JP2010117286A - Electronic timepiece - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic timepiece capable of saving power effectively without lowering handleability, by saving the power in consideration of a using state as well as existence of ambient light. <P>SOLUTION: This electronic timepiece including an operation means (26), a tilt sensor (25) and a solar cell (31) is shifted to a power saving state, when a state having no input from the operation means (26), no input change from the fluctuating tilt sensor (25), and no output from the solar cell (31) in a specific time period continues for a prescribed time, and is removed from the power saving state, when having an input from the operation means (26), or having an input change from the tilt sensor (25), and having an output from the solar cell (31). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece that automatically enters or cancels a power saving mode in accordance with surrounding conditions.

  In an electronic timepiece that operates on a battery, it is only necessary to operate an internal timing circuit when the user is not using it. By omitting operations such as display, power consumption can be reduced and battery life can be extended. . Therefore, in the past, sensors that detect ambient light and sensors that detect changes in posture, etc. are provided, and when a situation occurs that the user is not expected to use the watch, it automatically enters or exits the power saving mode. An invention related to an electronic timepiece with a power saving function has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

The invention described in Patent Document 1 is a radio timepiece that includes an optical sensor, determines that it is in stock when the switch is not operated for a predetermined period and the optical sensor detects no ambient light, and displays the LCD display. A power save mode is provided that turns off and does not receive radio waves.
JP-A-7-159555

  In an electronic timepiece equipped with a light sensor and configured to determine the necessity of the power saving mode based on the presence or absence of ambient light, even if it is left unused in a dim unmanned room with a curtain closed, A small amount of light entering the camera may be detected to cancel the power saving mode and a sufficient power saving effect may not be obtained. Especially in so-called solar clocks that use solar cells as the power source, sufficient generated power can be obtained when left in a dimly lit room. In order to avoid stopping the operation, it is desirable to set to enter the power saving mode early.

  However, with this setting, the user enters the power saving mode even in the dim range where the display of the watch can be seen, and the inconvenience that the user cannot check the time frequently occurs, which reduces usability. There is a fear. In addition, when canceling the power saving mode, if the environment is simply brightened and the watch is left without being carried around, it will return to the normal operation mode that displays the clock and power consumption will be reduced. It may increase and the sufficient power saving effect may not be obtained.

  An object of the present invention is to save power in consideration of usage conditions in addition to the presence or absence of ambient light, so that power can be saved effectively without reducing usability, and battery consumption can be suppressed as much as possible. To provide an electronic watch.

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic timepiece according to the invention described in claim 1 is:
An oscillation means, a radio wave reception means, an operation means, a fluctuation detection means for detecting fluctuations in the main body, and a power generation means,
The first power saving state in which power consumption is low when there is no input from the operation means, no input from the fluctuation detection means, and no output from the power generation means for a predetermined time in a specific time zone Power saving start means to shift to,
A power saving canceling means for canceling the first power saving state when there is an input from the operating means, or when there is an input from the fluctuation detecting means and there is an output from the power generating means; It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 2 is the electronic timepiece according to claim 1,
The power saving start means has no input from the operation means and no input from the variation detection means after the transition to the first power saving state, or no input from the operation means, and , When a state in which there is no output from the power generation means continues for a predetermined time, a transition is made to the second power saving state in which the power consumption is less than the first power saving state,
The power saving canceling means sets the second power saving state when there is an input from the operating means, or when there is an input from the fluctuation detecting means and there is an output from the power generating means. It is characterized by releasing.

The invention according to claim 3 is the electronic timepiece according to claim 2,
In the first power saving state, at least the second hand movement of the hands performing the clock display is stopped, and in the second power saving state, the movement of all the hands performing the clock display is stopped.

The invention according to claim 4 is the electronic timepiece according to claim 2,
A display device, wherein in the first power saving state and the second power saving state, a display indicating that the power saving state is present on the display device, and the display operation other than the display and the reception operation of the radio wave receiving means are stopped It is a feature.

