(19) TZZ ZZ _T (11) EP 2 204 702 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: G04G 9/00 (2006.01) G04G 21/04 (2013.01) 23.04.2014 Bulletin 2014/17 (21) Application number: 08022525.3 (22) Date of filing: 30.12.2008 (54) Clock Uhr Horloge (84) Designated Contracting States: • Sabrina, Lee AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR 40219 Düsseldorf (DE) HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR (74) Representative: Jostarndt, Hans-Dieter Jostarndt Patentanwalts-AG (43) Date of publication of application: Brüsseler Ring 51 07.07.2010 Bulletin 2010/27 52074 Aachen (DE) (73) Proprietor: Vodafone Holding GmbH (56) References cited: 40213 Düsseldorf (DE) WO-A1-00/29915 JP-A- 2005 149 134 US-A1- 2002 114 221 US-A1- 2005 278 757 (72) Inventors: US-B1- 6 449 219 US-B1- 6 525 997 • Krishna, Prasad 40219 Düsseldorf (DE) Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 2 204 702 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 2 204 702 B1 2 Description Brief description of the invention Technical Field [0010] The present invention suggests a clock with a changeable user interface. In particular, the present in- [0001] The present invention is related to a clock. 5 vention suggests a clock comprising an operating system [0002] A clock is an instrument used for indicating and for the clock, a radio interface for connecting to a wireless maintaining the time and passage of time. network, a display on which a clock face element is dis- [0003] Especially the invention relates to a clock with played to enable the user to operate the clock according changeable clock face elements. In particular, the to the operating system and a local storage where a data present invention is related to a clock according to claim 10 files associated with the clock face element are stored. 1. The present invention is also related to a server and The local storage permits the storage of a plurality of a system for replacing the clock face element of a clock. clock face elements and means for managing the clock face element such that the user can select one out of the Background of the invention plurality of stored clock face elements. 15 [0011] The clock comprises dynamic means for ren- [0004] When today a clock is released on the market dering the clock face element adapted to provide an au- its clock face is a fixed component usually designed by tomatic switch between clock face elements out of the a manufacturer and/or the network provider and pro- plurality of the stored clock face elements as function of grammed in the manufacturing environment of the clock. time and of context of daily life ascertained for the user [0005] A clock face is the part of an analog clock that 20 at said time. The dynamic means for automatic rendering displays the time through the use of a fixed numbered of the clock face element are arranged to monitor and dial or dials and moving hands. A well known form, the store the user behavior, such that the clock face element dial is numbered 1-12 indicating the hours in a 12-hour offered to the user is based on clock face items predom- cycle, and a short hour hand makes 2 revolutions in a inately chosen in the past according to the user behavior day. A longer minute hand makes one revolution every 25 ascertained. hour. The face may also include a second hand which [0012] Clock faces may differ very greatly in terms of makes one revolution per minute, and other hands. The their structure and the number of parameters displayed. term is also used for the time display on digital clocks The different desires, demands and capabilities of the and watches. users mean that there is generally not a single clock face [0006] However, it is of course possible, to use other 30 which meets the demands of all potential users. In prac- cycles as 12-hour cycle, for e.g. a 24-hour analog dial, tice, by way of example, a particular clock face may be or even to utilize graphical representation of other time- far too complicated and incomprehensible for a first, tech- scales as a 10-hour clock as it is implemented in the time nically inexperienced user, yet may still be too simple for of the French revolution or to utilize an analog represen- a second, technically experienced user, because the lat- tation of the watch internet time. 35 ter desires further refined setting options or would like to [0007] US 2005/0278757 A1 describes a method for use further services offered. downloading watch faces to a mobile electronic device. [0013] Even for a single person the most frequently Watch faces are broadcast to mobile electronic devices. used functionalities may vary throughout a day and a The watch faces are automatically delivered and stored week depending on the context of the daily life of the on a mobile electronic device for selection by a user.40 user. At work, usually calling numbers or caller lists as Using the device, users can quickly change the current well as business e-mail functionalities are most impor- watch face. The user may customize the watch faces tant. At home, the same user may never access his busi- they receive. For example, the user may select from a ness e-mail but rather use a camera and a photo gallery list of available watch faces. to show photos to visitors. At leisure times, for example [0008] US 6 449 219 B1 describes a timepiece with a 45 on a festival the most important things to this user are computer based clock, in which time is represented on latest updates about the festival and notifications when a display and additionally further information concerning a favorite band starts playing. During holidays a personal the progress of time is displayed like playing a movie in blog may be the most frequently accessed service. slow motion. According to the actual season, an anima- [0014] The clock face element of today’s clocks can tion program develops various manifestations of a tree 50 only be adapted to a very little extent to fit to the personal in the course of the year. The timepiece is adapted to context of the user let alone to a varying context. At most connect with other devices, like a GPS receiver to detect the user has the possibility in some cases to make some the location of the device and additional sensors to meas- accommodations. E.g. he may configure some aspects ure environmental parameters such as humidity and tem- of the clock face element such as the language and the perature. 55 date format. He may also change the look and feel of the [0009] It remains a desire to provide a user the possi- clock face element by selecting a template or by "skin- bility to further adapt the clock face element of a clock ning" the clock, i.e. changing the appearance of elements according to his needs and preferences. shown on the display. In some cases, the user may also 2 3 EP 2 204 702 B1 4 install additional applications on the telephone. [0033] However, it is within the scope of the invention [0015] The current invention comprises a clock with that several clock face elements can operate independ- additional functionality. ent from other clock face elements. An example for this [0016] Whereas known watches may only display only is the independence between clock face elements relat- a limited set information, as for e.g. moon phases or time 5 ing toweather dataand clockface elements relating stock information relating to different time zones, the current information. invention allows to display an increased amount of infor- [0034] According to an example, widgets are used. mation on a clock face. [0035] Widgets are interactive virtual tools that provide [0017] The current invention proposes to use a clock single-purpose services such as showing the user the face as medium for representing a variety of information, 10 latest news, the current weather, the time, a calendar, a wherein at least a part of the invention is symbolized in dictionary, a map programme, a calculator, desktop graphical representations. notes, photo viewers, or even a language translator, [0018] In an embodiment, a certain clock face element among other things. Examples of widget engines include: may vary. The term "clock face element" relates to certain Dashboard widgets of Apple Macintosh, Microsoft gadg- types of elements. In one embodiment of the invention 15 ets in Windows Vista and in the Windows Live system, the clock face may comprise a variety of singly clock face gDesklets, Adesklets, Screenlets of Linux systems, Port- elements, which for e.g. represent certain information, letsin GoogleDesktop, Yahoo! Widgets, Klips inKlipfolio, for e.g. weather data or events or places. Mobile widgets webwag,Zumobi, Mywidz, Plusmo and In one example, theclock face contains information about WidSets are a few examples and Adobe AIR.