JPH11281782A - Method for driving vibration alarm - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow an effective alarm with limited power supply energy by changing a driving signal of a DC motor with an eccentricity weight according to a power voltage value or the presence or absence of an alarm sound stopper. SOLUTION: An output signal 25S of a digital comparator 25 is set to low and high levels when a power voltage value is set to lower than 1.4 V and equal to or higher than 1.4 V, respectively. An output signal 27S of a digital comparator 27 is set to low and high levels when a power voltage value is set to lower than 2.2 V and equal to or higher than 2.2 V, respectively. A DC/DC transducer 28 is a widely known voltage for driving a vibration motor 22. Also, the DC/DC transducer 28 can change a voltage transition ratio according to a control signal, thus controlling the driving signal of the vibration motor being mounted to compact portable equipment, continuously giving optimum vibration to a user, and extremely effectively using less energy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for driving a vibration alarm in an electronic device having a vibration alarm.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a prior art, there is a method for controlling a volume by an alarm such as a buzzer or the like.
29, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-034635, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-019
825, etc., which are fairly commonly used in watches and other electronic devices. On the other hand, in the case of a silent alarm caused by vibration which has begun to be commercialized in recent years, the signal drive control is performed by gradually applying a voltage as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-191334 to secure the torque at the time of starting,
It is limited to the method of reducing the power consumption at the time of calling by increasing the driving time along with the time as in 4-046732.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION D with eccentric weight
When the C motor is rotated, considerable driving power is required. Therefore, when a small portable device is driven by a button-type battery or the like that can supply only a limited amount of power because its power energy is limited by its volume, it has the following disadvantages.

[0004] When the motor is driven, its impedance becomes low, causing a voltage drop in the power supply. This voltage drop may cause the motor to fall below the operating voltage, and may cause a malfunction of the motor or a malfunction of an electronic device using a CPU system due to a program runaway or the like.

If the motor does not rotate for some reason, the following problem further occurs. The motor generates a counter-induced current due to its rotation, and the resistance component due to the inductance of the coil windings is placed on the circuit as the current changes, so the power consumption is lower when the motor is running than when it is started. In the case of rotation, since there is no generation of this back induced current and no inductance, a large current flows and the power consumption is remarkably accelerated.

For this reason, the specifications of the vibration motor need to have a considerable margin for the operating environment conditions. In addition, while the supplied energy is limited, very strict settings are required in order to make sure notification. It is the present situation that has to be done.

Therefore, in a small portable device, it is very important to devise a means for alarming by vibration.

Therefore, it is necessary to perform more effective notification with limited power supply energy by changing the drive signal in accordance with the power supply voltage and changing the drive signal with time after the alarm is started. .

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a eccentric weight D
It is characterized in that the drive signal of the C motor is changed according to the power supply voltage value and the presence / absence of the alarm stop.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (1) First Embodiment Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, mechanical stimuli that can be received by the skin of a living body will be described.

In the living body, in addition to the special sensory organs such as eyes and ears, there are receptors (sensory organs) having a function of capturing signals from the environment inside and outside the body and transmitting them to the central nervous system. Exists in organizations. These sensory systems are collectively called the visceral sensation in the body. Among these are receptors that receive mechanical stimuli. The mechanical stimulus here is pressure, touch,
Vibration, and tickling. It is the Pacini body that is the acceleration detector that detects the vibration. P
The acini body is a relatively large neuronal terminal structure surrounded by subcutaneous adipose tissue and surrounded by connective tissue arranged in layers like an onion. In addition to subcutaneous fat, Pacini bodies are present at various densities in tendons and fascia, on bone marrow, and in joint capsules. When a sinusoidal stimulus is applied to this receptor, an action potential is evoked in each cycle of the sine wave. Although this action potential is transmitted to the central nervous system, the minimum value of the amplitude that elicits one action potential for each cycle of the sinusoidal oscillation depends on the frequency of the oscillation. About 100Hz ~
Vibrations of about 300 Hz are more likely to be felt as more comfortable vibrations, and when the frequency exceeds 300 Hz, the sensation of the living body feels uncomfortable.

Therefore, it is necessary to control the driving signal of the vibration motor in order to obtain a vibration sensation that is more comfortable and easily recognized by the user.

D with an eccentric weight which is a source of vibration
It is widely known that the applied voltage and the rotation speed of the C motor are in a proportional relationship, and the rotation speed is in a proportional relationship with the vibration amount. That is, when the applied voltage is high, the number of rotations is high, and when the applied voltage is low, the number of rotations is low.

[0014] Here, the internal resistance of a lithium button type battery used for general small portable equipment increases remarkably as the discharge proceeds, and it is 10 to 20 times as large as the initial value. This is because when the motor is driven using the discharged battery,
The voltage applied to the motor at the start of driving is a partial voltage of the DC resistance of the motor and the internal resistance of the battery. For example, when the DC resistance of the motor and the internal resistance of the battery are the same, only half of the power supply voltage is applied. .

Therefore, the optimum sensory frequency of about 100 to
An example in which vibration is controlled at 300 Hz will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the manner in which the vibration frequency is controlled in the present embodiment, using a power supply voltage (horizontal axis) and a frequency (vertical axis).