An electronic timepiece according to the invention of claim 5 is provided.
The light detection means, the fluctuation detection means for detecting the fluctuation of the main body, the operation means operable from the outside, the power consumption state according to the presence or absence of input from the light detection means, the fluctuation detection means, and the operation means Control means for controlling,
The control means includes
The first power consumption is lower than that in the normal operation state when the input from the light detection means, the input from the fluctuation detection means, and the input from the operation means do not exist for a predetermined time or more in a specific time zone. Transition to power saving state,
In the first power saving state, the state where there is no input from the fluctuation detection unit and the operation unit, or the state where there is no input from the light detection unit and no input from the operation unit continues for a predetermined time or more. In this case, a transition is made to the second power saving state, which consumes less power than the first power saving state.

The invention according to claim 6 is the electronic timepiece according to claim 5,
The control means includes
In the first power saving state, when there is an input from the operation means, or when there is an input from the light detection means and an input from the fluctuation detection means, the first power saving state is canceled. It is said.

The invention according to claim 7 is the electronic timepiece according to claim 5 or 6,
The control means includes
In the second power saving state, the second power saving state is canceled when there is an input from the operation means or when there is an input from the light detection means and an input from the fluctuation detection means. It is said.

The invention according to claim 8 is the electronic timepiece according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
A solar cell that converts light energy into electrical energy is provided, and the light detection means is configured by a determination circuit that detects whether or not the solar cell is generating power.

The invention according to claim 9 is the electronic timepiece according to any one of claims 5 to 8,
An automatic winding power generation device is provided, and the variation detection means is configured by a determination circuit that detects whether or not the automatic winding power generation device is generating power.

  According to the present invention, an electronic timepiece that can effectively save power without deteriorating usability by reducing power consumption by determining use conditions in addition to the presence or absence of ambient light, and reducing battery consumption as much as possible. There is an effect that can be realized.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a control system when the present invention is applied to a pointer-type solar radio timepiece having a solar battery (solar cell) as an example.

  The control system according to the present embodiment includes a motor 11 such as a stepping motor that rotationally drives the second hand and the hour / minute hand, a motor control circuit 12 that performs drive control of the motor 11, a display device 13 such as a liquid crystal panel, and the display device 13. A display control circuit 14 that performs display control, a radio signal reception control circuit 16 that receives and processes a radio signal (time standard radio wave) including time information via an antenna 15, and an alarm device 17 by driving a sound reporting device 17 such as a speaker. An alarm control circuit 18 that generates sound and a microcomputer (including a microprocessor) 20 that incorporates a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the entire apparatus are provided. In addition to the CPU, the microcomputer 20 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing a control program executed by the CPU and control data, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) providing a working memory space for the CPU. The ROM and RAM may be external ICs (semiconductor integrated circuits).

  Further, the control system of the present embodiment includes an oscillation circuit 21 that forms a clock signal for measuring time, a frequency dividing circuit 22, a time measuring circuit 23 that measures time based on the clock signal from the frequency dividing circuit 22, solar A power supply unit 30 including a solar charging circuit 32 that charges the secondary battery 33 with the generated power of the cell 31, a light determination circuit 24 that determines ambient brightness based on the output of the solar cell 31, fluctuations in the body (tilting and The inclination sensor 25 for detecting the movement, the operation means 26 such as an operation key provided on the outer wall of the main body casing, and the microcomputer 20 outputs a corresponding signal by detecting the input state from the inclination sensor 25 and the operation means 26. An input detection circuit 27 and the like are provided. In a timepiece having a power generation means such as a solar cell, the light discrimination circuit 24 is configured to discriminate the ambient brightness based on the output of the solar cell 31, thereby eliminating the need for a separate optical sensor. Cost increase can be suppressed.

