JP3700339B2 - Electronic equipment with antenna - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic device with an antenna such as an electronic timepiece.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in an electronic wristwatch that is an electronic watch, the time is automatically corrected by receiving a radio wave for time correction, or the radio wave for communication such as a mobile phone is received and notified by vibration or sound. In order to transmit identification number data such as an ID number or the like as an emergency call radio wave, it is desired to incorporate an antenna.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, conventional electronic watches have a structure in which the watch case is made of metal or the watch case is made of synthetic resin and the outer surface of the watch case is covered with metal in order to increase the commercial value. For this reason, when an antenna is provided in the watch case, there is a problem that it is difficult to receive or transmit radio waves.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to receive and transmit radio waves reliably and satisfactorily even when at least a part of the outer surface of the case is covered with a conductive member such as metal.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention includes a case having a conductive member on at least a part of the outer surface, a non-conductive switch button provided in the case and protruding outside the conductive member, and a chip antenna provided on the switch button It is provided with.
Therefore, according to the present invention, even when at least a part of the outer surface of the case is covered with a conductive member such as a metal, the chip antenna can be located outside the conductive member, and thus radio waves can be reliably and satisfactorily transmitted. Can be received or transmitted.
[0006]
In this case, as described in claim 2, if the case is attached to the arm, the radio wave can be received or transmitted satisfactorily with the case attached to the arm.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch will be described below with reference to FIGS. This electronic wristwatch automatically adjusts the time by receiving radio waves, and uses a chip antenna using a dielectric as a chip-shaped antenna.
1 is a front view of the electronic wristwatch, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. This electronic wristwatch includes a metal watch case 1. A watch glass 2 is attached to the upper portion of the watch case 1 via a packing 3, and a watch module 4 is accommodated in the watch case 1 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Further, a back cover 5 is attached to the lower surface of the watch case 1 via a waterproof ring 6. As shown in FIG. 1, a crown 8 for setting the hands 7 such as an hour hand and a minute hand, and a push button switch 9 for setting an alarm time and the like are provided on the side surface of the watch case 1.
[0008]
The clock module 4 has both an analog function and a digital function. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the timepiece module 4 is provided with a dial 11 on the upper surface of the housing 10 and a base plate 13 attached to the lower surface of the housing 10 via the circuit board 12. The structure is attached to the frame 14. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the dial 11 is provided with an opening 11a in the vicinity of the “12 o'clock” and “6 o'clock” positions. A display portion 15 is provided in each of the housings 10 corresponding to the openings 11a of the dial plate 11. The display unit 15 is for displaying information such as time, and includes a liquid crystal display panel. An analog movement (not shown) is provided near the center of the housing 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the analog movement includes a pointer shaft 7a protruding above the dial plate 11 through a through hole provided in the center of the dial plate 11, and a pointer shaft at the tip of the pointer shaft 7a. 7 is attached.
[0009]
Further, an upper surface switch 16 is provided on the upper surface of the watch case 1 on the “6 o'clock” side, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The top switch 16 is for switching modes such as an alarm mode and an automatic time adjustment mode, and includes a button shaft 17 as shown in FIG. The button shaft 17 is made of a conductive material such as metal, and is provided in a through hole 18 formed in the upper portion of the watch case 1 so as to be movable in the vertical direction via a waterproof ring 19. The lower end protrudes into the watch case 1. A non-conductive switch button 20 made of synthetic resin, for example, is provided on the upper end portion of the button shaft 17 so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the watch case 1. The switch button 20 substantially corresponds to the time between “5 o'clock” and “7 o'clock”, and is disposed in a recess 21 formed on the upper surface of the watch case 1 so as to be able to appear and disappear. Further, an E-ring 23 for retaining is attached to the lower end portion of the button shaft 17 through an electrode plate 22. Further, a coil spring 24 for biasing the button shaft 17 upward is provided on the outer periphery of the button shaft 17 between the switch button 20 and the waterproof ring 19.
[0010]
Further, the housing 10 located below the button shaft 17 is provided with a contact housing portion 25 penetrating vertically, and the contact rubber 26 is provided in the contact housing portion 25 with the contact rubber 26 exposed vertically. It has been. The contact rubber 26 is provided with a movable contact 26b on the inner surface of the bulging portion 26a whose lower surface is opened, and the movable contact 26b is separated from a pair of fixed contacts (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the circuit board 12. Opposing to each other, the contact rubber 26 is pressed and elastically deformed by the button shaft 17 so that the movable contact 26b comes into contact with the pair of fixed contacts, and the pair of fixed contacts are made conductive.
[0011]
On the other hand, a chip antenna 27 is embedded in the switch button 20 in a state of being arranged on the upper end surface of the button shaft 17. The chip antenna 27 is a chip-shaped antenna. As shown in FIG. 9, a metal electrode 27b such as silver is formed on the surface of a chip-shaped dielectric block 27a, and a feeding point of the metal electrode 27b. Is in contact with the button shaft 17 so as to be electrically connected to the button shaft 17. In the chip antenna 27, one end portion of the electrode plate 22 provided at the lower end portion of the button shaft 17 is elastically contacted with the upper end portion of the connecting coil spring 29 disposed in the through hole 28 provided in the housing 10. Since the lower end portion of the coil spring 29 is in elastic contact with a connection electrode (not shown) of the circuit board 12, the circuit board 12 is electrically connected via the button shaft 17, the electrode plate 22, and the coil spring 29. It is connected.
