GB2212304A

GB2212304A - Electronic timepiece with printing function

Info

Publication number: GB2212304A
Application number: GB8825761A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chiaki Nakamura
Original assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
Current assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
Priority date: 1987-11-11
Filing date: 1988-11-03
Publication date: 1989-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-03
Also published as: GB2212304B; GB8825761D0; JPH01126588A; JPH081475B2

Abstract

An electronic timepiece whose printing function comprises an oscillation circuit (1) for generating a standard signal, a timing signal generating circuit (2) responsive to the oscillation circuit for generating timing signals and processing means (4) responsive to the timing signal generating circuit for calculating timekeeping information comprising a plurality of timekeeping data. External operation means (8) is responsive to a manual operation to designate timekeeping data to be printed for generating print select signals. Memory means (6) store the timekeeping information and comprises a plurality of pairs of data register means for storing the timekeeping data and print select register means for storing print select information according to the print select signals. A printing means (7) is responsive to the memory means (6) for printing the timekeeping data stored in the data register means when the corresponding print select register means stores the print select information therein. <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRONIC TIMEPIECE WITH PRINTING FUNCTION Thisvention relates to electronic timepieces which are capable of printing timekeeping data, more particularly, although not so restricted, to electronic timepieces with printing function which print a part of displayed timekeeping data.

When timekeeping data is to be printed using a conventional electronic timepiece with a printing function, the timekeeping data is sent to a printing device. Thus all the timekeeping data or only predetermined timekeeping data or timekeeping data that is meaningful is printed. In the latter case, for example, if the tens digit of the month is zero, nothing is printed in the tens digit position. Consequently, conventional electronic timepieces with printing function have the disadvantage that timekeeping data which is not required by the user is printed taking an extended period of time for the printing to be completed and making the display complex.

Although the present invention is primarily directed to any novel integer or step, or combination of integers or steps, herein disclosed and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings, nevertheless, according to one particular aspect of the present invention to which, however, the invention is in no way restricted, there is provided an electronic timepiece with printing function comprising: an oscillation circuit for generating a standard signal; a timing signal generating circuit responsive to said oscillation circuit for generating timing signals; processing means responsive to said timing signal generating circuit for calculating timekeeping information comprising a plurality of timekeeping data; external operation means responsive to a manual operation to designate timekeeping data to be printed for generating print select signals; memory means i!:or storing said timekeepingtinformation comprising a plurality of pairs of data register means for storing said timekeeping data and print select register means for storing print select information according to said print select signals; and printing means responsive to said memory means for printing said timekeeping data stored in said data register means when said corresponding print select register means stores said print select information therein.

Preferably the electronic timepiece includes displaying means responsive to said memory means for displaying said timekeeping information. Said displaying means may include means for displaying said print select information.

Said printing means preferably includes means for printing the selected timekeeping data successively without spaces.

When the timekeeping data is to be printed using an electronic timepiece according to the present invention only that data which is selected is printed and the data that is not selected is not printed. That is, the user is allowed freely to select and print only that timekeeping data that is wanted.

The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic timepiece according to the present invention with a printing function; Figure 2 is a block diagram of a memory means of the electronic timepiece of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a flow chart which schematically illustrates selection of printing in the electronic time-piece of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a flow chart which schematically 2llustrates a printing operation of the electronic timepiece of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating display of timekeeping data in an electronic timepiece of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating the display in a print select mode of the electronic timepiece of Figure 1.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic timepiece according to the present invention with printing function. The electronic timepiece has an oscillation circuit 1 for generating a standard signal, a timing generating circuit 2 which performs a variety of operational processes upon receipt of the standard signal from the oscillation circuit 1 and which generates timing signals for executing instructions, a read only memory 3 in which operation of the electronic timepiece has been programmed, an operation processing means 4 which de-codes instructions from the read only memory and which performs a variety of operational processes and input/output processing, a display means 5, a memory means 6 for storing timekeeping data, printing data and display data and from which data can be read or into which data can be written, a printing means 7, an external input means 8 which, for example, may be a manually operable switch or switches, and a data bus 9.

