JP5731030B2 - Radio wave watch - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio wave wristwatch.

  Patent Document 1 describes a GPS wristwatch that receives a satellite signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite and corrects the time based on GPS time information included in the satellite signal. In the invention described in this document, the Coordinated Universal Time is calculated by adding a UTC offset of 14 seconds to the acquired Z count (TOW; Time of Week) (paragraph 0066).

  Patent Document 2 describes a timepiece device that corrects time based on GPS time information included in a satellite signal from a GPS satellite. In the invention described in this document, leap second correction data is received at a timing of every 12.5 minutes when leap second correction data is transmitted from a GPS satellite.

JP 2009-168620 A JP 2008-145287 A

  Since TOW, which is information indicating the time (GPS time) included in the signal from the GPS satellite, is not corrected for leap seconds, there is a deviation from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). This shift changes each time a leap second is added or deleted irregularly. The signal from the GPS satellite includes information indicating the current leap second, which is the difference, and when obtaining the standard time using the GPS time, the information indicating the current leap second is received, After adding the current leap second obtained to the GPS time to obtain an accurate UTC, a time difference corresponding to the time zone must be added to the UTC. Information indicating the current leap second is transmitted once every 12.5 minutes.

  This situation also applies to radio wristwatches that correct time based on signals from GPS satellites. Therefore, it takes 12.5 minutes at the maximum when the radio wristwatch receives information indicating the current leap second. On the other hand, radio waves from GPS satellites are in the UHF band of 1575.42 MHz, and the reception environment varies greatly depending on obstacles such as buildings and the attitude of the radio wristwatch (orientation of the antenna). Therefore, in order to receive the information indicating the current leap second more reliably, the radio wristwatch is requested to receive information indicating the current leap second from the radio wristwatch user and the current leap second. It is desirable to notify the time until the next transmission of information indicating seconds by some means.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is intended to receive information indicating the current leap second in a radio-controlled wristwatch that receives radio waves from satellites such as GPS satellites and corrects the time, and The purpose is to display to the user the time until the next transmission of information indicating the current leap second.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the internal time is corrected based on the information on the current time and the information on the current leap second included in the transmission wave from the satellite according to the present invention, and the next time the information on the current leap second is corrected. The radio wave wristwatch having leap second reception advance notice display means for displaying leap second reception advance notice information indicating that it is attempting to receive information on the current leap second during transmission of the current leap second information. A means for displaying transmission waiting time information, which is information related to a transmission waiting time that is a time until the next transmission, and a means that also serves as a means for displaying the internal time ; When transmitting, comprising separately means for displaying leap second reception advance notice information indicating to try to receive information on the current leap second, when displaying the transmission waiting time information, Based on the time display instruction by use's performs display of the current time, when the transmission waiting time is less than a predetermined time, or to prohibit the display of the current time, or to display the leap seconds receiving notice information If it is, the reception of the information about the current leap second at the next transmission of the information about the current leap second is canceled based on the interruption instruction by the user .

  According to the present invention, in a radio-controlled wristwatch that receives radio waves from satellites such as GPS satellites and corrects the time, information indicating the current leap second is received, and information indicating the current leap second is stored. The time until the next transmission can be displayed to the user.

1 is a plan view of a radio-controlled wristwatch according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the member arrange | positioned inside a radio-controlled wristwatch. It is a functional block diagram of the radio-controlled wristwatch according to the first embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the sub-frame of the signal transmitted from a GPS satellite. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a subframe 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a page 18 of a subframe 4. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of reception of the radio wave wristwatch which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of reception of the radio wave wristwatch which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of reception of the radio wave wristwatch which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example which the radio wristwatch which concerns on 1st Embodiment is notifying the user about the information regarding transmission waiting time. It is a figure which shows another example in which the radio wave wristwatch which concerns on 1st Embodiment is notifying the user about the information regarding transmission waiting time. It is a figure which shows another example in which the radio wave wristwatch which concerns on 1st Embodiment is notifying the user about the information regarding transmission waiting time. It is a top view of the radio wristwatch concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the same figure, a case 1 that is the exterior of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100, a dial 2 that is arranged in the case 1, and an hour hand 3, a minute hand 4 and a second hand 5 that are hands indicating time are arranged coaxially. Yes. The dial plate 2 is formed of a nonmagnetic and non-conductive material, for example, a synthetic resin, so that radio waves arriving from the satellite can be transmitted and received by a patch antenna disposed behind the dial plate 2. Further, on the axis different from the hour hand 3, the minute hand 4, and the second hand 5, a state display hand 6 that is a pointer for displaying the state of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is disposed. A state display scale 7 which is a scale indicating various states is described. Further, a crown 8 and buttons 9 are arranged on the side surface of the trunk 1 on the 3 o'clock side for various operations by the user. A band fixing portion 10 for fixing the band extends from the side surface of the trunk 1 at the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side.

  In addition, the design of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 shown in the figure is an example. In addition to those shown here, for example, the barrel 1 may be square instead of round, and the presence / absence, number, and arrangement of the crown 8 and the button 9 are arbitrary. In the present embodiment, the hands are the hour hand 3, the minute hand 4, the second hand 5, and the status indication hand, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the second hand 5 may be omitted or provided on a separate axis, or the second hand 5 may be provided. The state display needle 6 may also be used. Furthermore, a pointer for performing various displays such as a day of the week, the presence / absence of a time zone or daylight saving time, a remaining battery level, and a date display may be added, and the status display hand 6 may also serve as these displays. good.