[0012]
Next, the circuit configuration of such an electronic wristwatch will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.
The top switch 16 is for switching between the alarm mode and the automatic time adjustment mode, and one electrode terminal is connected to the ground G, and the other electrode terminal is supplied with power via a resistor R. The other electrode terminal is connected to the CPU 30. Accordingly, the upper surface switch 16 provides a high level signal to the CPU 30 when in the off state, and provides a low level signal to the CPU 30 when in the on state.
[0013]
The CPU 30 controls the entire circuit in accordance with a program from the ROM 31. The CPU 30 counts a low level signal from the top switch 16 to switch between the alarm mode and the automatic time adjustment mode, and from the push button switch 9 in the alarm mode. Based on the switch signal, the time and date are set and displayed on the display unit 15, and in the automatic time adjustment mode, the digital signal from the receiving unit 32 is taken in to correct the time. That is, when the CPU 30 is in the automatic time adjustment mode, the reception unit 32 takes in the time adjustment radio waves received by the chip antenna 27 every predetermined time as an electrical signal, converts it into a digital signal, and gives it to the CPU 30. The CPU 30 corrects the time of the display unit 15 based on the digital signal given from the receiving unit 32, stores the corrected data in the RAM 33, and causes the display unit 15 to display the corrected data.
[0014]
In the electronic wristwatch having such a circuit configuration, when a low level signal from the top switch 16 is supplied to the CPU 30, the CPU 30 counts the low level signal and determines whether the alarm mode or the automatic time adjustment mode is selected. Switch to.
For example, when the top switch 16 is pressed once, the alarm mode “hour” setting mode is set. When the top switch 16 is pressed twice, the “minute” setting mode is set. When the top switch 16 is pressed successively, “second”, “day”, “day of the week” is set. ”Are sequentially shifted to each setting mode, and thereafter, when further pressed, the mode is switched to the automatic time adjustment mode. When the top switch 16 is pressed once and the alarm mode is set to the “hour” setting mode, the “hour” display on the display unit 15 blinks. Every time the pushbutton switch 9 is pressed in this state, the display unit 15 “1” is sequentially added to the “hour” display, and “hour” data in the alarm mode is set. Thereafter, when a low level signal is again applied to the CPU 30 from the top switch 16, the “minute” setting mode of the alarm mode is set, and “minute” data is set as described above. Similarly, the alarm mode “second”, “day”, and “day of the week” data are sequentially set.
[0015]
After the alarm time is set in this way, a low-level signal is again provided from the top switch 16 to the CPU 30 to switch to the automatic time adjustment mode, and the time adjustment radio wave received by the chip antenna 27 is received. Is received as an electrical signal by the receiving unit 32 every predetermined time, and the received electrical signal is converted into a digital signal by the receiving unit 32 and applied to the CPU 30. The CPU 30 automatically sets the time of the display unit 15 based on the digital signal. The corrected time data is stored in the RAM 33 and displayed on the display unit 15.
[0016]
Thus, in this electronic wristwatch, the upper surface switch 16 is provided on the upper surface of the watch case 1, and the chip antenna 27 is provided in the switch button 20 of the upper surface switch 16 so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the watch case 1. Therefore, even if the watch case 1 is made of metal, the chip antenna 27 can be positioned outside the watch case 1 and, therefore, radio waves can be received reliably and satisfactorily. In this case, since the chip antenna 27 is embedded in the switch button 20 made of synthetic resin, the chip antenna 27 can be well protected without being damaged or damaged. Even if the chip antenna 27 is provided on the switch button 20 of the upper surface switch 16 in this way, the receiving unit 32 has a reception function when operating the upper surface switch 16 or when it is not in an automatic time adjustment mode such as an alarm mode. Since it is not performed, it can be used well as a clock and the time can be automatically corrected accurately.
[0017]
[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part as 1st Embodiment shown by FIGS. 1-4, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.
This electronic wrist watch is configured as an emergency call circuit, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. That is, the circuit configuration of this electronic wristwatch is similar to that of the first embodiment. When a low level signal from the top switch 16 is applied to the CPU 30, the CPU 30 transmits an alarm mode or emergency call based on the low level signal. Determine whether the mode, and switch to one of them.
[0018]
When a transmission command is given from the switch unit 34 in the transmission mode, the CPU 30 takes in identification number data such as an ID number stored in the EPROM 35 and gives it to the transmission unit 36. The transmitting unit 36 converts the given identification number data into an analog signal and transmits it as a radio wave from the chip antenna 27. In this case, the switch unit 34 may use the push button switch 9 provided on the side surface of the watch case 1, or may be provided with a transmission push button switch on the side surface of the watch case 1.