  The time measuring circuit 23 is provided with a time counter that measures the date and time, and the time counter is counted up by the clock from the frequency dividing circuit 22 to measure the current date and time. When the value of the time information included in the standard radio wave received by the radio wave reception control circuit 16 does not match the value of the time counter in the time measuring circuit 23, the value of the counter is corrected. In addition to the time counter, the time counting circuit 23 is provided with a hand position counter. Each time the motor 11 is operated, the microcomputer 20 counts up the value of the hand position counter, and the three hand positions and their positions are counted. In synchronization with the value, the exact current time is indicated by the hands of the analog clock.

  Next, mode control executed by the microcomputer 20 in the control system of FIG. 1 will be described. The electronic timepiece of the present embodiment includes a normal operation mode in which most of the functions of the timepiece are effective, a first power saving mode that consumes less power than the normal operation mode, and further consumption than the first power saving mode. A second power-saving mode with low power, and the shift between these modes is input from the operating means 26, input from the inclination sensor 25, input from the light discrimination circuit 24, and a specific time zone that the microcomputer 20 has. It is controlled by time determination based on information and a timer function.

  Although not particularly limited, in the first power saving mode, for example, the driving of the motor 11 by the motor control circuit 12 and the driving of the liquid crystal display device 13 by the display control circuit 14 are partially stopped. In the second power saving mode, for example, in addition to stopping driving of the motor 11 and the liquid crystal display device 13, reception of the time standard radio wave by the radio wave reception control circuit 16 and driving of the sound reporting device 17 by the alarm control circuit 18 are stopped. The time determination is to determine whether the same event continues for a predetermined time such as 30 minutes to 1 hour in a specific time zone such as PM 10:00 to AM 6:00.

  Next, mode shift control by the microcomputer 20 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the crosses indicated by the intersection of the horizontal line extending from the left block indicating each input to the right and the vertical line extending downward from the block indicating the state indicate that the condition is not satisfied, and that Means that the condition is met.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when four conditions of “no key input”, “no tilt sensor input”, “no ambient light”, and “establishment of time determination” continue for a predetermined time (CT1), the normal operation mode is started. Transition to the first power saving mode. When the condition “with key input” or “with tilt sensor input” and “with ambient light” is satisfied, the first power saving mode is canceled and the normal operation mode is restored. Further, when the condition of “no key input” and “no tilt sensor input” or “no key input” and “no ambient light” continues for a predetermined time (CT2), the mode shifts to the second power saving mode. When the condition “with key input” or “with tilt sensor input” and “with ambient light” is satisfied, the second power saving mode is canceled and the normal operation mode is restored.

  The predetermined time CT2 when shifting to the second power saving mode is set to a time (for example, several days) longer than the predetermined time CT1 when shifting to the first power saving mode. As described above, by controlling to cancel the power saving mode only under the condition of “key input”, even if the user enters the power saving mode for a long time in a dimly lit room, The clock display can be resumed by operating the keys.

  Also, when the power saving mode is canceled only by “with tilt sensor input” by controlling to cancel the power saving mode when the logical product (AND) condition of “with tilt sensor input” and “with ambient light” is satisfied For example, when the clock is hidden in a desk drawer or the like, it is possible to avoid the power saving mode being released in response to the movement of the drawer. Also, for example, if you go to the power saving mode at night by being left on a desk or other furniture before going to bed, and you go out without carrying the clock the next day, However, it is possible to prevent the power saving mode from being canceled simply by hitting the morning light. In the present embodiment, a modification using an acceleration sensor instead of the tilt sensor is also conceivable.

  Next, the control by the microcomputer 10 for enabling the shift to the power saving mode and the cancellation as shown in FIG. 2 will be described more specifically with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the process is started, the microcomputer 20 first performs a time measurement process based on a signal from the time measurement circuit 23 (step S1). Subsequently, various processes such as addition of a timer counter, radio wave reception, alarm, and display are executed (steps S2 and S3). The timer counter includes a timer counter 1 for the first power saving mode and a timer counter 2 for the second power saving mode. Thereafter, determination of input from the operation means 26, determination of input from the inclination sensor 25, and determination from the light discrimination circuit 24 are performed (steps S4, S5, S6). Next, referring to the internal mode flag, it is determined whether the current mode is the normal operation mode, the first power saving mode, or the second power saving mode, and the subsequent processing branches depending on the determination result. (Step S7).

