JPH09304556A - Lecture timer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Problem] To provide a timer for a lecture that can manage the lecture time and the question-and-answer time with certainty and can smoothly proceed with the lecture. SOLUTION: A lecture time, a pre-bell time and a question-and-answer time are set in advance to start clocking, and a remaining lecture time and a question-and-answer elapsed time are displayed between a presentation and a question and answer display section 6.
It is displayed on 7 and 13, and at the beginning of the lecture, pre-bell time,
At the end of the lecture and at the end of the question and answer session, an alarm sound is emitted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lecture timer that can be suitably used at various lectures, conferences, and presentations.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, at various lectures, conferences or presentations, the management of the lecture time (or the presentation time) and the question and answer time associated therewith has been controlled by a clock or a stopwatch that the facilitator has at hand. We measured the time, and when the talk time and Q & A time came a few minutes before the end time, we gave a notice on the board, bell, buzzer, etc. that the talk time and Q & A time had come to an end. Even when the response time ended, the same method was used to prompt the end.

[0003]

However, with the above-mentioned method, the burden on the facilitator is large, time management cannot be accurately performed, and the lecturer and the audience are left with the remaining time of the lecture and the question-and-answer time. There was a problem that the progress of the lecture could not be carried out smoothly because the excess time could not be grasped clearly.

The present invention has been made with the above matters in mind, and the purpose thereof is to be able to manage the lecture time and the question and answer time with certainty, and to facilitate the progress of lectures. It is to provide a meeting timer.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the lecture timer of the present invention sets a lecture time, a pre-bell time and a question and answer time in advance to start timekeeping, and during the presentation and question and answer. , The remaining time of the lecture and the elapsed time of the question and answer are displayed on the display unit, and at the beginning of the lecture, the pre-bell time, at the end of the lecture and at the end of the question and answer, an alarm sound is emitted.

According to the lecture timer of the present invention, the burden on the facilitator at a lecture or the like can be significantly reduced, and an alarm sound such as a buzzer can be issued when necessary. Then, the speaker, the facilitator, and the audience can surely grasp the remaining presentation time and the excess time. Therefore, a lecture or the like can be smoothly advanced.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 9 show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 1 to 3 show an example of a lecture timer (hereinafter referred to as a timer) of the present invention and its usage state. 4 to 9 are flowcharts thereof.

First, in FIG. 1, A is a timer main body, which is controlled by either a controller B or a personal computer (personal computer, see FIG. 3) C, or both. This timer is a countdown timer, as will be described later.

First, the timer body A will be described. The timer body A is placed near the lecturer 1, for example, on the lecture desk 2 as shown in FIG. Further, inside the timer main body A, a CPU 3, a memory 4, a buzzer 5, etc. for performing various controls described later are provided.

Further, on the front side and the back side of the timer body A, display sections 6 and 7 for displaying the remaining time of the lecture during the lecture and the elapsed question and answer time during the question and answer time are provided. ing. The display unit 6 on the front side is for the lecturer 1 and is formed over substantially the entire front face of the lecturer 1 in a slightly tilted state so that the lecturer 1 can easily see it, and is composed of, for example, a full graphic display. The rear display unit 7 is for the audience 8 and is formed smaller than the speaker display unit 6. These display units 6 and 7 are configured to be capable of displaying time in units of minutes and seconds by a fluorescent display tube, for example.

A time setter 9 is provided on one side surface of the timer body A, and the other side surface is provided with a time setting device 9.
A buzzer setting switch 10 is provided. The setting switch 10 includes a start setting 10a and a pre-bell setting 1
0b and 10c for setting at the time of termination.

Next, the controller B will be described. The controller B is for controlling the timer main body A, and the timekeeper 1 such as a moderator of a lecture.
1 and is connected to the timer body A by a cable 12. The controller B displays the remaining time of the lecture during the lecture, and displays the elapsed time of the question and answer during the question and answer time, for example, a display unit 13 made of a liquid crystal, and a count for controlling start and stop of counting. A / pause switch 14 and indicator lamps 15, 16 and 17 for displaying a count state, a pause state and a standby state, which will be described later, are provided.

