Electronic timepiece and Control Method of an Electronic Timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016259304-A1
Application number	US-201615060303-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic timepiece has a reception unit that receives satellite signals; a power supply including a battery; a remaining battery capacity detector that detects the remaining battery capacity of the power supply; an interface member; a timekeeping reception controller; and a positioning reception controller. If the user performs a positioning reception operation, the positioning reception controller does not execute a positioning reception process if the remaining battery capacity is less than a first threshold. If the timekeeping reception operation is performed, the timekeeping reception controller executes a timekeeping reception process if the remaining battery capacity is less than the first threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic timepiece comprising:
a display configured to receive satellite signals containing time information from positioning information satellites; a power supply including a battery to supply drive power; a remaining battery capacity detector configured to detect the remaining battery capacity of the power supply; an interface member; a timekeeping reception controller configured to execute a timekeeping reception process in response to a timekeeping reception operation of the interface member; and a positioning reception controller configured to execute a positioning reception process in response to a positioning reception operation of the interface member;
the positioning reception controller executing the positioning reception process if the remaining battery capacity detected by the remaining battery capacity detector is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and
not executing the positioning reception process if the remaining battery capacity is less than the first threshold; and

the timekeeping reception controller executing the timekeeping reception process if the remaining battery capacity detected by the remaining battery capacity detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold and if the remaining battery capacity is less than the first threshold.

2 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the timekeeping reception controller executes the timekeeping reception process if the remaining battery capacity detected by the remaining battery capacity detector is greater than or equal to a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold, and
does not execute the timekeeping reception process if the remaining battery capacity is less than the second threshold.

3 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a remaining battery capacity display configured to display the remaining battery capacity detected by the remaining battery capacity detector at least if the positioning reception controller starts the positioning reception process.

4 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a reception state display configured to indicate the positioning reception process if the positioning reception process is executing, and
indicate the timekeeping reception process if the timekeeping reception process is executing.

5 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the power supply includes a power generator and a storage battery that is charged by power produced by the power generator.

6 . The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the timekeeping reception controller starts the timekeeping reception process if the interface member is operated continuously for a first set time; the timekeeping reception controller continues the timekeeping reception process if operation of the interface member is released before a second set time that is longer than the first set time passes; and operation switches from the timekeeping reception process of the timekeeping reception controller to the positioning reception process of the positioning reception controller if the interface member is operated continuously for the second set time.

7 . A control method of an electronic timepiece including a display configured to receive satellite signals containing time information from positioning information satellites;
a power supply including a battery to supply drive power; a remaining battery capacity detector configured to detect the remaining battery capacity of the power supply; an interface member; a timekeeping reception controller configured to execute a timekeeping reception process in response to a timekeeping reception operation of the interface member; and a positioning reception controller configured to execute a positioning reception process in response to a positioning reception operation of the interface member; the control method comprising: the positioning reception controller executing the positioning reception process if the remaining battery capacity detected by the remaining battery capacity detector is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and
not executing the positioning reception process if the remaining battery capacity is less than the first threshold; and
the timekeeping reception controller executing the timekeeping reception process if the remaining battery capacity detected by the remaining battery capacity detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold and if the remaining battery capacity is less than the first threshold.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Fujisawa Teruhiko

Classifications

• G04R20/02 Primary

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

• G04G19/00

  Electric power supply circuits specially adapted for use in electronic time-pieces · CPC title

• G01R31/3606

  Physics · mapped topic

• G04C10/04

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

• G04R20/04 Primary

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title