The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 04, 1983
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1981
John R Davidson, Williamsburg, VA (US);
Joseph S Heyman, Williamsburg, VA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for correcting errors in an electronic digital timepiece that includes an oscillator which has a 2.sup.n frequency output, an n-stage frequency divider for reducing the oscillator output frequency to a time keeping frequency, and means for displaying the count of the time keeping frequency. The error E in the time of the timepiece for an arbitrary period of time T is determined. A computer computes a new adjustment value N+(2.sup.n-m +N)E/T where N is the preceding adjustment value and m is a nonnegative integer less than n. Then the 2.sup.n-m divisor of the first n-m stages of the n-stage frequency divider is adjusted in an amount equal to the new adjustment value. In first and second embodiments of the invention the timepiece is synchronized with a time standard at the beginning of the period of time T. In the first embodiment of the invention the timepiece user observes E (the difference between the time standard and the timepiece time at the end of the period T) and then operates a selected switch to correct the time of the timepiece and to obtain a count for E. In the second embodiment of the invention, the user operates a switch at the beginning of T and at the end of T and a count for E is obtained electronically.