Further, when the personal computer C is explained,
The personal computer C is for controlling the timer main body A, and is, for example, a room 19 adjacent to the lecture hall 18.
It is placed on the desk 20 and is connected to the timer body A by a cable 21. An input device 22 such as a keyboard can perform various settings. Two
3 is a display, which can display the remaining time of the lecture during the lecture, the elapsed time of the question and answer in the question and answer time, and the state of the timer (count state, pause state, standby state) described later. Can be displayed.

The timer of the present invention can be operated by either the controller B or the personal computer C. Less than,
The operation of the timer will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. The flow charts related to the control by the controller B are FIGS. 4, 8 and 9, and the flow charts related to the control by the personal computer C are the initial setting S1 portion of FIG. 4 and FIGS.

1. Preparation (1) When operating the timer, the timer body A
Either or both of the controller B and the personal computer C are connected to. (2) When PC C is connected, start the terminal software on PC C side. (3) Insert the power cord (not shown) of the timer body A into a power outlet.

2. Operation The timer of the present invention has the following three states. That is, count state: state in which the display counts every second Pause state: state in which the display count is temporarily stopped Standby state: state in which the display is 00:00 and the count is stopped

When the power cord of the timer body A is connected to the outlet, the timer body A first enters a standby state. After that, by operating the controller B or the personal computer C, the state of the timer body A changes,
Any of the display lamps 15, 16 and 17 of the controller B is turned on. Also, the display 23 on the personal computer C side
The timer status is displayed on.

Next, the operation by the controller B or the personal computer C will be described. 2-1. Operation by Controller B (1) When the count / pause switch 14 is pressed while the timer body A is in the standby state, the timer body A enters the counting state, and the display units 6, 7, 13 display
The countdown is started from the set value set by the time setter 9 (steps S2, S3, S5, S6, S
9). In this case, when the countdown is started from the standby state by the controller B, the countdown is always started from the set value set by the time setter 9, and the contents of the memory of the time setting by the personal computer C described later and its change are changed. It will not be affected.

(2) If the count / pause switch 14 is pressed while the timer body A is in the counting state, the timer body A enters the pause state and the countdown is temporarily stopped (steps S2, S3, S4). If the count / pause switch 14 is pressed while the timer body A is in the pause state, the count state starts again and the countdown is started from the display at that time (steps S2, S3, S5, S).
9).

(3) Regardless of whether the timer body A is in the counting state or the pause state, if the count / pause switch 14 is kept pressed for 1 second or longer, the timer body A enters the standby state (not shown).

(4) When the timer body A is in the counting state and the display becomes 00:00, the standby state is set (steps S45, S48, S49). However, when the question and answer time is set by the operation of the personal computer C described later, the standby state is entered after the question and answer time ends (steps S61, S62, S64, S65).

2-2. Operation by PC C (1) The timer main body A has a memory 4 for storing the time setting when the timer main body A is started by the personal computer C, and immediately after the power cord is plugged into the outlet, The content is the same as the value set by the time setter 9. When the <return> key of the input device 22 is pressed during the standby state, the count state is entered, and the display starts counting down from the value stored in the memory 4 (steps S11, S12, S1).
3, S14, S17).

If XX <return> (XX is a one-digit or two-digit number) is input by the input device 22 in the standby state, the contents of the memory 4 are changed to XX and the count state is set, and the new memory is entered. The countdown is started from the value of (steps S21, S22, S2
3, S24, S29).

When the countdown is started from the standby state by the personal computer C, it is different from the start by the controller B in that the countdown is started from the value in the memory 4.

(2) If the <return> key is pressed while the timer body A is counting, the pause state is reached and the countdown is temporarily stopped at that point (step S12,
S18). When the <return> key is pressed in the pause state, the count state is restored again, and the countdown is started from the display at that time (steps S12, S13, S).
17).

(3) Whether the timer body A is in the counting state or in the pause state, the input device 22
When XX <return> (XX is a one-digit or two-digit number) is input, the display becomes XX: 0 (step S22,
S24). At this time, the state of the timer body A does not change, and in the case of the count state, the countdown is continued from that point.

In the paused state, XX: 00
With the display of, the timer body A continues the paused state. However, when 0 <return> (or 00 <return>) is input through the input device 22, the standby state is entered. It should be noted that the contents of the time setting memory are not changed by these operations.

