JP2024053579A - Electronic clock, time display method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an electronic timepiece, time display method, and program that can more effectively utilize a light-emitting surface for displaying the time with hands. [Solution] An electronic timepiece (1) comprises rotatable hands (541-543), a display unit having a display screen (461) capable of illuminating and arranged in a position overlapping at least a portion of the rotation surface of the hands (541-543) in a plan view, and a control unit. The control unit illuminates positions (61, 62) on the display screen (461) that correspond to the indication direction of the hands (541-543). [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

This invention relates to an electronic clock, a time display method, and a program.

Some electronic watches use both an analog display that shows the time according to the rotation of the hands, and a digital display screen. The digital display screen may also function as a light in addition to displaying characters digitally. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a decorative plate, an organic EL element, and an hour character film are layered below the rotating surface of the hands, and the organic EL element is made to emit light in the dark, making the hour characters on the hour character film and the hands easier to see.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-54177

However, conventional technology has not been able to effectively use the light-emitting surface to display the time using hands.

The object of this invention is to provide an electronic watch, time display method, and program that can more effectively use the light-emitting surface to display the time using hands.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides
A pointer capable of rotating;
a display unit that is provided at a position overlapping at least a portion of the rotation surface of the pointer in a plan view and is capable of emitting light;
A control unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is an electronic timepiece that illuminates a position on the display unit that corresponds to the direction indicated by the hands.

The present invention has the advantage that the light-emitting surface can be used more effectively to display the time using hands.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic timepiece. 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a display surface of an electronic timepiece according to a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a time display control process executed in the electronic timepiece of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a modified example of the light emitting operation in the electronic timepiece. 13 is a flowchart of a time display control process relating to a display of a modified example. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration of the display surface of an electronic timepiece according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display state of an electronic timepiece according to a third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a time display control process executed in an electronic timepiece according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display state of an electronic timepiece according to a fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart of a time display control process executed in an electronic timepiece according to a fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment.

The electronic watch 1 is, for example, a wristwatch type, but is not limited to this. The electronic watch 1 includes a CPU 41 (Central Processing Unit) (control unit), a RAM 42 (Random Access Memory), a storage unit 43, an oscillator circuit 44, a frequency divider circuit 45, a light-emitting display unit 46 (display unit), an operation reception unit 47, a measuring unit 48, a drive circuit 51, a stepping motor 52, a wheel train mechanism 53, and a pointer 54.

The CPU 41 is a processor that performs calculations and controls the various operations of the electronic watch 1. The CPU 41 may be a single processor, or multiple processors may perform parallel processing or independently perform processing in parallel depending on the application. The CPU 41 is not limited to a general-purpose CPU, but may be one specialized for the application of the watch (such as a microcomputer).

The RAM 42 provides a working memory space for the CPU 41 and stores temporary data. The RAM 42 may be a DRAM and/or an SRAM, or may be any other type of memory that can be used as a RAM.
At least the CPU 41 and the RAM 42 are included in the computer of this embodiment.

The storage unit 43 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs 431, setting data, and the like. The non-volatile memory is, for example, a flash memory, but is not limited to this. The setting data includes world time (WT) information (WT information 433) and local time setting 432 related to the current base time. The WT information 433 stores, as basic information, time zones around the world (such as cities that represent the time zones) and information on the time difference from international standard time, etc., in association with each other. The WT information 433 also includes the setting of the time zone currently selected by the user as the WT to be displayed. The local time setting 432 includes the setting of the time zone currently selected by the user as the base time (BT) to be displayed.

The oscillator circuit 44 generates an oscillation signal at a certain frequency and outputs it to the frequency divider circuit 45 .
The frequency divider circuit 45 divides the input oscillation signal to generate a clock signal having a frequency used by the CPU 41 and outputs the clock signal to the CPU 41. The frequency of the clock signal does not have to be one type. For example, the frequency of the clock signal may include a frequency signal for the operation of the CPU 41 and a frequency signal for counting time.

The light-emitting display unit 46 has a display screen that emits light by controlling the pixels that emit light. Here, the display screen is an organic EL (Electro-Luminescent) screen. This screen has pixels arranged in a dot matrix pattern, for example, and aligned across substantially the entire display surface of the electronic watch 1. The screen may be expanded to exclude the part of the display surface that corresponds to the axis of the hands and the hour markers that identify the direction the hands are pointing. This organic EL screen is capable of displaying color on a pixel-by-pixel basis under control of the CPU 41.

The operation reception unit 47 receives input operations from the outside and outputs an operation signal according to the received content to the CPU 41. The operation reception unit 47 has, for example, a push button switch and a crown as operation reception members that are the objects to be operated by the user, etc.