  In this specification, the term radio-controlled wristwatch refers to time information that is a wristwatch and that receives radio waves from the outside and is held inside the wristwatch based on information about the time included in the radio waves. It is used to indicate a wristwatch having a function of correcting a certain internal time.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of members arranged inside the radio-controlled wristwatch 100. As shown in FIG. In the figure, for reference, the exterior of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 including the trunk is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

  Reference numeral 11 denotes a patch antenna that receives radio waves from a GPS satellite, and is arranged so that its receiving surface faces the windshield side. A battery 12 is disposed beside the patch antenna. In this embodiment, the battery 12 is a rechargeable secondary battery, and uses a button-type lithium ion secondary battery. And the electric power produced | generated by the solar cell formed in the dial plate or installed behind the dial plate is accumulate | stored.

  By the way, in general, in a radio timepiece that performs time adjustment using a standard radio wave transmitted from a ground station using a long wave band, a so-called bar antenna in which a coil is wound around a magnetic core such as a ferrite or an amorphous alloy is used. Many. On the other hand, the radio wave wristwatch 100 according to the present embodiment receives a signal transmitted from a GPS satellite using a UHF band having a much higher frequency. For this reason, the patch antenna 11 is used as a small antenna suitable for receiving a UHF band signal.

  In the present embodiment, the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is shown as including a secondary battery that is driven by electric power generated by solar power and can store electricity. However, a primary battery may be used instead. In that case, a solar cell is unnecessary. Further, the shape of the battery 12 is not limited to the button type, and is arbitrary. Further, a secondary battery other than the lithium ion secondary battery, for example, a lithium ion capacitor or a nickel metal hydride battery may be used.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes a controller that controls the operation of the entire radio-controlled wristwatch 100 and measures the time using an internal circuit. Further, on the opposite side across the patch antenna 11 and the battery 12, there are a high-frequency circuit 14 that converts a signal received by the patch antenna 11 into a baseband signal, and a decode circuit 15 that extracts information from the baseband signal. It is shown.

  The arrangement of the controller 13, the high frequency circuit 14, and the decoding circuit 15 shown here is an example. In particular, in the present embodiment, the high-frequency circuit 14 and the decode circuit 15 are arranged at opposite positions on both sides of the circuit board, and by connecting them through through holes, the wiring path connecting the two is shortened, and the parasitic capacitance The impedance is reduced to reduce the effect of noise. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the high frequency circuit 14 and the decode circuit 15 may be arranged on the same surface of the circuit board, or a one-chip integrated circuit in which the functions of the high frequency circuit 14 and the decode circuit 15 are integrated is used. Also good.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the present embodiment. The radio wave from the GPS satellite received by the patch antenna 11 is converted into a baseband signal by the high-frequency circuit 14, and the decoding circuit 15 performs TOW, which is information about the time, and if necessary, the WNWeek Number), or the current leap second. The current leap second Δt _{LS as} information is extracted and passed to the controller 13. The controller 13 is a microcomputer that controls the operation of the entire radio-controlled wristwatch 100, and also has a clock circuit therein, and has a function of measuring the internal time, which is the time held by the clock circuit. ing. The accuracy of the clock circuit is about ± 15 seconds per month, although it depends on the accuracy of the crystal unit used and the usage environment such as temperature. Of course, this accuracy may be arbitrarily set as required. In addition, the internal time held by the clock circuit is accurately maintained by being appropriately corrected based on the received time information and the current leap second information.

  The controller 13 receives a signal from input means (the crown 8 and the button 9) for accepting an external operation by a user or the like. Further, the controller 13 outputs a signal for driving the motor 17 based on the internal time, drives the hands (hour hand 3, minute hand 4 and second hand 5), and displays the time. Further, a signal corresponding to the state of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is output to the motor 17 and the state display hand 6 is driven. The number of motors 16 that drive the hands is not limited to one, and a plurality of motors may be provided according to the number of hands that are desired to operate independently.

  Further, the electric power obtained by the power generation by the solar battery 18 is accumulated in the battery 12. Then, power is supplied from the battery 12 to the high-frequency circuit 14, the decode circuit 15, and the controller 13. The switch 19 is a switch that switches on / off the power supply to the high-frequency circuit 14 and the decode circuit 15, and is controlled by the controller 13. Since the high-frequency circuit 14 and the decoding circuit 15 operating at a high frequency consume a large amount of power, the controller 13 turns on the switch 19 only when receiving radio waves from the satellite to operate the high-frequency circuit 14 and the decoding circuit 15. In other cases, the switch 19 is turned off to reduce power consumption.

  In addition, although the information which shows the electric power generation amount is input into the controller 13 from the solar cell 18, this may be abbreviate | omitted if unnecessary.

  Radio waves are received when a request from the user is made by an input means such as the crown 8 or the button 9, or when a predetermined time is reached, an elapsed time from the time when the previous time was corrected, or This may be performed based on the amount of power generated by the solar cell 18 or other information indicating the surrounding environment of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100. Details of the operation during reception will be described later.

  Reference numeral 20 denotes a sound generating means for generating a sound or a vibration generating means for generating a vibration. In this embodiment, the reference numeral 20 is a buzzer that is a sound generating means. Any sound generating means or vibration generating means may be used. For example, a piezoelectric buzzer may be used as the sound generating means, and an eccentric motor may be used as the vibration generating means. Or you may make it provide both a sound generation means and a vibration generation means.