  If the result of determination in step S7 is that the current mode is “normal operation mode”, the process proceeds to step S8, where “no key input”, “no tilt sensor input”, and “no ambient light” conditions Is determined. If it is determined as YES (affirmed), the process proceeds to step S9 to determine whether or not the current time is after a predetermined time T1 and before a predetermined time T2.

  When the current time is between T1 and T2 (for example, PM 10:00 to AM 6:00), the duration from when the above condition is established with reference to the value of the timer counter 1 is a predetermined time CT1 (for example, 30 It is determined whether it is longer than minutes to 1 hour (step S10). As a result of the determination, if the duration is longer than the predetermined time CT1, the mode flag is set to “first power saving mode” in the next step S11, and the mode is shifted to the first power saving mode. Further, the timer counter 1 is cleared and the process returns to the start (step S12).

  On the other hand, if the determination in step S9 is NO (No), the process immediately returns to step S1 and the above process is repeated. If the determination in step S10 is NO (No), the process proceeds to step S13, the timer counter 1 is cleared, the mode flag is set to “normal operation mode”, and the clock display is reset to the current time. After that, the process returns to the start (steps S14 and S15).

  If the result of determination in step S7 is that the current mode is “first power saving mode”, the process proceeds to step S16, where “key input is present”, “inclination sensor input is present”, “ambient light is present” It is determined whether the condition “” is satisfied. If it is determined as YES (Yes), the process jumps to step S13 to clear the timer counter and cancel the first power saving mode. The timer counter in this case is the timer counter 1.

  On the other hand, if “NO” in the step S16, the value of the timer counter 2 is referred to and it is determined whether or not the duration after the above condition is satisfied is longer than a predetermined time CT2 (for example, several days) (step S17). ). As a result of the determination, if the duration is longer than the predetermined time CT2, the mode flag is set to “second power saving mode” in the next step S18, and the mode is shifted to the second power saving mode. In step S19, the timer counter 2 is cleared, and then the process jumps to step S12 to clear the timer counter 1 and return to the start.

  If the result of determination in step S7 is that the current mode is “second power saving mode”, the process proceeds to step S20, where “key input is present”, “inclination sensor input is present”, “ambient light is present” It is determined whether the condition “” is satisfied. If it is determined as YES (Yes), the process jumps to step S13 to clear the timer counter and cancel the second power saving mode. The timer counter in this case is the timer counter 2. On the other hand, if NO in step S20, the process returns to step S1 without doing anything.

  Next, specific contents of various processes performed in step S3 of FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The contents of the various processes performed here differ depending on the mode set at that time.

  Therefore, in the first step S21, it is determined whether the current mode is the normal operation mode, the first power saving mode, or the second power saving mode by referring to the internal mode flag, and thereafter, depending on the determination result. The process of is branched.

  If the result of determination in step S21 is that the current mode is “normal operation mode”, processing proceeds to step S22, radio wave reception processing, alarm processing, hand movement processing by pointer driving (hand movement), display on the liquid crystal display device Processing is performed (steps S22 to S25).

  If the result of determination in step S <b> 21 is that the current mode is “first power saving mode”, the process proceeds to step S <b> 26 to perform radio wave reception processing and alarm processing. The hour hand is driven to display the time, and in the display processing by the liquid crystal display device, only “SLEEP” is displayed in order to notify that it is in the power saving mode (steps S26 to S29). In the pointer-type electronic timepiece, since the rate of power consumption due to the second hand movement is relatively high, the power consumption can be considerably reduced by stopping the second hand movement. Further, in the liquid crystal display device, power consumption can be reduced by performing only “SLEEP” display, and the user can easily be informed that the device is not out of order.