The measurement unit 48 has, for example, an illuminance sensor and an acceleration sensor, and outputs measurement result data to the CPU 41. The CPU 41 may be able to set whether or not to perform measurement and the measurement frequency.

The illuminance sensor measures the illuminance of external light incident on the display surface of the electronic watch 1. The illuminance sensor measures high outdoors during the day, and indoors, the brightness depends on the lighting, and the illuminance is lower outdoors at night, indoors while sleeping, or when stored and not in use.

The acceleration sensor measures acceleration in three axial directions, for example, two axes along the display surface of the watch and one axis perpendicular to the display surface. The acceleration measurement value fluctuates depending on the moving conditions when moving, and is approximately constant due to the acceleration of gravity when not in use or placed on a desk, etc.

By combining the measurement results of these measuring units 48, the user's usage status can be inferred. In addition to the above, the measuring unit 48 may also have a magnetic sensor that measures the geomagnetic field, an air pressure sensor, and a vital sensor that measures the pulse rate.

The drive circuit 51 outputs a drive signal to a stepping motor 52 for rotating the pointer 54 under the control of the CPU 41 .
The stepping motor 52 outputs a rotational movement of a predetermined angle to the gear train mechanism 53 by switching the direction of the applied voltage (current).
The gear train mechanism 53 is a train of multiple gears, and receives rotational motion from the stepping motor 52 to rotate each of the hands 54 by a desired angle.

The hands 54 rotate relative to the axis position by an angle corresponding to the rotation of a certain gear included in the gear train of the gear train mechanism 53. The hands 54 include a second hand 541, a minute hand 542, and an hour hand 543 (see FIG. 2, etc.) (multiple hands) as described below. Although not limited to this, each hand 54 is independently connected to a separate gear train mechanism 53 and stepping motor 52. Therefore, each hand 54 can rotate independently based on the control of the CPU 41. For example, the second hand 541 rotates 6 degrees every second and completes one revolution with 60 revolutions per minute. The minute hand 542 rotates once every 10 seconds and completes one revolution with 360 revolutions per hour. The hour hand 543 rotates once every 2 minutes and completes one revolution with 360 revolutions per 12 hours. The time (hour, minute, second) (a certain time) is displayed in a specific manner by a combination of the indication directions of the hands 54 based on the control of the CPU 41.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the display surface of the electronic timepiece 1 of the first embodiment.
In the plan view shown in FIG. 2A, the electronic watch 1 has a display screen 461 of the light-emitting display unit 46 in a substantially circular shape, and is surrounded by a casing 11 (which may include exterior members such as a bezel in addition to the housing). The second hand 541, minute hand 542, and hour hand 543 are positioned so as to be rotatable around the center of the display screen 461 as a common rotation axis. The display screen 461 is below the rotation plane of the pointer 54 and is parallel to the rotation plane. In other words, the display screen 461 overlaps in plan with the rotation range of the pointer 54 (the plan view range that passes through due to the rotational movement). As described above, the display screen 461 is an organic EL display screen capable of color display.

Here, four push button switches 47a of the operation reception unit 47 protrude from the side of the casing 11. The number of push button switches 47a is not limited to this.

The minute hand 542 and the hour hand 543 have light transmitting members 61 and 62 positioned midway along their hands.
2B shows an enlarged and exploded perspective view of the hour hand 543. The minute hand 542 has the same structure (though the size, etc. may be different).

A through hole 543a is located along the direction of extension of the hour hand 543 (at a position away from the rotation axis) that penetrates in the vertical direction. The light-transmitting member 62 is embedded in this through hole 543a. The light-transmitting member 62 does not need to be transparent. The light-transmitting member 62 can transmit light (it has sufficient transmittance in terms of the amount of light), but it may be semi-transparent so that the display screen 461 cannot be seen directly from above due to light scattering inside. In addition, here, the light-transmitting member 62 has a shape that protrudes slightly from the upper surface of the hour hand 543 and has rounded corners, making it easier for light to be diffusely reflected when it is emitted from the upper surface. The protruding height from the upper surface is determined within a range that does not come into contact with other hands 54 and the windshield glass (not shown) that covers the rotation surface of the hand 54.

With the above configuration, when the display screen 461 emits light below the through-hole 543a (at a position (light-emitting range, the range included in the through-hole in a plan view) that is the same (has a corresponding relationship) in the rotational angle direction of the hour hand 543 as the "hour" (at least one of the hours) of the time displayed by the hands 54), the light passes through the light-transmitting member 62 and is emitted upward, causing the light-transmitting member 62 to appear to glow. As described above, if there is a lot of light diffusion due to the material or structure, the light emitted from the light-transmitting member 62 becomes indirect light, resulting in a soft display. As a result, the "hour" is indicated so that it can be identified by the emission of light from the display screen 461.

