Abstract: Methods are presented for interactive scheduling, visualization, and tracking of daily recurring activities. Color code a loop as an analog clock, based on an attribute at any time on a day. In some embodiments, the loop is a displayed annulus, and the attribute is light condition. Change date interactively for quick and intuitive study of daily light conditions over a year. Display color coded concentric arcs for scheduling and monitoring performance of activities. Track and visualize progress of multiple activities, to remind users the suitability of the activities at any time instant. Change the time instant interactively for quick study of the progress of multiple activities.

Abstract: The timepiece comprises means for indicating the sunrise and sunset taking account of seasonal variations. These means comprise a sphere reproducing the terrestrial globe, a shell arranged concentrically to the sphere and arranged to demarcate one portion of the terrestrial globe where it is night from another portion where it is day by indicating the position of the Earth's terminator. The shell can pivot about the globe on two axes perpendicular to each other. The shell is driven by the movement so as to rotate at a rate of one revolution per 24 hours about the polar axis. A disconnecting mechanism is controlled by an annual cam which has a profile representative of the tilt of the Sun with respect to the equatorial plane. The disconnecting mechanism controls the tilt of the shell about the axis by means of a drive shaft concentric to the polar axis.

Abstract: Universal running equation of time mechanism including a differential device outputting a running equation minute which indicates the difference between civil time and solar time, the running equation minute driving a true running equation minute which drives a true running equation hour, a jumper spring cooperating with a star wheel connected to an arbor carrying a true running equation hour hand, a time zone wheel carrying the true running equation hour hand, a train making it possible to apply, to the true running equation hour, the time difference associated with the longitude position of a user, the time zone wheel making it possible to apply, to the arbor carrying the true running equation hour hand the difference between the true running equation hour and the civil hour at the place where the user is located.

Abstract: A wristwatch including a watch case; a clock movement in said watch case and a dial. At least one part of a three-dimensional figure above the dial can be caused to move in a plane non-parallel to the dial by a shaft extending above the dial in a direction perpendicular to the dial. A device for driving the figure is arranged below the dial to control the movements of this shaft. The figure can be formed by a mechanical bird.

Abstract: Universal running equation of time mechanism including a differential device outputting a running equation minute, the running equation minute driving a true minute which, via a true equation motion work drives a true hour, the civil time minute cannon-pinion driving, via a motion work wheel set, a civil hour wheel, a jumper spring, integral with the civil hour wheel, cooperating with a star having twelve teeth connected to an arbor carrying a civil hour hand, a time zone wheel also being integral with the arbor, a time difference and display train applying the time difference linked to the longitude position of the user relative to the center of the time zone to the true running equation hour, the time zone wheel applying to the civil hour wheel, in forward or backward one-hour steps, the time difference between the civil time at the place where the user is situated and the time at the center of the time zone.

Abstract: A digital day/night display device includes an hour disc provided with ciphers 1-12 representing the hours, and made such that light can pass either through the ciphers or through parts of the hours disc surrounding these ciphers; a rotative day/night disc located under the hours disc including a first zone and a second zone of different colors or shadings; and a mechanism for driving in rotation the hours disc and the day/night disc. The zones extend under the ciphers of the hours disc. Also provided are elements for driving the hours disc in a continuous way and at a constant speed at the rate of two revolutions in twenty-four hours and other elements for driving in a continuous way but intermittently the day/night disc at a rate of one revolution in twenty-four hours. A time piece provided with this digital day/night display device is also described.

Abstract: A digital day/night display device includes an hour disc provided with ciphers 1-12 representing the hours, and made such that light can pass either through the ciphers or through parts of the hours disc surrounding these ciphers; a rotative day/night disc located under the hours disc including a first zone and a second zone of different colors or shadings; and a mechanism for driving in rotation the hours disc and the day/night disc. The zones extend under the ciphers of the hours disc. Also provided are elements for driving the hours disc in a continuous way and at a constant speed at the rate of two revolutions in twenty-four hours and other elements for driving in a continuous way but intermittently the day/night disc at a rate of one revolution in twenty-four hours. A time piece provided with this digital day/night display device is also described.