  If the result of determination in step S <b> 21 is that the current mode is “second power saving mode”, the flow proceeds to step S <b> 30, and the radio wave reception process, alarm process, and hand movement process are not performed, and the liquid crystal display device Only “SLEEP” is displayed to notify that the power saving mode is set (steps S30 to S33). As a result, the power consumption is further reduced in the “second power saving mode” than in the “first power saving mode”.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, not only the ambient brightness is determined based on the output of the solar cell 31 (the presence / absence of ambient light) but also the input detection of the tilt sensor 25 is detected. By detecting the establishment of multiple conditions, such as detecting fluctuations in the body (such as tilting and moving), it is possible to determine the usage status and shift to the power saving mode without reducing usability. In addition, reliable and effective power saving can be performed. Similarly, when canceling the power saving mode, it is also possible to determine the use condition by determining whether a plurality of conditions are satisfied, and to perform more effective power saving more reliably. Since effective power saving can be performed reliably, the consumption of the secondary battery 23 can be suppressed as much as possible.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is applied to a pointer-type solar radio timepiece including a solar cell (solar cell) and an automatic winding power generator, and FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of the control system. 1 differs from the system of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that the automatic winding power generation device 28 and the power generation determination circuit 29 for determining whether or not the power generation by the automatic winding power generation device 28 is performed and the generated power of the solar cell 31 and the automatic winding power generation. The charging circuit 34 for charging the secondary battery 33 with the power generated by the device 28 is provided. In the first embodiment, the tilt sensor functions as a main body variation detection unit, whereas in the present embodiment, the power generation determination circuit 29 functions as a main body variation detection unit. Further, the power generation devices in the second embodiment are the solar cell 31 and the automatic winding power generation device 28.

  The self-winding power generation device 28 in this embodiment has a function of charging a secondary battery by rotating a weight inside when the watch body is tilted or shaken, and converting the kinetic energy into electric energy. It is what you have. The secondary battery 33 can be charged together with the power generated by the solar cell 31. The fact that the automatic winding power generation device 28 is generating power is highly likely that the user has the main body, so that it is possible to detect that the device is in use without providing a tilt sensor. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tilt sensor is omitted. When the present embodiment is applied, the input of the power generation determination circuit may be used instead of the tilt sensor input in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 2, and the other configurations can be realized by the same configuration as the first embodiment. . In addition, when providing the automatic winding electric power generating apparatus 28 like this embodiment, the form which abbreviate | omitted the solar cell 31 in FIG. 5 is also possible. In that case, an optical sensor may be provided as the light detection means.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, instead of the inclination sensor 25 of the first embodiment, the power generation determination circuit 29 that determines whether or not power generation is being performed is similarly used. In addition to determining ambient brightness based on the output of the solar cell 31 (presence / absence of ambient light), other variations (such as tilting and movement) of the main body are also detected by determining the power generation determination circuit 29. By determining whether a plurality of conditions are satisfied, it is possible to determine the usage status and shift to the power saving mode, and it is possible to reliably and effectively save power without deteriorating usability. Similarly, when canceling the power saving mode, it is also possible to determine the use condition by determining whether a plurality of conditions are satisfied, and to perform more effective power saving more reliably. Since effective power saving can be performed reliably, the consumption of the secondary battery 23 can be suppressed as much as possible. Furthermore, since power generation is performed by the solar cell 31 and the self-winding power generation device 28, more effective power generation is possible, and the charging performance of the secondary battery 23 is also improved.

  Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a pointer-type solar radio timepiece using a solar battery (solar cell) has been described. However, an electronic timepiece using a primary battery as a power source, as well as a time display using a pointer. In addition, the clock display can be applied to an electronic timepiece that performs digital display with numerals on a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, and an electronic timepiece that does not have a radio wave receiver.

  Furthermore, the present invention is effective when applied to a wristwatch type electronic timepiece, but is not limited to a wristwatch type and can also be applied to a stationary type electronic timepiece. In addition, when the automatic winding function is provided, it does not generate electricity by rotating the weight, but it winds up the spring (spring) with the rotating weight, accumulates energy, moves the hand with the restoring force of the spring, and controls the circuit of the battery It can also be applied to clocks that use energy.

