JP2011185831A - Electronic timepiece - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic timepiece capable of obtaining easily rate measurement and non-contact communication of an analog electronic timepiece where a pointer runs smoothly due to continuous pointer-running and performing assured rate measurement and highly precise rate adjustment. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic timepiece is composed to include a motor 10, a motor driving circuit 29 driving the motor 10, a timing signal producing circuit 23 producing various timing signals, a driving pulse shaping circuit 24 producing and outputting driving pulse P10 for driving the motor 10, a rate pulse shaping circuit 25 producing and outputting rate pulse P11, an external inputting circuit 26 outputting external operation signal P1 by operation of a crown 3, and a control circuit 27 switching to control the driving pulse P10 and the rate pulse P11 with the external operation signal P1 to output into a motor driving circuit 29. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to improvement in rate measurement and non-contact communication with an external device in an analog electronic timepiece having a continuous hand movement.

  Conventionally, the hands of an analog electronic timepiece having a pointer display are generally performed at a cycle of 1 second. Further, an analog timepiece having a continuous hand movement (referred to as a sweep hand movement) that smoothly moves a hand that is being reviewed recently is also disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The analog electronic timepiece disclosed in Patent Document 1 is normally operated in 8 steps per second, and when the time is delayed, the switch is operated to move the hands to 16 steps per second. Correct the delay. When the time is advanced, the switch is operated to correct the advance by moving the hand to 4 steps per second. Accordingly, it is shown that the movement of the pointer seems to move continuously visually, and that the time can be corrected by a simple operation.

  In recent years, electronic watches have been improved in accuracy, and so-called yearly watches, which show the error of time delay of the watch in units of one year, have been commercialized. Since this yearly clock needs to adjust the rate of the watch with high accuracy, it has a means to adjust the rate according to the oscillation frequency of the quartz crystal that is the time reference to be mounted, and when the movement is completed, In general, a method of performing high-accuracy rate adjustment and storing the adjustment data in a memory of an internal circuit is common. However, when a movement with an adjusted rate is incorporated into the watch exterior, the oscillation frequency of the quartz crystal fluctuates due to changes in the stray capacitance of the circuit or stress on the quartz crystal, resulting in a deviation in the rate of the finished watch. There's a problem.

  For this reason, it is necessary to adjust the final rate after the movement is incorporated into the exterior. To solve this problem, communication is performed in which the watch and the external device communicate with each other in a non-contact manner to adjust the rate (frequency adjustment). A system is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  In this electronic timepiece transmission / reception system disclosed in Patent Document 2, a motor coil of an analog electronic timepiece and a coil of an external device are magnetically coupled in close proximity, and the interval between driving pulses for driving the motor is used. This is a non-contact communication technology for transmitting / receiving data to / from an apparatus, and is intended for adjusting the rate. Here, the external device transmits data in synchronism with the timing of the drive pulse by the 1-second hand movement of the analog timepiece. On the other hand, the analog timepiece sets the motor coil to high impedance in accordance with the transmission timing, and receives data by the electromotive force induced in the coil.

  As a result, the watch can perform data communication with an external device in a non-contact manner, so that communication in a state in which the movement is incorporated in the exterior of the watch is possible, and the rate of the watch that has been assembled into the exterior can be adjusted. It has been shown.

JP 55-16238 A (2nd page, FIG. 3) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-84028 (page 4, FIG. 2)

However, the continuous electronic analog timepiece disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is difficult to measure the rate of the timepiece using a widely used analog electronic timepiece rate measuring device. In other words, the rate measuring device for analog electronic clocks that are generally used detects an electromagnetic pulse leaking from a motor driven by a driving pulse that is output every second, assuming that the hand moves once per second (1 Hz). And measure the rate. Depending on the timepiece, a rate pulse may be output immediately before the drive pulse for the rate measurement. This rate pulse is also a signal once per second.

  However, in the case of continuous hand movement, a large number (for example, 8 times or 16 times) of electromagnetic pulses leaking from the watch motor are generated per second. On the other hand, as described above, a general rate measuring instrument is designed on the assumption that the hand moves once per second, and therefore cannot detect an electromagnetic pulse with a short cycle. Even if it can be detected, an electromagnetic pulse with a short cycle is easily recognized as a noise component, and stable rate measurement is difficult.

  Similarly, the transmission / reception system of the electronic timepiece disclosed in Patent Document 2 communicates with an external device using the interval between driving pulses output once per second, assuming that the hand of the analog timepiece is once per second. It is assumed that However, in the case of an analog timepiece with a continuous hand movement, since driving pulses are frequently output, communication using intervals between driving pulses is difficult because there is no time margin. In addition, since a drive current frequently flows through the motor coil, a lot of electrical noise is generated thereby, which hinders communication. Further, even if communication is possible, it is necessary to modify a conventional external device based on an analog clock with a one-second hand movement, and new capital investment is indispensable.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide an electronic timepiece that can easily realize rate measurement and non-contact communication by a motor coil in an analog timepiece with continuous movement.

  In order to solve the above problems, the electronic timepiece of the present invention employs the following configuration.

  An electronic timepiece according to the present invention includes a motor, a motor drive circuit that drives the motor, a timing signal generation circuit that generates various timing signals, and a timing signal output from the timing signal generation circuit. A drive pulse shaping circuit that creates and outputs a drive pulse for driving, and a rate pulse shaping circuit that inputs a timing signal output from the timing signal creation circuit and creates and outputs a rate pulse for measuring the rate And an external input circuit that outputs an external operation signal by operation of the external operation member, and a control circuit that controls the output state of the drive pulse and the rate pulse to the motor drive circuit by the external operation signal, To do.

  Thereby, since the output of the drive pulse and the rate pulse can be controlled by operating the external operation member, the drive pulse can be stopped and only the rate pulse can be output when measuring the rate of the watch. This makes it possible to reliably measure the rate of the watch.

