JP2004004134A - Electronic clock - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic clock not causing system down in transition from a power saving mode to a display mode. <P>SOLUTION: A power saving control circuit 400 controls the drive of a day wheel displaying the data in updating the date display stopped in the power saving mode to the current date (transition time) in transition from the power saving mode to the display mode. That is, the power saving control circuit 400 outputs a day wheel drive inhibit signal representing the drive inhibition of the day wheel 75 to a date change control circuit 300 when the power supply voltage VDD of a power supply part B is a threshold voltage V1 or less, and outputs a day wheel deceleration drive signal for driving the day wheel 75 at a designated speed lower than the normal speed in the display mode to the date change control circuit 300 when the power supply voltage VDD is threshold voltage V2 or less. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece having a power saving function and a date display mechanism.

携 帯 Conventionally, a portable electronic timepiece including a time display mechanism for displaying time and a date display mechanism for displaying date has been known. Some of such electronic timepieces further include a display mode for displaying the current time and date, and a power saving mode for saving power consumption, according to the use state of the user (for example, whether or not they are carried). Some devices have a function of switching between them. Such an electronic timepiece drives the time display mechanism and the date display mechanism according to the display mode when used by the user, and drives the respective mechanisms according to the power saving mode when not in use for a certain period of time. Stop and save power and update the time and date via electronic circuitry.

However, at the time of transition from the power saving mode to the display mode, the time display mechanism and the date display mechanism that were stopped at the time of transition to the power saving mode are driven to display the current time and date. A descent occurs. When such a voltage drop occurs, there has been a problem that the system of the electronic timepiece tends to be down.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic timepiece that does not cause a system down when shifting from a power saving mode to a display mode.

The present invention provides a power saving means for stopping power supply from a power supply under predetermined power saving conditions, a hand drive means for supplying power from the power supply and driving a hand indicating hours, minutes, and seconds, and including "year", "month", and " A calendar member for displaying at least one of the first calendar information of the day, calendar driving means for supplying power from the power supply to drive the calendar member, and the first calendar while power supply by the power saving means is stopped. Calendar updating means for updating circuit-related second calendar information corresponding to the information; and first calendar information displayed by the calendar member when the suspension of power supply by the power saving means is released, wherein the calendar information includes the calendar information. When driving the calendar member so as to match the second calendar information indicated by the updating unit, the calendar unit includes a control unit that controls the driving of the calendar member by the calendar driving unit. That to provide an electronic watch.
According to such an electronic timepiece, when the stop of the power supply by the power saving means is released, the calendar is displayed such that the first calendar information displayed by the calendar member matches the second calendar information indicated by the calendar updating means. When the member is driven, the calendar member is driven while being controlled by the control means. As a result, a large voltage drop of the power supply caused by driving the calendar member can be suppressed, and the system can be prevented from going down.

In a preferred aspect, the electronic timepiece includes voltage detection means for detecting an output voltage of the power supply, and the control means responds to an output voltage of the power supply when the stop of power supply by the power saving means is released. Thus, the degree of progress of the driving of the calendar member is changed.
According to such a configuration, when the stop of the power supply by the power saving means is released, the progress of the driving of the calendar member is changed according to the power supply voltage, so that the system down is prevented and the calendar member is efficiently moved. Can be driven.

Further, in another preferred aspect, the electronic timepiece includes voltage detection means for detecting an output voltage of the power supply, and the control means, when the stop of power supply by the power saving means is canceled, If the output voltage is equal to or lower than the threshold, the driving of the calendar member is prohibited.
According to such a configuration, the drive of the calendar member is prohibited if the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than the threshold when the stop of the power supply by the power saving means is released. As a result, it is possible to prevent a system down due to a voltage drop caused by driving the calendar member.

Further, from a different viewpoint from the above, a power saving means for stopping power supply from a power supply under predetermined power saving conditions, a needle driving means for supplying power from the power supply and driving a hand indicating hours, minutes, and seconds, A calendar member for displaying at least one of the first calendar information of "year", "month", and "day"; a calendar drive unit supplied with power from the power source to drive the calendar member; Calendar updating means for electrically updating the second calendar information corresponding to the first calendar information during the suspension, and a calendar displayed by the calendar member when the suspension of power supply by the power saving means is released. When the calendar member is driven such that the first calendar information matches the second calendar information indicated by the calendar update unit, the calendar driving unit drives the calendar member according to the drive amount. That it comprises a Gosuru control means to provide an electronic timepiece characterized by.
According to such an electronic timepiece, when the stop of the power supply by the power saving means is released, the calendar member matches the first calendar information displayed by the calendar member with the second calendar information indicated by the calendar updating means. It is driven in accordance with the amount of driving required to perform the driving. As a result, it is possible to prevent a system down due to a voltage drop caused by driving the calendar member.

Further, from a different viewpoint from the above, a power saving means for stopping power supply from a power supply under predetermined power saving conditions, a needle driving means for supplying power from the power supply and driving a hand indicating hours, minutes, and seconds, A calendar member for displaying at least one of the first calendar information of the year, month, and day; a calendar driving unit supplied with power from the power supply to drive the calendar member; and a power supply voltage of the power supply. Voltage detecting means for detecting, calendar updating means for electrically updating second calendar information corresponding to the first calendar information while power supply by the power saving means is stopped, and stopping power supply by the power saving means is released When the calendar member is driven such that the first calendar information displayed by the calendar member matches the second calendar information indicated by the calendar updating means, the driving amount and the Voltage detection Depending on the supply voltage detected by the stage, to provide an electronic timepiece characterized by comprising a control means for controlling the drive of the calendar member by the calendar drive unit.
According to such an electronic timepiece, when the stop of the power supply by the power saving means is released, the calendar member matches the first calendar information displayed by the calendar member with the second calendar information indicated by the calendar updating means. It is driven in accordance with the amount of driving required to perform the driving and the power supply voltage detected by the voltage detecting means. As a result, it is possible to prevent a system down due to a voltage drop caused by driving the calendar member.

Further, from a different viewpoint from the above, a power saving means for stopping power supply from a power supply under predetermined power saving conditions, a needle driving means for supplying power from the power supply and driving a hand indicating hours, minutes, and seconds, A calendar member displaying at least one of "year", "month", and "day", and detecting the passage of the hand at 0:00 by the hand driving means indicating the calendar member feed timing, and outputting the detected signal as a zero-time detection signal. A zero-hour detecting means, a 24-hour measuring means which electrically measures time and outputs a 24-hour signal every 24 hours, an output timing of the zero-time detection signal, and an output timing of the 24-hour signal, A non-coincidence signal input means for inputting a non-coincidence signal indicating that no coincidence has occurred, and a first zero-time detection from the zero-time detection means after the non-coincidence signal is input by the non-coincidence signal input means. When a signal is output, a reset means for resetting the clock by the 24-hour measuring means, and after a mismatch signal is input by the mismatch signal input means, a first zero-time detection signal is output from the zero-time detection means. When the output is performed, the calendar member is driven, and after the first zero-time detection signal is output, the calendar drive that drives the calendar member every time a 24-hour signal is output from the 24-hour measuring means. And an electronic timepiece.
According to such an electronic timepiece, the calendar member is driven by the 24-hour measuring unit even while the power supply to the hand driving unit is stopped by the power saving unit. This eliminates the need to drive the calendar member when the stop of the power supply is released, and does not cause a voltage drop due to the driving of the calendar member. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a system down.