It is a block diagram which shows 1st Embodiment of the control system at the time of applying this invention to the pointer-type solar radio timepiece provided with the solar cell as an example. It is explanatory drawing showing the condition of mode shift control by a microcomputer, and the mode shift mode. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process in the control system of the pointer type electronic timepiece of the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the specific content of the various processes in the flowchart of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows 2nd Embodiment of the control system at the time of applying this invention to the pointer-type solar radio timepiece provided with the solar cell and the automatic winding power generation device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Motor 12 Motor control circuit 13 Display apparatus 14 Display control circuit 15 Antenna 16 Radio wave reception control circuit 17 Sound reporting apparatus 18 Alarm control circuit 20 Microcomputer 21 Oscillation circuit 22 Dividing circuit 23 Timing circuit 24 Optical discrimination circuit 25 Inclination sensor 26 Operation Means 27 Input detection circuit 28 Automatic winding power generation device 29 Power generation discriminating circuit 30 Power supply unit 31 Solar cell 32 Solar charging circuit

Claims (9)

An oscillation means, a radio wave reception means, an operation means, a fluctuation detection means for detecting fluctuations in the main body, and a power generation means,
The first power saving state in which power consumption is low when there is no input from the operation means, no input from the fluctuation detection means, and no output from the power generation means for a predetermined time in a specific time zone Power saving start means to shift to,
A power saving canceling means for canceling the first power saving state when there is an input from the operating means, or when there is an input from the fluctuation detecting means and there is an output from the power generating means; An electronic timepiece comprising: The power saving start means has no input from the operation means and no input from the fluctuation detection means after the transition to the first power saving state, or no input from the operation means, and , When a state in which there is no output from the power generation means continues for a predetermined time, a transition is made to the second power saving state in which the power consumption is less than the first power saving state,
The power saving canceling means sets the second power saving state when there is an input from the operating means, or when there is an input from the fluctuation detecting means and there is an output from the power generating means. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the electronic timepiece is released.   3. In the first power saving state, at least the second hand among the hands performing the clock display is stopped, and in all the hands performing the clock display, the hands of all the hands performing the clock display are stopped. Electronic watch as described in.   A display device, wherein in the first power saving state and the second power saving state, a display indicating that the power saving state is present on the display device, and the display operation other than the display and the reception operation of the radio wave receiving means are stopped The electronic timepiece according to claim 2. The light detection means, the fluctuation detection means for detecting the fluctuation of the main body, the operation means operable from the outside, the power consumption state according to the presence or absence of input from the light detection means, the fluctuation detection means, and the operation means Control means for controlling,
The control means includes
The first power consumption is lower than that in the normal operation state when the input from the light detection means, the input from the fluctuation detection means, and the input from the operation means do not exist for a predetermined time or more in a specific time zone. Transition to power saving state,
In the first power saving state, the state where there is no input from the fluctuation detection unit and the operation unit, or the state where there is no input from the light detection unit and no input from the operation unit continues for a predetermined time or more. In this case, the electronic timepiece shifts to a second power saving state that consumes less power than the first power saving state. The control means includes
In the first power saving state, when there is an input from the operation means, or when there is an input from the light detection means and an input from the fluctuation detection means, the first power saving state is canceled. The electronic timepiece according to claim 5. The control means includes
In the second power saving state, the second power saving state is canceled when there is an input from the operation means or when there is an input from the light detection means and an input from the fluctuation detection means. The electronic timepiece according to claim 5 or 6.   8. The solar cell according to claim 5, further comprising: a solar cell that converts light energy into electrical energy, wherein the light detection unit includes a determination circuit that detects whether or not the solar cell is generating power. The electronic timepiece described in any one.   9. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an automatic winding power generation device, wherein the fluctuation detecting unit is configured by a determination circuit that detects whether or not the automatic winding power generation device is generating power. Electronic watch.

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