Tim Davis

Mr. Cole Smith

Contemporary Literature

31 March 2010

The Time Manager: The Multi-Purpose Timer

Mornings are a very essential part of everyday, especially for

Americans. Every morning people get ready for the day ahead of them,

sometimes taking a shower, brushing their teeth, putting on their makeup,

and other various activities that consume time. Time is valuable, people

have to be at work, school, and many other places that they are expected to

be at, on time and ready. Since fifteen to twenty percent of Americans are

late on a regular basis (according to a survey at www.abcnews.com) people

must not be able to manage their time as effectively as they could be.

However, time is not the only important thing that is wasted in the morning,

water waste is very closely connected to the preparations of the morning.

People are more aware of the environment, and the problems that concern it

than ever before, and water conservation is one of the most important of

these issues. The average person may be surprised to find out that they use

eighty to one hundred gallons of water per day. They may also be surprised

to find out that their shower is the second most water wasteful appliance in

their entire household, only behind the wastefulness of toilets.

(www.usgs.gov) Not only does this prove to people how dependent we are of
water, but it reminds them that there is plenty of room for improvement in

their lives and how they choose to manage what they have and how to use

it. There are solutions to these everyday problems, some obviously more

effective than others. Devices, such as timers and monitors that manage

how time is spent and how much water is used can be extremely effective if

used correctly. An effective, convenient, simple and smart device that can

help improve the management of every morning has yet to be made, until

now. The Time Manager will be the product to solve all of these problems,

while still being affordable.

In order to survive, people need and rely on water. If about seventy-

five percent of the Earth is covered in water, some may wonder why water

would ever be an issue. Out of the all of the water on the Earth, only three

percent of it is fresh water, or water that can be used for humans.

Additionally, of the three percent, only one third is unfrozen water, so now

only one percent of all water in existence on Earth is available for people.

(www.usgs.gov) This limited amount of fresh water is used not just for

drinking and staying alive and healthy, but for almost all of human activities.

This includes agricultural, environmental, industrial, recreational, and

household purposes. The ninety-seven percent of water that is not fresh

water is salt water, which contains salt. Salt water, for most human-related

purposes, cannot be used as it is, but through certain processes can be

made into useable freshwater. (nationalatlas.gov) Desalinization, or the

process of removing salt from salt water, is not a cheap or easy task.

(www.usgs.gov) One percent of useable water is not a necessarily a small

amount, but the issue is finding and providing everyone with this water.

(www.un.org/waterforlifedecade) Some places are more fortunate than

others, having more resources that are abundant or nearby. In the past, this

was how people survived, knowing that the only way they could continue

living was if they were living close to these resources, including streams,

rivers, ponds, and lakes. However, as the population grew and spread,

accessing water became more of a challenge. This is especially true once

water was used by humans for more than just their immediate survival. Once

water was used for agriculture, such as crop growing and livestock purposes,

more and more water was necessary, especially as these practices became

large scale. No longer having the option of being close enough to obtain their

own water, solutions through engineering processes had to find ways to

provide everyone with water. With expansion, people needed more space

and water had to be brought to them where water may not have been easy

to obtain. (www.mckinsey.com; www.usgs.gov)

When the water that was once provided to many people is no longer

available for a period of time, such as what happens during droughts, people

have to survive someway, one way being able to store the water that they do

get. Storing water is important for times when water is low on supply. People

have also endured by finding different ways to obtain water. They found out
that water could be found under-ground, and so they learned how to acquire

it from there as well. Sometimes water is no longer available in certain areas,

and people have to relocate due to the lack of water. Water supply can be

easily affected by the changing climate and environment surrounding it.

Although this still occurs all around the world, most of the concern involving

water is that as the Earth's population continues to multiply, and water

needs continue to rise, there may be a day when the search for water hurts

us more than it ever has. To prevent this, people all over the world have

started to conserve water, and they urge others to join them as it soon may

become a necessity. (unesdoc.unesco.org)

Because of this, using the water available to humans wisely and

efficiently has been a growing concern for everyone as the population on

Earth continues to grow. People now are forced to realize that this resource

is limited, as many countries' demand for water has exceeded the supply

available to them. This will only continue to become a reality for everyone

unless conservation attempts are embraced and successful.

