Electronic watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12050437-B2
Application number	US-202117510489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2021
Priority date	Oct 27, 2020
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

The electronic watch includes a controller configured to perform switching between a time display mode which displays a time, a modification mode in which at least one of hands is moved in accordance with an operation of the operation device, and a power saving mode which consumes less power than in the time display mode by stopping at least one of the hands. The controller switches to the power saving mode when a battery voltage is detected to be less than a first voltage threshold value while the time display mode is performed, and switches to the power saving mode when the battery voltage to be less than a second voltage threshold value which is lower than the first voltage threshold value while the modification mode is performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic watch comprising:
a plurality of hands;
a rechargeable battery;
a battery voltage detection controller configured to detect a voltage of the battery;
an operation device including a crown or a button; and
a controller configured to perform, switching between, a time display mode for displaying a time, a modification mode in which at least one of the hands is moved in accordance with an operation of the operation device, and a power saving mode in which less power is consumed than in the time display mode by stopping at least one of the hands,
wherein the controller switches to the power saving mode when a battery voltage detected by the battery voltage detection controller is detected to be less than a first voltage threshold value while the time display mode is performed, and switches to the power saving mode when the battery voltage is detected to be less than a second voltage threshold value that is lower than the first voltage threshold value while the modification mode is performed.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein:
the operation device includes a crown,
the crown is configured to be movable to a pressed position and a drawn position, and
the controller performs the time display mode when the crown is located in the pressed position, and performs the modification mode when the crown is located in the drawn position.

3. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein:
the operation device includes the button, and
the controller performs the modification mode switching from the time display mode in accordance with an operation of the button.

4. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein:
a time measurement controller configured to measure an internal time is provided,
in the time display mode, a time is displayed with the hands based on the internal time, and
in the modification mode, the internal time is modified in accordance with an operation of the operation device, and the hands are moved to a position corresponding to the internal time at a speed faster than a hand movement speed in the time display mode.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein:
the hands include a second hand, and
the controller performs a battery low display hand movement mode that causes the second hand to move at intervals of 2 seconds or more when the battery voltage detection controller detects that the battery voltage is less than a third voltage threshold value that is higher than the first voltage threshold value while the time display mode is performed.

6. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein:
the battery voltage detection controller detects a voltage of the battery at a constant period.

7. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein:
the controller switches a threshold value of the battery voltage to the first voltage threshold value after a prescribed time passes from an end of processing of moving at least one of the hands while the modification mode is performed.

8. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein:
the modification mode includes a plurality of modification modes, and
the second voltage threshold value for determining a shift from the modification mode to the power saving mode is a threshold value that is lower than the first voltage threshold value and is set for each of the modification modes.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tanabe Takuya

Classifications

• G04G9/0064

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

• G06F1/3212

  Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level · CPC title

• G06F1/3234

  Power saving characterised by the action undertaken · CPC title

• G04G19/12 Primary

  Arrangements for reducing power consumption during storage · CPC title