Electronic timepiece, information update control method and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747484-B2
Application number	US-202016836999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

An electronic timepiece includes a radio wave receiver, a communication unit, a memory and a processor. The radio wave receiver receives radio waves from positioning satellites. The communication unit communicates with an external device. The memory stores a program and predicted positional information on the positioning satellites. Based on the program stored in the memory, the processor shifts the timepiece between a normal operation state and a power saving state in which operation of the timepiece is restricted, depending on a status of the timepiece. In response to an elapsed time from a valid period of the predicted positional information exceeding a predetermined reference time during the power saving state, the processor causes the communication unit to receive updated data of the predicted positional information and other information from the external device when shifting the timepiece from the power saving state to the normal operation state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a radio wave receiver configured to receive radio waves from positioning satellites;
a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device;
a memory configured to store predicted positional information on the positioning satellites; and
a processor configured to:
receive a signal on a status of one or more measured physical quantities relevant to one or more of a motion and a usage of the electronic timepiece;
shift the electronic timepiece between a normal operation state in which communication with the communication unit is performed and a power saving state in which the communication with the communication unit is not performed, depending on the status of the one or more measured physical quantities; and
in response to an elapsed time from a valid period of the predicted positional information exceeding a predetermined reference time during the power saving state,
determine whether the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates one or more of a predetermined motion and a predetermined usage;
in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates the one or more of the predetermined motion and the predetermined usage, shift the electronic timepiece from the power saving state to the normal operation state; and
after shifting the electronic timepiece from the power saving state to the normal operation state in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates the one or more of the predetermined motion and the predetermined usage, cause the communication unit to receive updated data of the predicted positional information and current date-and-time information from the external device.

2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to, after shifting the electronic timepiece from the power saving state to the normal operation state in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicate the one or more of the predetermined motion and the predetermined usage, cause the communication unit to receive the current date-and-time information and receive the updated data of the predicted positional information after receiving the current date-and-time information.

3. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine whether the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates one or more of another predetermined motion and another predetermined usage; and
in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates the one or more of the another predetermined motion and the another predetermined usage, shift the electronic timepiece from the normal operation state to the power saving state.

4. The electronic timepiece according to claim 3 ,
wherein the another predetermined motion and the another predetermined usage comprises one or more of:
no input operation to an operation receiver for a set period of time; and
a display screen is still because a user has not looked at the display screen.

5. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined motion and the predetermined usage comprises one or more of:
an input operation to an operation receiver within a set period of time; and
a display screen is not still because a user has looked at the display screen.

6. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication unit is configured to:
perform short-range wireless communications with the external device;
in the normal operation state, maintain communication connection while the radio waves are transmittable and receivable between the electronic timepiece and the external device; and
disconnect the communication connection during the power saving state.

7. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined reference time is one day or less.

8. An information update control method of an electronic timepiece including:
a radio wave receiver receiving radio waves from positioning satellites;
a communication unit communicating with an external device; and
a memory storing predicted positional information on the positioning satellites, the information update control method comprising:
receiving a signal on a status of one or more measured physical quantities relevant to one or more of a motion and a usage of the electronic timepiece;
shifting the electronic timepiece between a normal operation state in which communication with the communication unit is performed and a power saving state in which the communication with the communication unit is not performed, depending on the status of the one or more measured physical quantities; and
in response to an elapsed time from a valid period of the predicted positional information exceeding a predetermined reference time during the power saving state,
determining whether the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates one or more of a predetermined motion and a predetermined usage;
in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates the one or more of the predetermined motion and the predetermined usage, shifting the electronic timepiece from the power saving state to the normal operation state; and
after shifting the electronic timepiece from the power saving state to the normal operation state in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates the one or more of the predetermined motion and the predetermined usage, causing the communication unit to receive updated data of the predicted positional information and current date-and-time information from the external device.

9. The information update control method according to claim 8 , comprising:
after shifting the electronic timepiece from the power saving state to the normal operation state in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicate the one or more of the predetermined motion and the predetermined usage, causing the communication unit to receive the current date-and-time information and to receive the updated data of the predicted positional information after receiving the current date-and-time information.

10. The information update control method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
determining whether the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates one or more of another predetermined motion and another predetermined usage; and
in response to determining the status of the one or more measured physical quantities indicates the one or more of the another predetermined motion and the another predetermined usage, shifting the electronic timepiece from the normal operation state to the power saving state.

11. The information update control method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the another predetermined motion and the another predetermined usage comprises one or more of:
no input operation to an operation receiver for a set period of time; and
a display screen is still because a user has not looked at the display screen.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing positional information on positional satellites and a program to cause a computer of an electronic timepiece including a radio wave receiver receiving radio waves from the positioning satellites and a communication unit communicating with an external device, to perform;
receiving a signal on a status of one or more measured physical quantities relevant

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oshita Yuuki
• Kyou Kazuho

Classifications

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• G01S19/27 Primary

  creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver · CPC title

• G01S19/07

  providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections · CPC title

• G01S19/258

  relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view · CPC title

• G01S19/34

  Power consumption · CPC title