JPH02236195A - Electronic clock - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent misoperation of a step motor by providing a control circuit for differing phases of a step motor driving signal and a driving signal of a sound making body between a divider for forming the step motor-driving signal and a sound making body driving apparatus. CONSTITUTION:A signal of a standard signal generating part 1 of an electronic clock is divided by dividers 2,3 to have a signal S3 generated. This signal S3 further passes through dividers 4 to 7 to have output signals S4 to S6 output respectively. These signals S4 to S6 to a step motor driving circuit 9 after shaping the 1 second signal S6 with for driving a step motor 10 with an AND circuit 8. With this motor 10 driven, an analog display mechanism 18 operates so that a switch 17 is closed to have a coincidence signal S17 generated when positions of a clock 12 and a sound making time setting needle 13 coincide with each other. A differential signal S22 generated by a differential circuit 22 with this signal S17 and resets a counter circuit by FFs 24 to 28. Then an AND circuit 32 continuously permits output signals of the divider 2 through to have the signal for driving the motor 10 and the signal for driving a sound making body 20 differed in phase.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to sounding time control means for an electronic timepiece with a sounding body device.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, electronic watches have been equipped with other functions such as alarms and timers as added value, and accordingly, the number of devices that are equipped with sound generation devices is increasing. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a portable watch with a timer and a sounding device, and the conventional sounding body driving system will be explained. The clock function includes a standard oscillation section 1, frequency dividing sections 2, 34, 5, 6, 7, an AND circuit 8 for generating a step motor drive signal and its drive circuit 9, and a step motor drive signal 0.
, a wheel train 11, and an analog display mechanism 18, the timer function is operated in conjunction with a reference wheel 14 and an hour wheel 15, a starting lever 16, a starting switch 17, a sounding body drive unit 19, a sounding body 20, and an AND circuit 21. It will be done. Note that the wheel train drive source is not limited to a step motor, and may be a general electric-mechanical converter. The conventional timer function is performed as follows. The rotational driving force of the step motor 10 is transmitted to the hour wheel 15 through the wheel train 11, and the hour wheel 15 is rotated once every 12 hours. The hour wheel l5 and the reference wheel l4 connected to the sound time setting hand 13 are each provided with three protrusions and holes having a clutch function, and the protrusions and holes match only once during one rotation of the hour wheel 15. It is supposed to be done. At that time, that is, hour wheel 15
When the hour hand 12 interlocked with the sound time setting hand 13 coincides, the starting lever l6 pushes the hour wheel l5 upward,
When the start switch 17 is closed, the AND circuit 21 passes the signal of an appropriate excitation frequency output by the frequency divider 2 when the start contact 17 is closed, and the driving circuit 19 excites the sounding body 20 at the excitation frequency. [Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the sounding device requires a much larger amount of energy than the clock function itself originally requires. This is an extremely disadvantageous condition for a portable clock, especially when using a step mode. If a step motor drive signal and a sounding body drive signal are generated simultaneously in an electronic timepiece having an automatic clock, the voltage of the clock circuit may drop, causing a mistake in the step operation of the clock.

Even if the purpose of adding a timer function or the like to a portable watch is to increase its usability, it is not permissible to compromise the original functions of the watch. The present invention solves these problems.

[Means for solving problems]

a standard signal generator, a frequency dividing circuit that divides the signal of the standard signal generator, a step motor drive circuit that intermittently outputs a step motor drive signal based on the output signal of the frequency divider circuit, and the step motor drive signal. The electronic timepiece is driven by a sounding element drive circuit that intermittently outputs a sounding element drive signal based on an output signal from the frequency dividing circuit; a sounding element connected between the step motor drive circuit and the sounding element driving circuit, and adjusting the phase of the sounding element drive signal with respect to the drive signal so that the step motor drive signal and the sounding element driving signal are not output simultaneously. An electronic clock equipped with a phase control circuit that shifts the [Function] The present invention includes a frequency divider that forms a step motor drive signal,
By connecting a phase control circuit between the sounding body drive device to make the phase of the step motor drive signal and the sounding body drive signal different, erroneous operation of the step motor is prevented.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained using specific examples. A specific example of the sounding body driving system according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

Regarding the clock function, the configuration is similar to that of the specific example described above. Note that the wheel train drive source is not particularly limited to a step motor, and may be a general electro-mechanical converter. Regarding the timer function, a timer circuit section 33 for electronically controlling the sounding time and a phase control circuit section 34 for eliminating the temporal overlap between the drive time of the step motor and the sounding time are newly provided. The operating situation will be explained using the time chart shown in FIG. Note that the signal Sn is the output of the electronic circuit indicated by number n. The signal from the standard signal generator 1 is sent to the frequency divider 2.
3 to generate a signal S,. The signal S, further passes through frequency dividers 4, 5, 6.7, and the output signal is S.
The frequency is divided into 4, Ss, and Ss, and finally output as a 1-second signal S7. 1 second signal S8 for step motor drive
is shaped by an AND circuit 8 and sent to a step motor drive circuit 9.

