JP2003255066A - Electronic clock - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein a recharging means cannot supply normal voltage and a hand malfunctions, when a hand relief state is cancelled during power-saving state in an electronic clock, having the clock relief function for moving a hand to other regions, when the hand is overlapped to a digital display section and a power-saving function for stopping the movement of the hand by detecting non-generation. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic clock comprises first display means 28a, 28b, 28c, and 28d, and second display means 29a and 29b, a specifying means 13 for specifying a clock mode, a hand control means 3 for control so that the first display means 28a, 28b, 28c, and 28d do not overlap with the second display means 29a and 29b based on the specifying means 13, and a timer 3 for cancelling the hand control means 3. The electronic clock has a generation means 17 and a generation detection means 18 for detecting generation state, and prohibits the cancellation of the hand control means by the timer 3, when a generation detection means 18 detects non-generation in time-up. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a large number of electronic timepieces have been commercialized, which use a plurality of hands and operate the hands according to their functions to display a lot of time and the like and at the same time have a digital display. Further, a product including a power generation means, a power storage means, a power generation detection means for detecting power generation of the power generation means, and a power saving function for detecting non-power generation to save power has also been commercialized. These products have a so-called needle escape function that moves the pointer to another area when the pointer overlaps the digital display, and the needle escape state is the needle escape state after a certain period of time regardless of the power saving state. It will be canceled.

[0003]

However, in the above configuration, the needle may operate at high speed when the needle escape state is released while the electricity is not stored in the electricity storage means in the power saving state. Difficult to supply,
If the pointer does not work properly, reliability cannot be maintained. An object of the present invention is to prevent malfunction in the power saving state and extend the life by prohibiting release of the needle escape state in the power saving state.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention for achieving the above object has the following constitution. It has a first display means and a second display means composed of hands, and a designating means for designating a mode of the timepiece, and the first display means and the second display means do not overlap each other based on the designating means. In an electronic timepiece having a pointer control means for controlling the pointer and a timer for releasing the pointer control means, the electronic timepiece has a power generation means, a power storage means, and a power generation detection means for detecting a power generation state. When the detection means detects non-power generation, the operation control of the timer is prohibited.

Further, the power generation detection means has a timer and outputs a non-power generation signal when the non-power generation of the power generation means is detected for a certain period.

Further, the second display means is composed of liquid crystal.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view 1 of an electronic timepiece according to the present invention. 50 is an electronic timepiece body, 28 is an electronic timepiece 50
It is a pointer that constitutes the first display means for displaying the time of the 24-hour system provided in the, and is constituted by the second hand 28a, the minute hand 28b, the hour hand 28c, the 24-hour hand 28d, and the function hand 28e used for the chronograph and the like. The display status of FIG. 1 is 8: 2.
It shows 0 minutes 00 seconds. 29 is the second display means,
It is a digital display unit that displays many functions provided in the electronic timepiece 50, and 29a displays the city name and 29b displays the time.

Reference numeral 13 is a crown which is a designating means for designating a mode by performing a rotating operation at a normal position. The mode hand 30 is mechanically operated by operating the crown 13, and the mode is displayed by the mode hand 30.
The time can be adjusted by rotating the first stage pull-out position. Reference numeral 13a is a push button for selecting an up city, chrono start / stop, and the like. 13b is city down selection, chrono reset /
It is a push button for splitting and the like. Thirteen
c is the minute hand 28 for easy viewing of the digital display.
b, a push button for avoiding the hour hand 28c from the digital display portion.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of an electronic timepiece which is an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is an oscillator that uses a crystal oscillator as a reference signal and outputs an oscillation signal. Reference numeral 2 is a frequency dividing circuit which receives the oscillation signal from the oscillator 1 and outputs a frequency divided signal S2. Reference numeral 3 is a well-known microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer), which is basically a CPU 3
a, ROM 3b, RAM 3c. RO
A program for controlling the CPU 3a is written in M3b, and the CPU 3a follows the R
While exchanging data with the AM 3c, a time counting operation using the frequency division signal S2 as a reference clock is performed, and a second hand 28a, a minute hand 28b, an hour hand 28c, and a 24-hour hand 2 according to the time content.
8d, the needle position of the functional needle 28e is calculated, and it functions as a pointer control means for controlling each needle. The CPU 3a also controls a timer operation, an operation according to an input signal, and an output signal. The result of calculating the needle position is stored as needle position data in the needle position storage unit 3d in the RAM 3c.