Abstract: The timepiece movement comprises a running equation of time device having a pipe (113) provided to support a minute hand for solar time mounted concentrically to the minute and hour hands for civil time, an equation of time cam (101) rotatably driven by the movement at the rate of one revolution per year, and a correction mechanism provided to periodically adjust the angular displacement of the minute hand for solar time in relation to the minute hand for civil time as a function of the angular position of the equation of time cam.

Abstract: The invention concerns an AM/PM display disc (1), rotating in one day about an axis of rotation (2), including two different juxtaposed surfaces (3, 4). It is characterized in that the surfaces are delimited, between a hub (5) and the periphery (6) of said disc (1) by two boundary curves (7, 8), each tangential to said periphery (6) and having a single concavity from said periphery (6) towards said hub (5), the concavities of said curves (7, 8) having the same direction relative to the direction of rotation (A) of said disc (1), and any radial line originating from said axis (2) intersecting, in succession, one of said two surfaces, then the other, and only passing through one of said curves between said hub (5) and said periphery (6).

Abstract: The invention provides an analog quartz timepiece, comprising a housing; one or more hands continuously rotating around a dial placed within the housing; a drive movement comprising gears and drive motors associated with the hands for timekeeping; a position sensor comprising a light transmitter and a light receiver which are positioned to define a reflective area on the dial, where the light transmitter transmits a beam of light to any one of the hands passing through the reflective area and the light receiver receives the light reflected from the passing hand; and a processor connected to said drive movement and said position sensor, said processor being programmed to determine a position of the passing hand in the reflective area in correspondence to the reflection of the light from the hand, and to drive the movement to move the hand to a correct time position responsive to the determined position. The invention also relates to a method for providing time-correction of an analog quartz timepiece.

Abstract: An astronomical clock, comprising a first and second celestial body representations, a displacement mechanism operatively connected to the second celestial body representation, the displacement mechanism displacing the second celestial body representation around the first celestial body representation along an ellipsoidal trajectory an a first set of time scale indicators positioned along the ellipsoid trajectory. The displacement mechanism displaces the second celestial body representation around the first celestial body representation at a speed proportional to the revolution of the second celestial body around the first celestial body, the position of the second celestial body representation with respect to the first set of time scale indicators indicating a time period corresponding to the positioning of the second celestial body.

Abstract: A routine clock for visually and audibly identifying time periods and events is disclosed. The routine clock may have indicators placed on the routine clock that may be variable in size corresponding to variable time periods. Within the time periods, unique events may be identified and when the time for a specific event has been reached, an audio announcement or visual indication or both may occur.

Abstract: The invention concerns an AM/PM display disc (1), rotating in one day about an axis of rotation (2), including two different juxtaposed surfaces (3, 4). It is characterized in that the surfaces are delimited, between a hub (5) and the periphery (6) of said disc (1) by two boundary curves (7, 8), each tangential to said periphery (6) and having a single concavity from said periphery (6) towards said hub (5), the concavities of said curves (7, 8) having the same direction relative to the direction of rotation (A) of said disc (1), and any radial line originating from said axis (2) intersecting, in succession, one of said two surfaces, then the other, and only passing through one of said curves between said hub (5) and said periphery (6).

Abstract: A routine clock for visually and audibly identifying time periods and events is disclosed. The routine clock may have indicators placed on the routine clock that may be variable in size corresponding to variable time periods. Within the time periods, unique events may be identified and when the time for a specific event has been reached, an audio announcement or visual indication or both may occur.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for measuring geo-solar time parameters. Wrist-watches, clocks, and computer functionality provide, in addition to a traditional chronological parameter for a control frame of reference, several geo-solar time parameters including but not limited to distance Earth travels or has travelled between any two universal orbital points, dynamic Earth-Sun distance, and dynamic rotational velocity of Earth at any longitudinal-latitudinal point.

Abstract: The invention relates to a watch provided with time indicators with three dimensions placed at the periphery of the movement of the watch, in the space delimited by the middle, the glass, the base and the movement. The movement of these indicators is provided by various clockwork mechanisms that are either independent or connected to the principle movement.

Abstract: A time keeping device that provides a user with the time of day at any point on earth and the current day or night condition of any point on earth. The time keeping device includes a translucent external globe indicia for indicating time and an internal globe rotatably mounted within the external globe, and a support mechanimsm adapted for rotating the internal globe about a pair of axis, so that the time at a particular point on the internal globe can be read by a user by peering through the external globe to see the location of the indicia as projected on the internal globe.