  The drive pulse is output at a cycle shorter than 1 second, the rate pulse is output at a cycle of N seconds (N is a natural number of N ≧ 1), and the control circuit outputs the drive pulse by the input of an external operation signal. It stops and outputs a rate pulse.

  Thereby, since a drive pulse is output with a period shorter than 1 second, continuous hand movement can be performed. Further, since the rate pulse is output at a cycle of 1 second or longer than 1 second, the rate of the watch can be reliably measured by a general rate measuring device.

In addition, a communication pulse for receiving a signal from an external device by a motor is generated by inputting a timing signal output from the timing signal generating circuit, and a communication pulse generating circuit for outputting to the motor driving circuit is provided. The communication pulse generating circuit is characterized in that the output of the communication pulse is permitted by the input of an external operation signal.

  Thereby, since the signal from the external device can be received by the motor, non-contact communication is possible. As a result, the frequency can be adjusted while the movement is placed in the watch exterior, and the rate adjustment with high accuracy of the watch can be realized.

  The motor is a two-pole step motor, the motor drive circuit has two terminals for driving the two-pole step motor, the rate pulse and the communication pulse are output from the same two terminals, and the 2 The signal is output only from one of the terminals.

  As a result, the characteristic difference between the two terminals of the motor drive circuit can be eliminated, and stable rate measurement and non-contact communication can be realized.

  The external operation member is a crown, and when the crown is operated to a position different from the normal position, an external operation signal is output from an external input circuit.

This makes it possible to perform rate measurement and non-contact communication with a simple operation of the crown, improving workability in the watch adjustment process, and excellent maintenance when the watch is on the market. .
In addition, since the function of stopping the pointer and adjusting the time by operating the crown two-step pulling is mounted on almost all general analog electronic watches, the present invention does not add any special external operation member or specifications. Can be realized.

  According to the electronic timepiece of the present invention, it is possible to easily realize rate measurement and non-contact communication of an analog timepiece whose hands are smoothly moved by continuous hand movements that have been reviewed recently, and reliable rate measurement and highly accurate rate adjustment. It is possible to provide an electronic watch that can

It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the electronic timepiece of embodiment of this invention. 1 is an external view of an electronic timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement order of embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart explaining operation | movement of embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart explaining the drive pulse of the embodiment of the present invention. It is a timing chart explaining the rate pulse and communication pulse of embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement order of non-contact communication of embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart explaining the basic principle of non-contact communication of an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the relationship between the electronic timepiece of embodiment of this invention and an external device. It is a flowchart explaining the modification of the non-contact communication operation | movement of embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the other modification of the non-contact communication operation | movement of embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[Description of Internal Configuration of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIG. 1]
First, an example of the overall configuration of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is the electronic timepiece of the embodiment. The electronic timepiece 1 includes a crystal resonator 2 that generates a time reference signal,
It comprises a crown 3 as an external operation member, a battery 5, a display unit 6 including a second hand, a minute hand, an hour hand, a motor 10 for driving the display unit 6, an electronic circuit 20, and the like. The electronic timepiece 1 includes a train wheel that transmits the rotational force from the motor 10 to the display unit 6, but the illustration is omitted.

  Reference numeral 100 denotes an external device, which includes a rate measuring device, a rate adjusting device, or the like. Although not shown here, a coil inside the external device 100 and the motor 10 of the electronic timepiece 1 are electromagnetically coupled by a magnetic flux M. Send or receive signals without contact.

  As an example, the crystal unit 2 has an oscillation frequency of 32,768 Hz and is connected to the electronic circuit 20. The crown 3 as an external operation member outputs a signal corresponding to the operation position of the crown 3 and inputs it to the electronic circuit 20. The external operation member is not limited to the crown, and may be a push button switch or the like. The battery 5 outputs a predetermined voltage and is supplied to the electronic circuit 20 to be a power source for driving the electronic circuit 20. The motor 10 is a two-pole step motor, has a two-terminal coil 11, and a drive signal described later is output from the electronic circuit 20 to the two terminals of the coil 11.

  Next, the internal configuration of the electronic circuit 20 will be described. The electronic circuit 20 is responsible for all control of the electronic timepiece 1 and is constituted by a one-chip IC, but may be constituted by a plurality of chips according to functions. An oscillation circuit 21 is connected to the crystal resonator 2 to oscillate and outputs a reference signal P2 of 32,768 Hz. The oscillation circuit 21 has a function of finely adjusting the oscillation frequency by switching a built-in capacitor (not shown) according to a control signal described later.

  Reference numeral 22 denotes a frequency dividing circuit, which receives the reference signal P2 and divides it by a predetermined frequency dividing ratio and outputs a frequency divided signal P3. The frequency dividing circuit 22 has a function of switching the frequency dividing ratio by a control signal described later and adjusting the frequency of the frequency divided signal P3 that is an output. Reference numeral 23 denotes a timing signal generation circuit which receives the frequency-divided signal P3 and outputs a plurality of timing signals P4, P5, and P6.

  A drive pulse shaping circuit 24 receives a timing signal P4 and a rotation detection signal P7 described later, and outputs a drive pulse P10 for driving the motor 10. The drive pulse P10 is composed of a pulse group having a cycle earlier than 1 second in order to continuously move the pointer, and details will be described later.

  Reference numeral 25 denotes a rate pulse shaping circuit, which inputs a timing signal P5 and outputs a rate pulse P11 having a 1-second cycle for measuring the rate. An external input circuit 26 inputs a signal from the crown 3 and outputs an external operation signal P1 corresponding to the operation of the crown 3. Further, if there is an external operation member other than the crown 3 (not shown), the external input circuit 26 inputs a signal from the member and outputs an external operation signal P1. Here, the external operation signal P1 may be a plurality of signals for each external operation member, or may be a signal converted into serial data or the like.