[0019]
In such an electronic wristwatch, as in the first embodiment, since the chip antenna 27 is provided in the switch button 20 of the upper surface switch 16 so as to protrude above the upper surface of the timepiece case 1, the timepiece case 1 is made of metal. Even if it is manufactured, the chip antenna 27 can be positioned outside the watch case 1, so that radio waves can be transmitted reliably and satisfactorily, and emergency notification can be made easily and reliably.
[0020]
In the first and second embodiments, the receiving unit 32 and the transmitting unit 36 are provided separately. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first and second embodiments may be combined to provide a transmission / reception function. good.
[0021]
[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch will be described with reference to FIGS. Here again, a chip antenna using a dielectric is used as the chip-shaped antenna.
This electronic wristwatch includes a watch case 40 made of synthetic resin. A conductive member 41 made of metal or the like is provided on the outer surface of the watch case 40, as indicated by hatching in FIG. A watch glass 42 is mounted on the top surface of the watch case 40 and a top switch 43 for transmission is provided. A watch module 44 is housed in the watch case 40. Further, a back cover 45 is attached to the lower surface of the watch case 40 via a waterproof ring 46.
[0022]
In this case, the conductive member 41 is provided on the upper surface of the watch case 40 at a position corresponding to the peripheral portion of the watch glass 2 and the upper switch 43, and on the side of the watch case 40 at the “3 o'clock” side and the “9 o'clock” side. The watch case 40 is provided on the upper surface and side surfaces of the watch case 40 except for the corresponding portions. The side surface on the “3 o'clock” side of the watch case 40 is formed so as to protrude outward from the conductive member 41, and push button switches 47, 48 for mode switching, alarm time setting, etc. are provided in this protruding portion. Is provided. Further, a protruding portion 49 protruding outward from the conductive member 41 is formed on the side surface of the watch case 40 on the “9 o'clock” side, and an antenna housing portion 50 is provided inside the protruding portion 49. Yes.
[0023]
The timepiece module 44 has a digital function and includes a display unit 51 and a circuit board 52. The display unit 51 displays information such as time, and includes a liquid crystal display panel. The circuit board 52 is mounted with electronic components necessary for the clock function and the transmission / reception function. As shown in FIG. 7, the left end protrudes toward the antenna housing portion 50, and the protruding end portion The chip antenna 53 is attached by solder 54. As in the first embodiment, the chip antenna 53 is formed by forming a metal electrode such as silver on the surface of a chip-like dielectric block, and the feeding point of the metal electrode is electrically connected to the circuit board 52. In the antenna case 50 of the watch case 40, the watch case 40 is stored in a state of being located outside the conductive member 41.
[0024]
In such an electronic wristwatch, when the mode switch push button switch 47 is operated to set the clock mode, information such as time is displayed on the display unit 51 and radio waves can be transmitted and received by the chip antenna 53. Become. For this reason, for example, when the chip antenna 53 receives a time correction radio wave, the time displayed on the display unit 51 based on the received time correction radio wave is set at predetermined intervals as in the first embodiment. It can be corrected automatically. When making an emergency call with the chip antenna 53, the identification number data such as an ID number is transmitted from the chip antenna 53 as a radio wave by turning on the upper switch 43 for transmission as in the second embodiment. Can do. The alarm time can be set by operating the push button switch 47 for mode switching to switch to the alarm time setting mode and operating the push button switch 48 for setting the alarm time in this state.
[0025]
As described above, in this electronic wristwatch, the protruding portion 49 protruding outward from the conductive member 41 is formed on the side surface of the watch case 40, and the antenna accommodating portion 50 is provided inside the protruding portion 49. Since the chip antenna 53 is housed in a state where it is positioned outside the conductive member 41, the watch case 40 is formed of synthetic resin, and the chip antenna 53 can be mounted even if its outer surface is covered with the conductive member 41 such as metal. The conductive member 41 can be positioned outside, and therefore, radio waves can be received or transmitted reliably and satisfactorily.
[0026]
In the first and third embodiments, the case of receiving time correction radio waves has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a pager (pager) radio wave is received and the information is displayed on the display unit. You may make it display, You may make it alert | report by a sound, a vibration, etc. by receiving electromagnetic waves, such as a mobile telephone.
In the second and third embodiments, the case where identification number data such as an ID number is transmitted as an emergency call has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and information stored in storage means such as a RAM is transmitted. You may do it.
Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to an electronic timepiece such as a travel watch, an alarm clock, and a table clock. It can be widely applied to electronic devices.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, even when at least a part of the outer surface of the case is covered with a conductive member such as a metal, the chip antenna can be positioned outside the conductive member. Radio waves can be received or transmitted well.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG.
4 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration in a second embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch.
FIG. 6 is a front view of a third embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.
8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a chip antenna.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 40 Watch case 16 Top switch 20 Switch button 27, 53 Chip antenna 41 Conductive member 49 Projection

Claims (2)

A case having a conductive member on at least a part of the outer surface;
A non-conductive switch button provided in the case and projecting outward from the conductive member;
An electronic device with an antenna, comprising: a chip antenna provided on the switch button . The electronic device with an antenna according to claim 1, wherein the case is a case attached to an arm.

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