In a preferred aspect, after the mismatch signal is input by the mismatch signal input means, the power saving means does not stop power supply until the first zero-time detection signal is output from the zero-time detection means.
According to such a configuration, after the non-coincidence signal is input by the non-coincidence signal input means, power supply to the hand driving means is not stopped until the zero-time passing of the hand is detected by the zero-time detection means. As a result, the 24-hour measuring means is reset before the power supply to the needle driving means is stopped, and the output timing of the 24-hour signal matches the output timing of the zero-time detection signal. After the stop, the calendar member is accurately driven by the calendar driving means.

In another preferred embodiment, the electronic timepiece further includes a drive period timer for counting a hand drive period by the hand drive unit after a mismatch signal is input by the mismatch signal input unit. Does not stop the power supply until the time counted by the drive period time counting means reaches 24 hours.
According to such a configuration, power supply to the needle driving means is not stopped until 24 hours have elapsed after the mismatch signal is input by the mismatch signal input means. As a result, since the hand at 0 o'clock by the needle driving means is performed in a 24-hour cycle, the 0 o'clock detection signal is always detected once before power supply is stopped. Therefore, before the power supply is stopped, the 24-hour measuring unit is reset, and the output timing of the 24-hour signal matches the output timing of the zero-time detection signal, so that the calendar driving unit accurately drives the calendar member.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic timepiece that does not cause a system down when shifting from the power saving mode to the display mode.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First embodiment>
First, the appearance of the electronic timepiece according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in this figure, the electronic timepiece 100 is a wristwatch-type analog timepiece, which is worn on a user's wrist by a band 102 and used. The main body 101 of the electronic timepiece 100 is provided with a circular time display panel 103. The time display panel 103 is provided with scales indicating hours, minutes, and seconds along the circumference thereof, and is provided with a second hand 61, a minute hand 62, and an hour hand 63 installed above the time display panel 103 (in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface). The time is displayed according to the display pointer. A date display window 180 is provided on the right side of the time display panel 103 in the figure, and the date of the day is displayed by any number from “1” to “31”. A crown 104 is provided on the right side of the main body 101. The user pulls out the crown 104 in the right direction in the figure and then rotates the crown 104 to adjust the hour and minute and display the date and time on the date display window 180. Or adjust the date.

Here, the electronic timepiece 100 according to the present embodiment has two operation modes: a display mode and a power saving mode. The display mode is an operation mode in which the current time and date are displayed by driving a mechanical display mechanism. On the other hand, the power saving mode is an operation of saving power by stopping driving of the display mechanism when the electronic timepiece 100 detects that the user has not used the portable timepiece (in this embodiment, portable) during the display mode for a predetermined period. Mode. When the electronic timepiece 100 detects use by the user during the power saving mode, the electronic timepiece 100 drives a display mechanism to display the current time and date.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of the electronic timepiece 100. As shown in the figure, the electronic timepiece 100 includes a power generation unit A that generates electric power, a power supply unit B that is charged by a current supplied from the power generation unit A, and supplies power to each component of the electronic timepiece 100, and C, a second hand mechanism D1 for driving the second hand 61, a second hand drive E1 for driving the second hand mechanism D1 under the control of the control unit C, and an hour / minute hand mechanism D2 for driving the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63. An hour / minute hand driving unit E2 that drives the hour / minute hand mechanism D2 under the control of the control unit C, a date dial mechanism F that updates the date display, and a date wheel mechanism F that is driven under the control of the control unit C. A date wheel drive unit G.

The power generation unit A includes a rotary weight 45 that rotates by capturing the movement of the wrist in a normal use state in which the electronic timepiece 100 is worn on the wrist of the user. The rotational force of the rotary weight 45 is transmitted to the power generation rotor 43 via the speed increasing gear 46. In the power generation device 40, electromagnetic induction is generated by the rotation of the power generation rotor 43 inside the power generation stator 42, and an alternating current is generated. The control unit C detects that the electronic timepiece 100 is in use if the power generation unit A is generating power, and the electronic timepiece 100 is not used if the power generation unit A is not generating power for a certain period. Detect that.

The power supply unit B includes a rectifier circuit, a secondary power supply, a step-up / step-down circuit, etc., charges the current supplied from the power generation unit A, and applies the power supply voltage VDD to each component of the electronic timepiece 100. Here, the power supply unit B uses VSS (lower side) as a reference potential (GND).

In the display mode, the control unit C performs control for updating the date display by the date indicator mechanism F according to the calendar, control for shifting between the display mode and the power saving mode, and when shifting from the power saving mode to the display mode. In, control for updating the date display stopped at the time of shifting to the power saving mode to the current (at the time of shifting) date and the like are performed, and details thereof will be described later.

The second hand driving unit E1 generates various driving pulses under the control of the control unit C, and outputs the generated driving pulses to the second hand mechanism D1. The second hand mechanism D1 includes a second motor 10a that is driven according to a driving pulse input from the second hand driving unit E1. The second motor 10a rotates the rotor 13a in response to the input of the driving pulse. The rotation of the rotor 13a is transmitted to the second hand 61 by the second wheel train 50a including the second intermediate wheel 51a and the second wheel 52a meshed with the rotor 13a. In this manner, the second hand 61 is moved in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor 13a, and displays time (seconds).

The hour / minute hand driving unit E2 generates various driving pulses under the control of the control unit C, and outputs the generated driving pulses to the hour / minute hand mechanism D2. The hour / minute hand mechanism D2 includes an hour / minute motor 10b that is driven according to a drive pulse input from the hour / minute hand drive unit E2. The hour and minute motor 10b rotates the rotor 13b in response to the input of the drive pulse. The rotation of the rotor 13b is performed by the wheel train 50b composed of the fourth wheel 51b, the third wheel 52b, the second wheel 53b, the minute wheel 54b and the hour wheel 55b meshed with the rotor 13b. It is transmitted to the hour hand 63. In this manner, each of the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63 is operated in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor 13b, and displays time (hour, minute).

The 24-hour wheel 57 meshes with the hour wheel 55b, makes one rotation every 24 hours, and when the time comes to “24:00 (midnight)” by the cam 57A provided on the 24-hour wheel 57, the 24-hour wheel 57b constantly rotates. An open state (off state) is obtained by separating the switch shaft 82 and the switch pin 81 forming a closed contact. Thereby, the control unit C detects that the current time has reached “0:00”, and controls the date indicator driving unit G to update the date display.