  A control circuit 27 receives an external operation signal P1, a drive pulse P10, and a rate pulse P11, selects either the drive pulse P10 or the rate pulse P11 in accordance with the external operation signal P1, and selects a motor. Output as signal P12.

  A communication pulse generating circuit 28 receives the timing signal P6 and the external operation signal P1, and outputs a communication pulse P13. The communication pulse P13 is a signal for performing non-contact communication with the external device 100. The communication pulse generating circuit 28 operates so as to permit the output of the communication pulse P13 in response to the input of the external operation signal P1.

A motor drive circuit 29 receives the motor signal P12 and the communication pulse signal P13, and outputs drive signals from the two drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2. The motor drive circuit 29 has two buffer circuits (not shown) with low impedance outputs, and the outputs are connected to the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2. The two buffer circuits have a function of opening one of the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 when the communication pulse signal P13 is input. The drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 are respectively connected to the two terminals of the coil 11 of the motor 10, whereby the motor 10 is driven by the motor drive circuit 29.

  Reference numeral 30 denotes an electromotive force detection circuit, which receives an electromotive force V1 from drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 connected to both ends of the coil 11 of the motor 10, detects an electromotive force from the coil 11, and outputs a rotation detection signal P7. The reception signal P8 received from the external device 100 is output.

  Reference numeral 31 denotes a communication control circuit which receives and decodes the received signal P8, acquires rate adjustment data, and controls a frequency division control signal P14 for controlling the frequency dividing ratio of the frequency dividing circuit 22, and a capacitor ( An oscillation control signal P15 for switching (not shown) is output. The communication control circuit 31 includes a nonvolatile memory (not shown), and stores rate adjustment data obtained by decoding the received signal P8.

  Here, the electronic circuit 20 is characterized by the control circuit 27. That is, the control circuit 27 controls the output state of the drive pulse P10 and the rate pulse P11 to the motor drive circuit 29 by the external operation signal P1, and outputs the drive pulse P10 according to the operation position of the crown 3. Whether to output the rate pulse P11 is selected. Here, the operation of outputting the drive pulse P10 is defined as a normal hand movement mode, and the operation of outputting the rate pulse P11 is defined as a rate measurement mode. The operation of the block diagram of FIG. 1 will be described using a flowchart (FIG. 3) and a timing chart (FIGS. 4 to 6 and the like) described later.

[External appearance and operation description of electronic timepiece of embodiment: FIG. 2]
Next, an example of the appearance and operation of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the external appearance of the electronic timepiece 1 is constituted by a display unit 6, an exterior 7 made of metal, a crown 3, and the like. Reference numeral 8 denotes a band for mounting the electronic timepiece 1 on the user's arm.

  The display unit 6 includes a second hand 6a, a minute hand 6b, an hour hand 6c, a date plate 6d for displaying a date, and the like. The crown 3 is arranged in the 3 o'clock direction on the side surface of the exterior 7 and is close to the exterior 7 in a normal position, and a part of the crown 3 is placed in the exterior 7, but a user (not shown) By pushing and pulling the crown 3 in the axial direction of the arrow A by the operation of the above, it moves to the first-stage pulling position that is slightly away from the exterior 7 and the second-stage pulling position that is the position farthest from the exterior 7 I can do it.

  Here, at the normal position where the crown 3 is fitted into the exterior 7, the electronic timepiece 1 continues the continuous hand movement in the normal hand movement mode. Further, in the one-step pulling position where the crown 3 is pulled by one step, the date can be corrected by rotating the crown 3 and moving the date plate 6d. Further, at the two-step pulling position where the crown 3 is pulled by two steps, the time can be adjusted by rotating the crown 3 and moving the pointer. Further, at the two-step pulling position of the crown 3, as will be described in detail later, the procedure shifts to a rate measurement mode in which continuous hand movement is stopped and a non-contact communication operation added to the rate measurement mode.

  The operation for shifting to the rate measurement mode is not limited. For example, the crown 3 may be pulled in one step. Although not shown, the operation buttons other than the crown 3 are provided on the side surface of the exterior 7 and the like. You may shift to the rate measurement mode by pressing the button.

[Description of Basic Operation Flow of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIGS. 1, 2, and 3]
Next, the basic operation flow of the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that FIG. 1 is referred to for the internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1, and FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the electronic circuit 20 of the electronic timepiece 1 outputs an external operation signal P1 according to the operation position of the crown 3 by the external input circuit 26, and determines whether the crown 3 has been pulled by two stages (ST1). Here, if the determination is affirmative (the crown 3 is in the 2-step pull position), the process proceeds to the next ST2, and if the determination is negative (the crown 3 is the normal position), the process proceeds to ST8.

  If a negative determination is made in ST1, the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 1 becomes the normal hand movement mode, and the control circuit 27 of the electronic circuit 20 selects the drive pulse P10 from the drive pulse shaping circuit 24 and outputs it as the motor signal P12. To do. That is, in the normal hand movement mode, the motor signal P12 output from the control circuit 27 is the same signal as the drive pulse P10. The motor drive circuit 29 receives the motor signal P12, and alternately outputs drive pulses P10 from the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2. The motor 10 is moved at a speed of 16 Hz as an example, and the second hand 6a of the display unit 6 is continuously continuous. Move the hand (ST8).

  After the output of the drive pulse P10, the electronic circuit 20 returns to ST1 again to check the operation position of the crown 3. If the crown 3 is in the normal position, the normal hand movement mode is continued and the output of the drive pulse P10 (ST8). ) Is repeated, the display unit 6 continues the continuous hand movement. The detailed description of the drive pulse P10 will be described later.

  If an affirmative determination is made in ST1, the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 1 is the rate measurement mode, and the control circuit 27 stops selecting the drive pulse P10 and selects the rate pulse P11. That is, the control circuit 27 switches the normal hand movement mode to the rate measurement mode by the external operation signal P1, stops the output of the drive pulse P10, and outputs the rate pulse P11 as the motor signal P12. As a result, the output of the drive pulse P10 from the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 stops (ST2). Therefore, the display unit 6 stops the continuous hand movement.