By driving this step mode, the analog display mechanism 18
operates, and when the positions of the hour hand 12 and the sound generation time setting 13 match, the switch 17 closes and a coincidence signal Sl? occurs, and the differentiating circuit 22 outputs the signal Sl? A differential signal Sat is generated to reset a counter circuit consisting of flip-flops 24, 2526, 27.28. Let this time be t.

After t1 S. Since the logic of is "l", the AND circuit 32 intermittently passes the output signal S2 of the frequency divider 2 as will be explained later, and at the same time excites the sounding body 20 by the drive circuit l9, the AND circuit 23 is a 1 second signal S,
However, since S0 becomes logic "1" after tl, the signal S is passed, and the flip-flops 24, 25 .
A counter circuit consisting of 26, 27, and 28 starts counting. In this case, after 16 pulses of the signal S, that is, about 16 seconds, the output signal S2S of the flip-flop 28 becomes logic "0".
At this time t2, counting is stopped and sound generation is also stopped. In this specific example, the sounding time of the sounding body is set to about 16 seconds, but this can be arbitrarily determined in electronic circuit design. By electronically controlling the sounding time of the sounding body, the energy consumption of the timer-equipped portable electronic watch is much lower than that of the conventional timer-equipped portable watch.

Next, the function of the control circuit section 34 will be explained.

Signal Ss. Sh. S? Then, the AND circuit 29, the OR circuit 30, and the NOR circuit 31 generate a signal S2I. Signal S. for the purpose of driving a step motor. and the control signal 331 for the purpose of driving the sounding body do not have pulses that overlap in time.

The control signal S3I in FIG. 3 is the step motor drive signal S.
, a phase relationship is presented such that the sound generation drive circuit does not operate for a predetermined period of time before and after .

This is to avoid the fact that even if the step drive signal and the sounding body drive signal are not generated at the same time, if they are close to each other, an erroneous operation may occur.

The causes of misoperation are that it takes time for the voltage to recover due to the large current used in the sound generating device, or that the rotor is in an unstable state due to excitation immediately after the step operation. .

The AND circuit 32 receives the signals Sz + S'll, se
S3g is output from l1, and the sounding body is driven by this signal. As a result, since there is no overlap between the step motor driving time and the sounding body driving time, there is no adverse effect of the sounding body drive on the power supply to the step motor drive, and stable hand movement is achieved. Furthermore, since the sound is generated intermittently, it has the advantage of reducing power consumption and being easier to detect than continuous sounds.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the sounding body drive signal is intermittently supplied to ring the sounding body, energy consumption can be reduced, and the step motor drive signal and the sounding body driving signal are phased so that they do not overlap with each other. Since we are shifting the
This prevents the voltage drop in the clock circuit caused by driving the sounding body and enables reliable movement of the hands. Furthermore, by making the sounding body drive signal and the step motor drive signal intermittent and shifting their phases so that they do not overlap with each other, it is possible to provide a regular bell pitch regardless of the drive of the motor.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional portable watch with a timer. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a portable watch with a timer according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a timing chart of each part of the block diagram shown in FIG. l... Standard oscillation section 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.7... Frequency division section 8...
...Step motor drive signal generation section (AND circuit) 9...Step motor drive circuit 10...
・Step motor 11... Wheel train 12... Hour hand 13... Sound time setting hand l4... Reference wheel 15... Tube wheel 16...Starting lever 17...Starting switch 18...Display mechanism l9...Sounding body drive unit 20...Sounding body 21, 23 , 29.32...AND circuit 22.
... Differential circuit 24, 25, 26, 27.28 ... Flip flop 30 ... OR circuit 3l ... NOR circuit 34 ...・Phase control circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] a standard signal generator, a frequency dividing circuit that divides the signal of the standard signal generator, a step motor drive circuit that intermittently outputs a step motor drive signal based on the output signal of the frequency divider circuit, and the step motor drive signal. In the electronic timepiece, the step motor is driven by a sounding element drive circuit that intermittently outputs a sounding element drive signal based on an output signal from the frequency dividing circuit, and the sounding element driving circuit. a sounding element, and a sound generating element drive circuit connected between the step motor drive circuit and the sounding element drive circuit, and controlling the phase of the sounding element drive signal with respect to the drive signal so that the step motor drive signal and the sounding element drive signal are not output at the same time. An electronic clock characterized by being provided with a phase control circuit that shifts the phase.