The date indicator driving unit G applies an AC voltage to the actuator 71 included in the date indicator mechanism F in order to drive the date indicator 75 indicating the date for one day every time the switch pin 81 and the switch shaft 82 are separated. I do. The date indicator 75 has a ring shape, and numbers from “1” to “31” indicating the date are arranged at equal intervals on the upper surface thereof. The date indicator 75 is arranged on the main body 101 such that one of the numbers is displayed via a date display window 180 provided on the time display panel 103. When a voltage is applied, the actuator 71 vibrates in an in-plane direction (a direction parallel to the plane of the drawing). The vibration of the actuator 71 is transmitted to the date indicator 75 via the rotor 72, the date indicator wheel controlling geneva wheel 73 and the date indicator wheel 74, whereby the date indicator 75 is driven to rotate. Specifically, when the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 72 is hit by the vibration of the actuator 71, the rotor 72 is driven to rotate. When the rotor 72 rotates, the date wheel jump control Geneva wheel 73 engaged with the rotor 72 rotates. When the Geneva wheel 73 for day control is rotated, the date wheel 74 engaged with the cam portion 73a provided on the Geneva wheel 73 is rotated, and the date wheel 75 is rotated via the tooth portion 75A. It is rotated around. By the rotation of the date wheel 75, the date displayed on the date display window 180 is changed.

Next, the configuration of the control unit C will be described. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the control unit C and its peripheral configuration. As shown in this figure, the control unit C includes an oscillation circuit 202. The oscillation circuit 202 includes a crystal oscillator, and outputs an oscillation signal to the frequency dividing circuit 204. The frequency dividing circuit 204 divides the frequency of the input oscillation signal and supplies various clock signals CLK such as a clock signal having a frequency of 1 Hz, for example. These various clock signals CLK are supplied to the power saving control circuit 400, the date change control circuit 300, the second hand drive unit E1, and the hour / minute hand drive unit E2.

When the clock signal CLK is input from the frequency dividing circuit 204, the second hand driving unit E1 generates a driving pulse signal synchronized with the clock signal CLK and outputs the driving pulse signal to the second motor 10a included in the second hand mechanism D1. Thereby, the second motor 10a is driven, and the second hand 61 is moved. Further, when the clock signal CLK is input from the frequency dividing circuit 204, the hour / minute hand driving unit E2 generates a driving pulse signal synchronized with the clock signal CLK and outputs the driving pulse signal to the hour / minute motor 10b included in the hour / minute hand mechanism D2. Thus, the hour / minute motor 10b is driven, and the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63 are moved.

The power generation detection circuit 210 detects whether or not the power generation unit A is in a power generation state via a rectifying circuit included in the power supply unit B, and if the power generation state is in the power generation state, inputs a power generation detection signal PGD to the power saving control circuit 400. . Further, the voltage detection circuit 212 detects the power supply voltage VDD of the power supply unit B and inputs the power supply voltage VDD to the power saving control circuit 400 as the power supply voltage signal PSV.

The reset detection circuit 208 detects the operation of the crown 104 by the user. More specifically, when detecting that the crown 104 has been pulled out, the reset circuit 208 transmits a pointer driving stop signal to the frequency dividing circuit 204. Upon receiving the pointer driving stop signal, the frequency dividing circuit 204 stops supplying the clock signal CLK to the second hand driving unit E1 and the hour / minute hand driving unit E2. As a result, the movement of each hand is stopped. Under this condition, the user adjusts the time displayed by the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63 by rotating the crown 104.

When the reset detection circuit 208 detects that the crown 104 has been pushed in by the user, the reset detection circuit 208 transmits a reset signal to the date change control circuit 300 and the power saving control circuit 400 described below. Upon receiving the reset signal from the reset detection circuit 208, each of the date change control circuit 300 and the power saving control circuit 400 resets the count value of various counters and the like. When detecting that the crown 104 has been pushed in, the reset detection circuit 208 transmits a pointer driving start signal to the frequency dividing circuit 204. When receiving the pointer driving start signal from the reset detecting circuit 208, the frequency dividing circuit 204 starts supplying the clock signal CLK to the second hand driving unit E1 and the hour / minute hand driving unit E2. Thus, the movement of each hand is restarted. When the crown 104 is pushed in in this manner, the hands of the hands are restarted in the electronic timepiece 100 after a system reset (initialization).

(4) The power saving control circuit 400 performs various controls related to the transition between the display mode and the power saving mode according to the power generation detection signal PGD. More specifically, the power saving control circuit 400 includes a non-power generation time counter that measures a time during which no power generation detection signal is input (non-power generation time) in the display mode. The non-power generation time counter resets the count value when the power generation detection signal PGD is input, and counts up the 1 Hz signal input from the frequency dividing circuit 204 to measure the non-power generation time. In the display mode, when the time measured by the non-power generation time counter reaches a predetermined time (for example, “12 hours”), the power saving control circuit 400 shifts the operation mode to the power saving mode. At this time, the power-saving control circuit 400 sends a power-saving mode transition signal PS indicating stop of driving of each of the second hand mechanism D1, the hour / minute hand mechanism D2, and the date indicator mechanism F to the second hand driving unit E1, the hour / minute hand driving unit E2. And output to each of the date change control circuits 300. Thereby, in the power saving mode, since no voltage is applied to the hand motor 10a, the hour / minute motor 10b, and the actuator 71, power consumption is saved. In the power saving mode, the power saving control circuit 400 updates the date and time using the counter.

Further, when the power saving control circuit 400 receives the power generation detection signal PGD in the power saving mode, the time display and date display stopped at the time of shifting to the power saving mode are operated as follows in order to display the current time and date. Shift the mode to the display mode. First, the power saving control circuit 400 outputs a display mode transition signal to the frequency dividing circuit 204. Upon receiving the display mode transition signal, the frequency dividing circuit 204 supplies the second hand drive unit E1 with a clock signal CLK having a shorter cycle than the normal clock signal CLK in the display mode. Thereby, the second hand 61 is fast-forwarded at a speed higher than the normal speed in the display mode. Further, when the frequency dividing circuit 204 receives the display mode transition signal from the power saving control circuit 400, the frequency dividing circuit 204 supplies the clock signal CLK having a shorter cycle than the normal clock signal CLK in the display mode to the hour / minute hand driving unit E2. As a result, each of the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63 is fast-forwarded at a speed higher than the normal speed in the display mode. The power saving control circuit 400 includes a hand position counter and a coincidence detection circuit. The hand position counter detects the position of each of the second hand 61, the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63 while each hand is fast-moving, and inputs the same to the coincidence detection circuit as a hand position signal. The coincidence detection circuit determines whether or not the display time of each hand indicated by the hand position signal coincides with the current time indicated by the count value of the counter, and outputs the coincidence signal to the frequency dividing circuit 204 as a coincidence signal. Upon receiving the coincidence signal, the frequency dividing circuit 204 supplies a normal clock signal CLK in the display mode to the second hand driving unit E1 and the hour / minute hand driving unit E2. Thus, the hands are moved at the normal speed, and the current time is displayed.

(4) When the current time is displayed by the hands, the power saving control circuit 400 outputs a control signal to the date change control circuit 300. When the date change control circuit 300 receives the control signal, the date indicator 75, which is stopped at the time of shifting to the power saving mode, is driven by the date indicator driving unit G to display the current date.

