Electronic watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11656580-B2
Application number	US-201916364612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2019
Priority date	Mar 27, 2018
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

An electronic watch includes a power generating mechanism; a battery that is charged with power generated by the power generating mechanism; hands that include a second hand; a driving source that rotates the hands; a driving circuit that drives the driving source with power supplied by the battery; and a control circuit that controls the driving circuit. The control circuit executes a first stopping operation for stopping the driving circuit and the control circuit in a power saving mode for suppressing power consumption and when a first determination time elapses without any power being generated by the power generating mechanism. The control circuit executes a second stopping operation for stopping the driving circuit and the control circuit in the power saving mode and when a second determination time elapses while a voltage of the battery is at a level equal to or lower than a predetermined level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic watch comprising:
a power generating mechanism;
a battery that is charged with power generated by the power generating mechanism;
hands that include a second hand;
a driving source that rotates the hands;
a driving circuit that drives the driving source with power supplied by the battery; and
a control circuit that controls the driving circuit, wherein
the control circuit executes a first stopping operation for stopping the driving circuit and the control circuit in a power saving mode for suppressing power consumption and when a first determination time elapses without any power being generated by the power generating mechanism,
the control circuit executes a second stopping operation for stopping the driving circuit and the control circuit in the power saving mode and when a second determination time elapses while a voltage of the battery is at a level equal to or lower than a predetermined level, wherein
the power saving mode stops at least the second hand among the hands to suppress power consumption,
the power saving mode includes a first power saving mode for stopping the second hand when a condition without any power generation by the power generating mechanism persists, and a second power saving mode for stopping the second hand when a voltage of the battery is low, and
the control circuit stops the second hand at a first position in the first power saving mode, and stops the second hand at a second position that is different from the first position in the second power saving mode.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
the second determination time in the second power saving mode is shorter than the first determination time in the first power saving mode.

3. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
when executing the first stopping operation in the first power saving mode, the control circuit stops the driving circuit and the control circuit with the second hand kept at the first position, and
when executing the second stopping operation in the second power saving mode, the control circuit stops the driving circuit and the control circuit with the second hand kept at the second position.

4. The electronic watch according claim 1 , wherein
when a voltage of the battery drops in the first power saving mode, the control circuit causes a transition to the second power saving mode.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit starts moving the second hand when a power generating time of the power generating mechanism becomes equal to or longer than a third determination time in the first power saving mode, and starts moving the second hand when the power generating time of the power generating mechanism becomes equal to or longer than a fourth determination time in the second power saving mode, and
the fourth determination time is longer than the third determination time.

6. The electronic watch according to claim 5 , wherein
in the first power saving mode, the control circuit determines whether to start a movement of the second hand based on a result of comparing the third determination time with a continuous power generating time of the power generating mechanism, and
in the second power saving mode, the control circuit determines whether to start a movement of the second hand based on a result of comparing the fourth determination time with a cumulative power generating time of the power generating mechanism.

7. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit executes the first stopping operation and the second stopping operation while the second hand has been stopped by a user operation performed on an operation unit.

8. The electronic watch according to claim 7 , wherein
the control circuit causes the driving circuit to stop the second hand in response to an operation performed on the operation unit, and
when a voltage of the battery drops to a level equal to or lower than the predetermined level while the second hand is kept unmoving, the control circuit rotates the second hand to a warning position indicating a voltage drop in the battery, and stops the second hand at the warning position.

9. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit performs a hand position detection in at least one of a time of transition to a power saving mode for suppressing power consumption by stopping the second hand, and a time of resuming from the power saving mode.

10. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit performs a hand position detection in at least one of a time of executing the first stopping operation in the power saving mode, a time of executing the second stopping operation in the power saving mode, and a time of restarting operations of the driving circuit and the control circuit.

11. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
when the driving circuit and the control circuit have been stopped by the second stopping operation, the control circuit restarts operations of the driving circuit and the control circuit based on an amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism.

12. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
when an amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism within a certain past period is small, the control circuit reduces a length of the first determination time, compared with when the amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism is large within the period.

13. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
when a voltage of the battery is low, the control circuit reduces a length of the first determination time, compared with when the voltage of the battery is high.

14. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
when an amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism within a certain past period is small, the control circuit reduces a length of the second determination time, compared with when the amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism is large within the period.

15. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
when an amount of power generated by power generating mechanism within a certain past period is small, the control circuit starts the first power saving mode within a short time period after the power generating mechanism has ceased to generate power, compared with when the amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism is large within the period.

16. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit starts moving the second hand when a power generating time of the power generating mechanism becomes equal to or longer than a predetermined time in the first power saving mode, and
when an amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism within a certain period before the first power saving mode is started is large, the control circuit reduces a length of the predetermined time, compared with when the amount of power generated by the power generating mechanism within the period is small.

Assignees

• Citizen Watch Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kimura Shogo
• Takada Akinari

Classifications

• G04G19/12

  Arrangements for reducing power consumption during storage · CPC title

• G04C3/146

  incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors · CPC title

• G04C10/04 Primary

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

• G04C3/16

  incorporating an electro-dynamic continuously rotating motor (G04C3/02 - G04C3/12 take precedence) · CPC title