nighttime using a date of year. 
     The second images may comprise symbols, shapes, and colors of different countries. The second images may be disposed by the dials corresponding to local times of the countries. 
     The second images may comprise national flags. The second images may further comprise two different shades overlapped on the flags, and the shades may indicate days and nights of the countries. 
     The brightness of the unoccupied portions of the background may be controllable. 
     The dials may comprise numerals from one to twelve. 
     The dials may comprise numerals from one to twenty four. 
     In certain embodiment of the invention, the period of alarm time may be highlighted on corresponding dials, the occupied portions, and the unoccupied portions, and the highlighted portion may be flashing when it is the alarm time. 
     The advantages of the present invention are: (1) the image clock allows a user to choose design of the clock display; and (2) the image clock facilitates reading of the time by changing the display format according to a predetermined schedule. 
     Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing an image clock according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front plan view of an image clock having second images according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is another front plan view of the image clock having first and second images of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a partial view of dials of the image clock of  FIG. 3  according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing an image clock  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a front plan view of an image clock  100  having second images according to an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 3  shows another front plan view of the image clock  100  of  FIG. 2 . 
     In an aspect of the invention, the image clock  100  is provided on a display  90 . Unlike a physical traditional clock which has physical and mechanical dials and hands, the image clock  100  does not have things like plastic or stainless dials or steel hands, but the image clock  100  according to the invention is displayed on a display  90  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Since the parts of the clock are just images on the display  90 , the shapes or colors of the parts can be easily changed or controlled through the display  90 . 
     The image clock  100  comprises a plurality of dials  10 , a plurality of hands  20 , a plurality of first images  30 , a plurality of second images  40 , a background  50 , and a controller  60 . 
     The plurality of dials  10  are disposed in a pattern configured for indicating numbers, and the dials  10  comprise a plurality of numbers, numerals, and symbols. The pattern is controllable. The dials  10  may stand for or be translated into hour, minute, and second in time. The dials  10  may include Arabic numbers, Roman numbers, or any other symbols indicating numbers. 
     The plurality of hands  20  are configured for indicating time with the plurality of dials  10 , and the hands  20  comprises symbols, geometrical shapes, and colors, and wherein the shape and the color of the hands  20  are controllable and may be controlled to change with time or date. For example, the color of the hands  20  may be bright red on Sundays as usually seen at a calendar. 
     The plurality of first images  30  are provided around or along the plurality of dials  10 , and the first images  30  comprises symbols, shapes, and colors. The symbols, shapes, and the colors of the first images  30  are controllable. 
     The plurality of second images  40  are provided in central regions surrounded by the plurality of dials  10 , and the second images  40  are comprises symbols, shapes, and colors. The symbols, shapes, and the colors of the second images  40  are controllable. 
     The background  50  comprises a plurality of occupied portions and unoccupied portions, and the dials  10 , the hands  20 , the first and second images  30 ,  40  are disposed on the plurality of occupied portions of the background  50 . The unoccupied portions comprise shapes and colors. In the illustrated embodiment in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the empty space in the middle of the image clock  100  is the unoccupied portions. Also, the background  50  may be a screen of a display  90  as in  FIG. 1 . 
     The controller  60  is configured for controlling the symbols, the shapes, and the colors of the dials  10 , the hands  20 , the first and second images  30 ,  40 , and the background  60 . In certain embodiments of the invention, the controller  60  may include a central processing unit, a memory and other computing device for controlling the display  90 . The display  90  can have any shape, for example, rectangular in  FIG. 1 , but not limited to it. As in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the display  90  itself may be circular. 
     The background  50  comprises one or more displaying devices. In fact, therefore, all the other components are displayed on the background as images. The displaying devices may comprise a LCD, a CRT, a Plasma display, and many others. 
     The background  50  may be circular in shape in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In such illustrated embodiments of the invention, the pattern of the plurality of dials  10  may comprise a circle. 
     The plurality of hands  20  may comprise an hour hand and a minute hand. The plurality of hands  20  may further comprise a second hand. 
     The hour hand and minute hand may have a same color. Alternatively, the hour hand and the minute hand may have different colors. Also, the hour and minute hands may have different shapes or similar shapes. 
     The plurality of hands  20  may comprise a common center and revolve axially against the plurality of dials  10 . 
     The first images  30  may be configured to make a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of dials  10  represented in a reverse image. The first images  30  may comprise a concentric circular band surrounding as in  FIG. 3  or covering the plurality of dials  10  as in  FIG. 4 . A subset of the first images  30  may be darkened, and hours represented by the subset of the first images  30  may correspond to nighttime of a day. The subset of the dials  10  may be reversed in color or tone. 
     The controller  60  may determine the nighttime using a date of year. 
     The second images  40  may comprise symbols, shapes, and colors of different countries. The second images  40  may be disposed by the dials  10  corresponding to local times of the countries. 
     The second images  40  may comprise national flags. The second images  40  may further comprise two different shades overlapped on the flags, and the shades may indicate days and nights of the countries. 
     The brightness of the unoccupied portions of the background  50  may be controllable. Thereby, the unoccupied portions may be used as a night light. 
     The dials  10  may comprise numerals from one to twelve as in a regular clock. 
     Alternatively, the dials may comprise numerals from one to twenty four. Then, the day and night of a day can be fully displayed on the clock. 
     In certain embodiments of the invention, the image clock  100  may display a period time in a different color. For example, an alarm can be set visually. The dials  10  and corresponding unoccupied portions of the background can be highlighted. 
     In certain embodiment of the invention, the period of alarm time may be highlighted on corresponding dials, the occupied portions, and the unoccupied portions as shown in  FIG. 5 . The highlighted portion  70  may be flashing when it is the alarm time. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with reference to different embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations in form, detail, compositions and operation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.