Patent Abstract:
A device having at least a first clock and a second clock and a map of a geographical area depicting at least a first time zone and a second time zone, the first clock being positioned proximate to the first time zone and the second clock being positioned proximate to the second time zone; and a method of using the device to simultaneously determine the time in at least the first and second time zones.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a device and method for simultaneously determining the time in at least two different time zones. More particularly, the invention relates to a device having at least a first clock and a second clock and a map of a geographical area depicting at least a first time zone and a second time zone, the first clock being positioned proximate to the first time zone and the second clock being positioned proximate to the second time zone; and a method of using the device to simultaneously determine the time in at least the first and second time zones.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Over-the-road truckers, airline personnel, and others who frequently travel between distant geographical areas often have a need to know the time in two or more time zones. This is typically achieved by a person calculating the time in a first time zone by determining the time in that zone and then adding or subtracting the number of hours to or from that time in accordance with how many time zones are between the first and second time zones. Because a mental calculation is involved in this method, it can be inconvenient, slow, and susceptible to human error.  
         [0003]     Devices for automating this calculation have been developed to overcome the foregoing issues. For example, wristwatches that simultaneously display the time in more than one time zone are known. While these devices are convenient, they are less than optimal for travelers such as over-the-road truck drivers who move through more than two different time zones during a single trip. For such travelers, what is needed is a device that simultaneously displays the time in multiple time zones in such a manner that time in any of the multiple time zones can be determined with minimal mental effort. Such an easy-to-use device would be especially useful for travelers operating a motor vehicle, particularly over-the-road truck drivers who need to maintain their attention on the road.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The invention relates to the development of a device that allows a user to easily and readily determine the time in multiple time zones without requiring significant mental effort. The device is advantageous for motor vehicle operators who travel across multiple time zones and have a need to know the time in at least one of the time zones.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, the invention features a device having mounted thereon both a plurality of clocks including at least a first and second clock, and a map of a geographical area depicting a plurality of time zones including at least the first and second time zones. In the device, the first clock is positioned proximate to the first time zone and the second clock is positioned proximate to the second time zone.  
         [0006]     In one variation, the first clock is positioned on the device directly above the first time zone and the second clock is positioned on the device directly above the second time zone. In another variation, the first clock is positioned on the device directly below the first time zone and the second clock is positioned on the device directly below the second time zone.  
         [0007]     In the device, the geographical area can include the continental  48  states of the United States of America, the plurality of clocks mounted on the device can further include at least a third clock and a fourth clock; and the plurality of time zones can include four time zones: the Pacific time zone, the Mountain time zone, the Central time zone, and the Eastern time zone.  
         [0008]     In one embodiment of the device, the first clock is mounted to the device within a first clock mounting area of the device and the second clock is mounted to the device within a second clock mounting area of the device, and the first time zone, the first clock mounting area, and/or the first clock are marked with a first discernible identifier and the second time zone, second clock mounting area and/or the second clock are marked with a second discernible identifier differing from the first discernible identifier. The discernible identifiers might be shades, colors, and/or alphanumeric characters.  
         [0009]     The device might also include a front portion including the plurality of clocks and the map of the geographical area; and a back portion including a fastener (e.g., an adhesive, a mechanical connector, and a hook and loop type connector) for affixing the device to the dashboard of a motor vehicle.  
         [0010]     In some variations, the device further includes a base portion (e.g., including a non-slip material) for supporting the device on a horizontal surface such as a desktop.  
         [0011]     The front portion can be substantially planar or non-planar, and at least one of the plurality of clocks might be analog, digital, reversibly removable from the device, and/or battery-operated.  
         [0012]     In another aspect, the invention features a device for simultaneously displaying the time in at least a first time zone, a second time zone, a third time zone, and a fourth time zone. This device includes a plurality of clocks mounted on the device, the plurality of clocks including at least a first clock, a second clock, a third clock and a fourth clock; and a map including the continental  48  states of the United States of America mounted on the device, the map depicting a plurality of time zones, the plurality of time zones including at least the first time zone, the second time zone, the third time zone, and the fourth time zone. In this device, the first clock is positioned proximate to the first time zone, the second clock is positioned proximate to the second time zone, the third clock is positioned proximate to the third time zone, and the fourth clock is positioned proximate to the fourth time zone, and the first time zone is the Pacific time zone, the second time zone is the Mountain time zone, the third time zone is the Central time zone, and the fourth time zone is the Eastern time zone.  
         [0013]     The invention further features a method for determining the time in a different time zone. The method includes the steps of:(a) providing a device in a first time zone, the device including a plurality of clocks mounted on the device, the plurality of clocks including at least a first clock and a second clock; and a map of a geographical area mounted on the device, the map depicting a plurality of time zones, the plurality of time zones including at least the first time zone and a second time zone, wherein the first clock is positioned proximate to the first time zone and the second clock is positioned proximate to the second time zone; and (b) determining the time on the second clock.  
