Electronic watch and communication control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10890879-B2
Application number	US-201716082536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2016
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

Provided is an electronic clock including: a power generator; a secondary battery, which is to be charged with electric power generated by the power generator; a balance information transmitter configured to transmit, to a computer, balance information relating to a transition of a power generation amount or a charging balance of the secondary battery; a connection time period setting module configured to set a connection time period of a connection with the computer based on the balance information; and a communication controller configured to control a start and an end of communication to/from the computer based on the connection time period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic clock, comprising:
a power generator;
a secondary battery, which is configured to be charged with electric power generated by the power generator;
a balance information transmitter configured to transmit, to a computer, balance information relating to a transition of a power generation amount or a charging balance of the secondary battery;
a connection time period setting module configured to set a connection time period of a connection with the computer based on the balance information; and
a communication controller configured to control a start and an end of communication to/from the computer based on the connection time period.

2. The electronic clock according to claim 1 , further comprising a connection time period receiver configured to receive the connection time period determined by the computer.

3. The electronic clock according to claim 1 , further comprising a balance information storage configured to store the balance information.

4. The electronic clock according to claim 1 , wherein the communication controller includes:
a start controller configured to start communication to/from the computer at a start time set in advance; and
an end controller configured to end the communication to/from the computer at an end time, where the end time is a time at which the connection time period has elapsed from the start time.

5. The electronic clock according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a power generation amount measuring module configured to measure the power generation amount generated by the power generator; and
an in-use function detector configured to detect a function in use,
wherein the balance information transmitter is configured to transmit, to the computer, information relating to transitions of the power generation amount and the function in use.

6. The electronic clock according to claim 1 , wherein the communication controller is configured to execute, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, temporary communication that terminates communication immediately after at least reception of time infuriation from the computer and the transmission of the balance information to the computer.

7. The electronic clock according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined condition includes a condition that a predetermined time period has elapsed within one day and surroundings of the electronic clock are bright.

8. The electronic clock according to claim 1 , wherein the communication controller is configured to permit both temporary communication and continuous communication, or disapprove the continuous communication while permitting only the temporary communication, based on a remaining amount of the secondary battery.

9. The electronic clock according to claim 1 , wherein the balance information has a resolution lowered, by an uneven rounding method, with respect to a measured value for obtaining the balance information.

10. A communication control system, comprising:
a power generator;
a secondary battery which is configured to be charged with electric power generated by the power generator;
a computer;
balance information transmitter configured to transmit to the computer balance information relating to a transition of a power generation amount or a charging balance of the secondary battery;
a connection time period setting module configured to set a connection time period of a connection with the computer based on the balance information; and
a communication controller configured to control a start and an end of communication to/from the computer based on the connection time period,
wherein the computer includes:
a connection time period determiner configured to determine the connection time period based on the balance information; and
a display configured to display a transition of the balance information and the connection time period.

11. The communication control system according to claim 10 , wherein the connection time period determiner includes an extended time period determiner configured to determine an extended time period to be added to the connection time period or a shortened time period based on the balance information.

12. The communication control system according to claim 10 , wherein the computer is configured to notify a user of a state relating to a continuous connection with the electronic clock.

13. The communication control system according to claim 12 , wherein the notification includes at least any one of expiration of a communication continuation time period, a warning relating to insufficiency of the power generation amount or the charging balance, a failure in achieving a target of the power generation amount or the charging balance set by the user, or a warning that the continuous connection has been disapproved.

14. The communication control system according to claim 10 , wherein the transition of the balance information to be displayed on the display is plotted through use of a scale that is not fixed.

15. The communication control system according to claim 10 , wherein the transition of the balance information to be displayed on the display is plotted through use of an equal interval scale for the balance information.

Assignees

• Citizen Watch Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirota Yusuke
• Araki Masayuki
• Kondoh Akiyoshi
• Kanazawa Masato

Classifications

• G04C10/04 Primary

  with means for indicating the condition of the power supply · CPC title

• G04G19/00

  Electric power supply circuits specially adapted for use in electronic time-pieces · CPC title

• G04G21/00

  Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces · CPC title

• G04G21/04

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• G04G19/12

  Arrangements for reducing power consumption during storage · CPC title