(4) When the timer body A is counting,
When the display becomes 00:00, the timer main body A enters the standby state (steps S45, S49). However, when the question and answer time is set, the standby state is set at the end of the question and answer time (steps S61, S62, S6).
4, S65). The question and answer time can be set by inputting as follows. XXA <Return> (XX is a 1-digit or 2-digit number) (see FIG. 7).

The time display during the question-and-answer time is blinking (step S51). That is, the display of the remaining time of the lecture merely displays the counted down time, but the time display during the question and answer time is counted up while blinking, and the excess time can be displayed. The question and answer time can be set any number of times. In addition, the question and answer time can be canceled by inputting 0A <return> or 00A <return> with the input device 22.

3. Buzzer 5 By turning on the buzzer setting switch 10 of the timer body A, the buzzer 5 sounds as follows.

When the start time setting switch 10a is turned on, the buzzer 5 sounds once when the standby state changes to the counting state (steps S7, S8, S15,
S16, S27, S28).

When the pre-bell time setting switch 10b one minute before is turned on, the buzzer 5 sounds once when the display becomes 01:00 in the counting state (steps S43, S4).
4).

The pre-bell time can be changed by the personal computer C. That is, by the input device 22, XX
B <Return> (XX is a 1-digit or 2-digit number) (Fig. 7
Enter), the buzzer 5 sounds when the pre-bell time becomes XX: 00 and the display becomes XX: 00. You can set the pre-bell time as many times as you like.

When the end time setting switch 10c is turned on, the buzzer 5 sounds twice when the display becomes 00:00 in the counting state (steps S45, S46, S4).
7).

When the question and answer time is set, the buzzer 5 becomes three times at the end of the question and answer time (step S
63).

In the timer having the above structure, the timer main body A is provided with the display section 6 for the speaker, and the remaining presentation time and the excess time are displayed on the display section 6, so that the speaker 1 is separated from the speaker 1. You can give a warning from somewhere. In particular, since a full-graphic type display is used as the display unit 6, information other than the above-mentioned time, such as "Hurry up,""Speakloudly,""Please turn on the microphone." The message can also be transmitted to the speaker 1.

Since the timer main body A is provided with the display unit 7 for the audience in addition to the display unit 6 for the speaker and the display unit 13 is also provided for the controller B, the speaker 1, The audience 8 and the facilitator 11 can surely grasp the remaining time and the excess time of the lecture.

Since the timer main body A is provided with the buzzer 5, the buzzer 5 can be sounded when necessary, and the lecturer 1 should be alerted by the above-mentioned visual appealing means and auditory appealing means. Can be evoked.

Further, when the personal computer C is connected, the lecture time and the question and answer time can be arbitrarily set by the personal computer C, and the proceeding of the lecture can be carried out more smoothly.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and it goes without saying that the timing and the number of times the buzzer 5 sounds can be set arbitrarily. Further, the timer main body A may be connected to the controller B or the personal computer C by means other than a cable, for example, an optical fiber or wireless. By doing so, the arrangement of the timer main body A, the controller B, the personal computer C, etc. can be arbitrarily set, and various types of venues can be accommodated.

Further, the timer body A and the controller B may be integrated.

Needless to say, the timer of the present invention can be suitably used not only in the above-mentioned lecture but also in various conferences and presentations.

[0044]

The present invention is embodied in the above-described embodiment and has the following effects.

The burden on the facilitator at a lecture or the like can be greatly reduced, and an alarm sound such as a buzzer can be issued when necessary. Then, the speaker, the facilitator, and the audience can surely grasp the remaining presentation time and the excess time. Therefore, a lecture or the like can be smoothly advanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an example of a timer main body and a controller of a lecture timer of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the back side of the timer main body.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of the lecture timer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a usage state of the lecture timer.

FIG. 4 is a part of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the lecture timer, together with FIGS. 5 to 9.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart following FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart following FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart following FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart following FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart following FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 6, 7, 13 ... Display section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A lecture time, a pre-bell time, and a question and answer time are set in advance to start timing, and during the presentation and question and answer, the remaining time of the lecture and the elapsed time of the question and answer are displayed on the display unit, and at the start of the lecture. , A timer for lectures, which is configured to emit an alarm sound at the pre-bell time, at the end of the lecture, and at the end of the question and answer session.