Next, signals from GPS satellites received by the radio wristwatch according to the present embodiment will be described. The signal transmitted from the GPS satellite has a carrier frequency of 1575.42 MHz called L ₁ band, and is a C / A code specific to each GPS satellite modulated by BPSK (biphase shift keying) with a period of 1.023 MHz. Encoded by the so-called CDMA (Code
It is multiplexed by the method of Division Multiple Access (Code Division Multiple Access). The C / A code itself is 1023 bits long, and the message data carried on the signal changes every 20 C / A codes. That is, 1-bit information is transmitted as a 20 ms signal.

  A signal transmitted from a GPS satellite is divided into frames each having 1500 bits, that is, 30 seconds, and the frame is further divided into five subframes. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a subframe of a signal transmitted from a GPS satellite. Each subframe is a 6-second signal including 300-bit information, and subframe numbers 1 to 5 are assigned in order. The GPS satellites sequentially transmit from subframe 1, and after completing transmission of subframe 5, return to transmission of subframe 1 again, and so on.

  At the head of each subframe, a telemetry word indicated as TLM is transmitted. The TLM includes a code indicating the head of each subframe and information on the ground control station. Subsequently, a handover word indicated as HOW is transmitted. The HOW includes TOW (Time Of Week), which is information about the current time, also called Z count. This is a time of 1.5 seconds counted from midnight on Sunday of GPS time, and indicates the time when the next subframe is started.

  The information following the HOW is different for each subframe, and subframe 1 includes satellite clock correction data. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of subframe 1. Subframe 1 includes a week number indicated as WN (Week Number) following HOW. WN is a numerical value indicating the current week counted from January 6, 1980 as week 0. Therefore, accurate date and time in GPS time can be obtained by receiving WN and TOW. Note that once WN has successfully received the radio wave wristwatch, it can know the correct value by counting the internal time unless the internal time is lost due to some reason, for example, the battery has run out. . Since WN is 10 bits, it returns to 0 again after 1024 weeks. The signal from the GPS satellite includes various other information, but information that is not directly related to the present invention is only shown in the figure and will not be described.

  Returning to FIG. 4 again, subframe 2 and subframe 3 include orbit information of each satellite called ephemeris following HOW, but the description thereof is omitted in this specification.

  Further, subframes 4 and 5 include general orbit information of all GPS satellites called almanac following HOW. Since the information accommodated in the subframes 4 and 5 has a large amount of information, the information is divided into units called pages and transmitted. The data transmitted in the subframes 4 and 5 is divided into pages 1 to 25, and the contents of different pages are sequentially transmitted for each frame. Therefore, it takes 25 frames, that is, 12.5 minutes, to transmit the contents of all pages.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the page 18 of the subframe 4. As shown in the figure, the current leap second Δt _LS, which is information related to the current leap second, is included in the 241st bit of page 18 of subframe 4. Δt _LS indicates the difference between UTC and GPS time in seconds, and UTC is obtained by adding Δt _LS to GPS time.

As is clear from the above description, TOW is included in all subframes, so it can be acquired every 6 seconds, and WN is included in subframe 1, so it can be acquired every 30 seconds. , Δt _LS is transmitted only once every 25 frames, and can only be acquired every 12.5 minutes.

A brief description of leap seconds here is to correct deviations in the rotation period of the earth, etc. Based on astronomical observation results, Can be added or deleted at midnight. However, so far only irregular additions have been made at either midnight on January 1, midnight on July 1, or both. Δt _LS included in the signal from the GPS satellite indicates a difference between the GPS time accumulated by adding the leap second and UTC, and is updated when the leap second is added to the UTC. I think that the.

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, the state display scale 7 shows various states of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 indicated by the state display hand 6. In the present embodiment, these are the reception operation display unit 21, the reception environment display. It is divided into a part 22 and a time accuracy display part 23.

The reception operation display unit 21 is a display indicating how the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is currently performing reception, and includes “R” and “W” displays. “R” indicates that the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is currently receiving radio waves, that is, operating the high-frequency circuit and the decoder circuit. On the other hand, “W” is a display for notifying that Δt _LS is received, which is information relating to the next current leap second. As described above, Δt _LS is transmitted only once every 12.5 minutes. Therefore, continuing to supply power to the high-frequency circuit and the decoder circuit for a long time until Δt _LS is transmitted is a waste of power consumption. Therefore, when attempting to receive Δt _LS , the controller operates the high-frequency circuit and the decoder circuit immediately before the next Δt _LS is transmitted, and supplies power to the high-frequency circuit and the decoder circuit until that time. Reduce power consumption. “W” indicates such a state, that is, the high-frequency circuit and the decoder circuit are not operated at the present time, but the high-frequency circuit and the decoder circuit are operated at the next transmission of Δt _LS . In other words, the display displays leap second reception notice information indicating that the information regarding the current leap second is to be received at the next transmission of the information regarding the current leap second. In addition, when the status indication hand 6 points to the reception advance notice information, that is, “W” of the reception operation display section 21, the status display hand 6 functions as a leap second reception advance notice display means. become. Here, “next time” refers to the closest timing at which Δt _LS is transmitted as viewed from the present time.