In the electronic watch 1, the pixels located below the light-transmitting members 61, 62 (where they overlap in a plan view) emit light in response to the movement of the minute hand 542 and the hour hand 543. This causes the direction indicated by the minute hand 542 and the hour hand 543 to emit light continuously. Note that in this embodiment, the distances from the rotation axis of the light-transmitting members 61, 62 are slightly different. Therefore, when the minute hand 542 and the hour hand 543 overlap, no light is emitted through the light-transmitting members 61, 62 from the information.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the control procedure by the CPU 41 of the time display control process executed by the electronic watch 1 of this embodiment. The operations associated with time display, including the time display method of this embodiment, are started by starting up program 431 (which functions as the display control means of this embodiment) in response to interrupt processing at the time change timing (every second).

The CPU 41 acquires the changed time (step S101). The CPU 41 identifies the hand to be moved from the acquired time (step S102). As described above, the second hand 541 is targeted for movement every second. The minute hand 542 is targeted for movement every 10 seconds (when the seconds digit is 0). The hour hand 543 is targeted for movement every two minutes (when the seconds are zero and the minutes are an even number). Therefore, whenever the minute hand 542 moves, the second hand 541 is always targeted for movement, and whenever the hour hand 543 moves, the minute hand 542 and second hand 541 are always targeted for movement.

The CPU 41 outputs a control signal to the drive circuit 51 to drive the stepping motor 52 that rotates the pointer 54 to be moved (step S103).

The CPU 41 determines whether the minute hand 542 is included among the objects to be moved (step S104). As described above, when the hour hand 543 is included among the objects to be moved, the minute hand 542 is always included among the objects to be moved. If the minute hand 542 is not included among the objects to be moved ("NO" in step S104), the CPU 41 ends the time display control process.

If the minute hand is included in the movement targets ("YES" in step S104), the CPU 41 determines the light emission (illumination) position of the display screen 461 according to the positions of the minute hand 542 and the hour hand 543 to which they will be moved (step S105). The CPU 41 causes the set light emission position to emit light (step S106). As a result, even after the pointer 54 has moved, the positions where the light-transmitting members 61, 62 overlap with the rotation surface of the pointer 54 in a plan view seen from above continue to emit light. The CPU 41 then ends the time display control process.

As described above, if the surroundings are too bright to achieve a luminous effect based on the measurement value of the illuminance sensor of the measurement unit 48, the luminous display unit 46 may not need to emit light. Also, if the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor is close to zero and the measurement value by the acceleration sensor is constant, it may be determined that the device is not in use, particularly during sleep or in a stored state, and the luminous display unit 46 may not need to emit light. Alternatively, the CPU 41 may change the luminous intensity in multiple stages based on changes in the measurement values of the measurement unit 48.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a modified example of the light-emitting operation in the electronic watch 1 of the first embodiment. In the electronic watch 1, the display by the hands 54 can be selectively switched between the basic time BT (first time) and the world time WT (second time) in response to a certain operation on the operation reception unit 47. The basic time BT is the time of the area (first area) where the electronic watch 1 is usually located. The world time WT is the time (local time) of an arbitrary area (second area) set for reference by the user of the electronic watch 1. Such areas include, for example, areas where business transactions are required, areas to which the user plans to move in the future for business trips or travel, and areas where friends and family live. At this time, the light-emitting color of the display screen 461 at the position overlapping with the light-transmitting members 61 and 62 in a planar view may be switched to a different color depending on the displayed time (BT, WT). When the world time WT is displayed, it is sufficient that the color combination allows the user to easily recognize that the range of the light-transmitting members 61 and 62 is illuminated in a color different from the light-transmitting color in many everyday situations. The specific light emission color is not particularly limited.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the control procedure by the CPU 41 for the time display control process for the display of this modified example. In this time display control process, the processes of steps S101 and S106 are replaced with steps S101a and S106a, respectively. In addition, the processes of steps S111 to S115 are added. The rest of the process is the same, and the same process contents are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are omitted.

The start of this time display control process includes not only the timing of a change in the position of the hands, but also when a command is received to switch the time display target between basic time BT and world time WT. In addition, the start trigger of the time display control process can also include the receipt of a command to change the time zone of the displayed basic time BT (first region) or the time zone of the world time WT (second region).

The CPU 41 acquires the current time and converts it into the time of the display target, either BT or WT (step S101a). The CPU 41 determines whether or not a command to switch the display target between BT and WT (or to switch the time zone within BT or WT) has been acquired (step S111).