By the way, at the time of the transition from the power saving mode to the display mode, the hands of the hands for updating the time display stopped at the time of the power saving mode to the current time (at the time of the transition) have a speed higher than the normal speed. Done by As for the date display by the date indicator 75, there are display modes from "1" to "31". For this reason, in order to update the date display stopped in the power saving mode to the current date, the date indicator mechanism F must continuously perform daily feeding for a maximum of "30 days". Fast-forward hand movements and continuous daily movements like these consume large amounts of energy. For this reason, in the conventional electronic timepiece in which the time display mechanism and the date display mechanism are driven substantially simultaneously at the time of transition from the power saving mode to the display mode, a significant power drop of the power supply unit B occurs, and the system becomes down. Was reached. Such a system down is particularly likely to occur when the secondary power supply deteriorates or when the internal resistance increases at a low temperature or the like.

Therefore, the power saving control circuit 400 in the present embodiment controls the driving of the date wheel 75 when shifting from the power saving mode to the display mode in order to prevent the system from going down. That is, the power-saving control circuit 400 controls the driving of the date wheel 75 in accordance with the power supply voltage VDD of the power supply section B and the total number of days of day feeding (ie, the total driving amount of the date wheel 75). More specifically, if the power supply voltage VDD indicated by the voltage detection signal PSV is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage V1, the power saving control circuit 400 outputs a date indicator driving inhibition signal indicating that driving of the date indicator 75 is prohibited in order to prevent a system down. Output to the change control circuit 300. If the power supply voltage VDD is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage V2 higher than the threshold voltage V1, the power saving control circuit 400 operates the date indicator for driving the date indicator 75 at a predetermined speed lower than the normal speed in the display mode. The deceleration drive signal is output to the date change control circuit 300. Here, the threshold voltage V1 is the lower limit value of the power supply voltage that does not cause a system down by driving the date indicator 75 at a predetermined speed lower than the normal speed in the display mode. Is the lower limit value of the power supply voltage that does not cause a system down by driving the date indicator 75 at the normal speed in the display mode.

In addition, if the total number of days of day feeding is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold number of days (in this embodiment, “10 days”), the power saving control circuit 400 sets the date wheel 75 at a predetermined speed lower than the normal speed. A date wheel deceleration drive signal for driving is output to date change control circuit 300. In addition, if the number of days of day feeding is smaller than the threshold number of days and the power supply voltage VDD is higher than the threshold voltage V2, the power saving control circuit drives the date wheel normal drive for driving the date wheel 75 at a normal speed in the display mode. The signal is output to the date change control circuit 300. Note that the power saving control circuit 400 detects the total number of days of the date advance based on the information indicating the current date input from the date change control circuit 300 described later and the information indicating the displayed date.

The date change control circuit 300 performs control for updating the date display by the date indicator mechanism F according to the calendar in the display mode, and switches from the power saving mode to the display mode in accordance with various control signals input from the power saving control circuit 400. Control related to driving of the date wheel 75 at the time of transition is performed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the date change control circuit 300. In this figure, the input circuit 302 outputs a 0:00 detection signal indicating that the time has reached “0:00 (24:00)” according to the open / closed state of the switch shaft 82 and the switch pin 81, and controls the date change timing control. Input to the circuit 304. The 24-hour counter 306 counts up the 1-Hz clock signal supplied from the frequency dividing circuit 204, and repeats the clocking of “24 hours”. When the date change timing control circuit 304 receives the reset signal from the above-described reset detection circuit 208, it sends the signal to the 24-hour counter. When receiving the reset signal, the 24-hour counter 306 resets the count value.

(4) When the date change timing control circuit 304 receives the power saving mode transition signal PS from the power saving control circuit 400, it detects that the operation mode has transitioned from the display mode to the power saving mode. When the date change timing control circuit 304 receives one of the date wheel normal drive signal, the date wheel deceleration drive signal, and the date wheel drive inhibition signal from the power save control circuit 400, the operation mode shifts from the power save mode to the display mode. Detect that. The date change timing control circuit 304 performs the following two types of operations according to the detected operation mode. That is, in the display mode, when the 0:00 detection signal is input from the input circuit 302, the date change timing control circuit 304 causes the 24-hour counter 306 to reset the count value, and outputs the 24-hour elapsed signal to the date indicator driving unit G And to the day counter 308. On the other hand, in the power saving mode, the date change timing control circuit 304 outputs a 24-hour elapsed signal to the day counter 308 when a carry occurs in the 24-hour counter 306 (when “one day” has elapsed).

The day counter 308 repeatedly counts from “0” to “30”, and indicates “day” by the count value. The day counter 308 increments the count value by “1” every time a 24-hour elapsed signal is input from the date change timing control circuit 304, and when a carry occurs (ie, when 31 days have elapsed), the month counter 310 To output a day counter signal. The month counter 310 repeatedly counts from “0” to “11”, and indicates “month” by the count value. The month counter 310 increments the count value by “1” each time the day counter signal is input, and outputs a month counter signal to the year counter 312 when a carry occurs (ie, when 12 months have elapsed). The year counter 312 increments the count value indicating the year by "1" every time the month counter signal is input. The current “year”, “month” and “day” are obtained by the “year” indicated by the year counter 312, the “month” indicated by the month counter 310, and the “day” indicated by the day counter 308, respectively. Is shown.

The non-existence day detection circuit 314 includes “year”, “month”, and “month” that include “year” indicated by the year counter 312, “month” indicated by the month counter 310, and “day” indicated by the day counter 308. It is determined whether or not the “day” is a non-existing day on the calendar. The non-existence day detection circuit 314 may have a configuration corresponding to a leap year or a configuration not corresponding to a leap year. When the non-existence day detection signal is input, the day counter 308 increments the count value by “1”. The date wheel drive unit G drives the date wheel 75 when it receives either the 24-hour elapsed signal from the date change timing control circuit 304 or the non-existence date detection signal from the non-existence date detection circuit 314. To this end, a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 71. The date indicator driving unit G outputs a date display position change signal to the date display position counter 316 each time a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 71 to drive the date indicator 75 for one day.

The date display position counter 316 repeatedly counts from “0” to “30”. As an initial value, a value obtained by subtracting “1” from “date” displayed in the initial state of the electronic timepiece 100 is used. Is stored. The date display position counter 316 increments the count value by “1” each time a date display position change signal is input from the date indicator driving unit G. Thus, the count value of the date display position counter 316 always coincides with a value obtained by subtracting “1” from “date” displayed by the date wheel 75. The day display position counter 316 outputs the count value to the power saving control circuit 400 as a day display position signal, and the day counter 308 outputs the count value to the power saving control circuit 400 as a day counter signal. In the power saving control circuit 400, the total number of days of day feeding when shifting from the power saving mode to the display mode is detected based on a difference between the count value indicated by the date display position signal and the count value indicated by the day counter signal.

Further, when the date change timing control circuit 304 receives various control signals output from the power saving control circuit 400 at the time of transition from the power saving mode to the display mode, the date change timing control circuit 304 outputs the date via the date indicator driving unit G in accordance with the control signals. The vehicle 75 is driven. More specifically, when the date change timing control circuit 304 receives the date indicator normal drive signal, the date change timing control circuit 304 applies a voltage having a drive signal frequency of 128 Hz to the actuator 71 to drive the date indicator 75, and outputs a date indicator deceleration drive signal. Upon receipt, a voltage having a drive signal frequency of 16 Hz is applied to the actuator 71 to drive the date wheel 75. Further, when receiving the date wheel drive prohibition signal, the date change timing control circuit 304 prohibits the driving of the date wheel 75.