Abstract: Disclosed is a timepiece from which a sunrise and sunset time along with the position of the sun can be determined. The sunrise time and the sunset time are changed according to the season and the latitude of the place where one man the time. People acquire the sunrise and sunset time from the news of a television or a newspaper. According to the enlargement of cities, underground activities and the degree of building closure are increased to shield the sun. The timepiece of the present invention comprises a circular hour plate which rotates once per 24 hours. Also included is a sunrise and sunset time designating section (21) for indicating the sunrise time and the sunset time for each month. Through the timepiece of the present invention, the present time, the position of the sun at the present time, the sunrise and sunset time can be appreciated.

Abstract: The watch disclosed has a case of ovoidal shape, wherein a circular watch movement (5) is arranged off-center, on the side of the end of the case with the larger radius. On the side of the other end there is a moon phase indicator disc (16) and a power-reserve indicator of the watch. The moon disc is driven step-by-step by the movement (5) via a control lever (35) having a beak (43) that drives an external toothing (44) of the disc. This lever extends at least partly along one edge of the case, where a correction push-button is mounted, that can activate (P) the lever in the same direction as the movement is driving, which prevents any interference between the two actions.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a mechanism for displaying the moon phases which has an upper disc or moon dial (1) and a lower disc or moon indicator (2) that is mounted concentrically to it, and wherein one of these discs is mounted rotatably relative to the other. The moon dial (1) has two windows (1a, 1b) in order to account in the display for the different appearance of the moon phases in the northern and southern hemisphere of the earth.

Abstract: The watch disclosed has a case of ovoidal shape, wherein a circular watch movement (5) is arranged off-centre, on the side of the end of the case with the larger radius. On the side of the other end there is a moon phase indicator disc (16) and a power-reserve indicator of the watch. The moon disc is driven step-by-step by the movement (5) via a control lever (35) having a beak (43) that drives an external toothing (44) of the disc. This lever extends at least partly along one edge of the case, where a correction push-button is mounted, that can activate (P) the lever in the same direction as the movement is driving, which prevents any interference between the two actions.

Abstract: A geographical chronological device which simultaneously indicates the time in multiple cities or countries, and displays fluctuations in day or night in a geographic location. The earth clock has a semi-transparent world map depicting a polar planetary projection of the world from the north or south pole. An adjustable shadow disk is disposed adjacent to and partly visible through the semi-transparent world map. The shadow disk has a periphery with time indicia disposed about the periphery. The adjustable shadow disk has an adjustable dark portion to indicate night and an adjustable light portion to indicate day. The dark and light portions adjust to indicate relatively greater or lesser night and day according to the change in seasons. A clock movement provides relative movement between the semi-transparent world map and the adjustable shadow disk.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a terminal apparatus in which the in-frame compression factor of an image obtained by a camera is increased to restrict frame thinning when the camera is moved. A control circuit 60 performs control of a movable table 12. When a TV camera 10 is moved, the quantization table used in a quantization circuit 26 is changed over, whereby a higher compression factor of the coding conducted by a DCT circuit 24 and the quantization circuit 26 is achieved. Thus, a predetermined compression factor can be achieved without performing frame thinning.

Abstract: This invention concerns a compass watch as well as a bezel specifically intended to fit out such a watch. The invention comprises at least one time indicating element (4) kinematically driven in rotation by a mechanical or electromechanical horometric movement, and particularly intended to be pointed towards the sun, and direction indicating means (N, S, W, E) arranged on said watch enabling one to know, as a function of the orientation of said indicating means (4), the direction of at least one of the cardinal points, and is characterized in that it includes correction means (52; 16, M) for the positioning of the cardinal points, adapted to take into account the equation of time and to correct any variation between true solar time and the legal or local time of day. The invention is applied to a watch, preferably of the mechanically or electromechanically driven type.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing the appearance of heavenly bodies including a cover having an opaque wall defining a substantially circular opening, and a disc-like or spherical part representative of a heavenly body sized to substantially fill the opening in the cover. The part and cover are relatively rotatable about an axis which passes through the center of the opening in the cover and along a diameter of the part. The opaque wall of the cover may be hemispherical, planar, or tubular. The part may represent the moon or a celestial vault. The apparatus may include a base which supports the cover and part and houses a mechanism for rotating one of the cover and part with respect to the other.