If it is determined that a command to switch the display target has not been acquired ("NO" in step S111), the processing of the CPU 41 proceeds to step S102. After the processing of steps S102 to S105, the CPU 41 lights up and emits light from the pixel at the light-emitting position set in step S105 in the color set according to the display target (step S106a). Then, the CPU 41 ends the time display control processing.

When it is determined that a command to switch the display target has been acquired ("YES" in step S111), the CPU 41 converts and acquires the time of the display target (step S112). The CPU 41 fast-forwards the position of each hand 54 (step S113). Note that depending on the angle (number of steps) of movement of the hour hand 543 and minute hand 542, the fast-forward may take one second or more, so the end position of the fast-forward becomes the display target time at the end of the fast-forward.

The CPU 41 sets a light-emitting display position (pixel) on the display screen 461 according to the destination position. The CPU 41 changes the setting of the light-emitting color of the set light-emitting display position to a color according to the type (BT, WT) of the display target time (step S114). The CPU 41 causes the light-emitting display unit 46 to illuminate the display screen with the light-emitting display position and light-emitting color that have been set (step S115). The CPU 41 then ends the time display control process.

During the fast-forward movement of the pointer 54 in step S113, the CPU 41 may interrupt the emission of light by the light-emitting display unit 46 in accordance with the positions of the light-transmitting members 61, 62. Alternatively, the CPU 41 may move the light-emitting position to follow the fast-forward movement. Also, here, the control is such that the color corresponding to the type of the display target time before the change is maintained until the movement ends, but this is not limited to this. For example, the light-emitting color may be switched at the start of the movement, or the light-emitting color may gradually change between the light-emitting colors before and after the fast-forward movement during the fast-forward movement.

The display screen 461 may display other than the luminous display in accordance with the positions of the light-transmitting members 61, 62. For example, the date, day of the week, and other information may be displayed using characters and/or figures, as in a normal digital display. The display colors may be different from the luminous colors. Also, hour markers, scales, and the like may be positioned on the display screen 461.

[Second embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the configuration of the display surface of an electronic timepiece 1a according to the second embodiment.
In the electronic timepiece 1a of the second embodiment, the display screen 461a of the light-emitting display unit 46 does not extend over the entire inside of the casing 11. Here, the display screen 461a is located in an annular range surrounding the rotation axis of the pointer 54, at a certain distance from the rotation axis (there is at least a gap between the axis member that is visible to the user). The distance range of the display screen 461a from the rotation axis is approximately the same as the distance of the light-transmitting members 61, 62 of the minute hand 542 and the hour hand 543 from the rotation axis.

Note that here, the distance from the rotation axis to the light-transmitting member 61 and the distance from the rotation axis to the light-transmitting member 62 are approximately equal. As a result, the width of the display screen 461a is narrowed according to the above-mentioned common distance of the light-transmitting members 61 and 62. Even if the minute hand 542 and the hour hand 543 overlap, the light can pass through these light-transmitting members 61 and 62. In this case, the amount of emitted light is reduced by the amount that passes through the two light-transmitting members 61 and 62, so the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting display unit 46 may be increased.

When viewed from above, the area inside the casing 11 other than the display screen 461a is the normal dial 12. Here, hour markers, which are indicators for specifying the time, are located on the dial 12 every hour (30 degrees).

Even with this electronic watch 1a, it is possible to perform continuous light emission operation in accordance with the positions of the light-transmitting members 61 and 62, just like the electronic watch 1 described above. The control content related to the time display operation may be the same as that shown in Figures 3 and 5.

[Third embodiment]
Next, an electronic timepiece 1 according to a third embodiment will be described. The configuration of this electronic timepiece 1 is the same as that of the electronic timepiece 1 according to the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the display state of this electronic watch 1.
In this electronic watch 1, the hand 54 indicates the basic time BT (first time in the first region) by the same operation control as in the first embodiment. In addition, in the electronic watch 1, the light-emitting display unit 46 indicates the world time WT (second time in the second region) by drawing the hand T1 on the display screen 461. The hand T1 may have a linear portion (range) extending radially from the rotation axis of the hand 54 so that the time can be specified, and may have a concave-convex shape (width change) around it according to a fine decorative shape. For example, the hand T1 may have the same shape as the hour hand 543 in a plan view, or may have a different shape to make it easier to distinguish.

For example, FIG. 7(a) shows a display example where base time BT is Japan time (UTC+9) and world time WT is Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4). Eastern Daylight Time is 13 hours behind Japan time. Therefore, in a 12-hour display, the drawing of hand T1 indicates a time that is one hour behind. In many time zones, the time difference is measured in hours, so it is sufficient to draw only the hour hand on the display screen 461 in a positional relationship (corresponding relationship) that always has a time difference offset from hour hand 543.

