EP3220213A1 - Method and computer program product for setting a clock - Google Patents

Abstract

Procedure for setting a clock with the following steps: € ¢ coding information about the current time as a bit sequence, Driving a flashlight of a mobile electronic device such that a light signal is emitted with a brightness corresponding to the bit sequence, € ¢ receiving the light signal with a light sensor of the clock, € ¢ decode the light signal and € ¢ Set the clock according to the current time information contained in the light signal.

Description

The invention relates to a method for setting a clock and a computer program for execution on a mobile electronic device for setting a clock.

There are a variety of clocks that need to be made manually on a regular basis, such as table clocks, wristwatches, wall clocks and grandfather clocks. Furthermore, there are devices that contain internal movements, which must also be made repeatedly by hand, z. As household appliances, electronic entertainment products, TVs, music systems, motor vehicles or industrial plants. In many cases, important functions depend on the correct internal time, e.g. Wake-up and alarm functions, appointment reminders or time-controlled automatic functions, such as for time-programmable ovens, dishwashers, auxiliary heaters in automobiles or building energy systems, solar systems or lighting controls.

Due to different month lengths, summer / winter time changes and normal variations of the accuracy of up to several minutes per year or month (for example in the quartz movements often used), all these watches have to be changed or adjusted several times a year. Because of the variety of clocks and devices as simple, uniform and accurate adjustment of the current time is desirable.

Furthermore, there is currently no way to manually set these clocks exactly to the atomic-precise, "official" time, since manual placement always brings a tolerance of several tenths of a second or more. In addition, the time required for setting the time user actions or key combinations in the clocks and devices are significantly different. The average number of clocks and devices with clock function available in a household or commercial enterprise makes it almost impossible, for. For example, to change all clocks effortlessly and quickly during the time changeover.

In addition, the date frequently has to be changed regularly because many devices do not have an internal "perpetual" calendar and therefore can not recognize how many days the current month has and if the current year is e.g. a leap year is or not. The consequence is that with many watches the date deviates already after one month from the actual date.

Some clocks therefore include special receiving devices for receiving radio time signals (in Germany, for example, DCF77), GPS signals or RDS radio signals, which also transmit the time information.

However, these techniques have considerable disadvantages, because they are on the one hand prone to errors, as it always comes back to receiving problems due to strongly fluctuating signal strengths, especially indoors, and on the other hand due to their complexity and sensitivity required technically complex and costly in production. In addition, they are hardly used worldwide, because it lacks internationally uniform standards and the corresponding signals in many areas can not be received.

It is also known to transmit data to a mobile electronic device by modulating the brightness of a screen display. This data transmission technique is used, for example, in online banking for transmitting or generating transaction numbers with the aid of a small mobile device that has to be held on a computer screen.

From the U.S. Patent No. 5,488,571 a comparable data transmission method has become known in which the brightness of a display of a CRT monitor is modulated, for example, to transfer calendar entries to a PDA ( personal digital assistant ) or a wristwatch.

On this basis, it is the object of the invention to provide a method for setting a clock and a computer program product with a corresponding program, with which the setting of a clock can be simplified.

This object is achieved by the method having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the subsequent subclaims.

• Codieren einer Information über die aktuelle Uhrzeit als Bitfolge,
• Ansteuern eines Blitzlichts eines mobilen elektronischen Geräts derart, dass ein Lichtsignal mit entsprechend der Bitfolge variierender Helligkeit ausgesendet wird,
• Empfangen des Lichtsignals mit einem Lichtsensor der Uhr,
• Decodieren des Lichtsignals und
• Stellen der Uhr gemäß der in dem Lichtsignal enthaltenen Information über die aktuelle Uhrzeit.

The procedure is used to set a clock and includes the following steps:

• Encoding information about the current time as a bit sequence,
• Driving a flashlight of a mobile electronic device such that a light signal is emitted with a brightness corresponding to the bit sequence,
• Receiving the light signal with a light sensor of the clock,
• Decode the light signal and
• Setting the clock in accordance with the information contained in the light signal about the current time.

The steps of the method can be performed in the order given. Coding the information about the current time results in a sequentially transferable string. For this purpose, for example, a binary code can be used, which leads to a sequence of zeros and ones. In principle, however, any other suitable form of coding is possible. The coding of the information about the current time can be done in particular in the mobile electronic device.

In order to emit a light signal with brightness corresponding to the bit sequence, a flashlight of a mobile electronic device is driven in the invention. As a result, the light signal has a relatively high brightness, so that it can be particularly easily received and evaluated. The high brightness leads, in particular, to a substantial insensitivity to variations in the ambient light. In particular, the flash is an LED flash that can provide high brightness for a short time.

The clock to be set has a light sensor, in particular a photodiode or a phototransistor, with which the light signal is received. The light signal is decoded to make the information contained about the current time available. This happens in particular within an electronic control of the clock. Then the clock is set according to the information contained in the light sensor about the current time.

