Electronic Timepiece, and Control Method of an Electronic Timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016252889-A1
Application number	US-201615050617-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic timepiece has a reception device; an input device; a detection device that detects a start reception operation of the input device and outputs a start reception signal; a manual reception controller that operates the receiver and executes a reception process if the start reception signal output from the detection device is received; an automatic reception controller that determines if an automatic reception condition is met, and operates the reception device to execute the reception process if the automatic reception condition is met; and a reception setter that enables or disables operation of the automatic reception controller. The reception setter enables operation of the automatic reception controller if the start reception signal output from the detection device is received if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic timepiece comprising:
a receiver configured to receive satellite signals; an interface; a detector configured to detect a start reception operation of the interface instructing starting reception, and output a start reception signal if the start reception operation is detected; a manual reception controller configured to operate the receiver and execute reception of the satellite signals if the start reception signal is received from the detector; an automatic reception controller configured to determine if an automatic reception condition for receiving satellite signals is met, and operate the receiver to execute a reception process that receives the satellite signals if the automatic reception condition is met; and a reception setter configured to enable or disable operation of the automatic reception controller, the reception setter enabling operation of the automatic reception controller if the start reception signal output from the detector is received if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled.

2 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the detector detects a display reception result operation of the interface instructing displaying the reception result, and outputs a display reception result signal if the display reception result operation is detected; and the reception setter enables operation of the automatic reception controller if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled and the display reception result signal is received from the detector.

3 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 2 , wherein:
the interface includes an operating button; and the detector detects the display reception result operation if the operating button is pushed for a previously set first time, and detects the start reception operation if the operating button is pushed for a second time that is longer than the first time.

4 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the reception setter enables operation of the automatic reception controller if the reception process executed by the manual reception controller in response to the start reception signal is successful if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled, and
keeps operation of the automatic reception controller disabled if the reception process of the manual reception controller fails if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled.

5 . An electronic timepiece comprising:
a receiver configured to receive satellite signals; an interface; a detector configured to detect a display reception result operation of the interface instructing indicating the reception result, and output a display reception result signal if the display reception result operation is detected; an automatic reception controller configured to determine if an automatic reception condition for receiving satellite signals is met, and operate the receiver to execute the reception process if the automatic reception condition is met; and a reception setter configured to enable or disable operation of the automatic reception controller,
the reception setter enabling operation of the automatic reception controller if the display reception result signal output from the detector is received if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled.

6 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery; a power reserve detector configured to detect the capacity remaining in the battery; and a reception prevention controller configured to block operation of the automatic reception controller if the output of the power reserve detector is less than a previously set power reserve threshold, and to cancel blocking operation of the automatic reception controller if the output of the power reserve detector is greater than or equal to the power reserve threshold; the automatic reception controller not executing the reception process even if the automatic reception condition is met if operation is enabled by the reception setter and operation is blocked by the reception prevention controller; and the reception setter enabling operation of the automatic reception controller whether or not operation of the automatic reception controller is blocked by the reception prevention controller if the start reception signal or the display reception result signal output from the detector is received if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled.

7 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery; a power reserve detector configured to detect the capacity remaining in the battery; and a reception prevention controller configured to block operation of the automatic reception controller if the output of the power reserve detector is less than a previously set power reserve threshold, and to cancel blocking operation of the automatic reception controller if the output of the power reserve detector is greater than or equal to the power reserve threshold; the automatic reception controller not executing the reception process even if the automatic reception condition is met if operation is enabled by the reception setter and operation is blocked by the reception prevention controller; and the reception setter enabling operation of the automatic reception controller if the start reception signal or the display reception result signal output from the detector is received if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled and operation of the automatic reception controller is not blocked by the reception prevention controller, and
keeping operation of the automatic reception controller disabled if the start reception signal or the display reception result signal output from the detector is received if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled and operation of the automatic reception controller is blocked by the reception prevention controller.

8 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a display; and a display controller configured to display on the display that operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled if operation of the automatic reception controller is disabled.

9 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a luminance detector configured to detect the brightness of light incident to the electronic timepiece; the automatic reception controller executing the reception process if the luminance detected by the luminance detector is greater than or equal to a previously set luminance threshold.

10 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a timekeeper configured to keep time; the automatic reception controller executing the reception process if the kept time of the timekeeper reaches a previously set specific time.

11 . A control method of an electronic timepiece including a receiver configured to receive satellite signals;
an interface; a detector configured to detect a start reception operation of the interface instructing starting reception, and outputting a start reception signal if the start reception operation is detected; a manual reception controller configured to operate the receiver and execute the reception process if the start reception signal is received from the detector; and an automatic reception controller configured to determine if an automatic reception condition for receiving satellite signals is met, and operating the receiver to execute the reception process if the automatic reception condition is met; the control method comprising: disabling operation of the automatic recept

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Honda Katsuyuki

Classifications

• G04R20/04 Primary

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G04R20/06

  Decoding time data; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G04G19/10

  Arrangements for supplying back-up power · CPC title

• G04G9/00

  Visual time or date indication means · CPC title