Reference numeral 4 is a drive pulse S4 having alternating polarities.
0, S41, S42 output converter drive circuit,
The drive pulse selected by the selection signal S30 from the microcomputer 3 is output to drive the step motors 5, 6, 7.
Reference numerals 8, 9, and 10 denote reduction gear train systems meshed with the step motors 5, 6, and 7, and a second hand 28a supported by a second wheel forming a part of the reduction gear train system 8 indicates a second and the reduction gear train. The minute hand 28b and hour hand 28c supported by the minute wheel, hour wheel and 24-hour wheel which form a part of the row system 9 are 2 minutes by the hour and minute and the 24-hour hand 28d.
For 4 hours, the function is displayed by the function hand 28e supported by the function vehicle that constitutes a part of the reduction gear train system 10.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a display drive circuit which outputs a drive signal S12, which outputs the drive signal S12 in response to the data S31 from the microcomputer 3 and is composed of a liquid crystal display unit 2 or the like.
9 is driven to display the time and the like. 14 is the drive signal S1
4 is an audio drive circuit that outputs a drive signal S14 by an alarm control signal S32 from the microcomputer 3, drives an audio device 15 including a speaker, and notifies an alarm sound.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a switch group which operates in conjunction with an external operating member, and mode selection switches SWa, SWb, SW which operate by rotation of the external operating member to the crown normal position.
c, a switch SWd that operates in conjunction with the crown first-stage pull-out position (not shown), a switch SWe that operates by forward rotation operation at the crown first-stage pull-out position, a switch SWf that operates by reverse rotation operation, and a push The switches SWg, SWh, and SWi are operated by operating the buttons 13a, 13b, and 13c, and operation signals of the switches are input to the microcomputer 3.

The microcomputer 3 performs mode selection, correction operation, etc. according to the program written in the ROM 3b by the switch input operation signal. Reference numeral 18 denotes a power generation detection circuit that indicates a power generation detection unit that detects a power generation state, detects whether or not the solar cell 17 that is the power generation unit has generated power, and outputs a detection signal S18. The microcomputer 3 periodically detects the detection signal S1.
When 8 is read and non-power generation of the solar cell 17 is detected, R
The pointer operation is stopped according to the program written in OM3b.

Next, the operation of the electronic timepiece having the above structure will be described with reference to FIG. Immediately after a so-called system reset, in which the entire device is initialized by inserting a battery (not shown), the wearer performs an operation of aligning the pointer 28 with the reference position. The operation is performed in the reference position adjusting mode described later, and the pointer 28 to be adjusted is selected by the push button 13a at the one-step position of the crown 13, and the second hand 28a is rotated at the 12 o'clock position, the minute hand 28b, the hour hand 28c, and 24 hours by rotating the crown 13. The reference position is set by aligning the hand 28d with the 0 o'clock position and the function hand 28e with the 12 o'clock position. When the reference position is set and the crown 13 is pushed to the 0th step (normal position), the microcomputer 3 remembers that the reference position has been set and the timekeeping content is set to January 1, 2001.
The date is set to 12:00:00, the display corresponding to the mode is displayed on the digital display unit 29, and the second hand 28a, the minute hand 28b, the hour hand 28c, 2 in the hand position storage unit 3d are set.
The needle position data of the 4-hour hand 28d and the function hand 28e are set to initial values, the timekeeping operation is started, and the second hand is moved for 1 second.
At the same time, the second hand position data in the hand position storage unit 3d is also added.

Next, the main modes will be described. First, when the crown 13 is rotated at the normal position, the mode selection switches SWa, SWb, and SWc are operated, and the microcomputer 3 detects the change of these mode selection switches and reads the switch information. To decide.

[Table 1]

FIG. 1 is a diagram in which the time is selected, the mode hand 30 indicates the time (TIM), and the second hand 28a and the minute hand 28 are shown.
The hour hand 28c, the hour hand 28c, and the 24-hour hand 28d display the time, and the second hand 28a is moving for 1 second. The functional hand 28e is stopped at the 12 o'clock position. The time is displayed on the digital display 29a in Tokyo (TYO) and 29b, but the minute hand 2
8b and hour hand 28c overlap, making it difficult to read the time. In order to make the digital display 29 easy to see, the minute hand 28b,
It is necessary to move the hour hand 28c from the digital display unit 29.