Operation of the electronic timepiece will now be described with reference to Figure 1. Addressing of the read only memory 3 is determined by an output signal of the timing generating circuit 2, and programming data is sent to the operation processing means 4 over the data bus 9. The operation processing means 4 decodes the programming data that it receives, and processes the data stowed in the memory means 6 and - further executes display data processing so that data is displayed by the display means 5. For example, timekeeping data stored in the memory means 6 is added in a predetermined period in response to an addition instruction, and stored again in the memory means 6.

The display means 5 displays the time keeping data. The input to the external input means 8 is also sensed, and processing is carried out according to the operational procedure that is programmed in the read only memory 3.

The present invention therefore is realised by adding the operational procedure effected by the external input means 8 to the programming of the read only memory 3.

Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of the memory means 6 which explains how the timekeeping data printed by the printing means 7 is stored in the memory means 6.

As shown in Figure 2, there is provided a plurality (n) of pairs of print select registers for storing the data which is selected to be printed and timekeeping registers in which the timekeeping data is stored. The data in the print select registers is re-written by the operation of the external input means 8.

Figure 3 is a flow chart which schematically illustrates the operational procedure for selecting printing. A print select mode is set by a mode switch which is provided by the external input means 8, and the print select data is re-written by a correction switch. The processing for re-writing the print select data is effected for each of the timekeeping data. When particular timekeeping data is to be printed "1" is written onto those print select registers of Figure 2 containing the particular timekeeping data and "0" is written onto the print select registers containing timekeeping data which is not to be printed and a mark OFF is indicated. figure 5 illustrates the display of timekeeping data, and Figure 6 illustrates the display in a print select mode.When the data is displayed as shown in Figure 6, the year, month, date and day of the week are not printed as part of the timekeeping data but the hours, minutes and seconds are printed.

Figure 4 is a flow chart which schematically illustrates the printing operation after the print select operation has finished. The printing operation is started by a print switch which is provided by the external input means 8. Printing of the timekeeping ~data is judged depending upon the contents of the print select registers. When a print select register has a "1", corresponding timekeeping data is printed. When the print select register has a "0", the contents of the next print select register is examined. When the data is to be printed, the selected timekeeping data is successively printed without spaces, so that it can be easily recognised.

Thus, the operational procedure for selecting the printing is programmed and is added to the read only memory 3.

Being furnished with the program for controlling the selection of printing as described above, an electronic timepiece according to the present invention with printing function exhibits the effects described below: (1) Since undesired timekeeping data is not printed, time can be saved particularly when a lot of timekeeping data is to be printed.

(2) Since the user prints necessary timekeeping data only, the data can be very easily comprehended.

(3) The user selects printing data using the external input means so the data can be used for a variety of purposes.

Claims

1. f An electronic timepiece with printing function comprising: an oscillation circuit for generating a standard signal; a timing signal generating circuit responsive to said oscillation circuit for generating timing signals; processing means responsive to said timing signal generating circuit for calculating timekeeping information comprising a plurality of timekeeping data; external operation means responsive to a manual operation to designate timekeeping data to be printed for generating print select signals; memory means for storing said timekeeping information comprising a plurality of pairs of data register means for storing said timekeeping data and print select register means for storing print select information according to said print select signals; and printing means responsive to said memory means for printing said timekeeping data stored in said data register means when said corresponding print select'register means stores said print select information therein.

2. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1 including displaying means responsive to said memory means for displaying said timekeeping information.

3. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 2 in which said displaying means includes means for displaying said print select information.

4. An electronic timepiece as claimed in any preceding claim in which said printing means includes means for printing the selected timekeeping data successively without spaces.

5. An electronic timepiece substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

6. Any novel integer or step, or combination of integers or steps, hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings, irrespective of whether the present claim is within the scope of or relates to the same, or a different, invention from that of the preceding claims.