  Next, the control circuit 27 determines whether the last output when the drive pulse P10 is stopped is output from the drive terminal OUT1 or the drive terminal OUT2, and the final output drive terminal OUT1 or OUT2 Is stored (ST3).

  Next, since the operation mode is switched to the rate measurement mode, the control circuit 27 outputs the rate pulse P11 as the motor signal P12, and the motor drive circuit 29 is based on the stored information in which the drive pulse P10 is output last. Then, the rate pulse P11 is output from the drive terminal (ST4). That is, when the drive pulse P10 is stopped in ST2, if the last output drive pulse P10 is output from the drive terminal OUT1, the rate pulse P11 is continuously output from the drive terminal OUT1. Further, when the drive pulse P10 is stopped at ST2, if the last output drive pulse P10 is output from the drive terminal OUT2, the rate pulse P11 is continuously output from the drive terminal OUT2.

  As a result, since the rate pulse P11 is output only from one of the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2, the characteristic difference between the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 of the motor drive circuit 29 can be eliminated, and stable rate measurement can be realized. . Further, since the rate pulse P11 is output from the same drive terminal as the last output drive pulse P10, it is possible to reliably prevent the motor 10 from being driven and rotated by the rate pulse P11. A detailed description of the rate pulse will be described later.

Next, since the operation mode is switched to the rate measurement mode by the external operation signal P1, the communication pulse generating circuit 28 is permitted to output the communication pulse P13 and performs non-contact communication with the external device 100 (ST5). .

  Here, the communication pulse generation circuit 28 outputs a plurality of communication pulses P13 synchronized with the rate pulse P11 based on the input timing signal P6, and temporarily turns the coil 11 of the motor 10 at the timing of the communication pulse P13. Use impedance. Thereby, the coil 11 becomes a high impedance, so that a signal from the external device 100 can be received in a non-contact manner. A detailed description of the non-contact communication operation will be described later.

   Next, the control circuit 27 inputs the external operation signal P1, and determines whether or not the crown 3 is continuously pulled (ST6). Here, if a negative determination is made (the crown has returned to the normal position), the process proceeds to ST8, shifts to the normal hand movement mode, stops the rate pulse P11, and outputs the drive pulse P10. The normal hand movement mode is continued until the stage is drawn.

  If the determination in ST6 is affirmative (the crown continues the 2-step position), the electronic timepiece 1 continues the rate measurement mode, and the control circuit 27 determines whether 1 second has elapsed since the output of the previous rate pulse P11. Determine (ST7). Here, if it is less than 1 second, ST6 and ST7 are repeated and the process waits until 1 second elapses.

  Next, when 1 second elapses in ST7, the control of the control circuit 27 returns to ST4 and outputs the rate pulse P11 again as the motor signal P12, and the motor drive circuit 29 outputs the rate pulse P11 to the same drive terminal OUT1, Or it outputs from OUT2 (ST4). Thereafter, the operation from ST4 to ST7 is repeated until the crown 3 returns to the normal position.

  That is, the electronic timepiece according to the present invention performs a continuous hand movement in which the pointer moves smoothly as a normal hand movement mode when the crown 3 as an external operation member is in the normal position, and the crown 3 is operated to make two steps different from the normal position. When the pulling position is reached, the mode shifts to a rate measurement mode for measuring the rate, the continuous hand movement is stopped, and a rate pulse P11 for measuring the rate is supplied to the motor 10 every second. It is possible to carry out a typical rate measurement every second. In the rate measurement mode, non-contact communication with the external device 100 can also be performed, and stable non-contact communication can be realized by outputting the communication pulse P13 in synchronization with the rate pulse P11.

[Description of Operation of Normal Hand Movement Mode and Rate Measurement Mode of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIGS. 1 and 4]
Next, an example of drive pulses and rate pulses in the normal hand movement mode and the rate measurement mode of the embodiment will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. The internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1 is referred to FIG.

  In FIG. 4, when the external operation signal P1 is logic “0”, the crown 3 is in the normal position, and the electronic timepiece 1 is in the normal hand movement mode. When the crown 3 is pulled by two stages, the external operation signal P1 becomes logic “1” (timing T1), and the electronic timepiece 1 shifts to the rate measurement mode.

  When the electronic timepiece 1 is in the normal hand movement mode, the drive pulses P10 are continuously output from the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 alternately at an interval of 16 Hz (period 62.5 mS). The drive pulse P10 is actually composed of a plurality of pulse groups, and details of the drive pulse P10 will be described later. Here, the drive pulse P10 is not limited to an interval of 16 Hz, but is a continuous hand movement, and therefore, the drive pulse P10 is output with a cycle shorter than the 1 second cycle.

When the electronic timepiece 1 is in the rate measurement mode, the rate pulse P11 is output at a cycle of 1 second from the drive terminal to which the drive pulse P10 is output last. In FIG. 4, immediately before shifting to the rate measurement mode, the drive terminal to which the drive pulse P10 was last output is OUT2, so the rate pulse P11 is continuously output from the drive terminal OUT2. Here, the cycle of the rate pulse P11 is not limited to 1 second, but normal rate measurement can be performed by a general rate measuring device by outputting the cycle at N seconds (N is a natural number of N ≧ 1). Become. Details of the rate pulse P11 will be described later.

  When the crown 3 returns to the normal position, the external operation signal P1 becomes logic “0” again (timing T2), and the electronic timepiece 1 returns to the normal hand movement mode. When returning to the normal hand movement mode, the first drive pulse P10 is output from a drive terminal different from the drive terminal from which the drive pulse P10 was last output, and thereafter, the drive pulse P10 is alternately output from the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 to 16 Hz ( Are output continuously at intervals of 62.5 mS).