(www.waterfootprint.org)

All water that home owners receive is given to them through two

sources. Water is either brought to their home or taken from nearby sources

from ground-water sources or surface-water sources. Unlike in the past, most

people now get their water delivered to them from a source not necessarily

close by. These sources can be wells, ponds, rivers, and other reservoirs
used to provide water for one family, or an entire city. (www.usgs.gov) Using

the State of California, in the U.S., as an example, their history of water use

over the last few hundred years shows how change and adaption is

necessary when the search for water is involved. Before European settlers

arrived on North American shores, the native people of California lived near

surface-water sources, requiring only what they needed to survive. When

Europeans did arrive, they needed to settle near fresh water as well. Over

many years, as these settlers moved away from these easily accessible

sources and started using water for farming, water for power to run mills,

and eventually running fresh water to towns. Water was diverted from its

natural course to meet these needs. Doing this did have consequences,

however. For example, during the gold rush, hydraulic mining was used,

taking water and using it to remove whole hillsides, destroying ecosystems

for human purposes. (virtual.yosemite.cc.ca.us/ghayes/)

Water has been and is being used in ways and at rates which creates

problems. These problems must be solved in order to continue growth

without continuing damage. By rethinking how the available water is used,

by ways of conserving water, the demand on what is still available can be

decreased, even if it takes relearning how water is used.

Ways of keeping track of time have been used since before the process

could even be historically recorded. One of the first effective and convenient

devices used by many was the hourglass. The hourglass was simple, easy to
setup and reset, and could be portable and lightweight. The hourglass was

one of the first reliable time keeping devices that was fairly accurate for

what it could be used for. Hourglasses were available to anyone and could be

used by all, for many situations, and could be used at, or be brought to, any

place. Using the knowledge of how the different sizes and shapes of an

hourglass determine the time taken for the time to run out, people used

multiple hourglasses at once to measure hours, days, and even minutes all

at the same time to keep an accurate watch on how much time passed. This

was especially useful during early voyages across the world's largest oceans

and at other times where sunlight could not be enough to measure time.

However, there were obvious flaws with this method. Since each hourglass

had to be under constant watch to make sure it was switched and restarted

each time the time ran out, they had their limitations to when and how they

could be used. (www.hourglasses.com; www.madehow.com)

Once modern day clocks were available, the start and stop time

measuring process that hourglasses offered was still useful and wanted

among people, but something more modern and reliable was demanded.

This lead up to the invention of timers, devices that count down from a

specific time selected by the user. Timers have developed and advanced

over time, and have become more complicated and useful in various ways.

The different types of timers range from simple mechanical timers to

programmable computer timers. Mechanical timers use physical, clockwork-

like mechanisms that measure periods of time by the ticking of rotating

devices using escapements and springs. (www.ehow.com) Egg timers are a

good example of simple mechanical timers. By the time electromechanical

timers were developed, timers could be more accurate and use thermal

processes and different metals to allow electric current to turn on and off

switches, regulating time. Electromechanical timers have been seen in

devices inside motor vehicles and other tiny lights, such as some Christmas

lights. Electronic timers are more accurate than any mechanical timers and

can display the amount of time passed through analog or digital displays,

allowing them to be easily read. They also can have buttons and other

selection methods that can be more accurate than dials used by mechanical

timers. (www.clemson.edu) Computer timers can not only be even more

accurate than any previously mentioned timer but can be programmed to

start and stop at any time, allowing complete control. (computer-timer.safe-

install.com)

The methods of how timers alert the fact they their time has run out

has developed over the years as well, ranging from sound alarms to vibration

alarms or light-emitting alarms and more. With computer timers, alerts and

alarms set off by timers can be very specific for any purpose. For example, a

timer used to regulate sprinkler use on a lawn can tell the sprinkler heads to

start watering or stop watering at any time. This process can be especially

possible with a device known as a solenoid. A solenoid is a tightly wound coil

of wire that, when connected to a current, can create a magnetic field. This

essentially allows the coil to convert electrical signals into a physical output

force. Solenoids can be used in devices that require control over small

movements, such as pinching, sliding, locking, or clamping movements

within a device. There are many types of solenoids, as well as many

purposes that they can be used for. (www.thesolenoidcompany.com)

In order to do all of these things, there has to be something that tells

the alarm to go off and the timer to start and stop. Once a program has been

written, it can be put into a microcontroller, which can carry out the tasks

asked for in the program. Created in the 1970s, EEPROM and PROM were two

of the first programmable microcontrollers, and later in the 1990s

microcontrollers with flash memory were invented. Much cheaper and

effective microcontrollers are available today. (www.pictutorial.net)