         [0014]     Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions will control. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. The above and further advantages of this invention may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a dashboard mountable device of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a back perspective view of a dashboard mountable device of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of a desktop device of the invention with a planar front portion.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of a desktop device of the invention with a non-planar front portion. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     The invention encompasses various devices and methods that facilitate determining the time in a particular time zone among a multitude of contiguous time zones. The below described preferred embodiments illustrate adaptations of these devices and methods. Nonetheless, from the description of these embodiments, other aspects of the invention can be made and/or practiced based on the description provided below.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a device  10  adapted for mounting to a flat surface such as a dashboard or a wall, and capable of simultaneously displaying the time in at least a first time zone and a second time zone includes a housing  11 , four clocks  12   a - d , four clock mounting areas  14   a - d , and a map  20  divided into four time zones  22   a - d . The housing  11  includes a front portion  16  and a back portion  18 . It can take any suitable form and may be made of any material capable of supporting the clocks  12   a - d  and the map  20 . Preferably, the housing is made of a rigid material such as a plastic, wood, or metal and is shaped and sized to be affixed to the dashboard of a truck (e.g., its largest side being less than about 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20 or 10 square inches).  
         [0022]     The front portion  16  features four clock mounting areas  14   a - d  into which four clocks  12   a - d  are placed. The clocks  12   a - d  shown are battery-operated, round, analog clocks, but might take the form of any suitable time display device, e.g., a clock with a digital (LED, LCD) display. Also on the housing  11  is a map of a geographical area  20 . In the embodiment shown, the map  20  is of the continental United States that depicts its four time zones  22   a - d . Each of the clocks  12  is positioned proximate to the corresponding time zones  22 .  
         [0023]     In  FIG. 1 , the first (Pacific) time zone  22   a  is positioned just below the first clock  12   a ; the second (Mountain) time zone  22   b  is positioned just below the second clock  12   b ; the third (Central) time zone  22   b  is positioned just below the third clock  12   c ; and the fourth (Eastern) time zone  22   d  is positioned just below the fourth clock  12   d . Each of the clock mounting areas  14   a - d  has printed thereon the name of the corresponding time zone (i.e., Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern).  
         [0024]     The device  10  might also feature maps of any geographical area of the work that includes more than one time zone. For example, the device  10  might include a map of Canada, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, or Australia.  
         [0025]     In the device  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , both the four clock mounting areas  14   a - d  and the four time zones  22   a - d  are marked with discernible identifiers for correlating a particular clock  12  with a particular time zone  22 . Discernible identifiers useful in the invention include any detectable thing that can be used to identify and distinguish one item from another. Examples of discernible identifiers include colors, shapes, tints, hues, shades, alphanumeric characters (e.g., words), symbols, textures, or combinations of the foregoing. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , for example, clock mounting area  14   a  and Pacific time zone  22   a  are marked with the same dark shade, while clock mounting area  14   b  and Mountain time zone  22   b  are marked with a lighter shade. Also in this embodiment, the Pacific and Central time zones  22   a  and  22   c  and the corresponding clock mounting areas  14   a  and  14   c  are each marked with the identical darker shade; and the Mountain and Eastern time zones  22   b  and  22   d  and the corresponding clock mounting areas  14   b  and  14   d  are each marked with the identical lighter shade. Because the darker shade and lighter shade are alternated, it is easy for a user of the device  10  to discern which clock corresponds to which time zone. In one alternate embodiment, each different time zone and corresponding clock mounting area is marked with different discernible identifiers. In another alternate embodiment, the clocks themselves, rather than or in addition to the clock mounting areas, are marked with discernible identifiers.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the back portion  18  of housing  11  also includes a fastener  30  for attaching the device  10  to a flat surface such as a motor vehicle dashboard or a wall. In the embodiment shown the fastener  30  is shown as four holes  30   a - 30   d  which are able to engage protrusions from the flat surface to which the device  10  is to be affixed. In other embodiments, the fastener  30  might take the form of any device or system suitable for reversibly or irreversibly joining the device  10  to a surface, e.g., an adhesive tape (e.g., a repositionable adhesive), a magnet, or a mechanical connector such as a hook and loop-type connector.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the devices of the invention are not limited to those suitable for attachment to a surface such as a wall or dashboard. For example, the devices  100  and  200  are variations of embodiments suitable for placement on a desktop, countertop, or other horizontal surface with or without a means for affixing the devices  100  and  200  to the surface. In preferred arrangements, the devices  100  and  200  include bases  110  and  210  (e.g., including a non-slip surface) for engaging the horizontal surface. The device  100  of  FIG. 3  features a planar (i.e., made up of one or more flat surfaces lacking any substantial curvature) front, while the device  200  of  FIG. 4  features a non-planar (curved) front.  
         [0028]     The devices described herein may be manufactured from conventional materials and components by conventional techniques.  
         [0029]     The devices of the invention are simple to use. In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , for example, a person located in one time zone wishing to know the time in that or a different time zone located on the map on the device, simply reads the clock located proximate to appropriate time zone depicted on the map on the device. In those variations of the devices including discernible identifiers on the time zones depicted on the map and the corresponding clocks or clock mounting areas, a user might use these discernible identifiers to help correlate the correct clock for a given time zone.  
       Other Embodiments  
       [0030]     It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. For example, devices within the invention might include one or more self-setting clocks (e.g., radio-controlled to synchronize with the U.S. atomic clock), a clock that luminesces for easier nighttime viewing, an integrated global positioning system (e.g., with an indicator of the device&#39;s position on the map), and/or a compass. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6