Time correcting apparatus for an electronic timepiece

Abstract

A time correcting apparatus for an electronic time-piece having a digital time display including a selecting switch for selecting the digit of the display to be corrected, which digit is visually identified, and a correcting switch for correcting that digit. Time correction is achieved by the combined operation of the two switches.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In an electronic timepiece having multi-stage divider timekeeping circuit means and multi-digit display means coupled to said corresponding .[.multi-stage.]. dividers .Iadd.of said timekeeping circuit means .Iaddend.for the digital display of time, the improvement which comprises time correcting circuit means, a manually operable selecting switch means and a manually operable correcting switch means coupled to said time correcting circuit means, said time correcting circuit means being operatively coupled to the dividers of said timekeeping circuit means associated with .[.the digits.]. .Iadd.each digit .Iaddend.of time of said display means to be corrected for .[.the.]. .[.selective sequential selection of.]. .Iadd.selectively sequentially selecting .Iaddend.each digit of time .Iadd.to be corrected .Iaddend.for correction by the manual operation of said selecting switch .Iadd.means .Iaddend.and for the selective correction of .[.said.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.selected digit of time by the manual operation of said correcting switch .Iadd.means.Iaddend., said time correction circuit means being further coupled to .Iadd.at least .Iaddend.each digit of time of said display means .Iadd.to be corrected .Iaddend.and adapted to dispose .[.the.]. .Iadd.each .Iaddend.selected .[.digits.]. .Iadd.digit .Iaddend.of time of said digital display means .Iadd.to be corrected .Iaddend.so as to render same .Iadd.visually .Iaddend.distinguishable from the other digits of said display means. 
     
     
       2. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, including safety switch means operatively coupled to said time correcting circuit means and manually operable for the selective actuation of said time correcting means, whereby said selecting switch means and said correcting switch means are operable only upon actuation of said time correcting circuit means by said safety switch means. 
     
     
       3. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said time correcting circuit means includes a plurality of gate means defining outputs of said correcting circuit means, one of said gate means being operatively coupled to each of the divider stages producing said time-keeping signals, said correcting switch means being operatively coupled to each of said gate means for the application of a correcting signal thereto, said time correcting circuit means further including counter means having a plurality of outputs representing the sequential count of said counter means, one of said counter means outputs being connected to each of said gate means for the sequential actuation thereof to enable the actuated gate means to pass said correcting signal, said selecting switch means being operatively coupled to said counter means for the sequential indexing of said counter means. 
     
     
       4. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim, 3, including a further gate means associated with each of said first-mentioned gate means of said time correcting circuit means, each of said further gate means being operatively coupled to the same output of said counter means as the associated first-mentioned gate means for simultaneous actuation thereof, one of the dividers of said time keeping means supplying a display identification signal through said counter means to each of said further gate means, each of said further gate means being operatively coupled to the digits of said display means associated with the divider stage to which the associated first-mentioned gate means is connected to render such digit visually distinguishable from the other digits of said display means. 
     
     
       5. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 4, including decoder means coupled to each of the dividers of said time keeping circuit means, and NAND gate means intermediate each of said decoder means and the associated display means, said NAND gate means having a first input from said decoder means and a second input from said time correcting signal means for receipt of said identification signal. 
     
     
       6. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 5, wherein said identification signal is derived from an output of one of said divider stages selected to produce a low-frequency identification signal for application to each of said further gate means for transmittal to the selected NAND gate means. 
     
     
       7. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 4, including safety switch means manually operable and operatively connected to said counter means for the selective enabling of the operation of said counter means to permit time correction. 
     
     
       8. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein the digits of time to be corrected include seconds, minutes and hours. 
     
     
       9. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein the digits of time to be corrected include minute, hour, day and date. 
     
     
       10. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said time correcting circuit means is adapted to render the selected digit of said display means visually distinguishable by flickering said selected digits of said display means. 
     
     
       11. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said display means are liquid crystal display means. 
     
     
       12. An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said display means are light emitting diode display means.