As described above, since the rotation speed of the vibration motor and the applied voltage are in a proportional relationship, it is easy to switch the voltage in the circuit unit and change the voltage applied to the vibration motor to obtain the optimum sense frequency range. Here, the circuit unit has several types of voltages. If the power supply voltage at the beginning of use is high and the vibration frequency of the vibration motor exceeds the optimal sensory frequency range, the voltage is lowered. If it is less than, increase the voltage.

By performing the above control, it is possible to always provide the user with an optimum vibration regardless of the deterioration of the power supply. Further, it can be used even when the voltage fluctuates over a wide range such as a secondary power supply.

Next, a circuit block diagram for maintaining the rotation speed of the vibration motor constant by switching the voltage will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 21 denotes a power supply, which will be described by taking a power supply (initial voltage 4 V, terminal voltage 1.4 V) whose output voltage gradually decreases as the remaining capacity decreases. Reference numeral 22 denotes a vibration motor, and as shown in FIG. 1, it is generally known that the vibration frequency changes depending on the voltage. In this example, 2.2V
The vibration frequency f is 300 Hz, and the vibration frequency f is 1.4 V.
A description will be made by taking a vibration motor having characteristics such that the frequency becomes 100 Hz as an example. 23 is a power supply voltage detection circuit. Reference numeral 24 denotes a register in which a comparison value corresponding to a power supply voltage of 1.4 V is held. Similarly, reference numeral 26 denotes a register in which a comparison value corresponding to the power supply voltage of 2.2 V is held. The output signal 25S of the digital comparator 25 has a low level when the power supply voltage value is less than 1.4V, and has a high level when the power supply voltage value is 1.4V or more. The output signal 27S of the digital comparator 27 has a low level when the power supply voltage value is less than 2.2V. It becomes a high level at 0.2 V or more. The DC / DC converter 28 drives the vibration motor 22 by a known voltage converter. Also, the DC / DC converter 28
Has a configuration in which the voltage conversion ratio can be changed by a control signal. For example, when the signal 25S is at a low level, the power supply voltage value is less than 1.4 V, so that the voltage conversion ratio is increased,
When 7S is at a high level, the voltage conversion ratio is configured to be low. According to this control, for example, as shown in the table of FIG. 3, even when the power supply voltage 21 fluctuates, it is possible to control the voltage conversion ratio to be changed and the voltage applied to the vibration motor 22 to be kept constant. In this example, an example in which the applied voltage is controlled to control the vibration frequency of the motor has been described. And a method of switching the resistance value.

(2) Second Embodiment Even if an alarm is set to the optimum sensory frequency, it is often difficult to sense the alarm depending on the usage environment. Here, a detailed description will be given of an embodiment in which, when the alarm is not recognized, the drive signal of the vibration alarm can be changed over time after the start of the alarm.

Referring to FIG. 4, a circuit block diagram for changing the drive signal of the vibration alarm as time elapses will be described. FIG. 4 is a circuit block having almost the same configuration as that of FIG. 2, and only different portions will be described. Reference numeral 40 denotes a timer which counts an alarm driving time at the time of alarm driving.
/ DC converter 48. As in FIG. 2, the DC / DC converter has a configuration in which the voltage conversion ratio can be changed by a control signal. For example, before the signal 40S is input,
Although the power supply conversion ratio is low because the signal 47S is at a high level, the power supply voltage ratio can be returned to normal by inputting the signal 40S. That is, even if the vibration alarm starts to operate, the user cannot recognize it, and if left for a certain period of time, the voltage value applied to the vibration alarm increases, the vibration frequency increases, and the alarm is reliably notified. I have. Further, when time further elapses, a means for surely informing the user by devising the drive signal to the vibration motor to intermittent drive or the like may be considered.

[0022]

According to the first aspect of the invention, by controlling the drive signal of the vibration motor mounted on the small portable device, it is possible to always provide the user with optimal vibration.
Very little energy can be used very effectively.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, even when the device is used under conditions that are difficult to perceive due to the use environment, the drive signal of the vibration motor is changed with time to notify the user reliably. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a relationship between a power supply voltage and an oscillation frequency in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a power supply voltage and an applied voltage according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit block according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Power supply 22 ... Vibration motor 23 ... Power supply voltage detection circuit 24, 26 ... Register 25, 27 ... Digital comparator 28 ... DC / DC converter 40 ... Timer 41 ... Power supply 42 ... Vibration motor 43 ... Power supply voltage detection circuit 44, 46 ... Registers 45, 47 ... Digital comparators 48 ... DC / DC converters

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electronic device having a vibration alarm including a DC motor having an eccentric weight, a circuit unit for supplying a drive signal to the motor, and a power supply for driving the motor. A vibration alarm driving method characterized by changing according to a power supply voltage. 2. An electronic apparatus having a vibration alarm comprising a DC motor having an eccentric weight, a circuit unit for supplying a drive signal to the motor, and a power supply for driving the motor, wherein a drive signal for the motor is provided. A vibration alarm driving method characterized by changing over time.