  In FIG. 4, since the last output drive pulse P10 is output from the drive terminal OUT2 immediately before the timing T1, the first drive pulse P10 that has returned to the normal hand movement mode at the timing T2 is output from the drive terminal OUT1. Is output. By this operation, the motor 10 which is a two-pole step motor can be sequentially rotated every time the drive pulse P10 is output without causing a rotation error.

[Detailed Description of Driving Pulse of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIGS. 1 and 5]
Next, an example of the drive pulse in the normal hand movement mode of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the timing chart of FIG. The internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1 is referred to FIG.

  In FIG. 5, when the drive pulse P10 is output from the drive terminal OUT1 (timing T10), the next drive pulse P10 is output from the drive terminal OUT2 after 62.5 mS (timing T20). Further, after 62.5 mS from the timing T20, the driving pulse P10 is output again from the driving terminal OUT1 (timing T30). Thus, the drive pulse P10 is alternately output from the two drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2.

  The drive pulse P10 is composed of a plurality of pulses as shown in the figure, and the total pulse width of the plurality of pulses is about 5 mS as an example. Further, after the drive pulse P10 is output (timing T11), after a predetermined period has elapsed, the correction pulse P10a is output from the timing T12. The correction pulse P10a is a pulse that compensates for the drive pulse P10 output by detecting the rotation state when the motor 10 cannot be rotated by the drive pulse P10.

  The correction pulse P10a is also composed of a plurality of pulses, and its pulse width is wider than that of the drive pulse P10, and is about 12 mS as an example. Here, the period from timing T11 to T12 between the drive pulse P10 and the correction pulse P10a is several tens of ms, and this period is a rotation detection period K for detecting whether the motor 10 is rotated correctly by the drive pulse P10. .

  During this rotation detection period K, one of the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 connected to both terminals of the coil 11 of the motor 10 serves as an oven, and the electromotive force detection circuit 30 inputs the electromotive force V1 from the coil 11 and receives the motor 10. The rotation detection signal P7 is output to the drive pulse shaping circuit 24 when it is determined that the rotation is insufficient. That is, as shown in the figure, the rotation detection signal P7 is output in a rotation detection period K between timings T11 and T12.

Here, when the rotation detection signal P7 is input, the drive pulse shaping circuit 24 outputs a correction pulse P10a at timing T12 to compensate for insufficient rotation of the motor 10 so that the motor 10 always rotates normally. A technique for outputting the correction pulse P10a in accordance with the rotation state of the motor 10 is known, but a maximum of 48 mS from timing T10 at which the drive pulse P10 starts to output to timing T13 at which the correction pulse P10a ends output. A degree is required.

  Here, when the electronic timepiece 1 moves continuously and moves the hands smoothly, the drive pulse P10 is preferably driven at 16 Hz (period 62.5 mS) as described above. In this case, the drive pulse P10 If the time from the start to the end of the correction pulse P10a is about 48 mS, the pause period during which no pulse is output is only about 14.5 mS.

  Here, in the case of a conventional 1-second hand-operated timepiece, the suspension period is sufficiently long, so that the contactless communication with the external device can be performed using the suspension period. However, in the case of continuous hand movement in which the second hand moves smoothly as in the present invention, since the pause period is extremely short and is repeated in a short cycle as described above, it is possible to perform non-contact communication with an external device. It is extremely difficult.

  Also in the rate measurement by the rate measuring device, as shown in FIG. 5, since the drive pulse P10 and the correction pulse P10a are continuously output in a short cycle, the motor 10 generates a continuous electromagnetic pulse. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to measure the rate of such a continuous hand analog watch with high accuracy in a rate measuring device based on the assumption that a rate measurement is performed by detecting an electromagnetic pulse generated at a cycle of 1 second. Understandable.

[Detailed Description of Rate Pulse of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIGS. 1 and 6]
Next, an example of the rate pulse in the rate measurement mode of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the timing chart of FIG. The internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1 is referred to FIG. As described above, the rate measurement mode is a mode in which when the crown 3 is pulled by two stages, the continuous operation driving pulse P10 is stopped and the rate pulse P11 is output every second.

  FIG. 6 shows the output state of the drive terminal OUT2 in the rate measurement mode, and the rate pulse P11 is output from the drive terminal OUT2 every second. As described above, the rate pulse P11 is output from the drive terminal to which the drive pulse P10 immediately before shifting to the rate measurement mode is output last. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 6, the rate pulse P11 is output from the drive terminal OUT2, but may be output from the drive terminal OUT1.

  By supplying this rate pulse P11 to the coil 11 of the motor 10, an electromagnetic pulse having a period of 1 second is generated from the coil, and a rate measuring instrument (not shown) can measure the rate of the electronic timepiece 1. . Further, the pulse width of the rate pulse P11 is about 32 μS as an example, which is a very narrow pulse width, but the rate measuring device can sufficiently detect an electromagnetic pulse even with a narrow pulse width. Further, since the pulse width is narrow, the motor 10 is not operated by the rate pulse P11, and since the current flowing through the motor 10 is small, the battery life of the electronic timepiece is not affected.

In FIG. 6, when performing non-contact communication with the external device 100 (see FIG. 1), the communication pulse generation circuit 28 outputs the communication pulse P13 in synchronization with the rate pulse P11.
The communication pulse P13 is composed of a plurality of pulse groups having a narrow pulse width, and is output about 125 mS after the rate pulse P11 as an example.

The pulse width of the communication pulse P13 is about 32 μS as an example, the pulse interval is about 1 mS, and the period from the start to the end of the output of the communication pulse P13 is about 30 mS as an example. When this communication pulse P13 is input to the motor drive circuit 29, one of the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 connected to both terminals of the coil 11 of the motor 10 becomes an oven.
The electromotive force detection circuit 30 receives the electromotive force V1 from the coil 11 via the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 at the timing of the communication pulse P13, and receives a signal from the external device 100. The details of the non-contact communication will be described later as an explanation of the operation principle.

