One condition for enabling competitive bridge games to provide equal conditions at different bridge tables, is that bidding of the hands and playing of the cards is conducted within the framework of set time requirements. Earlier endeavours in this respect, however, have not enabled any transgression of the time limits by respective playing pairs to be followed-up effectively. In the absence of effective registration and time-measuring processes, difficulties are experienced in carrying out impartial sanctions against transgressions of the rules, among other things with respect to pairs who incur time pressures and difficulties with respect to fair distribution of the total round time.

In respect of bridge, there is sometimes the suspicion that the way in which a player bids his/her hand, e. g. accompanied with gestures, intonation or similar indications, contains information that is directed solely to his/her partner, due to the bid not being based on the bidding convention agreed and on the cards held.

It also happens that a player who finds himself/herself under time pressure will give an insufficient or wrong bid, which creates disorder or confusion in respect of time monitoring aspects.

The time aspect of playing a hand or in bidding a hand constitutes a problem; it would be preferred to note and register the excess use of time in this respect. It is also desirable to be able to handle the time problem correctly with regard to jump bids, and also the problem with bids that are not based on the cards held but on some form of splinter

internal convention bids between a pair of players, e. g. as used to indicate a single card half trick and support for partners suit..

Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a bridge clock that will enable one or more of the problem areas indicated above to be dealt with. This object is achieved with a bridge clock according to the following Claim 1.

Further developments of the inventive bridge clock will be apparent from the dependent Claims.

The inventive bridge clock includes basically four actuator means that can each be manipulated by a respective one of four players seated at a bridge table, wherein the first and the second actuator means are adapted to cause a first clock mechanism to stop and to cause a second clock mechanism to begin to run, and wherein the second and the fourth actuator means are adapted to cause the second clock mechanism to stop and to cause the first clock mechanism to run when activated by a respective player, and wherein the first clock mechanism and the second clock mechanism can be set to each run for a predetermined total time period, after which a signal is triggered by a first alarm device, and wherein a second alarm device is adapted to trigger a signal when the time in which a clock mechanism has run before being stopped exceeds a predetermined value.

The first and the third actuator means are thus manoeuvred by respective players of the first pair of players, and the second and the fourth actuator means are manoeuvred by respective players in the second pair of players.

The second alarm device may be adapted to register when the set time period set by an actuator means is exceeded.

The bridge clock may also contain logic for preventing an actuator means from deactivating the associated setable clock mechanism when the actuator means is activated with a bid that is not higher than the bid from the preceding actuator means. The actuator means thus contain means for writing-in the bid given by the player concerned. The actuator means may also include a button which is pressed after the player concerned has played a card. The clock may also contain logic for enabling a clock mechanism to be time-locked or forced to run for a period of ten seconds when registering a jump bid.

The clock will suitably have in the vicinity of each player a display on which relevant play information is shown. All displays will preferably be adapted to show the same information. The clock will also preferably include an alert button at each actuator means.

The clock may also include lamps of mutually different colours, for instance a green lamp that shines over a first time period, for instance over a duration of ten seconds, and a lamp of a different colour, for instance a red lamp, that shines during a subsequent time period of five seconds, for instance. Because the inventive clock is able to register when a player or a playing pair exceed a stipulated time period, it is also possible to impose penalty points or the like. Moreover, a player is unable to gain time or other benefits for himself/herself or his/her playing partner, by making a"forbidden"bid.

The inventive clock can be constructed with logic that understands bidding to be terminated after three consecutive passes in the bidding sequence. In this regard, the logic may conveniently be designed to ignore three mutually sequential pass bids when these bids are the first three bids in a round.

The game leader, i. e. North, is responsible for the board number, the deal and the zone, and also allots applicable time periods to respective pairs. The clock knows that North begins with board number 1, and North's time begins to run immediately after entering the playing time.

