JP2726834B2 - clock - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a timepiece.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electronic timepiece that adjusts the hour and minute hands by rotating a stepping motor forward or backward at a high speed, a weather forecast, an atmospheric pressure, a temperature, and the like are selectively operated by an hour and minute hand by a monitor operation. There is known a timepiece having an additional function of displaying a clock.

[0003]

However, these watches have a function for clearly displaying whether the information indicated by the hands is the current time or additional function information (weather forecast, atmospheric pressure, temperature, etc.). However, it was very difficult for the user to immediately recognize the display information because it was a small display using LEDs or the like, or it was a judgment based on the position of the operation switch. Lack of visual appeal and fun.

An object of the present invention is to provide a timepiece in which the present time and weather forecast, additional function information such as atmospheric pressure, temperature and the like are selectively displayed by the hour and minute hands. It is to be able to recognize.

[0005]

According to the present invention, an hour hand and a minute hand for selectively switching and displaying a current time and other information and a non-display state when the current time is displayed by the hour hand and the minute hand are provided. In displaying the other information, the above object is achieved by providing a display portion for displaying the display contents of the other information on the dial.

It is preferable that the display section is made of an EL element.

Furthermore, the hour hand and minute hand to display selectively switched and the current time and other information, the hour hand and
When the other information is displayed by the minute hand, the display is in a non-display state. When the current time is displayed, the display section showing the display content of the current time is provided on the dial to achieve the above object.

Further, the display section may be an EL element.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to one embodiment shown in the drawings. In this example, the current time, the weather forecast, and the atmospheric pressure are selectively displayed.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention displaying a weather forecast and an atmospheric pressure.

In FIG. 1, 1 is an hour hand and 2 is a minute hand. Reference numeral 3 denotes a display unit which includes an EL (electroluminescence) element or the like. The EL element emits light so that the weather forecast and display contents (scale, etc.) of the atmospheric pressure can be visually checked, and the display is turned off. The above display contents cannot be visually confirmed. In this case, the display unit 3 is in a light emitting state. Reference numeral 4 denotes a dial plate, on which numerals, scales, and the like for time display by hands 1 and 2 are provided. Reference numeral 5 denotes a monitor switch. When the monitor switch 5 is operated, the hour hand 1 and the minute hand 2 perform a predetermined monitoring operation.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state where the current time is displayed. The components having the same numbers as those in FIG. 1 are the same.

In this case, the EL element of the display unit 3 does not emit light, and the display contents of the weather forecast and the atmospheric pressure cannot be visually confirmed.

Next, the circuit configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 6 denotes a clock circuit which measures the current time and outputs an hour signal. In addition, FIG.
The hour hand 1 and minute hand 2 shown in FIG. 2 indicate the current time according to the output of the clock circuit 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes a control circuit, which includes a CPU and a RO.
M, RAM, etc., which control various operations. Reference numeral 8 denotes a barometric pressure sensor which detects a barometric pressure. 1 and 2 have the same numbers.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the structure of the weather forecast symbol display unit in the EL element of the display unit 3 will be described in detail.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 4, the symbol display section is divided into four areas a to d, the area a is blue, the area b is orange, the area c is white, and the area d is green. .

The realization of the colors of the areas a to d can be realized, for example, by a configuration as shown in FIG. That is, 400 ppm of Cu (copper) is mixed into ZnS (zinc sulfide) in the region a,
An EL element obtained by mixing 400 ppm of Mn (manganese) into ZnS is used for the area b, an EL element obtained by mixing the same amount of the EL elements used for the area a and the area b is used for the area c, and Cu is used for the ZnS in the area d. Is used by using an EL element mixed with 600 ppm. For other character display or scale display, one of the above EL elements is appropriately selected and used.

Next, the operation will be described. Now, the display unit 3 is shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the current time is displayed by the hour hand 1 and the minute hand 2 in the unlit state as shown in FIG.

At normal time or when the monitor switch 5 is operated, the control circuit 7 causes the display section 3 to emit light. Therefore, the display contents (scale etc.) of the weather forecast and the atmospheric pressure can be visually confirmed.

Subsequently, the control circuit 7 causes the hour hand 1 to display, for example, weather forecast information 8 hours later obtained based on the output of the atmospheric pressure sensor 8 and causes the minute hand 2 to display the atmospheric pressure information.

