Electronic timepiece, satellite signal receiving device, and method for controlling satellite signal receiving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11609341-B2
Application number	US-202016750104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2019
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

An electronic timepiece includes: a power source; a correlation computation unit executing correlation computation processing of sequentially computing a correlation value between a signal sample and a plurality of codes corresponding to a plurality of satellites; a power source voltage determination unit to which a voltage of a power source is inputted and which determines whether the inputted voltage is lower than a first threshold or not, or whether the voltage exceeds a second threshold set to be equal to or higher than the first threshold; and a correlation computation control unit controlling the correlation computation unit to interrupt the correlation computation processing when the power source voltage determination unit determines that the voltage is lower than the first threshold, and to resume the correlation computation processing when the power source voltage determination unit determines that the voltage exceeds the second threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a power source;
a receiving unit configured to receive at least one of satellite signals transmitted from a plurality of satellites, converting the satellite signal into a digital signal, and outputting the digital signal;
a baseband unit configured to
store the digital signal as a signal sample,
using a plurality of correlators, execute correlation computation processing of sequentially computing a correlation value between the signal sample and a plurality of codes corresponding to the plurality of satellites, and
store a result of correlation computation by the plurality of correlators; and

a power supply configured to supply electric power from the power source to the receiving unit and the baseband unit,
wherein the baseband unit is further configured to
using a power source voltage determination circuit, (i) detect a first voltage of the power source prior to starting the correlation computation processing, (ii) determine whether the detected first voltage is lower than a first threshold, (iii) detect a second voltage of the power source during the correlation computation processing, (iv) determine whether the detected second voltage exceeds a second threshold set to be equal to or higher than the first threshold, (v) detect a third voltage of the power source subsequent to interrupting the correlation computation processing, and (vi) determine whether the detected third voltage exceeds a third threshold set to be equal to or higher than the second threshold, and
using a baseband control unit, control the plurality of correlators to interrupt the correlation computation processing when the power source voltage determination circuit determines that the second voltage is lower than the second threshold, and to resume the correlation computation processing when the power source voltage determination circuit determines that the third voltage exceeds the third threshold.

2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein
the power source voltage determination circuit
outputs an interrupt signal to interrupt the correlation computation processing to the baseband control unit when determining that the first voltage is lower than the first threshold, and
stops outputting the interrupt signal when determining that the second voltage exceeds the second threshold, and

the baseband control unit,
when the interrupt signal is inputted thereto, controls the plurality of correlators to interrupt the correlation computation processing and causes the baseband unit to store the result of correlation computation, at a point when computation of a correlation value between a code and the signal sample computed at a point when the interrupt signal is inputted is ended, and
when the input of the interrupt signal is stopped, controls the plurality of correlators to resume the correlation computation processing, based on the result of correlation computation stored in the baseband unit.

3. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein
baseband control unit
controls the power supply to stop the supply of electric power to the plurality of correlators and thus interrupts the correlation computation processing, when the power source voltage determination circuit determines that the first voltage is lower than the first threshold, and
controls the power supply to resume the supply of electric power to the plurality of correlators and thus resumes the correlation computation processing, when the power source voltage determination circuit determines that the second voltage exceeds the second threshold.

4. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein
the baseband control unit decides a number of the correlators used, according to the first voltage.

5. A satellite signal receiving device comprising:
a receiving unit receiving at least one of satellite signals transmitted from a plurality of satellites, converting the satellite signal into a digital signal, and outputting the digital signal;
a baseband unit configured to
store the digital signal as a signal sample,
using a plurality of correlators, execute correlation computation processing of sequentially computing a correlation value between the signal sample and a plurality of codes corresponding to the plurality of satellites, and
store a result of correlation computation by plurality of correlators; and
a power supply supplying electric power from a power source to the receiving unit and the baseband unit;
wherein the baseband unit is further configured to
using a power source voltage determination circuit, (i) detect a first voltage of the power source prior to starting the correlation computation processing, (ii) determine whether the detected first voltage is lower than a first threshold, (iii) detect a second voltage of the power source during the correlation computation processing, (iv) determine whether the detected second voltage exceeds a second threshold set to be equal to or higher than the first threshold, (v) detect a third voltage of the power source subsequent to interrupting the correlation computation processing, and (vi) determine whether the detected third voltage exceeds a third threshold set to be equal to or higher than the second threshold, and
using a baseband control unit, control the plurality of correlators to interrupt the correlation computation processing when the power source voltage determination circuit determines that the second voltage is lower than the second threshold, and to resume the correlation computation processing when the power source voltage determination circuit determines that the third voltage exceeds the third threshold.

6. The satellite signal receiving device according to claim 5 , wherein
the power source voltage determination circuit
outputs an interrupt signal to interrupt the correlation computation processing to the baseband control unit when determining that the first voltage is lower than the first threshold, and
stops outputting the interrupt signal when determining that the second voltage exceeds the second threshold, and

the baseband control unit
when the interrupt signal is inputted thereto, controls the plurality of correlators to interrupt the correlation computation processing and causes the baseband unit to store the result of correlation computation, at a point when computation of a correlation value between a code and the signal sample computed at a point when the interrupt signal is inputted is ended, and
when the input of the interrupt signal is stopped, controls the plurality of correlators to resume the correlation computation processing, based on the result of correlation computation stored in the baseband unit.

7. A method for controlling a satellite signal receiving device, the device including: a receiving unit receiving at least one of satellite signals transmitted from a plurality of satellites, converting the satellite signal into a digital signal, and outputting the digital signal; a baseband unit storing the digital signal as a signal sample, executing correlation computation processing of sequentially computing a correlation value between the signal sample and a plurality of codes corresponding to the plurality of satellites using a plurality of correlators, and storing a result of correlation computation by the plurality of correlators; a power supply supplying electric power from a power source to the receiving unit and the baseband unit; and a power source voltage determination circuit configured to (i) detect a first voltage of the power source prior to starting the correlation computation processing, (ii) determine whether the detected first voltage is lower than a first threshold, (iii) detect a second voltage of the power source d

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Uozumi Hiroshi
• Hatanaka Koichi

Classifications

• G04R20/04 Primary

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G04G19/06

  Regulation · CPC title

• G04C10/04

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

• G01S19/34 Primary

  Power consumption · CPC title