On the other hand, FIG. 7(b) shows a display example when Australian Central Time (UTC+9:30) is selected as the world time WT. Australian Central Time is 30 minutes earlier than Japan time. Therefore, on the display screen 461, in addition to the hand T1 corresponding to the hour hand, the hand T2 corresponding to the minute hand is drawn to indicate a time 30 minutes earlier than the time displayed by the hand 54.

The display color and brightness of the pointers T1 and T2 may be determined as appropriate. They need only be clearly distinguishable from the pointer 54. If the display screen 461 displays digital characters or other characters other than the pointers T1 and T2, these digital characters may be superimposed on the pointers T1 and T2. In this case, the color may be adjusted to have a clear contrast so that the characters or other characters can be read even in the overlapping areas. Alternatively, the position of the digital display may be adjusted and moved in accordance with the movement of the pointers T1 and T2.

The display of the world time WT may be changeable by inputting information into the operation reception unit 47.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the control procedure by the CPU 41 of the time display control process executed in the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment.
This time display control process includes steps S121 to S123 in addition to steps S101 to S106 of the time display control process in the electronic watch 1 of the first embodiment. The processes of steps S101 to S106 are the same in both embodiments, so a detailed description will be omitted.

After processing in step S105, the CPU 41 determines whether or not the setting to display the world time WT has been made (step S121). If it is determined that the setting to display the world time WT has not been made ("NO" in step S121), the processing of the CPU 41 proceeds to step S106.

If it is determined that the setting is made to display the world time WT ("YES" in step S121), the CPU 41 converts the acquired current time into the set world time WT based on the time zone (step S122). The CPU 41 sets the light emission position for drawing the time corresponding to the world time WT with the hands T1 (T2) (step S123). Then, the processing of the CPU 41 proceeds to step S106.

The color and brightness of the light-emitting positions on the display screen 461 that overlap the light-transmitting members 61, 62 in a planar view may be different from the color and brightness of the drawing position of the pointer T1 (T2).

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, an electronic timepiece 1b according to a fourth embodiment will be described. The functional configuration of this electronic timepiece 1b is the same as that of the electronic timepiece 1 according to the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 9 shows the display state of this electronic timepiece 1b.
9A, in this electronic timepiece 1b, the minute hand 542b and the hour hand 543b are the same as normal hands. That is, the hands 542b and 543b do not have a through hole 543a and a light-transmitting member 62 embedded therein.

The hands 54 rotate as time passes, as in the conventional case. No display operation is performed on the display screen 461 in response to the rotation of the minute hand 542b and the hour hand 543b.

On the other hand, in electronic watch 1b, as shown in FIG. 9(b), each time the second hand 541 moves, an area T3 (at least a part of this range) between the position before the movement and the position after the movement in a plan view of display screen 461 is illuminated. Illumination occurs from the timing of the movement until a certain illumination time has elapsed. The illumination time is shorter than one second, which is the interval between the movement of second hand 541, and is within a range that can be easily recognized by the user, for example, several hundred msec (the number is 1 to 5, etc.). As a result, in electronic watch 1, a display is obtained that appears to be left behind by the movement of second hand 541 and follows it with a slight delay.

The luminance during this light emission time may be gradually decreased over time by setting the luminance in a number of stages and gradually decreasing the luminance by a time calculated by dividing the light emission time by the number of stages.
That is, in this embodiment, the region T3 is always determined to be one second behind the position indicated by the second hand 541.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the control procedure by the CPU 41 of the time display control process executed in the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment.
In this time display control process, step S104 of the time display control process in the electronic clock 1 of the first embodiment is deleted, step S105 is replaced with step S105a, and steps S131 and S132 are added. The other processes are the same between the two embodiments, and the same contents are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

After processing step S103, the CPU 41 sets the range of angles between the start position and the destination position of the second hand 541, and the range of the length of the second hand 541 from the axis of rotation, as the light emitting position (step S105a). Then, the processing of the CPU 41 proceeds to step S106.

After the process of step S106, the CPU 41 determines whether or not the light emission time has elapsed since the movement timing of the pointer 54 (step S131). If it is determined that the light emission time has not elapsed ("NO" in step S131), the CPU 41 repeats the process of step S131. The CPU 41 may provide a waiting time equal to or less than the light emission time before repeating the process.

If it is determined that the light emission time has elapsed since the movement of the hands 54 ("YES" in step S131), the CPU 41 stops the light emission in the range set as the light emission position (step S132). Then, the CPU 41 ends the time display control process.

