Atmel Germany Gmbh

C-max Europe Gmbh

Roland Polonio

Hans-Joachim Sailer

Horst Haefner

Joachim Kuehnle

Time information is retrieved from time signals transmitted by a transmitter and received by a receiver. The retrieval relies on the examination of at least one time portion () within a time frame. The time portion has a duration shorter than the duration of the time frame (-), to reduce processing operations. The examination checks whether an amplitude of the time signal changed within a time portion. The amplitude change either up or down is then evaluated for the retrieval of the time information. A receiver for receiving the time signals includes components for preprocessing the received time signals thereby reducing the processing steps of a microprocessor connected to the output of the receiver.

Radio controlled clock and method for retrieving time information from time signals

Time signals transmitted by a time signal transmitter and received by a receiver are processed for gaining time information and for reducing demodulation errors to increase the demodulation certainty. For this purpose the following steps are performed in a time signal receiver: a) scanning of received time signals, b) storing of scanned values of the time signal, c) detecting from the scanned and stored values an amplitude change in said time signal, d) measuring the duration of any detected amplitude changes, e) evaluating the measured time durations relative to a predetermined time duration (&#x394;t) and f) excluding from further processing amplitude changes that have a measured duration that is shorter than the predetermined duration. Amplitude changes of longer duration than (&#x394;t) are demodulated and further processed. The receiver circuit is equipped to perform the foregoing steps, particularly in a radio-controlled clock.

Method for gaining time information and receiver for implementing the method

A time signal carrying encoded time information transmitted at a transmission frequency from any one of plural time signal transmitters is received, amplified, and evaluated to acquire the time information. The transmission frequency of the received time signal is determined (provided is the time information signal's just emitted frequency f), and an amplification factor of the amplification of the signal is adjusted depending on the transmission frequency. A receiver circuit for a radio-controlled clock in this regard includes at least one amplifier having a variable amplification factor that is adjustable dependent on the frequency of the received time signal.

Receiver circuit and method using selectively variable amplification for receiving time signals from different transmitters

Time signals for controlling a radio clock are transmitted by a transmitter and received by a receiver as amplitude modulated time signals, formed of a multitude of time frames. Each time frame has a constant duration. These time signals are first automatically amplified. A so-called telegram of at least one received time signal is stored in a memory. At least one change of an amplitude of a time signal is determined in advance or predetermined and such amplitude change has a duration that is longer than a given or determined duration (&#x394;t). When a predetermined amplitude change begins the automatic amplification is locked-in. The present circuit arrangement for operating a radio-controlled clock is equipped with components for performing the foregoing operations.

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Neckarsulm, Germany

Roland Polonio