  The reception environment display unit 22 is a display showing how suitable the environment in which the radio wristwatch 100 is placed is suitable for receiving radio waves from a satellite. In the present embodiment, the reception environment is shown in three stages of “1”, “2”, and “3” based on the power generation amount (or output voltage) from the solar cell. This is based on the fact that a strong light hits the solar cell and the situation where the amount of power generation is high is likely to be in an environment where the satellite can be seen directly, such as outdoors in the daytime or near the window. Note that this is only an example. In addition to this, even if a light receiving means such as an optical sensor or an ultraviolet sensor is provided and the reception environment is indicated based on the output, a high frequency circuit is temporarily operated, and any GPS satellite The reception environment may be displayed based on the obtained correlation value. In addition, the specific content and stage of the display indicating the reception environment may be changed, for example, a multi-stage display of two stages or four or more stages, or a continuous display may be used.

The time accuracy display unit 23 is a display showing information on the accuracy of the internal time of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100. Although various forms are conceivable for such display, the present embodiment employs a display that directly indicates the reliability of information regarding the current time and the reliability of information regarding the current leap second. The information related to the current time is the TOW received by the patch antenna, and the information related to the current leap second means Δt _LS similarly received. In the time accuracy display unit 23, “PFT” indicates that both TOW and Δt _LS are reliable. “TW” means a state without TOW reliability, “LS” means a state without Δt _LS reliability, and “TL” means a state without both TOW and Δt _LS reliability. ing. The specific display content shown here is an example, and how each state is expressed is arbitrary. Here, “PFT” is an abbreviation for “Perfect”, and “LS” is an abbreviation for “Leap Second”.

  Here, the reliability of information related to the current time and the reliability of information related to the current leap second will be considered. First, the reliability of information regarding the current time, that is, the reliability of the TOW depends on the elapsed time from the last time the TOW was received. Since the clock circuit of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 of the present embodiment has an accuracy of about ± 15 seconds per month, if the elapsed time from the last TOW reception exceeds 48 hours (that is, 2 days), There is a possibility that the difference between the accurate time and the internal time exceeds 1 second. Therefore, as an example, if the elapsed time from the last TOW reception is within 48 hours, it is determined that the information related to the current time is reliable. It is conceivable to determine that there is no. Of course, how the elapsed time used for the determination is determined depends on the accuracy of the clock circuit and how much deviation from the accurate time is allowed, and may be arbitrarily set. Alternatively, when the date changes, that is, after midnight, it may be determined that there is no reliability of information regarding the current time. In any case, the reliability of the information related to the current time is based on the time elapsed since the last reception of the information related to the current time, or the predetermined time after receiving the information related to the current time. You may decide based on whether it passes.

As for the reliability of information regarding the current leap second, as described above, the leap second may be added or deleted on the first day of every month at midnight. Thus, information about the current leap second, i.e., the reliability of the Delta] t _LS may when determined based on whether leap seconds after the time of receiving the Delta] t _LS has passed a point that can be added or deleted. Specifically, it is assumed that there is reliability of information regarding the current leap second from the reception of Δt _LS until midnight of the first day of the next month, and after that, reliability of information regarding the current leap second. Suppose there is no. Or, so far, considering that the addition of leap seconds has only been made at midnight on January 1 or July 1, the next January 1 or 7 after receiving Δt _LS It can be considered that the information about the current leap second is reliable until midnight on the first day of the month. In this case, the time when leap seconds after the time of receiving Δt _LS can be added or deleted is regarded as midnight on January 1 or July 1.

  So far, in light of the fact that leap seconds have been added approximately once a year, the reliability of information about the current leap second, and finally the information about the current leap second. It may be determined depending on whether or not a predetermined time, for example, one year has passed since the reception.

Also, when the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 operates without being charged for a long time, the power supply voltage decreases, and the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is in a so-called power-off state, or when the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is initialized for some reason. In the case of starting again from the above, it is considered that WN is not a correct value in addition to TOW and Δt _LS . In such a case, it is considered that there is no reliability of information regarding the current time and reliability of information regarding the current leap second, and it is considered that the information regarding the current date is also unreliable. In the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the present embodiment, the presence or absence of reliability of information regarding the current date is not particularly displayed, but may be displayed.

  Since the status indicator hand 6 is a pointer indicating each display included in the status indicator scale 7 described above, when the radio wave wristwatch 100 indicates the reception operation display unit 21, what operation the radio wave wristwatch 100 is currently receiving is indicated. When the reception environment display unit 22 is pointed as a reception operation display means for indicating whether the radio wave is being received, the reception environment indicating how suitable the environment in which the radio wristwatch 100 is placed is suitable for receiving radio waves from the satellite. When the time accuracy display unit 23 is pointed out as the display means, it functions as time accuracy display means for indicating information related to the accuracy of the internal time of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100.

  The reception environment display unit 22 and the time accuracy display unit 23 are not essential in the present embodiment, and may be omitted.

  Subsequently, an operation at the time of reception of the radio-controlled wristwatch according to this embodiment will be described.

  7 to 9 are flow charts showing the operation at the time of reception of the radio-controlled wristwatch according to the present embodiment. As described above, this operation is performed, for example, when a user request is made with a button or the like, or when a predetermined time is reached, the elapsed time from the time when the previous time was corrected, or the sun It may be executed based on the amount of power generated by the battery 18 or other information indicating the environment around the radio-controlled wristwatch 100.