As described above, the electronic watch 1 of this embodiment includes a rotatable hand 54, a light-emitting display unit 46 that is arranged in a position overlapping at least a portion of the rotation surface (particularly the rotation range) of the hand 54 in a plan view and is capable of illuminating, and a CPU 41. The CPU 41 causes the light-emitting display unit 46 to emit light at a position on the display screen 461 that corresponds to the indication direction of the hand 54. In other words, the electronic watch 1 can illuminate the content corresponding to the time display by the hand 54 on the display screen 461 in a manner that has an analog display effect. This allows the electronic watch 1 to more effectively use the display screen 461 for displaying the time by the hand 54.

Furthermore, the light-emitting display unit 46 can indicate at least any one of the hours, minutes, and seconds depending on the position of the light-emitting range in the rotational angle direction of the hand 54. The CPU 41 displays a certain time according to the pointing direction of the hand 54, and causes the light-emitting display unit 46 to emit light at a position in the rotational angle direction that has a certain correspondence with at least any one of the hours, minutes, and seconds of the certain time.
In this way, the operation of the light-emitting display unit 46 allows the electronic watch 1 to more clearly indicate the display position of the hands 54. The electronic watch 1 also allows the date and time display different from the hands 54 to be easily identifiable and visible. Alternatively, the electronic watch 1 can also indicate the hand indication position and the like in a more decorative manner. Therefore, the electronic watch 1 can more effectively use the light-emitting surface to display the time using the hands.

The electronic watch 1 also has a plurality of hands 54. At least some of the hands 54 (e.g., the hour hand 543) have a through hole (e.g., the through hole 543a) at a position spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the hand 54 (hour hand 543). The CPU 41 illuminates the range of the light-emitting display unit 46 that is included in the through hole 543a, etc., when the rotation surface of the hand 54 is viewed from above in a plan view.
In this way, by illuminating the display screen 461 below the pointer 54 so that a portion of the pointer 54 appears to be illuminated, it is possible to improve the effect of displaying the time by the pointer 54. Also, the position of the pointer 54 in a dark place can be more clearly and continuously indicated to the user than with fluorescent paint or the like.

The CPU 41 may also selectively display either a first time in a first region (basic time BT) or a second time in a second region (world time WT) using the hands 54. The CPU 41 may then cause an area of the light-emitting display section 46 that is included in a through hole 543a or the like in a plan view to emit light in a different color depending on which of the first time or the second time is being displayed. In other words, by switching the light-emitting color in this way, the user can visually and easily tell that the electronic watch 1 is displaying a time that is different from the normal time display.

In addition, light-transmitting members 61, 62, etc. may be located inside the through-holes 543a, etc. Since the user recognizes the light as being emitted from the upper surfaces of the light-transmitting members 61, 62, the difference in height with the upper surface of the pointer 54 becomes small, making it easy to see. In addition, the cut shape of the light-transmitting members 61, 62, etc., makes it possible to effectively emit light.

The light-transmitting members 61 and 62 may also be semi-transparent. This makes it difficult to directly see the light emitted from the display screen 461 through the through-hole 543a. Therefore, in this electronic watch 1, soft light like indirect light can be emitted from the pointer 54.

The hands 54 also include a second hand 541. The CPU 41 illuminates at least a portion (area T3) of the range of the light-emitting display section 46 between the position before the second hand 541 rotates and the position after the second hand 541 rotates in a plan view until a certain amount of time has passed since the second hand 541 was rotated. This type of illumination control creates the visual effect of the illuminated portion chasing the second hand 541 one beat behind the movement of the second hand 541. Thus, the electronic watch 1 can improve the visual effect of the watch display. It also makes it easier to recognize the position of the second hand 541, which was previously difficult to see depending on the intensity and direction of external light.

The CPU 41 may also cause the hands 54 to display the first time (basic time BT) in the first region, and the light-emitting display unit 46 to emit light to display the second time (world time WT) in the second region. By drawing the second time in a pointer-like style, it is possible to easily display the world time WT without moving the hands 54 themselves, while still maintaining the feel of an analog display. In addition, the world time WT can be turned off when it is not necessary to display it, so it is less likely to get in the way. Furthermore, since most time zones in world time WT have integer time differences, there are few cases where a minute hand is necessary. By drawing only the necessary hands on the display screen 461, the appropriate second time can be displayed, so the display does not become cluttered.

In addition, the CPU 41 causes the light-emitting display unit 46 to emit light in a range extending radially at a certain length from the axis of rotation of the pointer 54 in accordance with at least a portion of the time to be displayed. In other words, by causing the light-emitting display unit 46 to draw a pointer-shaped image, the time can be easily known with this electronic watch 1.