Next, the date changing process executed by the control unit C will be described with reference to FIG. In the date changing process, the date display by the date indicator 75 is updated according to the calendar in the display mode, and the “year” indicated by the year counter 312 and the “month” indicated by the month counter 310 in the power saving mode. , And a process for updating only “year”, “month”, and “day” composed of “day” indicated by the day counter 308 according to the calendar. In this date change process, a process using the 0:00 detection signal input by the input circuit 302 included in the control unit C as a trigger and a 1 Hz signal input by the 24-hour counter 306 included in the control unit C are triggered. And the processing are executed in parallel.

First, a description will be given of a process performed by the control unit C using the 0:00 detection signal as a trigger.
First, when the 0:00 detection signal is input, the 24-hour counter 306 included in the control unit C resets the count value in step Sa1. Next, the control unit C drives the date indicator 75 for one day via the date indicator driving unit G in step Sa2. Next, the date display position counter 316 included in the control unit C increments the count value by “1” in step Sa3. As a result, the date indicated by the count value of the date display position counter 316 matches the date displayed by the date indicator 75.

Next, the day counter 308 included in the control unit C increments the count value by “1” in step Sa4, and when a carry occurs in the day counter 308, the month counter 310 increases the count value by “1”. When the increment is made and a carry occurs in the month counter 310, the year counter 312 increments the count value by “1”. Thus, every time “31” is counted by the day counter 308, “month” indicated by the count value of the month counter 310 is updated, and every time “12” is counted by the month counter 310, the count of the year counter 312 is updated. The "year" indicated by the value is updated.

Next, the non-existence day detection circuit 314 included in the control unit C determines the “year” indicated by the year counter 312, the “month” indicated by the month counter 310, and the “day” indicated by the day counter 308 in step Sa5. Is determined as a non-existing date on the calendar. If this determination result is “Yes”, that is, if it is a non-existent day, the control unit C returns the processing procedure to step Sa2, and “year” indicated by the year counter 312 and “year” indicated by the month counter 310. The processing from step Sa2 to step Sa5 is repeated until the “year”, “month”, and “day” composed of “month” and “day” indicated by the day counter 308 become existing days on the calendar. On the other hand, if the determination result in Step Sa5 is “No”, the control unit C ends the process of executing with the 0:00 detection signal as a trigger. By performing the processing from steps Sa2 to Sa5, the control unit C switches the date display by the date indicator 75 to a calendar in order to skip non-existent days such as “29” days, “30” days, and “31” days. Can be updated as the street.

Next, in the date changing process, a process in which the control unit C executes using a 1 Hz signal as a trigger will be described.
First, when the 24-hour counter 306 included in the control unit C receives a 1 Hz signal, in step Sa6, the 24-hour counter 306 increments the count value by “1 second”. Next, in step Sa7, the control unit C determines whether a carry has occurred in the 24-hour counter 306. If the determination result is “No”, the control unit C ends the process triggered by the 1 Hz signal.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sa7 is “Yes”, the control unit C determines in step Sa8 whether the operation mode is the power saving mode. If the determination result is “No”, the control unit C ends the process triggered by the 1 Hz signal. On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sa8 is “Yes”, the day counter 308 included in the control unit C increments the count value by “1” in step Sa9, and when the carry occurs in the day counter 308, The month counter 310 increments the count value by “1”, and when a carry occurs in the month counter 310, the year counter 312 increments the count value by “1”.

Next, the non-existence day detection circuit 314 included in the control unit C includes “year” indicated by the year counter 312, “month” indicated by the month counter 310, and “month” indicated by the day counter 308 in step Sa10. It is determined whether “year”, “month”, and “day” composed of “day” are non-existent days on the calendar. If this determination result is “Yes”, that is, if it is a non-existent day, the control unit C returns the processing procedure to step Sa9, and “year” indicated by the year counter 312 and “year” indicated by the month counter 310. Steps Sa9 and Sa10 are repeated until the “year”, “month”, and “day” composed of “month” and “day” indicated by the day counter 308 become existing days on the calendar. Thus, even in the power saving mode, the “year”, “month”, and “day” specified by the count values of the year counter 312, the month counter 310, and the day counter 308 are updated according to the calendar. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step Sa10 is “No”, the control section C ends the process triggered by the 1 Hz signal.

Next, the display mode transition process executed by the control unit C will be described with reference to FIG. The display mode transition process is a process relating to a transition from the power saving mode to the display mode, and at the time of transition from the power saving mode to the display mode, the date display stopped at the start of the power saving mode is changed to the current (at the time of transition) date. This is a process for updating. The display mode transition process is a process that is interrupted by using the power generation detection signal PGD as a trigger.

First, when the control unit C receives the power generation detection signal PGD, in step Sb1, it is determined whether the operation mode is the power saving mode. If the result of this determination is “No”, that is, if it is the display mode, the display mode transition process ends. On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sb1 is “Yes”, the control unit C cancels the power saving mode in step Sb2.

Next, in step Sb3, the control unit C moves each of the second hand 61, the minute hand 62, and the hour hand 63 by a predetermined interval (for example, one scale on the time display panel 103) by fast-forward hand movement. Next, in step Sb4, the control unit C determines whether or not the display time indicated by each of the hands that have been fast-forwarded and moved matches the current time indicated by the count value of the counter included in the power saving control circuit 400. If this determination result is "No", the control unit C returns the processing procedure to step Sb3. By the processing of steps Sb3 and Sb4, the hands stopped at the time of shifting to the power saving mode are rapidly moved to the position indicating the current time. Thereafter, the hands are moved at a normal speed to display a normal time.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sb4 is “Yes”, the control unit C performs drive control of the date wheel 75 stopped at the time of shifting to the power saving mode in order to display the current date as follows. First, in step Sb5, the control unit C determines whether the power supply voltage VDD of the power supply unit B is higher than the threshold voltage V1. If the determination result is “No”, the control unit C ends the display mode transition processing. On the other hand, if the determination result in Step Sb5 is “Yes”, the control unit C determines in Step Sb6 whether the power supply voltage VDD is higher than the threshold voltage V2. If the determination result is “Yes”, the control unit C determines in step Sb7 that the number of days to send the date indicator 75 indicated by the difference between the count value of the date display position counter 316 and the count value of the day counter 308 is 10 It is determined whether it is less than a day. If the determination result is “Yes”, the control unit C sets the drive signal frequency of the voltage applied to the actuator 71 to 128 Hz in step Sb8. Next, in step Sb9, the control unit C drives the date wheel 75 for one day with a voltage having a drive signal frequency of 128 Hz.

Next, in step Sb10, the control unit C determines whether or not the count value of the day display position counter 316 indicating the date to be displayed matches the count value of the day counter 308 indicating the current date. If the determination result is “Yes”, the control unit C ends the processing. On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sb10 is “No”, the control unit C returns the processing procedure to step Sb9. Then, in the processing of steps Sb9 and Sb10, the control unit C drives the date wheel 75 with the voltage of the drive signal frequency of 128 Hz to display the current date.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step Sb7 is “No”, that is, if the number of days to send the date indicator 75 is 10 days or more, the control unit C determines in step Sb11 that the drive signal frequency of the voltage applied to the actuator 71 Is set to 16 Hz. Then, in steps Sb9 and Sb10, the control unit C drives the date wheel 75 with a voltage having a drive signal frequency of 16 Hz to display the current date.