The clock has four front faces, one facing towards each player. Each clock face includes buttons by means of which a bid can be entered, and also a button by means of which the entered bid is confirmed. Each face also includes buttons for entering a pass, a double and a redouble. Each face will also conveniently include an alert button for summoning the tournament director. Each face also includes a display window. Furthermore, North shall be able to set the current times that are applicable. North will also preferably be able to write-in/print-in pair numbers, the players of respective hands (respective declarers), contracts, doubled/redoubled or not-doubled and the result. Ideally, it will be possible to save up to 99 results, so that these results, when necessary, can be sent to a central receiver, e. g. by means of an infrared transmitter, for calculation and immediate display, for instance on an overhead screen. The clock will also conveniently include a display on which the board number, the deal and the zone are shown. Ideally, there will also be provided two lamps of mutually different colours, where the first lamp, for instance a green lamp, shines while a player is in the first part of his/her time period, and a second lamp, e. g. a red lamp, which shines when a player is in the second part of his/her permitted time period.

The clock includes logic for implementing the aforesaid functions.

The invention will now be described with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which

Fig. 1 illustrates an inventive four-face clock; Fig. 2 is a horizontal view of a clock constructed in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal view of another embodiment of an inventive clock.

The bridge clock includes a body 1 that has four front faces 10, one for each player N, S, E, W. Each face 10 includes three panels 11,12,13.

The panel 11 is essentially a keypad which includes a number of buttons and preferably also a light source which is illuminated to mark activation of the button concerned. The panel 11 also includes two rows a, b of digit buttons, a row c of contract buttons relating to cards, suit and NT respectively. The panel also includes a row d of buttons marked D, RD, TD, A, P/E.

1-7 The digit buttons are illuminated when pressed and are used solely in combination with the third row when bidding. kl-NT The contract buttons are illuminated when depressed and are used solely in combination with row a or row b.

D The double button lights-up when pressed, closes the own time and immediately commences the Opponent's time, and switches-off the own green lamp when the Enter button is pressed.

RD The re-double button lights up when pressed and closes the own time and immediately commences the

Opponent's time, and switches off the own green lamp when Enter is pressed.

P/E The Enter-button confirms the entered data and extinguishes/switches-off time or diodes. When rows a and b are not used, the Enter-button also signifies Pass. When bidding is terminated, the Enter key is used to close the own time and to start the time of the next player in turn.

P Enter-press=Pass closes the own time and immediately commences the Opponent's time, and extinguishes the own green lamp.

A The alert button is illuminated and signifies an alert with respect to bidding displays of the partner's latest bid, with a flashing light.

TD The tournament director button is lit-up for a second or two and activates the Red lamps of all players with a flashing light, and locks all time functions. A return to normal is made by re- pressing the TD button. The TD button is used to summons the tournament director, with the intention of bringing to his/her attention any impropriety at the table.

As will be seen from Fig. 1, each front face includes a panel 12 in the form of a display having part-surfaces 121,122, 123,124. Information relating to the number of boards in use, the number of each playing pairs, the Declarer, the result of the game, and other information can be entered through the panel keypad and shown on respective part- surfaces 121,124 of the panel 12.

As will also be seen from Fig. 1, each front face 10 also includes a panel 13 in the form of a display having part-

surfaces 131,132, this display showing the length of time remaining for the pairs of players.

These playing times can be written-in from a panel 11.

Fig. 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the clock, where the body 1 has the form of a regular, truncated pyramid having eight sides, of which three mutually adjacent sides form a clock face 10 for a respective player. It will be seen that adjacent faces 10 include a common panel 12 and 13 respectively, so that the clock body requires only eight panels for four clock faces, each including three panels.

This can be achieved by changing the positions of panels 12, 13 in relation to the panel 11 in respect to circumferentially adjacent faces or fronts 10.

A bid is entered on the rows a-c in panel 11, and is then confirmed by pressing the E-button in row d. The clock is therewith set to visualise this bid on the panel 12. The playing time in question can be written-in from one of the clock faces and then shown on panel 13 as the playing time remaining for respective playing players.