  First, in step S1, the controller determines whether the TOW is reliable. If the TOW is reliable, the process immediately proceeds to step S6. If the TOW is not reliable, the process proceeds to step S2 to receive the TOW. In step S2, the state display hand is operated to display “R” on the operation state display section. Next, in step S3, the controller feeds power to the high frequency circuit and the decoding circuit and attempts to receive TOW. In step S4, it is determined whether or not the TOW has been successfully received. If reception is successful, the internal time is corrected to a correct value (step S5), and the process proceeds to step S6. It progresses to step S22 of 8.

In addition, when there is no reliability regarding the information regarding the current date, that is, when the WN is not reliable, an attempt may be made to simultaneously receive the WN at the time of receiving the TOW in step S3. Alternatively, the WN may be received alone. When the radio wristwatch only displays the time, it is not always necessary to acquire WN, but it is necessary to obtain the current date in order to accurately manage the reliability of Δt _LS . Of course, if the radio-controlled wristwatch displays a date, it is desirable to obtain WN. However, even in this case, acquisition of WN is not essential. For example, the user may set the current date.

Here, it is first checked whether the TOW is reliable. If the TOW is received, the reason for receiving the TOW is to accurately predict the timing at which Δt _LS is transmitted. This is because it is necessary to calibrate to an accurate value.

In step S6, it is determined whether Δt _LS is reliable. If Δt _LS is reliable, it is not necessary to receive Δt _LS , and the process proceeds to step S22 in FIG. If Δt _LS is not reliable, the process proceeds to step S7, and a transmission waiting time _tw is calculated. The transmission waiting time _tw is the time from the current time until the next Δt _LS is transmitted. As described above, Δt _LS is transmitted from bit 241 of subframe 4 and page 18, each frame is transmitted in 30 seconds, and all pages are transmitted repeatedly to make a round in 12.5 minutes. If the time is known accurately, ie, the received TOW is reliable, the earliest timing at which Δt _LS is transmitted is easily predicted.

In step S8, it is determined whether or not the transmission waiting time is longer than the maximum waiting time _tmax . If larger, the process proceeds to step S22 in FIG. 9, otherwise proceeds to step S9. This determination is to stop receiving Δt _LS when the transmission waiting time _tw is too long. In other words, depending on the transmission waiting time t _w is the time from the present time until the next transmission of information about the current leap second, the is to limit the reception of the information about the current leap second. The maximum waiting time t _max that is the threshold may be, for example, 6 minutes. Of course, the maximum waiting time _tmax is arbitrary and may be determined in any way, and it is also preferable that the user can set the maximum waiting time _tmax . Note that this determination is not essential, and step S8 may be omitted if unnecessary. In step S9, the state display hand is operated to display “W” in the operation state display unit, and it is notified that Δt _LS , which is information related to the next current leap second, is received.

Next, the process proceeds to step S10, and it is determined whether or not Δt _LS reception timing has arrived. Timing of the reception of Delta] t _LS, the startup time and the high frequency circuit and decoding circuit, the time to take the transmitted wave and the tuning from the satellite, taking into account the error of the internal time, the timing of the transmission of Delta] t _LS predicted from the internal time It is better to advance a little earlier, for example, about 1-2 seconds earlier. This timing is closer to the timing of the transmission of Delta] t _LS predicted from the internal time unless hinder reception of Delta] t _LS is, from the viewpoint of the time of operating the high-frequency circuit and the decoding circuit is shortened, saving power consumption Is desirable.

If the timing of reception of Delta] t _LS has not been reached, the process proceeds to step S11, and notifies the user of information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w at the present time. Various methods may be used for this notification, and the specific method will be described later.

In step S12, it is determined whether or not a time display instruction is issued by the user. This is, in a state in which the wristwatch is advertising information about the transmission waiting time t _w at the present time to the user, as shown in the example below, there is a case where the current time is not completely displayed, such In this case, when the user wants to know the correct current time, the instruction is to temporarily display the current time. This time display instruction may be made by any means, but here, the time display instruction is made by pressing the button for a short time (for example, in a state where the button is pressed for less than 1 second). And

If there is no time display instruction, the process proceeds to step S13, and it is determined whether or not an interruption instruction is issued by the user. The interruption instruction by the user may be accepted by any means, for example, by operating a button. Here, in particular, an interruption instruction is given by long-pressing the button (for example, a state in which the button is kept pressed for one second or longer). Thereby, it is distinguished from the time display instruction instructed by a short press of the button. Such interruption instruction, for example, the transmission waiting time t _w indicated by the previous step S11 is long, or may be made in the case of a radio wave environment is expected to be poor at the time of reception of Delta] t _LS. If the user has given an interruption instruction, the process proceeds to step S22 in FIG. 9 to stop receiving Δt _LS .

  In the present embodiment, the presence / absence of the interruption instruction is determined after the presence / absence of the time display instruction is determined. This is because the time display instruction and the interruption instruction are operated by operating the same button, the time display instruction is an instruction by a short press, and the interruption instruction is an instruction by a long press. Because it is detected in a shorter time than the instruction. Of course, the instruction method of the time display instruction and the interruption instruction is not limited to the instruction by short pressing and long pressing of the same button, but may be instructed separately by pressing different buttons. In this case, the order of determining whether or not there is a time display instruction and the determination of whether or not there is an interruption instruction may be switched.