If the determination result in step Sb6 is “No”, that is, if the power supply voltage VDD is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage V2, the control unit C sets the drive signal frequency of the voltage applied to the actuator 71 to 16 Hz in step Sb11. Set to. Then, in steps Sb9 and Sb10, the control unit C drives the date wheel 75 with a voltage having a drive signal frequency of 16 Hz to display the current date.

As described above, if the power supply voltage VDD is lower than the threshold voltage V1, the date wheel 75 is not driven at the time of transition from the power saving mode to the display mode. As a result, when the power supply voltage VDD is very low, the date indicator 75 is not driven, and there is no possibility that a system down due to the driving of the date indicator 75 will occur. When the date wheel 75 is not driven, the user updates the date by operating the crown 104.

In addition, when the power supply voltage VDD is between the threshold voltage V1 and the threshold voltage V2, or when the number of days for sending the date indicator 75 is 10 days or more, the energy consumption per unit time is smaller than the voltage of the drive signal frequency of 128 Hz. The date wheel 75 is driven by a small amount of the drive signal frequency of 16 Hz. For this reason, a sudden voltage drop of the power supply section B is prevented, and a system down due to driving of the date indicator 75 can be prevented. Further, when the power supply voltage VDD is higher than the threshold voltage V2 and the number of days to send the date indicator 75 is less than 10 days, a system drop may occur due to a voltage drop caused by driving the date indicator 75. Therefore, the date indicator 75 is driven by a voltage having a drive signal frequency of 128 Hz. Thus, when the display mode is shifted from the power saving mode, the date display is updated quickly.
In the present embodiment, the drive signal frequencies set in step Sb8 and step Sb11 are set to 128 Hz and 16 Hz, respectively. However, these frequencies are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these values.

<Second embodiment>
In the above-described first embodiment, in the power saving mode, the driving of each of the hands and the date indicator 75 is stopped. Accordingly, the electronic timepiece 100 that controls the driving of the date indicator 75 has been described. In the second embodiment, an electronic timepiece 100 in which the driving of each hand is stopped in the power saving mode while the date indicator 75 indicating the date is driven will be described.

The electronic timepiece 100 according to the second embodiment is different from the electronic timepiece 100 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the power saving control circuit 400 and the configuration of the date change circuit 300 included in the control unit C. Further, the control unit C according to the second embodiment does not include the voltage detection circuit 212 included in the control unit C according to the first embodiment. In addition, the electronic timepiece 100 according to the second embodiment is provided with an external operation member for a user to instruct a transition to the power saving mode during the display mode. Thereby, the user can forcibly shift to the power saving mode even if the non-use time does not reach the predetermined time.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a power saving control circuit 400 according to the second embodiment. In this figure, the 12-hour counter 406 resets the count value each time the power generation detection signal PGD is input, and counts up the 1 Hz signal input from the frequency dividing circuit 204, thereby repeatedly counting “12 hours”. The 12-hour counter 406 measures a period during which the power generation detection signal PGD is not input, that is, a non-power generation time during the display mode. When a carry occurs, the counter outputs to the power saving mode control circuit 412 as a 12-hour elapsed signal. I do. The electronic timepiece 100 according to the second embodiment shifts from the display mode to the power saving mode when a carry occurs in the 12-hour counter 406 during the display mode, that is, when the non-power generation time reaches “12 hours”. In the second embodiment, whether or not the electronic timepiece 100 is being used is determined based on whether or not the non-power generation time has reached “12 hours”. The non-power generation time used for this determination is “ It is not limited to “12 hours”.

Also, the electronic timepiece 100 can shift the operation mode from the display mode to the power saving mode by operating the external operation member even if the non-power generation time has not reached “12 hours”. When receiving a signal instructing a transition from the display mode to the power saving mode via the external operation member, the forced power saving circuit 404 outputs a forced power saving signal to the power saving mode control circuit 412.

When either the 12-hour elapsed signal from the 12-hour counter 406 or the forced power-saving signal from the forced power-saving circuit 404 is input, the power-saving mode control circuit 412 outputs a power-saving mode transition signal indicating a transition from the display mode to the power-saving mode. The PS is output to the second hand drive unit E1, the hour / minute hand drive unit E2, and the 24-hour counter 402. In the second hand driving unit E1 and the hour / minute hand driving unit E2 that have received the power saving mode transition signal PS, the driving of each hand is stopped. In the first embodiment, the power saving mode transition signal PS output from the power saving control unit 400 is also supplied to the date change control circuit 300. However, in the second embodiment, the date indicator 75 of the date indicator 75 is used in the power saving mode. In order not to stop driving, the power saving mode transition signal PS is not supplied to the date change control circuit 300.

Also, when the power generation detection signal PGD is input during the power saving mode, the power saving mode control circuit 412 releases the power saving mode and outputs a display mode transition signal for transitioning to the display mode to the 24-hour counter 402 and the frequency dividing circuit 204. I do. Upon receiving the display mode transition signal, the frequency dividing circuit 204 operates the second hand driving unit E1 and the hour / minute hand driving unit so that each hand stopped in the power saving mode displays the current time based on the count value of the 24-hour counter 402 described later. Through E2, the hands are moved in a fast-forward manner. In the first embodiment described above, the power saving control circuit 400 outputs various control signals such as a date wheel deceleration drive signal to the date change control circuit 300 when shifting from the power saving mode to the display mode. In the embodiment, since the driving of the date indicator 75 is not stopped in the power saving mode, those control signals are not output from the power saving control circuit 400.

The hand position counter 408 is a counter that indicates the position of each of the second hand 61, the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63, and outputs a hand position signal indicating the position of each hand to the coincidence detection circuit 410 and the 24-hour counter 402.

# The 24-hour counter 402 repeatedly counts "24 hours" by counting up the 1 Hz signal during the power saving mode. The 24-hour counter 402 receives the power saving mode transition signal PS from the power saving mode control circuit 412, sets a count value to indicate the current time included in the hand position signal, and counts the current time during the power saving mode. When the display mode transition signal PS is input from the power saving mode control circuit 412, the 24-hour counter 402 outputs the current time to the coincidence detection circuit 410 as a 24-hour counter signal. Also, when a reset signal is input from the reset detection circuit 208, the 24-hour counter 402 resets the count value.

When a hand position signal and a 24-hour counter signal are input when the hands are fast-forwarded by the frequency dividing circuit 204, the coincidence detection circuit 410 determines the display time of each hand indicated by the hand position signal, It is determined whether or not the current time indicated by the time counter signal matches, and if so, it is output to the frequency dividing circuit 204 as a match signal. When the coincidence signal is input, the frequency dividing circuit 204 stops the fast-forward driving of each hand via the second hand driving unit E1 and the hour / minute hand driving unit E2, and performs the hand movement at the normal hand moving speed.