The P/E-button is lit-up when pressed. When the P/E-button is pressed, the own clockwork/time of the playing pair is stopped and the clockwork/time of the opposing pair started- up with an immediate countdown. As will be seen from Fig. 1, there is provided adjacent each clock face 10 a lamp x (green) and a lamp y (red). An illuminated x-lamp means that the time of the corresponding player/pair of players is counted down.

The D-button is suitably lit-up when pressed and closes the own time and immediately starts the Opponent's time and switches-off the own green lamp when the Enter-button is pressed.

The Enter-button thus represents confirmation of a measure that has been marked by activating selected buttons on the own clock face.

The RD-button is lit-up when pressed, and closes the own time and immediately starts the Opponent's time, and extinguishes the own green lamp after activation of the Enter-button. The Enter-button confirms the input and extinguishes/stops the time count.

The alert-button A lights up when pressed, and causes an alert message with respect to the partner's latest bid to be shown on the bidding display, but is extinguished when the Enter-button is pressed. Only the button lighting is extinguished in the present case, while flashing visualisation remains on the bidding display during the remainder of the bidding with the cards belonging to the board concerned. The alert sign refers to the fact that a bid has been made and that the bid is based on the current convention used with the hand concerned.

The TD-button lights up within a second or two after being pressed, and causes the red lamps y of all players to shine with a flashing light. At the same time, the countdown function of all players is locked. The clocks return to their normal function when the TD-button is again pressed. The TD- button is used to summons the tournament director, with the intention of bringing an impropriety to his attention. When the contract has been set on rows a-b and c and then confirmed by pressing the Enter-button, the own time is terminated and the Opponent's time commenced and the own green lamp is extinguished and the activated, earlier illuminated combination on rows a-b and c is also extinguished. In connection with a jump bid or when the combination (the rows a-b and c) has been finished and the

Enter-button has been activated, the own time is terminated and the Opponent's time commenced, wherewith the own green lamp is extinguished and also the illuminated combination of the rows a-b and c.

The following buttons or button-combinations shall be visualised for all players whilst a hand is being played from the board: P Enter-button on row d.

D RD A 1-7 One button in the rows a or b in combination with a button in row c. kl-NT One button in row c combined with one button in rows a or b.

When a bid combination has been marked on buttons in rows a/b and c and terminated by means of the Enter-button, the own clock mechanism is stopped and the Opponent's clock mechanism is started for a time count, and the own green lamp is extinguished. The illuminated activated buttons are extinguished at the same time. When a contract combination has been entered on row c and rows a/b and terminated by means of the Enter-button, the latest bid entered is erased.

The digit buttons numbered 8,9 and 0 on row b can be used when entering the board number, the pair number, the result, and so on.

The following buttons or button combinations shall be visualised for all players whilst a hand is being played from the board: P Row a/b and C. For instance, 2NT or 7cl.

R RD A A glass display on each left side of North and South whose right or left division visualises the time used/remaining time for all pairs. Countdown from 999 to-99. When the clock mechanism turns from 0 to minus time, a short signal/buzzing tone/a pip or some like signal is given every tenth second.

Supplementary front face equipment for North.

8-9-0 for setting time settings, board numbers, pair numbers, Declarer, and the result, for instance.

A display which visualises on the upper row board number, deal and zone conditions, is located on the right side of North/South and on the left side of East/West.

The lower part of the panel 12 that visualise the bidding and the time can be scrolled to enable a bidding sequence that is more than four rounds to be shown.

The block may also include a function (memory) for subsequently checking the total time taken by each player with respect to board, round or competition.

The described mirror-image arrangement of display surfaces in the vicinity of circumferentially adjacent players enables the provision of a screen that is required in European and world championships and the like, by simply placing a screen diagonally across the table.