Today, technology is present everywhere. Technology is evolving

everyday, new and better products arriving constantly. Smart phones with

capabilities that laptops of the past could not compete with are now widely

available to the public and are not only convenient, but are speeding up the

pace of everyday even more. People nowadays know more than ever that

time equates to money, and they know that the best products out there save

both of these. Many people also feel better knowing that the product helps

them help the environment. Shower timers try to help make all of these

things run more smoothly. By timing oneself in the shower, they save time,
saving water, eventually saving them money. The best shower timers are

reliable, having a dependable alarm method or methods, conveniently small

and portable yet easy to use and simple to setup, and, of course,

inexpensive. The best shower timer one can find possibly has one of these

qualities, if they are lucky. Cheap shower timers are usually simple, but

aren't always effective and may not even be waterproof, something that is

useful if being used inside the shower. The shower timer also has to be

durable and has to be able to withstand the possibility of an everyday

exposure to water, without the risk of any electrical aspects of the device

from being harmed. Well designed, durable shower timers are usually more

expensive and may have complicated timing setup processes and are not as

convenient or small in size.

The Time Manager attempts to solve all of these issues, as well as try

somethings that shower timers have never attempted. The Time Manager is

a small, portable and convenient device with a simple, easy to use timing

setup program and buttons that are easy to press and understand for

anyone who wants to conserve water and time. The timer has multiple alarm

or alert options, either sounding or lighting up when the time on the timer

has be completed. Each of these options will be modifiable in volume or

brightness and The Time Manager will have a setting that warns the user

when time is almost up. For those who really want to help conserve water, a

connectable device will be available that will allow the timer to turn off the
shower once time has ended and the alarm sounds. The Time Manager will

also have a sticky surface allowing it to stick to various surfaces, including

the shower wall. This also allows The Time Manager to be used for many

other purposes, as it can be used on bathroom walls or mirrors when getting

ready in the morning and brushing one's teeth or putting on makeup. The

possibilities are endless, and The Time Manager's durability will survive it all.

The Time Manager hopes to help you find new and successful ways to

manage everyday, saving time, money, and even the environment.

The Time Manager has the basic aspects of any successful timer. The

timer has a display, or screen, to show time remaining after the timer has

started. The display also allows the user to easily and accurately see the

starting amount of time that the user wants to select, while selecting the

starting time. The timer has buttons and switches to allow the user to easily

and quickly select timing amount, allowing them to increase the timing

amount by increments of one minute and increments of five minutes. There

are two different alerts and alarms for letting the user know when the timer

has ended. The alarm type can be easily switched between either a sound

alarm or a light alarm, or both can be switched on at the same time.

Since one of the main uses of The Time Manager is a shower timer, it

has additional aspects that make it ideal for use inside a shower. The timer

has a waterproof casing to protect it from exposure to water, especially long-

term. This outside case will also be durable to withstand other circumstances
it may encounter if it is placed in other locations. With its sticky back surface,

The Time Manager can be placed on the walls of many rooms. This sticky

surface is especially useful on a shower wall, making it easily accessible to

the shower user. However, this sticky surface does not only allow The Time

Manager to be used in a shower, the timer can be used to manage time in a

variety of places, whether it is placed on the bathroom mirror, to keep track

of time while putting on makeup, or in the kitchen, timing a certain process

of baking or cooking. The Time Manager has an endless amount of possible

uses.

A few components were needed for this product that may need to be

explained. First, 7-segment displays were used as the display screen to

display the numbers in the timer. This display uses seven lights (LEDs)

arranged in the shape of an 8. The actual device is a small rectangular box

with seven rectangular lights and ten prongs (or pins) used when inserting

the device. These can be seen in the image to the right. Depending on which

lights are lit, and in what arrangement, the display presents a different

number. When every light is lit, the display presents an eight. Numbers 0 to

9 (one-digit) can be displayed with one 7-segment display. These displays

can be placed onto the Board of Education, each 7-segment display has a

number of pins that can be inserted into slots in the bread board of the

Board of Education. The Board of Education is a carrier board that holds the

BASIC Stamp, a microcontroller that uses the Board of Education to

communicate to any components or mechanisms connected to the Board of

Education. These components can connect to the Board of Education through

the bread board section of the Board of Education. This section of the Board

of Education can be seen in the image to the left. On this model, the bread

board is a white raised plane on the Board of Education’s surface that has a

grid of slots that are a few centimeters deep. These slots allow small wires to

be inserted, grabbing hold of them once inserted. Wires thin enough can be

easily inserted and removed into these slots, which is how all devices are

connected to the Board of Education. Knowing this, any and all devices that

attempt to be used with the Board of Education must have, at the very least,

a wire (or a wire-like component) that can be inserted into the bread board’s

slots. Once inserted into the slot, the microcontroller (the BASIC Stamp) can

communicate, through the Board of Education and its bread board, to the

device inserted. LEDs, switches, and even 7-segment displays have small

wire-like components that are designed to be inserted into the slots of bread

boards. On the Board of Education there are fifteen special slots known as

the I/O pins. These pins are located to the left of the bread board on the

Board of Education. The pins are black and organized in a vertical column

parallel to the bread board and, once attached, the BASIC Stamp. These

special pins can be easily told (by a program) to either connect to power or

connect to ground. When a component is inserted or connected to one of

these special pins, the pin can allow current to flow through the device,
activating it (such as lighting a light or turning on a speaker). The special pin

