This invention relates to an audible time annunciator and more particularly a portable time annunciator to be worn on the person.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a personal time annunciator arranged to be fitted or incorporated in an item of headwear and including an earpiece, and arranged to provide an audible count at intervals of time.

The personal time annunciator may be incorporated or fitted into a headband, swimming hat or any other appropriate item of headwear.

The personal time annunciator preferably includes a speech synthesiser arranged to provide an audible numerical count at intervals. For example the annunciator may count in seconds. Preferably the annunciator provides an audible tone or pip at one second intervals, each pip following the appropriate audible count.

Preferably the speech synthesiser is a phonetic speech synthesiser. Such synthesisers are available at reasonable cost and requiring low power. Although they have relatively poor speech quality, this is adequate for the application in accordance with this invention.

The annunciator may be used by swimmers, athletes and others to judge or pace their performance in accordance with the audible numerical counts which the annunciator provides.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a headband worn by a person, the headband incorporating a personal time annunciator in accordance with this invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of the electrical circuit of a personal audible time annunciator in accordance

with this invention.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, there is shown a headband 1 worn by a person. The headband incorporates a personal time annunciator 2 in accordance with this invention, secured between inner and outer material layers of the headband with a start/stop switch 24 projecting through the outer layer. Also a cable 3 trails from the device and carries an earpiece 10 which fits into or behind the user's ear. Figure 2 shows the electrical circuit of the annunciator, and includes a speech synthesiser 14 driving the earpiece 10 via an amplifier 12, and also a pip generator 16 similarly driving the earpiece via the amplifier 12. The pip generator 16 is activated by a one second timer 18, so that the annunciator gives an audible pip every one second. Preceding each such pip, the speech synthesiser 14 provides an audible numerical count, so that the wearer is given an audible numerical count of the number of seconds from when the annunciator is switched on, e.g. one, two, three .... In the example shown the speech synthesiser is a phonetic speech synthesiser: one suitable phonetic speech synthesiser is the SSI 263A device of Silicon Systems, Tustin, California, USA. Each word (number) is constructed from a series of speech sounds together with control parameters for inflection, pitch etc and stored as symbols in a memory 20. A counter 22, when started by the user via a start/stop switch 24, counts through the memory 20 and at each count the symbols held in the respective address of the memory are read out and decoded by the synthesiser 14 into speech, e.g. in English.

The circuit may be driven directly by a battery, but preferably as shown it includes a power supply unit 26 including a voltage multiplier so that it generates the required 5 volts from a 1.5 volt battery 28. This saves weight as compared with using four 1.5 volt batteries.

The circuit may provide its audible numerical count at any desired intervals, e.g every two seconds or every five seconds, particularly if for some numbers the one second

interval is too short.

The personal time annunciator which has been described is of small size and weight and is preferably constructed to be shockproof and waterproof. It is accordingly of use to a wide variety of swimmers, athletes or others. In use, the annunciator is started by the wearer operating the switch 22, after which the wearer can judge or adjust his performance in accordance with the audible numerical time counts which are provided into his earpiece until he operates the switch 22 again to stop the annunciator.

In a mo ification, the annunciator may be programmable using a keyboard detachably connectable to it for entering selected words or phrases.