The method is very simple for a user to carry out, especially since the steps are carried out substantially fully automatically by an electronic control of the mobile electronic device or the clock. After setting up an appropriate software, the user only needs to execute them and, when sending the light signal, to allow them to be received on the side of the clock in order to set the clock. Special knowledge, especially about the operation of the clock are not required.

Another advantage of the invention is that the equipment of a clock with a light sensor using simple and inexpensive components is possible, so compared to other receiving devices, such as GPS signals, significantly lower costs.

In one embodiment, the light signal comprises a check code and the clock indicates the correct reception of the light signal by a signal. For this purpose, it can evaluate the test code and verify the correct transmission of the information in this way. To display the correct reception, for example, an optical or acoustic display can be provided.

The method requires the availability of information about the current time. This may be from any source, such as a clock contained in the mobile electronic device. In one refinement, the mobile electronic device extracts the information about the current time from a GPS signal, an RDS radio signal or another radio signal or queries the information about the current time via a network from a server. The network may be, for example, the Internet or a mobile network. This ensures that the information about the current time used to set the clock is correct. Many mobile electronic devices are already set up for a corresponding evaluation of said signals or for corresponding queries of a server, so that there is essentially no additional effort.

In one embodiment, the brightness of the light signal is varied such that different bits of the bit sequence correspond to different brightnesses. For example, a logical 1 may correspond to a maximum brightness, a logical 0 to a minimum brightness or a switched-off state of the flash light. Deviating definitions are also possible, even using medium brightness.

In one embodiment, the brightness of the light signal is varied in such a way that different bits of the bit sequence correspond to light pulses of different lengths. For example, a logical 1 may have a light pulse with a relatively long duration and a logical 0 a light pulse with a smaller, for example half long duration, correspond. Also in this way a reliable transmission of the information is made possible.

In one embodiment, a plurality of light signals are transmitted successively and the clock is not set until two consecutive light signals have been received correctly. This avoids erroneous setting of the clock due to failed data transmission. Whether the successive light signals have been received correctly can in turn be verified by evaluating corresponding check codes. Alternatively or additionally, the light signals can be emitted at predetermined time intervals in the range of, for example, 0.1 second to 10 seconds and, corresponding to this time interval, contain different time information. The correct reception can then be verified on the watch by checking the conclusiveness of the transmitted time information or its correspondence with the predetermined or elapsed time interval.

In one embodiment, the mobile electronic device when emitting the light signal is arranged relative to the clock so that there is a direct line of sight between the flash and the light sensor. For example, the flashlight of the mobile electronic device may be located at a distance of less than 2 m, less than 1 m, less than 50 cm, or less than 10 cm from the light sensor. This ensures that the light signal hits the light sensor with sufficient brightness.

In one embodiment, the clock is attached to a wall and the light sensor is arranged on a wall facing the back of the clock, in particular at a distance from the wall. In this way, a wall clock can be provided with the method according to the invention, without the front of the wall clock is aesthetically impaired by the light sensor. In particular, it is thought of at the transmission of the light signal to exploit a reflection of the light on the wall.

The mobile electronic device can in principle be any portable / manageable device that has a suitable light source that can be controlled in accordance with the invention. For example, cameras, but also flashlights that are suitable for use as a flash light bulbs, in particular LED bulbs come into consideration. These can be equipped for use with the inventive method with a corresponding electronic control. In addition, the mobile electronic device can be equipped with a device for receiving or retrieving the information about the current time, for example with a WLAN module. In this way, special mobile electronic devices can be developed for making watches, for example in the form of key fobs or the like. In one embodiment, the mobile electronic device is a smartphone or a tablet PC. These devices are available in many homes and usually have a suitable flashlight on. By installing appropriate software, also referred to as an app, these devices can be used very easily for the procedure.

In one embodiment, the mobile electronic device has a camera and the flash light is designed to illuminate photo motives. The photo flash, in particular an LED flash, due to its intended function for sufficient illumination of photo motives can produce a high brightness, which is a particularly favorable condition for the trouble-free transmission of information.

In one embodiment, the clock is a table or wall clock, a wristwatch, or a clock built into an electronic device. The electronic device may be, for example, a household appliance or a consumer electronics device, For example, a video recorder or a TV, act. A clock or wall clock and watch have a display for viewing the time. This may also be the case with the other devices mentioned, but is not mandatory. Alternatively, the electronic device concerned may merely have an "internal clock" which is used to control the device but not to display the time.

In one embodiment, the clock has an electronic control which is designed to evaluate output signals of the light sensor without prior user interaction. The clock is constantly ready to receive light signals, which further facilitates the execution of the procedure for the user. Alternatively, the clock may have an operating element with which the clock is set to be ready to receive light signals.

In one embodiment, the information about the current time includes an hour, minute and second indication and / or a date. It is also possible to transmit even more accurate time information, for example including a tenth or hundredth of a second. Depending on the intended use of the clock to be set, this can be used to precisely set the time and / or date. In particular, the date can also include the specification of a day of the week.

The above object is also solved by the computer program product with the features of claim 14. Advantageous embodiments are summarized in the subsequent subclaim.

