Time correction device for digital watches

Abstract

A time correction device for electronic watches having multi-stage divider circuitry for dividing the high frequency output signals of an oscillator into low frequency timing signals including a gate at the input of each divider stage to be corrected for selectively applying to said divider stage the output signal of the prior stage or the inverse of said prior stage output signal. A switch is provided for manually actuating the gate to pass one of the prior stage output signal and the inverse thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A time correction device for electronic watches including time standard oscillator means for producing a high frequency signal, and multi-stage divider circuit means coupled to said oscillator means for dividing said high frequency signal into low frequency timing signals, each of said divider means stages producing an output signal for application to the input of the next stage, comprising a gate means connected to the input of each divider means stage to be corrected for selectively applying to said input either the output signal of the prior divider means stage or the inverse thereof; and manually operated switch means operatively coupled to said gate means for the selection of which of said prior divider means stage output signal or the inverse thereof is passed by said gate means to the input of the divider means stage to be corrected. 
     
     
       2. A time correction device as recited in claim 1, wherein said switch means is a normally open make switch, said gate means passing said prior divider stage input signal to the input of the divider stage to be corrected when said make switch is open and passing the inverse thereof when said make switch is closed. 
     
     
       3. A time correction device as recited in claim 2, wherein said gate means includes first and second gates each adapted to selectively assume on and off states, said prior divider means stage output signal being applied to said first gate; inverter means connected to said second gate, said prior divider stage output signal being applied to said inverter for inversion before application to said second gate; means for normally maintaining said first gate in the on state and said second gate is in off state; said switch means being operatively connected to said first and second gates for changing the state of said first gate to the off state and the state of said second gate to the on state. 
     
     
       4. A time correction device as recited in claim 3, wherein said first and second gates are formed from pairs of complementary MOS transistors. 
     
     
       5. A time correction device as recited in claim 4, wherein said MOS transistors each have a gate electrode, said means for normally maintaining said first and second gates in the on and off states respectively including a resistor connecting said gates to ground, said time correction device including a voltage source, said make switch connecting said voltage source to said MOS transistors' gate electrodes. 
     
     
       6. A time correction device as recited in claim 1, wherein said watch includes a digital liquid crystal display means coupled to said divider means for digitally displaying time in response to said timing signals, said oscillator means including a quartz oscillator, said divider means including complementary MOS integrated circuits. 
     
     
       7. A time correction device as recited in claim 1, wherein said watch includes a digital light emitting diode display means coupled to said divider means for digitally displaying time in response to said timing signals, said oscillator means including a quartz oscillator, said divider means including complementary MOS integrated circuits. 
     
     
       8. A time correction device as recited in claim 1, wherein one of said gate means and switch means is provided for the divider means stages associated with each of the 1-minute timing signal, the 10-minute timing signal, and the 1-hour timing signal. 
     
     
       9. A timing correction device as recited in claim 8, wherein one of said switch means and gate means is provided for each of the divider means stages associates with the 1-second timing signal and the 10-second timing signal. .Iadd. 10. A time correction device for electronic watches including a time standard oscillator means for producing a high frequency signal, and multi-stage divider circuit means coupled to said oscillator means for dividing said high frequency signal into low frequency timing signals, each of said divider mean stages producing an output signal for application to the input of the next stage, the improvement comprising switching means connected to the input of each divider means stage to be corrected to selectively adding an additional pulse to the output signal of the divider means stage next previous to each divider means stage to be corrected for application to the input of the connecting divider stage to be corrected in response to each actuation of said switching means whereby the output signal of each next-previous divider stage is not rendered-discontinuous by the adding of pulses thereto..Iaddend..Iadd. 11. A time correction device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said switching means includes a manually operated switch, associated with each divider means stage to be corrected, each actuation of said switch producing said additional correction pulse..Iaddend..Iadd. 12. A time correction device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said switching means further includes a gate means coupled intermediate each said manually operated correction switch and said input of each of said divider means stages to be corrected, said gate means selectively applying to said input either the output signal of the prior divider stage means or the inverse thereof, actuation of said manually operated switches effecting a selective application of said prior divider means stage output signal or the inverse thereof to said input of the divider means stage to be corrected..Iaddend.