The light-emitting display unit 46 may also be capable of illuminating an annular range surrounding the axis of rotation of the pointer 54. If it is sufficient to enable light-emitting display only at positions corresponding to the through-holes 543a and the like, as in the first embodiment, the display screen 461a does not need to extend over the entire display surface. By providing a display screen 461a that is limited to the necessary range, the area of the display screen 461a can be reduced. This also makes it possible to place other components (hour characters, scales, signs, trademarks, etc.) in the freed up area. This allows the electronic watch 1 to have a wider range of designs.

In addition, the time display method of the electronic watch 1 of this embodiment displays a certain time according to the direction indicated by the hand 54, and causes the light-emitting display unit 46 to emit light to indicate a position in a rotational angle direction that has a certain correspondence with at least one of the hours, minutes, and seconds of this certain time.
This time display method makes it possible to more clearly indicate the display position of the hands 54, or to display a date and time that is different from the hands 54 in an easily identifiable manner. This time display method also makes it possible to more decoratively indicate the hand indication positions, etc., of the electronic clock 1. Therefore, this time display method makes it possible to more effectively use the luminous surface for displaying the time with the hands.

In addition, by installing and executing the program 431 relating to the above-mentioned time display method on a computer, it is possible to easily control the time display. In this control, the display position of the hands 54 can be more clearly indicated, or a date and time display different from the hands 54 can be displayed in an easily identifiable manner. Furthermore, this program 431 makes it possible to indicate the hand indication position, etc., of the electronic clock 1 in a more decorative manner. Therefore, this program 431 makes it possible to more effectively use the light-emitting surface for displaying the time using the hands.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be modified in various ways.
For example, in the first to third embodiments, the hour hand 543 and the minute hand 542 are provided with through holes, but either one of them may be provided. Alternatively, if possible, the second hand 541 may be provided with a through hole. Furthermore, the through hole in this embodiment includes a through hole having a partially open cutout shape. Furthermore, the shape of the through hole (cutout) does not have to be a square in a plan view. For example, it may be a circle, an ellipse, a polygon with a vertex angle other than 90 degrees, or a polygon with rounded or rounded corners.

The hands 54 may not include the second hand 541, or may include other additional hands. If the other additional hands are pointing in a direction related to the time, the CPU 41 may cause the light-emitting display unit 46 to emit light at a position on the display screen 461 that corresponds to the direction in the time display.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the three hands 54 are described as being rotated independently, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the hour hand 543 may rotate in conjunction with the minute hand 542 at 1/12 the rotation speed of the minute hand 542.

In the above embodiment, the display screen 461 is described as being continuous at least in the rotational direction, but this is not limited to this. The light emitting positions may be arranged radially and discretely at intervals according to the movement steps of the target hands (1 degree for the hour hand 543 and minute hand 542, 6 degrees for the second hand 541), etc.

In the above embodiment, the light-transmitting members 61 and 62 are described as being translucent, but they may be transparent. Even in this case, it may be possible to diffuse and emit light in various directions depending on the cut shape of the upper surface. Conversely, the upper surface of the light-transmitting members 61 and 62 may be flat and not protrude from the upper surface of the pointer 54. The light-transmitting members 61 and 62 may also be colored members. In this case, the light emitted from the display screen 461 is filtered according to the color of the light-transmitting members 61 and 62 before being emitted.

Alternatively, more simply, no light-transmitting member may be located inside the through-hole 543a or the notch. In this case, the through-hole 543a may be completely hollow, or a light-transmitting film or the like may be attached to the upper end and/or lower end of the through-hole 543a.

The configurations and control contents of the above embodiments and modified examples may be combined in any way as long as they are not mutually contradictory or inconsistent. For example, the hour hand 543 and minute hand 542 in the electronic watch 1 of the third embodiment may not have through holes and light-transmitting members 61, 62. The basic time BT may be displayed simply by the hands alone.

In the above embodiment, the light-emitting display unit 46 has been described as having an organic EL display, but this is not limited to this. A liquid crystal display that emits light from a backlight and selectively transmits the light is also included in the light-emitting display unit. Also, the display unit may have LEDs arranged two-dimensionally.

In the third embodiment, the hand 54 indicates the basic time BT, and the hand T1 indicating the world time WT is drawn and displayed on the display screen 461, but this display may be interchangeable. In this case, the luminous color may also be interchanged when the hand is replaced.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that characters, signs, etc. may be displayed as necessary in the luminous areas other than the luminous areas corresponding to the position of the pointer 54 on the display screen 461, but the use is not limited to this. In other words, luminous operation may be performed as background display with other luminous colors or luminous intensities in areas other than the above luminous areas. In addition, the luminous color corresponding to the hour hand 543 and the luminous color corresponding to the minute hand 542 may be different.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the hour hand 543 and the minute hand 542 rotate by one degree each, but this is not limited to this. These hands 54 may also rotate by two or three degrees each.

