JPH0743670Y2 - Electronic clock - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece that displays the direction of Mecca at the time of Islamic worship, for example.

[Prior Art and its Problems] As an electronic timepiece of this type, there is a conventional one shown in FIG. That is, the mechanical compass unit 2 and the display unit 3 are provided on the case body 1. Then mechanical compass part 2
Is a magnet 2A that rotates according to the geomagnetism of the city, and this magnet
It is composed of a numeral display section 2B in which numerals indicating directions from 0 to 360 degrees are displayed at regular intervals around 2A. Further, inside the case main body 1, a circuit or the like for calculating the direction of Mecca according to the input city name is provided. As shown in the figure, the 0 ° direction processing of the numeral display section 2B is provided with a mecca mark indicating the direction of the mecca instead of the numeral "0".

In addition, the display unit 3 displays the current time and the angle of the azimuth by numbers, and the city name by alphabets.

Thus, the display unit 3 of the electronic timepiece normally displays the current time as shown in FIG. However, when the user wants to know the direction of Mecca in the city where the clock user is at the time of worship with this electronic timepiece, for example, if the name of the city where the user is input is entered by a switch operation (not shown), as shown in FIG. The entered city name, for example Tokyo, is displayed on the display unit 3 as “TOKYO”. At the same time, a numerical value for direction detection in the city automatically calculated by the internal circuit based on the input city name is displayed on the display unit 3, for example, "290".

Therefore, the user reads this number "290" and rotates the electronic timepiece, and the N pole of the magnet 2A is changed to the number "290" on the number display section 2B.
To match. Then, as shown in FIG.
At this time, the direction of the Mecca mark displayed on the numeral display portion 2B indicates the direction of the Mecca to be worshipped.

Further, as another conventional example, when the worship time approaches, a sound is emitted, for example, five minutes before, and the numerical value corresponding to the city in which the user is present is switched on by, for example, a three-digit numerical value by looking at the code display. There is a device to instruct. In this device, at this time, the direction of the mecca is automatically calculated based on the input numerical data, and when the direction of the mark indicating the direction of the mecca does not match the direction of the mecca, the device is further changed. The sound emission instructing the rotation in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction is emitted with different contents. When it matches the direction of Mecca, the sound is emitted with a different content and the fact is notified.

However, in the first conventional example described above, at the time of worship, the city name is first switched on, and then the N pole of the magnet is matched with the direction of several digits obtained and displayed. It requires a step operation and is very troublesome.

Further, in the second example, it is necessary to check or memorize the 3-digit code corresponding to the city by looking at the code table one by one, which is very troublesome especially when traveling. Moreover, as in the first example, a two-step operation of inputting a code according to the city and rotating the device is required, which is very troublesome.

[Purpose of Invention] This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the purpose is to make the direction of Mecca automatically by a simple operation of inputting the city name (current position). The present invention aims to provide an electronic timepiece having a function of displaying.

[Points of Invention] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, this invention is a direction for detecting a direction by detecting a terrestrial magnetism, a time measuring unit, a notification signal generating unit, a notification unit operated by the notification signal by this unit. Detection means, relative direction information storage means for storing relative direction information of a plurality of other areas with respect to a specific area, area specifying means for specifying one of the plurality of other areas, and the notification signal And a calculation means for calculating the direction of the specific area in the specified area based on the geomagnetic direction information detected by the direction detection means and the relative direction information of the specified area. An important point is that the electronic timepiece is provided with display means for displaying the direction of the specific area.

[Embodiment] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is an external view of the electronic wrist watch of the above embodiment. As shown in the figure, this electronic wrist watch is composed of a case body 11 and a watch band 12 integrally provided on the case body 11. Then, the time is displayed on the case body 11 as a number, and when the Islamic worship time comes around this time display, the direction of Mecca to the city where the clock user is is displayed as the Mecca mark display 13A. The display unit 13 including the above is provided, and switches 14A to 14D for inputting the city name, the correction time and the like by a predetermined operation are provided on the side portion of the case body 11. The mark display 13A has a display unit 13A.
A plurality of rings are provided in the ring at predetermined intervals.

Further, in the case main body 11, there are provided a clock circuit shown in FIG. 2, a circuit for calculating the direction of the mecca, a display drive circuit, a buzzer for emitting a worship time and an alarm time, and a drive circuit thereof.

Next, the circuit configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Oscillation circuit 21 ~
The hour / minute counter 24 constitutes a so-called clock circuit. That is, the oscillating circuit 21 generates a reference frequency signal and gives it to the frequency dividing circuit 22, divides it into a signal having a cycle of 1 second, and gives it to the second counter 23. The second counter 23 counts the signal of the cycle of 1 second, obtains the second data a1 and supplies it to the display device 27 via the decoder 25a and the display drive circuit 26, and the second of the current time is displayed on the display unit 13. . Further, the carry signal of the second counter 23 is given to the hour / minute counter 24 and counted, and the hour / minute data a2 is obtained. The time / minute data is given to the display device 27 via the decoder 25b and the display drive circuit 26, and the display unit
The hour and minute of the current time are displayed in 13. The display device 27 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device.

The hour / minute data a3, which is the same as the hour / minute data a2, is given to the worship time calculation circuit 28, and a match / mismatch with the preset worship time is calculated and determined. When the salutation time calculation circuit 28 wants to detect the coincidence, the alarm sound pulse signal b
Is generated and is given to the sounding device 30 via the sounding drive circuit 29, and the sounding device 30, which constitutes the sounding device 30, is sounded, for example, and the worship time is notified.