can then turn off the component (when told to) by stopping the flow of

current through the device. More basic components were used for the final

product as well, including LEDs (light-emitting diods) used to produce a small

light and speakers used to produce a sound. Buttons, or switches, were used

for the device to allow or prevent current to flow through them, turning

certain components on or off. Switches can also be used to allow the user to

communicate with the current program running, as the program can

recognize when the switch is pressed if the placement of the switch and the

code of the program are set up in a certain way. All of these individual pieces

work together to make the timer within the final product.

In order to create this product, many steps were taken before the

building process began. First, knowledge of the involved processes had to be

gained. A free online book available to anyone was used to gather

information about microcontrollers. (www.parallax.com) This book also was

used to learn all the basic information about the individual components that

make up the device. The book gave information about the BASIC Stamp and

how it can be used to program and communicate with every piece of the

product on the Board of Education. Using the BASIC programming language,

information was attainable on how to operate the basic parts of the device.

Once the BASIC Stamp and Board of Education were purchased, a free

version of the BASIC programming program, called MacBS2, was downloaded

from the official site (www.parallax.com). After all of the parts were obtained,

tests were conducted to learn and understand how to program the device to

accomplish desired results. This process lasted for most of the entire building

process. Through these tests, some things were found that did not work that

well for the building process and other things were found that ended up

helping in the process more than originally expected to.

Testing the different methods of programming with the product may

have lead to many failures, but overall essential knowledge that lead to the

final product was gained at this point. The information that was presented in

the book used did not work as well as it claimed to work. The book gave

specific instructions on how the 7-segment display should be connected to

the Bard of Education, but, as it was continually discovered, the book was

not very reliable in everything that it presented. With this first failure, the

setup of the connection had to be reorganized and completely oriented in an

original way. This was, by far, not the only problem encountered. After this, a

program was found that could communicate with the 7-segment display to

easily display numbers. This program used the DIRH and OUTH commands,

which use I/O pins 07 to 15 to light each segment in the 7-segment display.

In the program, combinations of 1 and 0 were used to light different lights in

the display, attempting to produce the numbers 0 through 9. This attempt

did not work, as the program was able to light different segments in the

display but not all of the segments were able to light. The program also was
completely unable to simulate numbers, as only patterns that did not

resemble any numbers were displayed. After some testing, and days

attempting to edit the program in a way to make it work, it was discovered

that two of the I/O pins did not work at all. The two pins, 10 and 14, were

necessary for the program used to run properly, so without them an entirely

different program had to be used. After more research, an earlier

programming method used during the testing period that was used to light a

single LED was remembered and this idea was used to write a program that

would communicate with each segment of the 7-segment display at a time,

individually. This was done by using the programming commands LOW and

HIGH along with a pin number, which, in simple terms, turn on or off the

power to a selected pin. Creating the combination of LOW and HIGH

commands for each I/O pin connected to every segment allowed the program

to say which combination of segments should light at the same time, each

combination expressing a different one-digit number. With this, after placing

one minute pauses between each number, a basic ten minute timer was

created. An LED and a small speaker were connected, and a LOW command

was placed at the end of the timer program to have an alert of light and

sound at the end of the ten minutes. (www.parallax.com) An additional 7-

segment display was added to display the 1 in the ten's place for the first

minute of the timer. This allowed the two 7-segment displays to count down,

showing 10, then 09, then 08 and so on. If needed, these two displays could
display any number from 00 to 99 with 7-segment displays. With the addition

of switches the user could be able to select starting time depending on how

many times the switch is pressed. Another switch was added so the program

could be set up so that the user could select starting time at different

speeds, for easier and more precise selecting. One switch was set up so that

each time it was pressed one minute would be added to the timer, while the

other switch was set up to increase the time by five minutes each time it is

pressed. Now, with both switches the user would be able to quickly set the

timer to two minutes or to ten minutes, both requiring only two presses of

either switch, for example. Even more switches could be added to subtract

minutes for more convenience, especially if a mistake is made while

selecting starting time. With this completed setup, The Time Manager would

have everything necessary for the actual timing process. An outer case was

then needed to be placed around the timer to seal the components into a

durable case. The material of choice for this casing ended up being electrical

rubber, for its ability to be easily placed over the device and for its

waterproofness. This casing is also useful for covering switches and displays

from damage while still allowing the switches to be pushable and the

numbers presented by the displays to be visible. After the casing was

successfully placed over the entire product, the sticky surface had to be

added. An adhesive pad slightly smaller than the product was placed on the

back of the product. This sticky pad was secured to the product and used to
make sure the product would stick to multiple surfaces. The adhesive pad