In addition, in the fourth embodiment, the entire area between the position before the second hand 541 moves and the position after the second hand moves is illuminated, but this is not limited to the above. Only the position of the second hand 541 before the movement may be illuminated. Alternatively, the illuminated display of the shape of the second hand 541 may be moved in multiple stages during the illumination time to approach the position after the movement. Furthermore, such illuminated display after the pointer moves is not limited to when the second hand 541 moves. Similar displays may be made when other pointers move.

In addition, unless light is emitted from below the through-hole or notch, the transparent display screen, particularly of an organic EL display, may be located above the pointer 54. Also, there may be a pointer located below an opaque display screen, partially exposed through an opening in the display screen.

As described above, the above-mentioned light-emitting display may not be performed depending on the illuminance, acceleration, etc., but the period during which the light-emitting display is not performed may be further limited depending on the range of the basic time BT, etc. Also, it may be possible to switch whether or not such a light-emitting display is enabled depending on an input operation to the operation reception unit 47.

In the above description, the storage unit 43 is a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, but is not limited to this, as a computer-readable medium for storing the program 431 related to the time display control of the present invention. Other computer-readable media may be used, such as other non-volatile memories such as HDDs and MRAMs, and portable storage media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs. A carrier wave may also be used in the present invention as a medium for providing the data of the program according to the present invention via a communication line.
In addition, the specific configurations, contents and procedures of the processing operations, etc. shown in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1, 1a Electronic watch 11 Casing 12 Dial 41 CPU
42 RAM
43 Memory section 431 Program 432 Local time setting 433 WT information 44 Oscillator circuit 45 Divider circuit 46 Light-emitting display section 461, 461a Display screen 47 Operation acceptance section 47a Push button switch 48 Measurement section 51 Drive circuit 52 Stepping motor 53 Wheel train mechanism 54 Hand 541 Second hand 542, 542b Minute hand 543, 543b Hour hand 543a Through holes 61, 62 Light-transmitting members T1, T2 Hand T3 Area

Claims (12)

A pointer capable of rotating;
a display unit that is provided at a position overlapping at least a portion of the rotation surface of the pointer in a plan view and is capable of emitting light;
A control unit;
Equipped with
The control unit illuminates a position on the display unit that corresponds to the direction of indication of the hand. the display unit is disposed below a rotation surface of the pointer and is capable of indicating at least any one of hours, minutes, and seconds according to a position of a light-emitting range in a rotation angle direction of the pointer;
The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays a certain time according to the direction indicated by the hands, and causes the display unit to emit light to indicate a position in the rotation angle direction that has a certain correspondence with at least one of the hours, minutes, and seconds of the certain time. A plurality of the pointers are provided,
At least a portion of the pointer has a through hole at a position spaced apart from a rotation axis of the pointer,
The electronic timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit illuminates a range of the display unit that is included in the through hole when the rotation face is viewed from above in a plan view. At least a portion of the pointer has a through hole at a position spaced apart from a rotation axis of the pointer,
The electronic watch of claim 2, wherein the control unit selectively displays either a first time in a first region or a second time in a second region using the hands, and causes an area of the display unit that is included in the through hole in a plan view of the rotating surface from above to glow in a different color depending on whether the first time or the second time is being displayed. An electronic watch according to claim 3 or 4, in which a light-transmitting member is positioned inside the through hole. The electronic watch according to claim 5, wherein the light-transmitting member is a translucent member. The pointer includes a second hand,
The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the control unit illuminates at least a portion of the range between the position of the second hand before the second hand makes the rotational movement and the position of the second hand after the second hand makes the rotational movement in a plan view of the rotation surface seen from above on the display unit, for a certain amount of time from the timing when the second hand is rotated. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the hands to display a first time in a first region and the display unit to emit light to display a second time in a second region. The electronic watch according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to emit light in a range extending radially at a certain length from the axis of rotation of the hands, depending on at least a part of the time to be displayed. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is capable of illuminating an annular area surrounding the axis of rotation of the pointer. A time display method for an electronic timepiece having a rotatable hand and a display unit capable of illuminating light and arranged to overlap at least a portion of the rotation surface of the hand in a plan view, comprising:
A time display method comprising: illuminating a position of the display portion that corresponds to the indicating direction of the hand. A computer of an electronic timepiece having a pointer capable of rotating and a display unit capable of illuminating and provided at a position overlapping at least a part of the rotation surface of the pointer in a plan view,
A program that functions as a display control means for illuminating a position of the display unit that corresponds to the indication direction of the needle.

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