• Codieren einer Information über die aktuelle Uhrzeit als Bitfolge,
• Ansteuern eines Blitzlichts eines mobilen elektronischen Geräts derart, dass ein Lichtsignal mit entsprechend der Bitfolge variierender Helligkeit ausgesendet wird.

The computer program product includes a computer program for executing on a mobile electronic device for setting a clock, the computer program including instructions for causing the mobile electronic device to perform the following steps:

• Encoding information about the current time as a bit sequence,
• Driving a flashlight of a mobile electronic device such that a light signal is emitted with according to the bit sequence of varying brightness.

The computer program product contains the computer program in executable form, stored on a suitable data carrier, such as a DVD or CD-ROM, a USB stick or other flash memory.

In one embodiment, the computer program includes further instructions that cause the mobile electronic device to perform one or more of the steps of claims 2 to 6. With reference to claim 2 is meant that the flash of the mobile electronic device is controlled such that the light signal comprises a check code.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in a figure.

The single figure illustrates the execution of the method using the example of a table clock, which is provided by means of a smartphone.

The smartphone 10 shown in the hand of a user is a mobile electronic device having on its rear side a flash 12, more precisely an LED flash. On the smartphone 10 runs a computer program which encodes an information available in the smartphone 10 information about the current time as a bit sequence and the flash 12 so controls that a light signal, illustrated by a wavy line 14, is emitted according to the bit sequence of varying brightness.

The clock 16 has a rectangular front, which has a display 18, which represents the time. Also on the front side of the clock 16, a light sensor 20 is arranged, which receives the light signal emitted by the flash 12.

The clock 16 also includes an electronic control, with which an output signal of the light sensor 20 is evaluated and the light signal is decoded. After successful decoding of the light signal, the clock is set according to the information contained in the light signal on the current time, so that this time is displayed by the display 18.

The clock 16 is always ready to receive so that the user does not have to interact with the clock 16 to set the clock. It suffices to execute the computer program on the smartphone 10 and to arrange the flash 12 as illustrated in the figure such that the emitted light signal can be received by the light sensor 20. The steps in the clock 16, discussed above, are then performed automatically without any user interaction.

• 100100101001110010001010110010111100101011110,
• wobei 1 für hell und 0 für dunkel steht oder 1 für längerer Impuls und 0 für kurzer Impuls.

The light signal contains information about the current time, which is explained in the following example using a binary coding. For example, if the information about the current time is 14:56 and 30 seconds on Friday, January 30, 2015, it will be simplified to the decimal number 20150130145630. This information is converted to a binary number. This results in the following bit sequence:

• 100100101001110010001010110010111100101011110,
• where 1 stands for bright and 0 for dark or 1 for longer pulse and 0 for short pulse.

In addition, a test algorithm can be transmitted to avoid accidentally valid time signals, e.g. to exclude by flickering lights.

The frequency is selected so that the transmission can be received without errors. The signal is z. B. repeated at intervals of seconds with the current time. Control mechanisms can prevent mis-transmission, e.g. two valid and logically consecutive signals can always be sent out before a change of time takes place in the clock 16 and it can be preceded by a detection signal each bit sequence.

Claims (15)

Method for setting a clock (16) with the following steps: • coding information about the current time as a bit sequence, Driving a flash light (12) of a mobile electronic device such that a light signal is emitted with a brightness corresponding to the bit sequence, Receiving the light signal with a light sensor (20) of the clock (16), • decode the light signal and • Setting the clock (16) according to the current time information contained in the light signal. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the light signal comprises a check code and the clock (16) indicates the correct receipt of the light signal by a signal. The method of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mobile electronic device extracts the information about the current time a GPS signal, an RDS radio signal or any other radio signal or retrieves the information on the current time via a network from a server. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the brightness of the light signal is varied in such a way that different bits of the bit sequence correspond to different brightnesses. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the brightness of the light signal is varied in such a way that different bits of the bit sequence correspond to light pulses of different lengths. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a plurality of light signals are transmitted one after the other and the clock (16) is not set until two consecutive light signals have been correctly received. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the mobile electronic device when emitting the light signal relative to the clock (16) is arranged so that between the flash light (12) and the light sensor (20) has a direct visual connection. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the clock (16) is fixed to a wall and the light sensor (20) on a wall facing the rear side of the clock (16) is arranged. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the mobile electronic device is a smartphone (10) or a tablet PC. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mobile electronic device has a camera and the flashlight (12) is designed to illuminate photo motives. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the clock (16) is a table or wall clock, a wristwatch or a built-in electronic device clock. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the clock (16) has an electronic control which is designed to evaluate output signals of the light sensor (20) without prior user interaction. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the information about the current time an hour, minutes and seconds and / or a date includes. A computer program product having a computer program for execution on a mobile electronic device for setting a clock (16), the computer program containing instructions for causing the mobile electronic device to perform the following steps: • coding information about the current time as a bit sequence, • Driving a flash light (12) of a mobile electronic device such that a light signal is emitted with according to the bit sequence of varying brightness. A computer program product according to claim 14, characterized in that the computer program contains further instructions causing the mobile electronic device to carry out one or more of the steps of claims 2 to 6.

Images