Electronic timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11599068-B2
Application number	US-202016823381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

Provided is a radio-controlled timepiece that can reduce overall power consumption. The radio-controlled timepiece 1 has a receiver circuit 12 that executes during a specific time limit a reception process to acquire multiple time data from the standard time signals at different times; storage 22 that stores multiple time data; a timekeeper 23 that keeps an internal time; a time setting adjuster 24 that corrects the internal time based on coherent time data when the number of coherent time data, which is time data that is mutually coherent, in the multiple time data reaches a threshold; and a reception controller 21 that extends the time limit when the number of coherent time data is less than the threshold when a specific time that is shorter than the time limit has past since the reception process started.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio-controlled timepiece comprising:
an antenna configured to receive a standard time signal;
a receiver circuit configured to execute during a specific time limit a reception process to acquire multiple time data from the standard time signal at different times;
storage configured to store the multiple time data;
a timekeeper configured to keep internal time;
a time adjuster configured to correct the internal time based on coherent time data when the number of coherent time data, which is time data that is mutually coherent, in the multiple time data reaches a threshold; and
a reception controller configured to extend the time limit in response to a determination that (i) the number of coherent time data is less than the threshold but within a predetermined range of the threshold and (ii) a specific time that is shorter than the time limit has passed since the reception process started such that the time limit is extended prior to the time limit being reached.

2. The radio-controlled timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the reception controller extends the time limit when a difference between the threshold and the number of coherent time data is 1.

3. The radio-controlled timepiece described in claim 2 , wherein:
the reception controller extends the time limit when multiple time data other than the coherent time data includes two time data each containing partially mutually coherent information, wherein at least part of each of the two time data is not mutually coherent.

4. The radio-controlled timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the reception controller extends the time limit when a difference between the threshold and the number of coherent time data is two, and the multiple time data other than the coherent time data includes two time data each containing partially mutually coherent information, wherein at least part of each of the two time data is not mutually coherent.

5. The radio-controlled timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
an upper limit is set for the number of times the reception controller extends the time limit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tanabe Takuya

Classifications

• G04R40/06 Primary

  by computing the time value implied by the radio signal · CPC title

• G04C11/02

  by radio (time setting brought into action by radio G04C9/02) · CPC title

• G04R20/10

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G04R20/08 Primary

  the radio signal being broadcast from a long-wave call sign, e.g. DCF77, JJY40, JJY60, MSF60 or WWVB · CPC title