  Thus, the communication pulse P13 for performing non-contact communication requires a period of 150 mS or more with reference to the rate signal P11, and an analog timepiece that performs continuous hand movement has insufficient communication time and performs non-contact communication. I can't. However, since the electronic timepiece of the present invention performs contactless communication using the rate measurement mode, contactless communication can be performed with a sufficient margin as shown in FIG.

[Description of Operation Flow of Non-Contact Communication of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIGS. 1 and 7]
Next, the operation flow of non-contact communication in the rate measurement mode of the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1 is referred to FIG. Further, the non-contact communication technology of this electronic timepiece is publicly known, and details are disclosed in Patent Document 2. Therefore, in the present invention, the basic operation flow (FIG. 7) and the basic principle (described later in FIG. 8) are outlined. explain. The non-contact communication according to the present embodiment will be described as an example in which the rate adjustment of the electronic timepiece is performed based on the received data.

  In FIG. 7, the communication pulse generating circuit 28 outputs a plurality of communication pulses P13 in a predetermined cycle after a predetermined period from the output of the rate pulse P11 by the timing signal P6 (ST11). Here, as described above, the predetermined period from the rate pulse P11 is about 125 mS as an example, and the period of the communication pulse P13 is about 1 mS (see FIG. 6).

  Next, the electromotive force detection circuit 30 of the electronic circuit 20 determines whether or not the electromotive force V1 is generated from the motor 10 by the magnetic flux M from the external device 100 and reception from the external device 100 can be detected (ST12). Here, if the electromotive force detection circuit 30 can detect the reception, the process proceeds to the next ST13, and if the reception cannot be detected, the non-contact communication operation is terminated.

  Next, if the electromotive force detection circuit 30 detects the electromotive force V1 from the external device 100 in ST12 and determines that there is reception, the electromotive force V1 from the motor 10 is waveform-shaped and output as a reception signal P8. (ST13). Here, the received signal P8 is a signal synchronized with the communication pulse P13, and details will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, the communication control circuit 31 of the electronic circuit 20 receives and decodes the received signal P8, and obtains received data from the external device 100 (ST14).

  Next, the communication control circuit 31 inputs the decoded received data to a built-in memory (not shown), and rewrites the contents of the memory with the new received data (ST15). Here, if the electronic timepiece of the present embodiment performs the rate adjustment using the received data as an example, the data rewritten in the memory of the communication control circuit 31 is the rate adjustment data. Note that data received from the external device 100 is not limited, and may be any type of data.

  Next, the communication control circuit 31 outputs the frequency division control signal P14 and the oscillation control signal P15 based on the new rate adjustment data rewritten in the memory, and adjusts the rate of the electronic timepiece 1 (ST16). As described above, the basic operation flow of non-contact communication is completed by ST10 to ST16.

[Description of Operation Principle of Non-Contact Communication of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIGS. 1 and 8]
Next, the operation principle of non-contact communication in the rate measurement mode of the embodiment will be described using the timing chart of FIG. The internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1 is referred to FIG. Further, since the non-contact communication technology of this electronic timepiece is known, an outline of the basic principle will be described here.

  In FIG. 8, a rate pulse P11 is output every second from the drive terminal OUT2 of the electronic timepiece 1 which has shifted to the rate measurement mode. When a plurality of communication pulses P13 are output in synchronization with the rate pulse P11, the motor drive circuit 29 opens and connects the drive terminal OUT2 on the side where the rate pulse P11 is output with the communication pulse P13. The coil 11 is temporarily made high impedance at the timing of the narrow pulse width of the communication pulse P13. That is, the rate pulse P11 and the communication pulse P13 are output from the same one of the two drive terminals.

  On the other hand, the external device 100 has a communication coil (described later) for transmission and reception. When the rate pulse P11 of the electronic timepiece 1 is detected by the communication coil, the external device 100 has a predetermined frequency in synchronization with the timing of the received rate pulse P11. An AC signal E is supplied to the communication coil to generate a magnetic flux M. Here, the external device 100 employs a phase modulation method in which the transmission data is put on the AC signal E by changing the phase of the AC signal E according to the logic of each bit using the data to be transmitted as serial data.

  For example, as shown in the figure, when the transmission data is 7 bits and the data is logic “1101101”, the external device 100 determines the phase of the AC signal E at the first logic “11” as follows. At the next logic “0”, the phase of the AC signal E is inverted by 180 degrees and output. Further, since the next data is logic “1”, the phase of the AC signal E is returned to 180 degrees and output again. Similarly, the phase is inverted by 180 degrees according to the logic of the transmission data.

  As a result, the AC signal E whose phase changes by 180 degrees in accordance with the transmission data is supplied to the communication coil of the external device 100. Therefore, if the electronic timepiece 1 is placed at a position close to the communication coil, the electronic timepiece 1 The electromotive force V1 having substantially the same phase as the AC signal E output from the external device 100 is generated at both ends of the coil 11 of the motor 10.

  Here, since the coil 11 of the motor 10 temporarily becomes high impedance at the timing of the communication pulse P13 as described above, the electromotive force V1 is actually applied to both ends of the coil 11 at the timing at which the communication pulse P13 is output. Is generated in a pulse shape, and is held at the same potential as the plus voltage VDD at other timings. As a result, the electromotive force V1 is transmitted to the drive terminals OUT1 and OUT2 connected to both ends of the coil 11 at the timing of the communication pulse P13.

  FIG. 8 shows the electromotive force V1 transmitted to the drive terminal OUT2. The electromotive force detection circuit 30 shapes the electromotive force V1 transmitted to the drive terminal OUT2 at the timing of the communication pulse P13 and outputs it as a reception signal P8. The communication control circuit 31 receives the reception signal P8. Store as received data.