The SR latch circuit 414 includes a set pin (S) for inputting a 0:00 detection signal indicating that the time has reached “0:00 (24:00)” according to the open / closed state of the switch shaft 82 and the switch pin 81; A reset pin (R) for inputting a reset signal output from the reset detection circuit 208 and an output pin (Q) for outputting a signal corresponding to the input signal to the power saving mode control circuit 412. Specifically, when the 0 o'clock detection signal is input to the set pin (S) of the SR latch circuit 414, an “H” level signal is output from the output pin (Q), and the reset pin (R) is output. When a reset signal is input, an "L" level signal is output from the output pin (Q). Therefore, while the signal at the “L” level is output from the output pin (Q), it indicates that the 0:00 detection signal has never been input after the reset signal has been input. In other words, it indicates that the 0:00 detection signal has never been input to the electronic timepiece 100 after the system reset. The power-saving mode control circuit 412 prohibits the transition from the display mode to the power-saving mode while the “L” level signal is being input from the SR latch 414.

Next, a date change control circuit 300 according to the second embodiment will be described. The 24-hour counter 306 included in the date change control circuit 300 according to the first embodiment described above resets the count value each time the 0:00 detection signal is input. The count value is reset only when the first 0 o'clock detection signal is input after the reset signal output from the reset detection circuit 208 is input among the detection signals. Further, the date change control circuit 300 in the first embodiment updates the date (drives the date wheel 75) every time the 0:00 detection signal is input in the display mode. The circuit 300 updates the date in the display mode when the first 0:00 detection signal is input after the reset signal output from the reset detection circuit 208 is input, and thereafter, regardless of the operation mode. , Every time a 24-hour elapsed signal is output from the 24-hour counter 306.

Next, the date changing process executed by the control unit C will be described with reference to FIG. In the above-described date change processing in the first embodiment, the date display is updated according to the calendar only when the operation mode is the display mode. However, the date change processing in the second embodiment is performed in any of the display mode and the power saving mode. In the mode, the date display is updated according to the calendar. In the date changing process, the control unit C executes a process using the 0:00 detection signal as a trigger and a process using a 1 Hz signal as a trigger in parallel.

First, a description will be given of a process in which the control unit C executes the 0:00 detection signal as a trigger in the date change process.
First, when the 0:00 detection signal is input to the date change timing control circuit 304 included in the control unit C, the 0:00 detection signal is output for the first time after the reset signal output from the reset detection circuit 208 is input. It is determined whether or not the input has been made. That is, the date change timing control circuit 304 determines whether or not the 0:00 detection signal has been input for the first time after the system reset. When the determination result is “No”, the control unit C ends the process triggered by the 0:00 detection signal.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sc1 is “Yes”, the 24-hour counter 306 included in the control unit C resets the count value in step Sc2. Next, the control unit C drives the date indicator 75 for one day via the date indicator driving unit G in step Sc3. Next, the date display position counter 316 included in the control unit C increments the count value by “1” in step Sc4. Thus, the date indicated by the count value of the date display position counter 316 matches the date displayed by the date wheel 75.

Next, the day counter 308 included in the control unit C increments the count value by “1” in step Sc5, and when a carry occurs in the day counter 308, the month counter 310 increases the count value by “1”. When the increment is made and a carry occurs in the month counter 310, the year counter 312 increments the count value by “1”. Next, the non-existence day detection circuit 314 included in the control unit C determines “year” indicated by the year counter 312, “month” indicated by the month counter 310, and “day” indicated by the day counter 308 in step Sc6. Is determined as a non-existing date on the calendar. If this determination result is "Yes", that is, if it is a non-existence day, the control unit C returns the processing procedure to step Sc3. Then, the date display is updated according to the calendar by the processing from step Sc3 to step Sc6.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sc6 is “No”, that is, “year” indicated by year counter 312, “month” indicated by month counter 310, and “day” indicated by day counter 308 If the “year”, “month”, and “day” are present dates on the calendar, the control unit C ends the process of executing with the 0:00 detection signal as a trigger.

Next, a description will be given of a process in which the control unit C executes the 1 Hz signal as a trigger in the date change process.
First, when a 1 Hz signal is input, the 24-hour counter 306 included in the control unit C increments the count value by “1 (second)” in step Sc7. Next, in step Sc8, the control unit C determines whether a carry has occurred in the 24-hour counter 306. If the determination result is “No”, the control unit C ends the process triggered by the 1 Hz signal.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sc8 is “Yes”, in step Sc9, the control unit C determines whether the 0:00 detection signal has been input after the system reset. If the determination result is “No”, the control unit C ends the process triggered by the 1 Hz signal.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sc9 is “Yes”, the control unit C shifts the processing procedure to step Sc3 described above. Thereafter, the control unit C updates the date display according to the calendar by performing the processing from step Sc3 to step Sc6. Thus, in the date changing process of the second embodiment, the displayed date is updated regardless of the operation mode. More specifically, in the display mode, the control unit C updates the date upon input of the first 0:00 detection signal after the system reset (step Sc3 of the process using the 0:00 detection signal as a trigger), and thereafter. In, the date is updated every time a 24-hour elapsed signal is output from the 24-hour counter 306 irrespective of the operation mode (step Sc3 in the process triggered by the 1 Hz signal). As described above, in the electronic timepiece according to the second embodiment, the date display by the date indicator 75 is updated even in the power saving mode. For this reason, when shifting from the power saving mode to the display mode, the date wheel 75 is not continuously driven. Therefore, in the electronic timepiece 100 according to the second embodiment, there is no possibility that the system will be down due to the driving of the date indicator 75 when shifting from the power saving mode to the display mode.

Next, the power saving mode transition process executed by the control unit C will be described with reference to FIG. The power saving mode transition process is a process related to transition from the display mode to the power saving mode, and the control unit C triggers and executes a 1 Hz signal. The control unit C according to the second embodiment determines that the first 0:00 detection signal after the system reset is performed even if the non-power generation time in the display mode has passed a predetermined time (12 hours in the second embodiment). Until the input, the transition to the power saving mode is prohibited.

First, upon detecting the 1 Hz signal, the control unit C determines in step Sd1 whether the operation mode is the power saving mode. If the determination result is “Yes”, the control unit C ends the processing. On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sd1 is “No”, the 12-hour counter 406 included in the control unit C increments the count value by “1 (second)” in step Sd2. Note that, in the display mode, the 12-hour counter 406 is always reset when the power generation detection signal is input, and thus the 12-hour counter 406 measures the non-power generation time.

Next, in step Sd3, the control unit C determines whether a carry has occurred in the 12-hour counter 406. That is, the control unit C determines whether or not the non-power generation time has elapsed for 12 hours. If the determination result is “Yes”, the control unit C shifts the processing to step Sd4 described below.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sd3 is “No”, the power saving mode control circuit 412 included in the control unit C determines in step Sd6 whether a forced power saving signal has been received. That is, it is determined whether or not the user has instructed to shift to the power saving mode via the external operation member. If the determination result is “No”, the control unit C ends the power saving mode transition processing. On the other hand, if the determination result of step Sd6 is “Yes”, the control unit C shifts the processing to step Sd4.

