Electronic timepiece, movement, and motor control circuit for a timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11294334-B2
Application number	US-202016780985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

An electronic timepiece enables driving a motor in a reverse direction. The timepiece has a current detector detecting a current value flowing through a coil; a driver controller that outputs, according to the detected current value, a first drive signal turning the rotor in a forward direction to a position not pulled to a second statically stable position from a position where the rotor is pulled to a first statically stable position, outputs a second drive signal turning the rotor in a reverse direction past the dynamically stable position after outputting the first drive signal, and outputs a third drive signal turning the rotor in the reverse direction after outputting the second drive signal; and a driver that is controlled according to the first, second and third drive signals to an on state supplying drive current to the coil and an off state not supplying drive current to the coil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a stepper motor including a coil, and a rotor that is pulled to a first statically stable position or a second statically stable position when a magnetic field that drives the rotor is not produced in the coil, and is pulled to a dynamically stable position when the magnetic field is produced in the coil;
a current detector configured to detect a current value flowing through the coil;
a driver controller configured to
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a first drive signal causing the rotor to turn in a forward direction from the first statically stable position to a position circumferentially offset from the second statically stable position,
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a second drive signal causing the rotor to turn in a reverse direction, which is opposite the forward direction, past the dynamically stable position after outputting the first drive signal, and
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a third drive signal causing the rotor to turn in the reverse direction after outputting the second drive signal; and

a driver that is controlled, according to the first drive signal, the second drive signal, and the third drive signal, to an on state supplying drive current to the coil and an off state not supplying drive current to the coil,
wherein the driver controller outputs the third drive signal a specific number of steps corresponding to a target rotation of the rotor.

2. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the driver controller outputs the first drive signal controlling the driver to the on state and the off state, and
when a first on time, which is a continuous time of the on state corresponding to the first drive signal, or a first off time, which is a continuous time of the off state corresponding to the first drive signal, meets a specific condition, changes the drive signal output to the driver from the first drive signal to the second drive signal.

3. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the driver controller changes the drive signal output to the driver from the first drive signal to the second drive signal when a previously set time has passed after starting output of the first drive signal.

4. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the driver controller outputs the second drive signal controlling the driver to the on state and the off state, and
when a second on time, which is a continuous time of the on state corresponding to the second drive signal, or a second off time, which is a continuous time of the off state corresponding to the second drive signal, meets a specific condition, changes the drive signal output to the driver from the second drive signal to the third drive signal.

5. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the driver controller changes the drive signal output to the driver from the second drive signal to the third drive signal when a previously set time has passed after starting output of the second drive signal.

6. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the driver controller outputs the third drive signal controlling the driver to the on state and the off state, and
when a third on time, which is a continuous time of the on state corresponding to the third drive signal, or a third off time, which is a continuous time of the off state corresponding to the third drive signal, meets a specific condition, stops outputting the third drive signal.

7. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the driver controller outputs, after the last third drive signal, a correction drive signal that produces a magnetic field in the same direction as the direction of the magnetic field produced by the last third drive signal of the specific number of steps.

8. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the driver controller outputs the first drive signal, then outputs the second drive signal, and then outputs one step of the third drive signal when a specific time has passed after outputting the third drive signal one step less than the specific number of steps.

9. Moving parts of a timepiece comprising:
a stepper motor including a coil, and a rotor that is pulled to a first statically stable position or a second statically stable position when a magnetic field that drives the rotor is not produced in the coil, and is pulled to a dynamically stable position when the magnetic field is produced in the coil;
a current detector configured to detect a current value flowing through the coil;
a driver controller configured to
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a first drive signal causing the rotor to turn in a forward direction from the first statically stable position to a position circumferentially offset from the second statically stable position,
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a second drive signal causing the rotor to turn in a reverse direction, which is opposite the forward direction, past the dynamically stable position after outputting the first drive signal, and
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a third drive signal causing the rotor to turn in the reverse direction after outputting the second drive signal; and

a driver that is controlled, according to the first drive signal, the second drive signal, and the third drive signal, to an on state supplying drive current to the coil and an off state not supplying drive current to the coil,
wherein the driver controller outputs the third drive signal a specific number of steps corresponding to a target rotation of the rotor.

10. A motor control circuit comprising:
a current detector configured to detect a current value flowing through the coil of a stepper motor including a coil, and a rotor that is pulled to a first statically stable position or a second statically stable position when a magnetic field that drives the rotor is not produced in the coil, and is pulled to a dynamically stable position when the magnetic field is produced in the coil;
a driver controller configured to
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a first drive signal causing the rotor to turn in a forward direction from the first statically stable position to a position circumferentially offset from the second statically stable position,
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a second drive signal causing the rotor to turn in a reverse direction, which is opposite the forward direction, past the dynamically stable position after outputting the first drive signal, and
output, according to the current value the current detector detected, a third drive signal causing the rotor to turn in the reverse direction after outputting the second drive signal; and

a driver that is controlled, according to the first drive signal, the second drive signal, and the third drive signal, to an on state supplying drive current to the coil and an off state not supplying drive current to the coil,
wherein the driver controller outputs the third drive signal a specific number of steps corresponding to a target rotation of the rotor.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Okuhata Tomoki

Classifications

• H02P8/34

  Monitoring operation (H02P8/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P8/20 Primary

  characterised by bidirectional operation · CPC title

• G04C3/143 Primary

  Means to reduce power consumption by reducing pulse width or amplitude and related problems, e.g. detection of unwanted or missing step · CPC title

• H02P8/40

  Special adaptations for controlling two or more stepping motors · CPC title

• H02P8/12

  Control or stabilisation of current · CPC title