If there is no interruption instruction in step S13, the process returns to step S10, and is repeated until the timing at which Δt _LS is transmitted. On the other hand, if there is a time display instruction in step S12, the process further proceeds to step S14, and it is determined whether or not the remaining time until the timing at which Δt _LS is transmitted is a predetermined time, for example, 1 minute or less. This is because, when the remaining time until the timing at which Δt _LS is transmitted is small, there is a possibility that the timing at which Δt _LS is transmitted during the driving of the pointer for displaying the time, The purpose is to prohibit display. If there is no time remaining, the process returns to step S10. If there is a time remaining, the process proceeds to step S15 to drive the pointer and display the current time.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S16, and it is determined whether or not a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds has elapsed since the current time is displayed. If you are already in a certain time period, to end the display of the current time, in order to notify the user of the information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w again, it returns to step S10.

If the predetermined time has not yet elapsed, it is determined in a subsequent step S17 whether or not a return instruction is issued by the user. And the return instruction, the state that displays the current time, which instructs to return to the state notifying information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w, for example, the after the user has finished the confirmation of the current time It is possible to give instructions. This return instruction may also be made by any means, but here, it is assumed that the button is pressed shortly. If there is a return instruction, the process returns to step S10 to notify the user of information regarding the transmission waiting time tw. If there is no return instruction, the process returns to step S15 and the display of the current time is continued.

Note that whether or not to accept an interruption instruction by the user or whether or not to accept a time display instruction is arbitrary, and steps S12 to S17 may be omitted if unnecessary. In that case, the return after notification of information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w in step S11, immediately to step S10.

When the timing of reception of Δt _LS has arrived, the process proceeds from step S10 to step S18, the state display hand is operated to display “R” of the operation state display unit, and in step S19, the controller operates the high frequency circuit. In addition, power is supplied to the decoding circuit, and Δt _LS is received. At this time, a TOW transmitted once every 6 seconds may be received together. In that case, the received TOW may be included in the HOW in the page 18 of the same subframe 4 as Δt _LS , or may be included in the subframe 5 transmitted subsequent to the subframe 4. (See FIG. 4).

When the reception attempt is completed, the process proceeds to step S20, and it is determined whether or not Δt _LS has been successfully received. If reception is successful, the internal time is corrected to a correct value reflecting the received Δt _LS (step S21), and if reception fails, the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, the display of the radio wristwatch is returned to a state in which the normal time is displayed. In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the current time based on the internal time is displayed by the hour hand 3, the minute hand 4 and the second hand 5, and the status display hand 6 has the reliability of TOW and the reliability of Δt _LS. Based on this, the position of any one of the time accuracy display unit 23 is displayed. At this time, if there is a neutral position of the state display needle 6, this neutral position may be indicated. Alternatively, when the second hand 5 also functions as the status display hand 6, the reception result, that is, the position of the time accuracy display unit 23 is displayed for a certain time, and then the second of the current time is indicated. Also good. When the display of the radio wave wristwatch returns to the state of displaying the normal time, the operation at the time of reception ends.

  Note that the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 are examples of the control of the radio wave wristwatch, and the present invention is not limited to this. Any control may be used as long as it can control the same function.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of wristwatch 100 according to this embodiment notifies the user of information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w.

In the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 of this embodiment, the hour hand 3 is driven independently of the minute hand 4 and the second hand 5. Then, the hour hand 3, is to use as the transmission waiting time notification means for notifying the user of information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w. That is, as shown in the figure, the state indicator hand 6 points to “W” of the reception operation display unit 21 in order to _notify that the next Δt _LS will be received. The hour hand 3 indicates the transmission waiting time _tw in minutes instead of the normal time. For example, if the 6 o'clock position remaining transmission waiting time t _w is 6 minutes, the transmission waiting time t _w If 3 o'clock and so on for 3 minutes. In this embodiment, the hour hand 3 is driven in reverse rotation, that is, counterclockwise. Further, the hour hand 3 may be driven by the so-called step hand operation in units of minutes or continuously. FIG. 9 shows the movement of the hour hand 3 when the transmission waiting time _tw is changed from 4 minutes to 3 minutes.

Incidentally, the pointer indicating a transmission waiting time t _w is not limited to the hour hand 3, it may be a minute hand 4 and the second hand 5. In that case, may pointer indicating a transmission waiting time t _w is one that can be driven independently of the other guidance.

The controller as information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w, and notifies the user with sound or vibration that the timing of reception of Delta] t _LS is approaching. In the present embodiment, for example, when one minute before reception, an alarm sound is emitted from the buzzer 20 (see FIG. 3) to notify the user that Δt _LS is almost received. As a result, the user can keep the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 in a location and posture suitable for reception from the satellite, and the possibility of successful reception is increased.

Here, the "information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w" may be any useful information in order to recognize the user the transmission waiting time t _w, may not in itself the transmission waiting time t _w. For example, as described above, it may be those with rounded transmission waiting time t _w in minutes, that the timing of the reception of Delta] t _LS is approaching, i.e., has become the value there is transmission waiting time t _w It may be.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing another example of wristwatch 100 according to this embodiment notifies the user of information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w. In this example, instead of the hour hand 3, the second hand 5 indicates the transmission waiting time _tw in minutes. That is, if the second hand 3 is at 6 o'clock, the remaining transmission waiting time _tw is 6 minutes, and if it is at 3 o'clock, the transmission waiting time _tw is 3 minutes. In this example, the minute hand 4 and the second hand 5 operate in conjunction with each other.