At the same time, the salutation time calculation circuit 28 issues a direction calculation command c to the azimuth calculation circuit 31.

On the other hand, the hall element azimuth meter 32 is composed of a hall element or the like, converts an analog output obtained by detecting the geomagnetism into a pulse signal, and supplies it to the azimuth calculation circuit 33. The azimuth calculation circuit 33 calculates the azimuth data d representing north from the applied pulse signal and supplies it to the azimuth calculation circuit 31.

The key input circuit 34 includes the switches 14A to 14D, etc., and the operation output of the predetermined switch is given to the city data memory 36 via the control circuit 35 to specify the city where the watch user is. The city data memory 36 stores relative azimuth information of a plurality of other cities with respect to Mecca, respectively. When a city is designated by a predetermined operation of the switches 14A to 14D, the azimuth information of the city is used as city data e. It is output and given to the azimuth calculation circuit 31.

The azimuth calculation circuit 31 uses the azimuth calculation command c, azimuth data d,
Upon receiving the city data e, the direction of the mecca is calculated, and when it is obtained, a mecca mark display command f is output to the display drive circuit 26 and given to the display device 27. Based on this, the display device 27 opposes in the direction of the obtained mecca, and performs an operation of lighting and displaying the mark display body 13A of the mecca on the display unit 13.

Next, the operation will be described. The clock circuit including the oscillator circuit 21 to the hour / minute counter 24 constantly executes the known time counting operation. Therefore, the second counter 23 outputs the second data a1 and is given to the display device 27 via the decoder 25a and the display drive circuit 26, and the hour / minute counter 24 outputs the hour / minute data a2 to display the decoder 25b. It is provided to the display device 27 via the drive circuit 26. Therefore, the current time is always displayed on the display unit 13 in hours, minutes, and seconds.

Further, the same hour and minute data a3 as the hour and minute data a2 is always given to the worship time calculation circuit 28, and accordingly, the worship time calculation circuit 28 determines that the hour and minute data a3 is preset to the worship time. The calculation operation of whether or not it matches the hour / minute data is also executed. When the two coincide with each other, the salutation time calculation circuit 28 generates the alarm sound pulse signal b and supplies it to the alarm sound drive circuit 29. Therefore, the buzzer of the sounding device 30 is driven, and the sounding operation for notifying that the worship time has come is executed. At the same time, the salutation time calculation circuit 28 outputs the direction calculation command C to the azimuth calculation circuit 31.

On the other hand, when the user of the watch hears the buzzer sound, the switch 14A
Input the city name in which the user is located by operating a predetermined switch of 14D. At this time, the switch operation output is given to the city data memory 36 through the control circuit 35,
In response to this, city data e representing the relative direction information of the city input from the city data memory 36 is read out and given to the direction calculation circuit 31.

At this time, the hall element azimuth meter 32 outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the magnetic field other than the place where the user wearing the wristwatch is standing and is given to the azimuth calculation circuit 33. A azimuth data d representing north is calculated from the pulse signal 33 and is given to the azimuth calculation circuit 31.

When the worship time is notified, the azimuth calculation circuit 31
Calculates the direction of the mecca from the direction calculation command c, the direction data d, and the city data e, and generates a mecca mark display command f. Then, the display drive circuit 26 is used to display it 27
Therefore, one of the plurality of mark display bodies 13A on the display unit 13 that faces the mecca is selected and lit up.

Although the Hall element is used as the orientation sensor in the above-mentioned embodiment, an orientation sensor such as a magnetic transistor may be used.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a plurality of mark display bodies of the mecca are constituted by the liquid crystal display device, and one of them is selected at the worship time to be lit and displayed, so that the direction of the mecca is electro-optically displayed. Alternatively, the direction of the mecca may be displayed by a mechanical method such as an analog needle or a rotating ring.

[Effect of Invention] As described above, this invention is based on the city name (current position).
Simply enter, the direction of Mecca will be calculated automatically,
Since the electronic timepiece is adapted to be displayed, its operation is greatly simplified as compared with the conventional device.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 show one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an electronic wrist watch of the same example, FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram, and FIGS. 3 to 5 show conventional devices. , FIG. 3 is an external view thereof, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are usage state diagrams thereof. 13 ... Display, 13A ... Mark display, 21 ... Oscillation circuit, 24 ... Hour counter, 25b ... Decoder, 26 ... Display drive circuit, 27 ... Display device, 28 ... Salute time calculation Circuit, 30 …… Sound report device, 31.33 …… Direction calculation circuit, 32 ……
Hall element compass, 34 …… key input circuit, 36 …… city data memory.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A time measuring means for counting a time reference signal to measure a time, a notification signal generating means for outputting a notification signal at a preset time, a notification means for operating according to the notification signal, and a geomagnetism detecting means. An azimuth detecting means for detecting the azimuth, a relative azimuth information storing means for storing relative azimuth information of a plurality of other areas with respect to a specific area, and one of the plurality of other areas are designated. The direction of the specific area in the specified area is calculated based on the area specifying means and the geomagnetic direction information detected by the direction detecting means and the relative direction information of the specified area, which is operated by the notification signal. An electronic timepiece comprising: a calculation unit that performs the calculation and a display unit that displays the direction of the specific area calculated by the calculation unit.