  Here, an example of waveform shaping performed by the electromotive force detection circuit 30 at the timing of the communication pulse P13 will be described. In FIG. 8, when the AC signal E is a positive potential at the timing of the communication pulse P13, the electromotive force V1 transmitted to the drive terminal OUT2 is a voltage close to the positive voltage VDD. "And a pulse synchronized with the communication pulse P13 is generated. Further, when the AC signal E is at a negative potential at the timing of the communication pulse P13, the electromotive force V1 transmitted to the drive terminal OUT2 is a voltage close to the negative voltage VSS, so that the received signal P8 is logical “0”. And no pulse is generated.

Therefore, as shown in the figure, the received data P8 is output with the first, second, fourth, fifth and seventh bits of the communication pulse P13, and no pulse is output with the third and sixth bits. . Thereby, the communication control circuit 31 can acquire 7-bit reception data from the reception signal P8. Note that the received data is not limited to 7 bits, and is actually composed of several tens of bits including an error code.

  Here, if the external device 100 is a rate adjusting device that adjusts the rate of the electronic timepiece 1 by non-contact communication, the obtained reception data is rate adjusting data. Thus, the communication control circuit 31 outputs the frequency division control signal P14 and the oscillation control signal P15 based on the rate adjustment data, controls the frequency division ratio of the frequency divider circuit 22, and the capacitor of the oscillation circuit 21. The oscillation frequency can be finely adjusted by switching the, and a highly accurate rate adjustment can be realized.

[A practical example of non-contact communication of the electronic timepiece of the embodiment: FIG. 9]
Next, a case where the electronic timepiece of the embodiment is brought close to an external device to perform non-contact communication will be described with reference to FIG. Here, it is assumed that the external device is a rate adjusting device that adjusts the rate of the electronic timepiece by non-contact communication.

  In FIG. 9, the crown 3 of the electronic timepiece 1 is operated to bring the crown 3 to the two-step pulling position, and the electronic timepiece 1 is set to the rate measurement mode. Next, the electronic timepiece 1 is placed in the adjustment area 101 of the rate adjusting device 100 in this state. A communication coil 102 is arranged below the adjustment area 101 of the rate adjusting device 100. By placing the electronic timepiece 1 in the adjustment area 101, the motor 10 (see FIG. 1) of the electronic timepiece 1 and the communication coil 102 are connected. Proximity and electromagnetic coupling are possible.

  As a result, the rate adjusting device 100 receives the rate pulse P11 from the electronic timepiece 1, and outputs the AC signal E carrying the transmission data described above to the communication coil 102 in synchronism with the rate pulse P11. The rate adjustment data can be transmitted. The communication coil 102 may be divided into a transmission coil and a reception coil.

  With the above operation, the contactless communication with the rate adjusting device 100 can be performed by simply operating the crown 3 of the finished electronic timepiece 1 contained in the exterior, so that the workability in the rate adjusting process of the electronic timepiece can be performed. In addition, the watch is excellent in maintainability when the watch is on the market. In addition, since the rate can be adjusted while it is in the exterior, even if the crystal oscillator changes its oscillation frequency due to the effects of stray capacitance or changes in stress, the rate can be adjusted with high accuracy without such factors. Can provide electronic watch.

  Further, as described above, the non-contact communication of the present invention is performed in synchronization with the rate pulse P11 per second in the rate measurement mode, so that the conventional non-contact communication operation of the analog electronic timepiece using the 1-second hand movement is performed. It is the same. As a result, since the rate adjusting device 100 can be used with the conventional circuit configuration as it is, there is no need to modify the device, and the effect of the present invention is great.

  In FIG. 9, the external device is described as a rate adjusting device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any device can be applied. For example, when a sensor is mounted on the electronic timepiece 1, a transmission / reception device that transmits / receives information obtained by the sensor may be used. The external device may be a rate measuring device that detects the rate pulse P11 from the electronic timepiece 1 and measures the rate. Also in this rate measuring device, a conventional rate measuring device for an analog electronic timepiece with a one-second hand movement can be used as it is. The external device may be a device that combines a rate measuring device and a rate adjusting device.

[Description of Modified Example of Non-Contact Communication Operation of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIG. 10]
Next, an operation flow of a modification of the contactless communication operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1 is referred to FIG. The operation flow will be described as an example in which the rate adjustment of the electronic timepiece is performed based on the received data. This modification of the non-contact communication operation is characterized in that the non-contact communication is performed separately from the rate measurement mode.

  In FIG. 10, the electronic timepiece 1 determines whether non-contact communication is permitted (ST21). Here, for example, permission for non-contact communication is provided when an operation button (not shown) is provided on the side surface of the exterior 7 (see FIG. 2) of the electronic timepiece 1 and the electronic timepiece 1 is in the rate measurement mode. Processing such as permitting non-contact communication may be performed by pressing a button.

  If an affirmative determination (non-contact communication is permitted) in ST21, the process proceeds to the next ST11. If a negative determination (non-contact communication is not permitted), the non-contact communication operation is terminated without performing non-contact communication. To do. Further, ST11 to ST16 of the non-contact communication operation are the same as the basic operation flow of the non-contact communication described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, the modification of the non-contact communication operation does not perform non-contact communication even when the electronic timepiece 1 enters the rate measurement mode by the operation of the crown 3. In order to perform non-contact communication, another operation is required. Thereby, rate measurement and non-contact communication can be separated. As a result, when the mode is shifted to the rate measurement mode only for the purpose of measuring the rate, non-contact communication is not performed, and thus there is an advantage that the electronic timepiece 1 is not required to perform an unnecessary operation.

  Here, in the non-contact communication operation, as described above, since the signal from the outside is received at the timing of the narrow pulse width of the communication pulse P13, the non-contact communication operation is hardly affected by the external noise. In the operating state, the possibility of receiving external noise as a received signal is not zero, and there is a risk of malfunction. However, like the modified example of the non-contact communication operation, after the electronic timepiece 1 shifts to the rate measurement mode, the non-contact communication operation is performed by permitting the non-contact communication by another operation, thereby generating a malfunction. Can be suppressed.

