Electronic Device, and Control Method of an Electronic Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016223995-A1
Application number	US-201615010541-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic timepiece has a receiving device that receives satellite signals; a reception control unit that operates the receiving device and runs a reception process; a chronograph unit that executes a measuring process; an input device; a detection device that detects operation of the input device to start the chronograph, and outputs a chronograph operation signal when this operation is detected; a hand used both to indicate information related to the reception process and information related to the measuring process; and an operating control unit that operates the chronograph unit in addition to the operating reception control unit, and controls operation of the hand that is indicating information related to the reception process to indicate the measured time, if the chronograph operation signal is input while the reception process is running.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic timepiece comprising:
a reception unit configured to receive satellite signals; a reception control unit configured to operate the reception unit and execute a reception process; a measurement unit configured to execute a measuring process to measure time; an operating unit; a detection unit configured to detect a measurement operation of the operating unit instructing executing the measuring process, and outputting a chronograph operation signal when the measurement operation is detected; a hand used to indicate information related to the reception process and to indicate information related to the measuring process; and a control unit configured to operate the measurement unit in addition to the operating reception control unit, and control operation of the hand indicating the information related to the reception process to indicate the information related to the measuring process, if the chronograph operation signal output from the detection unit is input while the reception process is running.

2 . An electronic timepiece comprising:
a reception unit configured to receive satellite signals; a reception control unit configured to operate the reception unit and execute a reception process; a measurement unit configured to execute a measuring process to measure time; a hand used to indicate information related to the reception process and to indicate information related to the measuring process; and a control unit configured to operate the reception control unit in addition to the operating measurement unit, and control operation of the hand to indicate the information related to the measuring process, if a condition to automatically receive the satellite signal is met while the measuring process is running.

3 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 2 , further comprising:
a light detection unit configured to detect the amount of light incident to the electronic timepiece; the condition to automatically receive the satellite signal being the amount of light detected by the light detection unit being greater than or equal to a specific light level.

4 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 2 , further comprising:
an operating unit; and a detection unit configured to detect a receive operation of the operating unit instructing executing the reception process, and output a reception operation signal when the receive operation is detected; the control unit operating the reception control unit in addition to the operating measurement unit, and controlling the hand to indicate the information related to the measuring process, if the reception operation signal output from the detection unit is input while the measuring process is running.

5 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
if the reception process and the measuring process are executing and the measuring process ends, the control unit controls operation of the hand to indicate the information related to the reception process.

6 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit controls operation of the hand to indicate the reception result of the reception process if the reception process and the measuring process are executing, the reception process ends, and the measuring process ends after the reception process ends.

7 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit configured to indicate that satellite signals are being received, and to display information other than that satellite signals are being received; the control unit controlling the display unit to display that satellite signals are being received when the reception process and the measuring process are running.

8 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
an operating unit; and a detection unit configured to detect a change display operation of the operating unit that instructs changing the display; the control unit controlling operation of the hand to switch displaying the information related to the reception process and the information related to the measuring process if the change display operation output from the detection unit is input while the reception process and the measuring process are running.

9 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery; and battery reserve detection unit configured to detect the battery voltage or the remaining capacity of the battery; wherein if the reception control unit is operating and a signal instructing operation of the measurement unit is input, or if the measurement unit is operating and a signal instructing operation of the reception control unit is input or a condition for operating the reception control unit is met,
the control unit compares the detection value of the battery reserve detection unit with a previously set threshold,
operates the reception control unit and the measurement unit if the detection value is greater than or equal to the threshold,
ends operation of the reception control unit and starts operation of the measurement unit if the detection value is less than the threshold, and
does not start operation of the reception control unit if the detection value is less than the threshold and the measurement unit is operating.

10 . A control method of an electronic timepiece including a reception unit configured to receive satellite signals, a reception control unit configured to operate the reception unit and execute a reception process, a measurement unit configured to execute a measuring process to measure time, an operating unit, a detection unit configured to detect a measurement operation of the operating unit instructing executing the measuring process, and outputting a chronograph operation signal when the measurement operation is detected, and a hand used to indicate information related to the reception process and to indicate information related to the measuring process, the control method comprising:
operating the measurement unit in addition to the operating reception control unit, and controlling operation of the hand indicating the information related to the reception process to indicate the information related to the measuring process, if the chronograph operation signal is output from the detection unit while the reception process is running.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Honda Katsuyuki

Classifications

• G01R31/3835

  involving only voltage measurements · CPC title

• G04F10/00

  Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means · CPC title

• G04R20/02 Primary

  the radio signal being sent by a satellite, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G04R60/14

  specific to electromechanical timepieces, e.g. moving parts thereof · CPC title

• G04C10/04

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