Next, in step Sd4, the power saving mode control circuit 412 included in the control unit C determines whether a 0:00 detection signal has been received after the system reset. This determination is made by the power saving mode control circuit 412 determining whether or not the signal input from the SR latch circuit 414 has transitioned from “L” level to “H” level. If the determination result is “Yes”, the control unit C shifts from the display mode to the power saving mode in step Sd5.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step Sd4 is “No”, the control unit C ends the power saving mode transition processing. By the determination processing in step Sd4, the control unit C prohibits the transition from the display mode to the power saving mode until the first 0:00 detection signal is input after the system reset. The reason for taking such a measure in the power saving mode transition processing is as follows. The electronic timepiece 100 according to the second embodiment updates the date display when the first 0:00 detection signal is input after the system reset so as to update the date even in the power saving mode. Each time the 24-hour elapsed signal is output from the counter 306, the date display is updated. Therefore, the output timing of the 24-hour elapsed signal must match the output timing of the 0:00 detection signal in the display mode. However, when the system is reset in the electronic timepiece 100, the count value of the 24-hour counter 306 is reset regardless of whether or not the display time of each hand is 0:00. Therefore, when a system reset is performed, that is, when the reset signal is output from the reset detection circuit 208, the output timing of the 24-hour elapsed signal does not necessarily match the output timing of the 0:00 detection signal thereafter. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the transition from the display mode to the power saving mode is prohibited until the 24-hour counter 306 is reset using the 0:00 detection signal as a trigger after the system reset. As a result, the transition from the display mode to the power saving mode is permitted after the date feed timing based on the 24-hour elapsed signal and the date feed timing based on the 0:00 detection signal match. Therefore, the timing of the date feed triggered by the 24-hour elapsed signal becomes accurate.

<Modification of Second Embodiment>
In the power saving mode transition processing of the second embodiment described above, the transition from the display mode to the power saving mode is prohibited until the first 0:00 detection signal is input after the system reset. It is not done. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which shifting to the power saving mode is prohibited until 24 hours have elapsed after the system reset. The main difference between the configuration of the electronic timepiece 100 according to this modification and the configuration of the electronic timepiece 100 according to the above-described second embodiment lies in the power saving control circuit 400.

Here, FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the power saving control circuit 400 in the present modification. In this figure, in addition to the operation of the 24-hour counter 402 in the second embodiment, the 24-hour counter 402 receives a reset signal from the reset detection circuit 208, and when 24 hours have elapsed, the power-saving mode control is performed as a reset 24-hour elapsed signal. Output to the circuit 412. The power-saving mode control circuit 412 according to the second embodiment prohibits the transition from the display mode to the power-saving mode in accordance with the signal input from the SR latch circuit 414. The transition from the display mode to the power saving mode is prohibited until a time lapse signal is input. Note that the power saving control circuit 400 according to the present modification does not include the SR latch circuit 414, unlike the power saving control circuit 400 according to the second embodiment.

Next, the power saving mode transition processing according to the present modification will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 10, the same steps as those in the power saving mode transition processing in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as the steps shown in FIG. 8. The difference between the power saving mode transition processing (see FIG. 10) in this modification and the power saving mode transition processing (see FIG. 8) in the second embodiment is the determination processing in step Sd′4. This determination process is a process executed in place of step Sd4 in FIG. 8, and prohibits the transition to the power saving mode until the power saving mode control circuit 412 included in the power saving control unit 400 inputs a reset 24-hour elapsed signal. It is a step to do. Thus, the transition from the display mode to the power saving mode is always performed after the 0:00 detection signal is input after the system reset. Therefore, similarly to the second embodiment, the timing of the date feed triggered by the 24-hour elapsed signal becomes accurate.

<Third embodiment>
In the first and second embodiments described above, the electronic timepiece 100 that stops driving the second hand 61, the minute hand 62, and the hour hand 63 in the power saving mode has been described. On the other hand, in the electronic timepiece 100 of the third embodiment, in the power saving mode, the minute hand 62, the hour hand 63, and the date wheel 75 are driven, and only the driving of the second hand 61 is stopped. With such a configuration, in the power saving mode, the power saving effect can be obtained by stopping the driving of the second hand 61 that consumes a large amount of power. On the other hand, in the transition from the power saving mode to the display mode, the power saving mode is used. It is sufficient to drive only the second hand 61 stopped at the time of shifting to. Thus, when the display mode is shifted from the power saving mode, almost no voltage drop occurs, and thus the system of the electronic timepiece 100 can be prevented from going down. In the power saving mode, by increasing the time interval between the movement of the minute hand 62 and the hour hand 63 (for example, in the case of the minute hand 62, irregular movement such as 5 minute movement), further power consumption can be saved. Become.

<Modification>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described first, second, and third embodiments, and various applications, improvements, modifications, and the like can be made.

For example, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the electronic timepiece 100 including the power generation unit A and the secondary power supply has been described, but is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration including a primary power supply instead of the power generation unit A and the secondary power supply may be adopted. In such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide the power generation unit A and the secondary power supply, so that the configuration of the electronic timepiece 100 can be simplified. In this case, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for determining whether or not the electronic timepiece 100 is being used by a user.

Also, in the first and second embodiments described above, the electronic timepiece 100 that displays a date as information other than the time has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in place of the date indicator 75 that displays the date, a calendar member that displays calendar information such as “year”, “month”, and “day of the week” is provided. By driving the calendar member, information about the calendar is displayed. The electronic timepiece 100 to be updated may be used.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic timepiece according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a control unit of the electronic timepiece and a peripheral configuration thereof. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a date change control circuit of the control unit. It is a flowchart which shows the date change process which the same control part performs. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a display mode transition process executed by the control unit. It is a functional block diagram showing a power saving control circuit of an electronic timepiece according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the date change process which the control part of the same electronic timepiece performs. It is a flowchart which shows the power saving mode shift process which the control part performs. It is a functional block diagram showing the composition of the power saving control circuit of the electronic timepiece in the modification of the second embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the power saving mode shift process which the control part of the electronic timepiece in the same modification performs. It is a figure showing the appearance of the electronic timepiece concerning the 1st embodiment.

Explanation of reference numerals

100: electronic timepiece, A: power generation unit, B: power supply unit, C: control unit, D1: second hand mechanism, D2: hour / minute hand mechanism, E1: second hand drive unit, E2: hour / minute hand drive unit, F: date wheel mechanism, G: Date indicator drive unit, 10a: Second motor, 10b: Hour / minute motor, 61: Second hand, 62: Minute hand, 63: Hour hand, 71: Actuator, 75: Date indicator, 180: Date display window, 210: Power generation detection circuit , 212: voltage detection circuit, 300: date change control circuit, 400: power saving control circuit, 414: SR latch circuit.

Claims (1)

Power saving means for stopping power supply from a power source under predetermined power saving conditions,
Hand driving means that is supplied with power from the power supply and drives a hand that indicates hours, minutes, and seconds,
A calendar member for displaying at least one first calendar information of “year”, “month” and “day”;
A calendar driving unit that is supplied with power from the power source and drives the calendar member;
Calendar updating means for updating electrical second calendar information corresponding to the first calendar information while power supply by the power saving means is stopped;
When the suspension of the power supply by the power saving means is released, the calendar member is driven such that the first calendar information displayed by the calendar member matches the second calendar information indicated by the calendar updating device. Control means for controlling the driving of the calendar member by the calendar driving means.

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