Therefore, when the hour is reached or the monitor switch 5 is operated in the state of FIG. 2, the weather forecast and the display contents of the atmospheric pressure (scales and the like) can be visually confirmed as shown in FIG. Each piece of information is displayed by an hour hand 1 and a minute hand 2.

In the above example, the display unit 3 is made to emit light every hour or when the monitor switch 5 is operated, but FIG. 6 shows an example in which the EL element is made to emit light after a lapse of a desired time after the alarm notification is stopped. I will explain.

In the figure, 9 is an alarm switch,
Closes at the set alarm time and generates an alarm signal. Reference numeral 10 denotes a control circuit, which includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls various operations. Reference numeral 11 denotes an alarm notification circuit which includes a speaker or the like and notifies an alarm sound.
Reference numeral 12 denotes an alarm set switch. 1 to 3
Those having the same numbers as above are the same.

Next, the operation will be described.

When the alarm time is reached in the alarm set state and the alarm switch 9 is closed, the control circuit 10 causes the alarm notification circuit 11 to output an alarm sound.

When the alarm set switch 12 is operated to stop the sound, the control circuit 10 starts counting. When 10 seconds have elapsed, the control circuit 10 causes the display unit 3 to emit light, and displays the weather forecast and the atmospheric pressure display contents (scale). And the like, and the weather forecast information obtained based on the output of the atmospheric pressure sensor 8 is displayed by the hour hand 1 and the atmospheric pressure information is displayed by the minute hand 2.

When 20 seconds have elapsed since the display of the weather forecast and the atmospheric pressure, the control circuit 10 turns off the display unit 3 and moves the hour hand 1 and the minute hand 2 to return to the current time display.

In this case, after the alarm notification is stopped, 1
After 0 seconds, the display unit 3 emits light to display the weather forecast and barometric pressure. After 20 seconds, the display returns to the current time display. Therefore, after confirming the wake-up time, the weather forecast and barometric pressure can be easily checked and displayed. Can be omitted.

As described above, the display contents (scale, etc.) of the weather forecast and the atmospheric pressure are emitted and displayed using the EL element, so that the user can visually confirm the display contents. In addition, since the user can pay attention to the display contents of the weather forecast and the atmospheric pressure by emitting light, it is possible to immediately determine whether the current time or other information is displayed, and the surroundings are dark. Even if you can check the weather forecast and barometric pressure.

Further, by performing the color-coded light-emitting display as in the present embodiment, in addition to the above-described effects, a clear display division can be executed, and a display that can be easily recognized by the user can be provided.

In the above example, the weather forecast and the atmospheric pressure are used as other information of the current time. However, the other information is not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed to temperature, humidity, and the like.

It is also possible to use EL elements for the numbers indicating 1 to 12 o'clock and the time scale, and to emit light only when the time is displayed by the hands.

Further, as described above, other information is displayed on the EL element, and numerals indicating 1 to 12 o'clock and a time scale are displayed on the LCD.
These may be displayed only when the time is displayed by the hands using a (liquid crystal panel).

[0035]

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily recognize what the current hour hand and minute hand that are selectively switched between the current time and other information are displayed.

Further, when the current time is displayed by the hour hand and the minute hand, the display is in the non-display state .
When the other information is displayed by the minute hand, the display is in a non-display state. When the current time is displayed, a colorful color display can be performed by using an EL element as a display unit that indicates the display content of the current time. Since the display pattern is not visible in the state, no extra display appears when the time is displayed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a display mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing another display mode of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a block circuit diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 hour hand 2 minute hand 3 EL element 4 Dial

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI Technical indication location G04G 9/00 304 G04G 9/00 304Z (56) References JP-A-2-247594 (JP, A JP-A-4-204288 (JP, A) JP-A-63-124683 (JP, A) JP-A-56-119880 (JP, A) JP-A-64-66590 (JP, A) 69191 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 63-17884 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 5-23186 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 57-120281 (JP, U)

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An hour hand and a minute hand for selectively switching and displaying a current time and other information; and a non-display state when the current time is displayed by the hour hand and the minute hand, and displaying the other information. A timepiece, wherein a display unit showing the display content of the other information is provided on the dial when performing the operation. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the display section is made of an EL element. 3. An hour hand and a minute hand for selectively switching and displaying a current time and other information, and a non-display state when the other information is displayed by the hour hand and the minute hand. A timepiece, wherein a display unit for displaying the current time is provided on a dial when displaying. 4. The timepiece according to claim 3, wherein the display section is made of an EL element.