The figure shows the movement of the second hand 5 and the minute hand 4 when the transmission waiting time _tw is changed from 4 minutes to 3 minutes. The second hand 5 is driven in the forward rotation as shown by the arrow A from the position indicating that the transmission waiting time _tw is 4 minutes, that is, the position of 4 o'clock, ie, clockwise, and the transmission waiting time t It is sent to a position indicating that _w is 3 minutes, that is, to the 3 o'clock position. The amount of movement of the second hand 5 at this time corresponds to 55 seconds in normal time display. Since the minute hand 4 is interlocked with the second hand 5, as indicated by an arrow B, the minute hand 4 is also fed by an amount corresponding to 55 seconds in a normal time display.

In this way, each time the transmission waiting time _tw, that is, the actual time has passed 1 minute, on the dial 2 of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100, the minute hand 4 and the second hand 5 are an amount corresponding to 55 seconds, which is almost one minute. It will be sent. Therefore, by using the notification method information regarding such the transmission waiting time t _w, the time the hour 3 and a minute hand 4 is pointing is as shown a real time almost exactly.

In view of the information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w of this example is to send always turn rotate the second hand 5 (clockwise), to be moved to the display position when corresponding to the transmission waiting time t _w Is preferred. In this way, the state of performing the normal time display, the time of transition to a state of displaying information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w, the minute hand 4 and the second hand 5 is driven in the direction of advancing the time on the display Will be. At this time, since the second hand 5 does not make one rotation or more, the time lag indicated by the minute hand 4 advances in less than 60 seconds.

As described above, the minute hand 4 and the second hand 5 are forward-rotated by an amount corresponding to 55 seconds every minute until the timing of receiving Δt _LS arrives. That is, the minute hand 4 is delayed by 5 seconds every minute. Here, since Δt _LS is transmitted once every 12.5 minutes, the delay of the minute hand 4 is 12 times × 5 seconds = 60 seconds at the maximum. This is because at the time of the 13th time, the reception timing of Δt _LS always comes, so that the status display hand 6 indicates the “R” position, and the minute hand 3 and the second hand 4 become normal time display. is there. That is, the minute hand is delayed by a maximum of 60 seconds until the timing of receiving Δt _LS arrives.

As described above, the time to display the minute hand 3 proceeds in less than 60 seconds when the transition to the state in which the display information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w, the maximum delayed 60 seconds since up to the timing of reception of Delta] t _LS arrives Therefore, the time display error is within ± 1 minute.

In this example, when displaying information related to transmission waiting time t _w, since it is the second hand 5 and minute hand 4 may be interlocked, the hour hand 3, even when the minute hand 4 and the second hand 5 is integrated all Applicable. For this reason, the number of pointers to be driven independently is small, and the number of motors may be small, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating still another example wristwatch 100 according to this embodiment notifies the user of information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w. In the present example, it is shown by the second hand 5 the waiting time t _w in minutes, the display method is different from the two examples above. In this example, the interlocking / non-interlocking of the hour hand 3, the minute hand 4, and the second hand 5 is not particularly limited.

In this example, it notifies the user of the transmission waiting time t _w of a plurality of seconds hand motion of the second hand. Here, the multi-second hand movement is a special second hand movement method generally known as a 2-second hand movement, a 4-second hand movement, or the like. A second hand for performing a so-called step hand movement normally performs a movement for one second every second, but in a multi-second movement, the second hand moves a plurality of seconds every second. That is, in an n-second hand movement that moves every n seconds, the second hand is operated so that the position on the dial moves forward for n seconds every n seconds.

And here, the transmission waiting time t _w If 2-second movement is 2 minutes, in so on transmission waiting time t _w If 3-second movement is 3 minutes, transmitted by n seconds hand movement latency t Indicates that _w is n minutes. The figure shows a state in which the second hand 5 is moving for 2 seconds when the transmission waiting time _tw is 2 minutes. Incidentally, a plurality seconds hand driving various, how to set the correspondence between the transmission waiting time t _w is arbitrary.

In addition, since the transmission waiting time _tw is 12.5 minutes at the maximum, in this example, the second hand 5 is operated for a maximum of 13 seconds. However, since n of the n seconds hand movement becomes obscure at first glance to be larger, it may be performed a plurality seconds hand movement of the same amount if the predetermined time or more there is transmission waiting time t _w. For example, when the transmission waiting time t _w is greater than 5 minutes, it is conceivable to perform the 6-second movement.

Further, as yet another example wristwatch according to this embodiment notifies the user of information relating to the transmission waiting time t _w, it may be used a sound or vibration. That is, using the buzzer 20 (see FIG. 4), if the transmission waiting time _tw is 4 minutes remaining, a short alarm sound is sounded four times, and if the transmission waiting time _tw is 3 minutes remaining, a short alarm sound is generated. and so, such as sound three times may inform the user of the transmission waiting time t _w by the alarm sound. It should be noted that the pattern of the alarm sound, the corresponding relationship between the transmission waiting time t _w is optional. Also, the alarm sound does not necessarily have to sound every minute. For example, an alarm sound may be sounded when the transmission waiting time _tw is 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute. Of course, instead of sound, the user may be notified by vibration using vibration generating means, or both sound and vibration may be used.

  Subsequently, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a plan view of a radio-controlled wristwatch 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, no state display hand is provided, and instead, the second hand 5 also functions as a state display hand. The time display mode in which the second hand 5 indicates the second and the state display mode in which the second hand 5 displays various states of the radio-controlled wristwatch 200, for example, the button 9 is operated by the user operating the input means. Can be switched accordingly.