Then, when the push button 13c is operated, SWi is activated, and the microcomputer 3 causes the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c.
In order to save the position outside the area of the digital display unit 29, the difference between the preset retract position and the current needle position is calculated. The microcomputer 3 outputs a selection signal S30 for driving the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c based on the calculation result. Converter drive circuit 4
Outputs the drive pulse S41 selected by the selection signal S30 from the microcomputer 3, drives the step motor 6, and moves the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c to the retracted position. FIG. 3 is a diagram of a so-called needle escape state in which the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c are moved to the retracted position of 10:10. During this time, the microcomputer 3 also performs a time counting operation, and the second hand 28a continues to move for one second.

When the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c reach the retracted position, the microcomputer 3 starts the counting of the timer that releases the hand escape state after a fixed time. When the timer times out, the microcomputer 3 causes the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 2 corresponding to the contents of the timekeeping.
The position of 8c is calculated, and the selection signal S30 for driving the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c is output. The converter drive circuit 4 drives the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c to the present time by the drive pulse S41.

Next, the operation when the power generation detection circuit 18 detects non-power generation of the solar cell 17 during the timer operation in the needle escape state and the timer times out in the power saving state will be described.

In the hand escape state, the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c move to the retracted position, and the second hand 28a continues to move for 1 second. During this time, a timer for releasing the needle escape state after a fixed time is measured. Even during the timer operation, the microcomputer 3 periodically reads the detection signal S18, continuously detects the non-power generation of the solar cell 17 for a certain period of time, and when the second hand 28a reaches the 12 o'clock position, the next 1-second hand movement is performed. Stop and enter power saving state. Even in the power saving state, the microcomputer 3 keeps time. When the timer times out, the original microcomputer 3
Cancels the needle escape state, but continues the needle escape state because it is in the power saving state. When the microcomputer 3 detects the power generation of the solar cell 17, the second hand 28a, the minute hand 28b, the hour hand 28c, and the 24-hour hand 28d are driven to the current time corresponding to the timekeeping content, and the hand escape state is released.

This situation will be further described with reference to the schematic flow chart of FIG. In the needle escape state, a timer for canceling the needle escape is counted (step 401), and it is determined whether the time is up (step 402). The transition to the power saving state is performed during the timer operation (step 402; No), the power generation detection circuit 18 counts the number of times the solar cell 17 detects non-power generation (step 403; Yes) (step 405), and the counter defines. When the number of times reaches (step 406; Yes), the second hand 28a waits for the 12 o'clock position and reaches the 12 o'clock position (step 40).
7; Yes) The power saving state is entered and the movement of the second hand 28a is stopped (step 408). When the power generation detection circuit 18 detects power generation in the power saving state (step 403; No), the counter for counting the number of non-power generations is cleared (step 40).
9) The second hand 28a is moved to the current second to cancel the power saving state (step 410).

In step 402, the timer times out (step 402; Yes), and when it is not in the power saving state (step 411; No), the minute hand 28b and the hour hand 28c are moved to the current time and the needle escape state is released (step 41).
4). However, when the time is up and in the power saving state (step 411; Yes), the needle escape is not released and the needle escape state is maintained until the power generation detection circuit 18 generates power. When the power generation is detected, the second hand 28a is moved to the current second. Then, the power saving state is released (step 413) and the needle escape state is released (step 414). As described above, it is possible to prevent the needle escape state from being released even at the timing of releasing the needle escape state when energy is not supplied in the power saving state.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic timepiece which prevents malfunction in the power saving state and has a long life by prohibiting the release of the needle escape state in the power saving state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic timepiece that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of an electronic timepiece that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external view of an electronic timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention in a power saving state.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation from the hand escape state to the hand escape release of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 microcomputer 3a CPU 3b ROM 3c RAM 3d needle position memory 13 designation means 17 Power generation means 18 Power generation detection means 28 First display means 29 Second display means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first display means and a second display means each comprising a pointer.
And a pointer control means for controlling the first display means so that the first display means and the second display means do not overlap each other based on the designating means. And an electronic timepiece having a timer for releasing the pointer control means, the electronic timepiece having power generation means and power generation detection means for detecting a power generation state, wherein the timer detects that the power generation detection means detects non-power generation. An electronic timepiece which prohibits the release of the pointer control means by a timer. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the power generation detecting means has a timer, and outputs a non-power generation signal when the non-power generation of the power generation means is detected for a certain period. 3. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, wherein the second display means is made of liquid crystal.