Abstract: A clock having a housing which contains two internal disks and a motor for rotation of those disks on a shaft is disclosed. An hour disk is provided having a shaded region representing night and an unshaded region representing day. The hour disk is positioned to appear through a opening in the clock face. The face of the clock may have one or more openings to expose the minute and hour disks. One of the openings has a numerical representation of hours provided on the clock face there around. The clock is arranged so that the line separating the dark and light regions of the hour disk indicates the hour of day by pointing to a number on the face, and also graphically represents the amount of time from and to the previous and next sunrise or sunset.

Abstract: A clock is provided having a visual effect mechanism associated with the shaft of the clock that would ordinarily drive the second hand. The visual effect produced is that of the earth rotating about a central sun every sixty seconds while clouds drift past the apparently stationary land masses of earth. The mechanism utilizes a depiction of the earth attached by a holding bolt or post to a second hand or equivalent structure, and a transparent overlay disposed over the depiction of earth and pivotably supported by the holding bolt or post.

Abstract: Globe map (10) in which a light source (76) and a screen (46) cooperate to create on the wall of a shell (12) two hemispherical zones respectively lit and dark. Clockworks designed to rotate these zones around the center of the globe (10), according to the rhythm of the days and years, include a body (32), a polar day shaft (14) rigidly connected to the shell (12) and a year shaft (38) rigidly connected to the screen (46). The axes of the shafts (14 and 38) intersect at the center of the shell (12) along an angle equal to the angle of inclination of the plane of the equator on the ecliptic.Under nominal working conditions, the screen (46) rotates around the shaft (14) at the rate of one revolution per sidereal day and around the year shaft (38) at the rate of one revolution per tropical year.

Abstract: A novelty clock is provided wherein a spherical representation of the earth revolves about a stationary depiction of the sun at the face of the clock as would a second hand. While revolving about the sun, the earth also rotates upon its own axis which is angularly disposed to the straight line between sun and earth. The earth's motion, in conjunction with depictions of other planets of the solar system, provides an appealing and realistic visual effect. The motion of the earth is achieved by a mechanism driven by rotation of the shaft which would otherwise drive the second hand of the clock.

Abstract: A novelty clock is provided wherein a spherical representation of the earth rotates about the face of the clock as would a second hand. While rotating about the face of the clock, the earth also rotates upon its own axis, thereby providing a more realistic and appealing visual effect. The special motion of the earth is achieved by a motion producing mechanism driven by the rotational force of the shaft which ordinarily drives the second hand of the clock.

Abstract: A device for determining the time of solar passage of the horizon. The device includes a clock face having hour and minute indications arranged circumferentially thereof and a disc rotatably mounted in overlying relation with the clock face. Solar passage information on the disc is aligned by reference to a selected longitude so that a line from the center of the disc through a selected portion of the solar passage information intercepts hour and minute indications of the clock face at a time of solar passage for the selected portion of the solar passage information at the selected longitude.

Abstract: In order to provide easily accessible knowledge of the correlations between time, the geographical locale and the solar positions, the watch in question in addition to time-keeping means capable of displaying the current time (8.46A) also provides means capable of storing, processing in a microprocessor mode and displaying in a particular panel mode data of solar elevation and azimuth (h 35.4) as well as date data (11 27), a computer performing correlating operations between these various values. Pushbuttons (BPH', BPM', BPB') allow using this watch in various operational and correction situations, and other pushbuttons (BPH, BPM, BPB) allow more specific commands for correction, for search operations regarding date and place based on the solar data, for storage and call from memory of the various processed data.This watch can easily be implemented as a small wrist watch.

Abstract: A salat time alarm electronic timepiece is implemented with a one chip microcomputer. An outer read only memory is installed in the electronic timepiece for storing the sunrise time data and the sunset time data at various cities in world. The system reads out sunrise time and sunset time data from the outer read only memory and calculates five salat times of the present day. The thus calculated salat time data is stored in a storage means and compared with the current time data to provide an alarm sound when the current time reaches one of the five salat times.

Abstract: An electronic watch with circuitry to calculate and display time under the Moslem calendar.