  On the outer periphery of the body 1 of the radio-controlled wristwatch 200, a status display scale 7 is marked by stamping or printing. The status display scale 7 includes the reception operation display unit 21, the reception environment display unit 22, and the time accuracy display unit 23, as in the first embodiment. The status display scale 7 may be provided not on the body 1 but on the outer peripheral portion of the dial 2.

  Since the display contents and meanings of the reception environment display unit 22 and the time accuracy display unit 23 are the same as those in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. On the other hand, the reception operation display unit 21 has displays “1” to “12” in addition to “W” and “R” as in the first embodiment. In addition, “R” is written at a position corresponding to 0 next to “1”.

In this embodiment, when receiving Δt _LS , the second hand 5 once indicates “W”. This is the next time the transmission of Delta] t _LS, which is advance notice of trying to receive the Delta] t _LS. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the second hand 5 displays leap second reception advance notice information indicating that leap second reception advance notice indicating that the information about the current leap second is attempted to be received at the next transmission of information about the current leap second is displayed. Corresponds to means.

Second hand 5, after showing a certain or any time "W" indicates the numbers marked on the received operation display unit 21 in response to the transmission waiting time t _w. For example, if the transmission waiting time _tw is 3 minutes, “3” is indicated. Further, when the transmission waiting time t _w is 0, since a timing of reception of DerutatLS, second hand 5 points to "R".

  In addition, arrangement | positioning and the specific display of the status display scale 7 shown here are examples, and are not limited to this. Various modifications may be made in accordance with the specifications and design of the radio-controlled wristwatch 200.

  The internal structure and control of the radio-controlled wristwatch 200 are the same as those in the first embodiment except for the portions described here.

In the radio-controlled wristwatch according to each of the embodiments described above, information that must be received is transmitted when driving the hands (hour hand, minute hand, second hand, and status display hand) when receiving a transmission wave from a GPS satellite. It is desirable to do it during a time when it is not. That is, in the time zone other than the time zone in which the synchronization preamble included in the TOM, WN, Δt _LS, and TLM, which is the information to be received, is transmitted, for example, the time zone in which the ephemeris or almanac is transmitted. It is desirable to do. If the timing for driving the pointer and the time period for transmitting the information to be received overlap, the driving of the pointer is temporarily stopped or the reception timing of the information to be received is transmitted next. Wait until the timing. For example, if the information to be received is TOW, the TOW included in the next subframe is received instead of the current subframe. By doing so, it is avoided that reception of transmission waves from the satellite is hindered by noise generated by a motor or the like when driving the pointer, and the success probability of reception is reduced.

Further, in each of the embodiments described above, the transmission wave from the GPS satellite is used as the radio wave from the satellite. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a signal having a longer interval at which information indicating a difference between the home country and the coordinated universal time in the satellite is transmitted than the interval at which the time information is transmitted by the satellite is transmitted. Any satellite can be used. In that case, the names and formats such as TOW, WN, and Δt _LS used in this specification may be appropriately read according to the satellite.

  1 body, 2 dial, 3 hour hand, 4 minute hand, 5 second hand, 6 status indicator hand, 7 status indicator scale, 8 crown, 9 button, 10 band fixing part, 11 patch antenna, 12 battery, 13 controller, 14 high frequency circuit , 15 decoding circuit, 16, 17 motor, 18 solar cell, 19 switch, 20 buzzer, 21 reception operation display unit, 22 reception environment display unit, 23 time accuracy display unit, 100, 200 radio wave watch.

Claims (5)

The internal time is corrected based on the information on the current time and the information on the current leap second included in the transmission wave from the satellite, and at the next transmission of the information on the current leap second, In a radio wave wristwatch having leap second reception notice information display means for displaying leap second reception notice information indicating that reception is attempted,
Means for displaying transmission waiting time information, which is information relating to transmission waiting time, which is the time from the current time to the next transmission time of information relating to the current leap second, and also means for displaying the internal time ,
A means for separately displaying leap second reception notice information indicating that an attempt is made to receive information on the current leap second at the next transmission of information on the current leap second;
When the transmission waiting time information is displayed, the current time is displayed based on the time display instruction by the user, and the display of the current time is prohibited when the transmission waiting time is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time. to <br/> wristwatch. The internal time is corrected based on the information on the current time and the information on the current leap second included in the transmission wave from the satellite, and at the next transmission of the information on the current leap second, In a radio wave wristwatch having leap second reception notice information display means for displaying leap second reception notice information indicating that reception is attempted,
Means for displaying transmission waiting time information, which is information relating to transmission waiting time, which is the time from the current time to the next transmission time of information relating to the current leap second, and also means for displaying the internal time ,
A means for separately displaying leap second reception notice information indicating that an attempt is made to receive information on the current leap second at the next transmission of information on the current leap second;
When the transmission waiting time information is displayed, the current time is displayed based on the time display instruction by the user, and when the leap second reception advance notice information is displayed, the interruption instruction by the user is displayed. The reception of the information on the current leap second at the next transmission of the information on the current leap second based on the radio wristwatch. The radio-controlled wristwatch according to claim 2 , wherein the time display instruction is accepted by a short push of a push button, and the interruption instruction is accepted by a long push of a push button. The means for displaying the transmission waiting time information is a second hand,
The radio wave wristwatch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmission waiting time information is displayed by moving the second hand by a plurality of seconds. The means for displaying the transmission waiting time is a second hand or hour hand,
The radio-controlled wristwatch according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the second hand or the hour hand indicates a 0 o'clock position when the transmission waiting time for attempting to receive information on the current leap second is zero.

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