had to be tested to make sure it would keep its stickiness after being

exposed to water or after being placed on and removed from certain services

after a period of time. With all the components connected, the program set

for the timer, the casing secure and sealed, and the sticky adhesive side

attached and working, the building of The Time Manager was complete.

The original design of The Time Manager was far more complex and

complicated than the final design. The design consisted of more buttons and

switches and more options for the user to decide about. One of the basic

things eliminated from the design was the option to view and edit the timer

by seconds. The selection of increasing and decreasing the timer time by

seconds was edited out of the design because this option added too many

selections for the user that would most likely not be necessary or practical in

use. Placing the switches necessary for seconds editing would also take up

space and make the small space on the timer too congested and

complicated for people who may be just waking up. On the theme of

simplicity, more functions were taken out. There was originally a menu

button that would change the main display to allow the user to change

certain settings and possibly allow the user to program the timer to do

certain actions. One of these actions discussed was having the user be able

to set an alarm so that the timer would start at a certain time of day,

everyday. This would make the timer function more like an alarm clock, and
ultimately it was decided that this feature did not belong on The Time

Manager for many reasons. Other ideas were not used in the final product

but may be thought about when continuing the development and

advancement of the product in the future. These ideas included features

such as switches allowing the user to set different alarm methods to be used,

and dials that could set the volume of the speaker or the brightness of the

light alarm. These additions would help the user if they have a preference for

alarm method and the dials would be useful if the user feels that either

alarm method is unable to catch their attention or if the alarms are too bright

or loud for the user's liking. Ideas more practical for closer in the future

designs include a button that allows the user to pause the timer and suspend

the countdown until the button is pressed once again and the program

continues where it left off. This would be essential for interruptions that may

occur when someone is timing an activity. The most complex idea was the

idea of having a device that would be able to turn a shower off if the timer

was being used for a shower. This device would be separate from the timer

and be somehow connected to it in a way so that as the time on the timer

ended, the device would stop the flow of water from the shower head. This

device would use solenoid technology and would be sold separately from the

timer. This option would be great for people really trying to consume less

water or those attempting to take shorter showers. This approach would be

more sudden and shocking than the standard alarm choices, and most likely
would be more effective for those who would choose this option. There are

problems with this method, however, making it less accessible to the

majority of people wanting to purchase a shower timer. Many people would

see this approach as too extreme and might be upset if their shower

suddenly shut off while they are using it. Some might have complications

when attempting to install the secondary device or may just not want to

spend more money for something extra. This device could be a very

successful addition to The Time Manager for those who are serious about

saving water, money, and time.

The actual final device is small and portable, about five inches by five

inches, weighing less than ten pounds. A nine-volt battery is required to

power the timer and must be replaced over time. The original estimated

selling price was decided to be around ten dollars to ensure that people

would be willing to buy one or multiples. Once the required materials were

purchased, this estimate was drastically reconsidered. Many of the

components of the timer were relatively cheap, costing only a few dollars at

the most per part, but the essential component needed to run the

programming was much more expensive than originally thought. The BASIC

Stamp along with the Board of Education were purchased for over one

hundred dollars. With the cost of all the components now, the original ten

dollar estimation could not be accurate unless these two important pieces

could be purchased for cheaper (possibly in bulk) or be replaced by another

product with the same capabilities but being sold for a much smaller price.

Once problems are solved and an appropriate price for selling is

determined, The Time Manager can be advertised and sold. Advertising can

focus on how the majority of people need time and money but are unable to

manage it as well as they possibly could. Advertisements could explain how

the product can be used to time many activities that they wish to monitor.

The advertisement could use examples such as using the product as a

shower timer, stating how many people lose track of time while in the

shower, ultimately wasting money. Advertisements could also focus on

environmentally aware customers who wish to save water. A portion of the

profits could be donated to water conservation causes to motivate people to

purchase this product. Convincing and making people more aware of how

this product could truly benefit them would have to be the main focus in any

type of advertising used for this product. The Time Manager needs to be

seen as an effective timer that can be used for different purposes in different

places that can be used by anyone for an affordable price.

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