Method for controlling electronic watch and electronic watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12025957-B2
Application number	US-202016893611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2020
Priority date	Jun 7, 2019
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

A method for controlling an electronic watch that includes a first pointing hand, a first motor configured to move the first pointing hand, a second pointing hand, a second motor configured to move the second pointing hand, and a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure, the method including, when start of diving is detected based on a pressure measured by the pressure sensor, controlling the first motor and the second motor, and indicating with the first pointing hand and the second pointing hand a water depth based on the pressure and a diving time period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic watch, comprising:
an hour hand;
a first motor configured to move the hour hand;
a minute hand;
a second motor configured to move the minute hand;
a seconds hand;
a third motor configured to move the seconds hand;
a first motor driving circuit configured to drive the first motor;
a second motor driving circuit configured to drive the second motor;
a third motor driving circuit configured to drive the third motor;
a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure; and
a controller configured to:
estimate a water depth based on the measured pressure;
detect start of first diving when the water depth corresponding to the measured pressure exceeds a first threshold;
detect start of second diving when the water depth corresponding to the measured pressure exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold corresponding to a deeper water depth than the first threshold;
initiate counting of a diving period of time when the start of second diving is detected;
control a position of one of the hour hand or the minute hand to a first position indicating the water depth after the start of second diving is detected;
control a position of the other of the hour hand or the minute hand to a second position indicating the diving period of time after the start of second diving is detected; and
control a position of the seconds hand to a third position indicating either seconds of current time or seconds of the diving period of time after the start of second diving is detected.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , further comprising a water detection sensor,
wherein, when the water detection sensor detects that the electronic watch entered water, the controller is configured to cause the pressure sensor to start measurement of the pressure.

3. The electronic watch according to claim 2 ,
wherein, when the controller initiates the counting of the diving period of time, the controller is configured to control the position of one of the hour hand or the minute hand to a 12 o'clock position as the second portion and move the one of the hour hand or the minute hand in association with the counting of the diving period of time.

4. The electronic watch according to claim 2 ,
wherein the hour hand indicates the water depth, and the minute hand indicates the diving period of time.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the controller initiates the counting of the diving period of time, the controller is configured to control the position of one of the hour hand or the minute hand to a 12 o'clock position as the second position and move the one of the hour hand or the minute hand in association with the counting of the diving period of time.

6. The electronic watch according to claim 5 ,
wherein the hour hand indicates the water depth, and the minute hand indicates the diving period of time.

7. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , comprising:
an indicator hand;
a fourth motor configured to drive the indicator hand; and
a fourth motor driving circuit configured to drive the fourth motor,
wherein, when the controller detects the start of second diving, the controller is configured to control a position of the indicator hand to a fourth position indicating a diving mode, and
when the controller does not detect the start of second diving, the controller is configured to control the position of the indicator hand to a fifth position indicating a battery residual amount.

8. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , further comprising a digital display configured to indicate that a diving mode is set when the controller detects the start of second diving.

9. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , further comprising an operation interface operable by a user,
wherein, when the controller detects an operation of the operation interface while the diving period of is indicated, the controller is configured to control the hour hand and the minute hand to indicate the current time, and
when a certain period of time elapses after indicating the current time, the water depth and the diving period of time are indicated by the hour hand and the minute hand.

10. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , further comprising an operation interface operable by a user,
wherein, when the controller detects an operation of the operating interface while the diving period of time is indicated, the controller is configured to control one of the hour hand or the minute hand to indicate the water depth and control the other of the hour hand or the minute hand to indicate a maximum water depth.

11. The electronic watch according to claim 10 ,
wherein, when the controller detects the operation of the operating interface while indicating the water depth and the maximum water depth by the hour hand and the minute hand, the controller is configured to control the hour hand and the minute hand to indicate the current time.

12. The electronic watch according to claim 1 ,
wherein the hour hand indicates the water depth, and the minute hand indicates the diving period of time.

13. A method for controlling an electronic watch for causing a controller to execute a process, the method comprising executing on the controller the steps of:
moving an hour hand via a first motor and a first motor driving circuit;
moving a minute hand via a second motor and a second motor driving circuit,
moving a seconds hand via a third motor and a third motor driving circuit;
measuring a pressure via a pressure sensor;
detecting start of diving based on the measured pressure;
estimating a water depth based on the measure pressure;
detecting start of first diving when the water depth corresponding to the measured pressure exceeds a first threshold;
detecting start of second diving when the water depth corresponding to the measured pressure exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold corresponding to a deeper water depth than the first threshold;
initiating of counting a diving period of time when the start of second diving is detected,
controlling a position of one of the hour hand or the minute hand to a first position indicating the water depth after the start of second diving is detected;
controlling a position of the other of the hour hand or the minute hand to a second position indicating the diving period of time after the start of second diving is detected; and
controlling a position of the seconds hand to a third position indicating either seconds of current time or seconds of the diving period of time after the start of second diving is detected.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Eiichiro

Classifications

• G04C3/146

  incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors · CPC title

• G04B47/066

  with a pressure sensor · CPC title

• G04B19/04

  Hands; Discs with a single mark or the like {(moving indicating arrangements which have scales or numbers with stationary hands or reading means G04B19/20; optical projection of the position of the hands G04B19/34)} · CPC title

• G04B19/048

  having the possibility of indicating on more than one scale, e.g. hands with variable length which work on different scales (simultaneous indicating on several dials G04B19/025; indicating by discs used as hands G04B19/046; used as moving scales G04B19/202; different indications on several scales or dials, e.g. for different local apparent times G04B19/23) · CPC title

• G04G9/0064

  in which functions not related to time can be displayed (digital output to display devices of digital computers G06F3/14) · CPC title