[Description of Another Modification of Non-Contact Communication Operation of Electronic Timepiece of Embodiment: FIG. 11]
Next, an operation flow of another modification of the contactless communication operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The internal configuration of the electronic timepiece 1 is referred to FIG. The operation flow will be described as an example in which the rate adjustment of the electronic timepiece is performed based on the received data. Another modification of the non-contact communication operation is characterized in that a predetermined time limit is added to the non-contact communication.

  In FIG. 11, the electronic timepiece 1 determines whether non-contact communication is permitted (ST30). Here, in the case of another modification of the non-contact communication operation, the non-contact communication is permitted when the electronic timepiece 1 shifts to the rate measurement mode by operating the crown 3.

  If an affirmative determination (non-contact communication is permitted) in ST30, the process proceeds to the next ST31. If a negative determination (non-contact communication is not permitted), the non-contact communication operation is terminated without performing non-contact communication. To do.

  Next, if a positive determination (non-contact communication permission) is made in ST30, the communication pulse generating circuit 28 resets an internal timer circuit (not shown) and starts counting of the timer circuit (ST31). The subsequent steps ST11 to ST16 of the non-contact communication operation are the same as the basic operation flow of the non-contact communication described with reference to FIG. 7 and will not be described. However, when reception from the external device 100 is not detected in ST12 Proceeds to ST32.

In ST32, the count value of the internal timer of the communication pulse generating circuit 28 is compared with predetermined time data. If the count value of the timer is equal to or less than the predetermined time data, the non-contact communication operation is terminated as it is. If the count value of the timer has reached the predetermined time data (time over), the process proceeds to the next ST33 (ST32).

  Next, if the time is exceeded in ST32, the communication pulse generating circuit 28 disallows (prohibits) non-contact communication and ends the non-contact communication operation (ST33).

  When the non-contact communication is not over the predetermined time by the control of ST32 and ST33, the non-contact communication permission is continued. Therefore, when the non-contact communication operation is resumed by outputting the rate pulse P11 again after 1 second, An affirmative determination is made in ST30, and the communication pulse P13 is output again. However, if the non-contact communication exceeds the predetermined time, the non-contact communication operation is prohibited (ST33). If the rate pulse P11 is output again after 1 second and the non-contact communication operation is resumed, the determination is negative in ST30. As a result, the non-contact communication is not performed and the process ends.

  As described above, in another modification of the non-contact communication operation, if the electronic timepiece 1 is set to the rate measurement mode by the operation of the crown 3, non-contact communication is permitted at the same time, but the non-contact communication must detect reception. For example, the timer operation ends at a predetermined time. That is, a time limit is added to the operation of non-contact communication. Thereby, when the rate measurement mode is continued, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the electronic timepiece 1 receives external noise as a reception signal and malfunctions non-contact communication.

  As described above, according to the electronic timepiece of the present invention, it is possible to easily realize rate measurement and non-contact communication of an analog timepiece in which the hands move smoothly by continuous hand movement, and by highly reliable rate measurement and non-contact communication. An electronic timepiece having a highly accurate rate adjustment function can be provided.

  Note that the block diagrams, flowcharts, timing charts, and the like shown in the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and may be arbitrarily changed as long as they satisfy the gist of the present invention.

  The electronic timepiece of the present invention is suitable for a continuous hand analog electronic timepiece that is being reviewed recently.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic timepiece 2 Crystal oscillator 3 Crown 5 Battery 6 Display part 6a Second hand 6b Minute hand 6c Hour hand 6d Date plate 7 Exterior 10 Motor 11 Coil 20 Electronic circuit 21 Oscillation circuit 22 Frequency dividing circuit 23 Timing signal creation circuit 24 Drive pulse shaping circuit 25 Rate pulse shaping circuit 26 External input circuit 27 Control circuit 28 Communication pulse generation circuit 29 Motor drive circuit 30 Electromotive force detection circuit 31 Communication control circuit 100 External device (rate adjustment device)
101 Adjustment area 102 Communication coil P1 External operation signal P2 Reference signal P3 Frequency division signal P4, P5, P6 Timing signal P7 Rotation detection signal P8 Reception signal P10 Drive pulse P10a Correction pulse P11 Rate pulse P12 Motor signal P13 Communication pulse P14 Frequency division control Signal P15 Oscillation control signal M Magnetic flux OUT1, OUT2 Drive terminal V1 Electromotive force

Claims (5)

A motor and a motor drive circuit for driving the motor;
A timing signal generation circuit for generating various timing signals;
A driving pulse shaping circuit that inputs a timing signal output from the timing signal generating circuit, generates a driving pulse for driving the motor, and outputs the driving pulse;
A rate pulse shaping circuit that inputs a timing signal output from the timing signal generation circuit and generates and outputs a rate pulse for measuring the rate; and
An external input circuit that outputs an external operation signal by operating an external operation member;
An electronic timepiece comprising: a control circuit that controls an output state of the drive pulse and the rate pulse to the motor drive circuit according to the external operation signal. The drive pulse is output with a period shorter than 1 second,
The rate pulse is output with a period of N seconds (N is a natural number of N ≧ 1),
The control circuit receives the external operation signal,
The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein output of the driving pulse is stopped and the rate pulse is output. A communication pulse for receiving a signal from an external device by the motor,
Create by inputting the timing signal output from the timing signal generation circuit,
A communication pulse generation circuit for outputting to the motor drive circuit;
The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, wherein the communication pulse generation circuit is permitted to output the communication pulse by the input of the external operation signal. The motor is a two-pole step motor;
The motor drive circuit has two terminals for driving the two-pole step motor;
The rate pulse and the communication pulse are output from the same terminal of the two terminals, and
The electronic timepiece according to claim 3, wherein the electronic timepiece is output only from one of the two terminals. The external operation member is a crown;
5. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein when the crown is operated to a position different from a normal position, the external operation signal is output from the external input circuit.

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