Satellite signal receiving device and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9154181-B2
Application number	US-201414579610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Aug 30, 2011
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

A satellite signal reception device can reliably execute a satellite signal reception process. The satellite signal reception device has a reception time setting unit 71 that sets a reception time; a timekeeping unit that keeps internal time; and a scheduled reception control unit 72 that executes a time-based reception process that operates the reception unit when the time kept by the timekeeping unit reaches the reception time. By having a scheduled reception control unit 72 , the reception process can be executed when the internal time goes to the reception time set by the reception time setting unit 71 . The reception process is therefore executed once a day. The satellite signal reception process can therefore be executed reliably without being affected by how the device is used, the season, weather, or other factors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece, comprising:
a reception unit that receives a signal;
a timekeeping unit that keeps internal time;
a solar cell;
a voltage detection circuit that detects an illuminance of light incident to the solar cell; and
a reception control unit that, every day when the time kept by the timekeeping unit reaches a predetermined time, determines whether a current date is a reception day or a no-reception day, and if the current date is a reception day then the reception control unit selectively executes an illuminance-based reception process that operates the reception unit when the illuminance detected by the voltage detection circuit equals or exceeds a set threshold, and if the current date is a no-reception day then the reception control unit does not execute the illuminance-based reception process.

2. The timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit that stores a reception history;
wherein the reception control unit determines whether a current date is a no-reception day based on the stored reception history.

3. The timepiece described in claim 2 , wherein:
the reception history includes information indicating whether a previous operation of the reception unit successfully received the signal.

4. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein the reception control unit determines that the current date is the no-reception day if the reception unit was operated and successfully received the signal the immediately previous day.

5. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein the reception control unit determines that the current date is the no-reception day if the reception unit was operated and successfully received the signal on a date that is a predetermined plurality of days immediately preceding the current date.

6. The timepiece described in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined plurality of days is two days.

7. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time is 00:00 AM.

8. The timepiece described in claim 1 , further having a reception period comprised of a fixed plurality of consecutive days;
wherein within said reception period:
the first day in said reception period is a reception day;
if the reception unit is not operated in the first day in said reception period, then each subsequent day within the reception period is a reception day until reaching a day when the reception unit is operated; and
all days within the reception period following a day when the reception unit is operated are no-reception days;

wherein:
if the current day is a reception, then the reception control unit determines if the current day is the first day in said reception period or a later day in the reception period;
if the current day is the first day in said reception period, then the reception control unit schedules a reception time for the current day based on a first set of criteria; and
if the current day is not the first day in said reception period, then the reception unit schedules the reception time based on a second set of criteria different from the first set of criteria.

9. The timepiece described in claim 8 , wherein:
if the current day is the first day in said reception period, then the reception control unit schedules a reception time to an automatic operation time if an automatic operation time is previously stored, otherwise the control unit schedules the reception time to a time matching a most-immediately preceding manually-initiated reception operation.

10. The timepiece described in claim 9 , wherein:
if the current day is not the first day in said reception period, then the reception control unit determines if the immediately previous operation of the reception unit was due to a manual trigger or an automated trigger, and
if the previous operation was due to a manual trigger, then the reception control unit schedules the reception time to an automatic operation time if an automatic operation time is stored, and
if the previous operation was due to an automated trigger, then the reception control unit schedules the reception time to a time matching a most-immediately preceding manually-initiated reception operation.

11. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein the signal is a satellite signal that comprises time information.

12. A timepiece, comprising:
a reception unit that receives a signal;
a timekeeping unit that keeps internal time; and
a reception control unit that determines every day whether a current date is a reception day or a no-reception day, and if the current date is a reception day then the reception control unit executes a time-based reception process that determines whether the time kept by the timekeeping unit reaches a reception time and operates the reception unit when the time kept by the timekeeping unit reaches the reception time, and if the current date is a no-reception day then the reception control unit does not execute the time-based reception process.

13. The timepiece described in claim 12 , further comprising:
a storage unit that stores a reception history;
wherein the reception control unit determines whether a current date is a no-reception day based on the stored reception history.

14. The timepiece described in claim 13 , wherein:
the reception history includes information indicating whether a previous reception operation successfully received the signal.

15. The timepiece described in claim 12 , wherein
the reception control unit determines the current date is the no-reception day when the reception which is executed the previous day succeeds.

16. The timepiece described in claim 12 , wherein the reception control unit determines that the current date is the no-reception day if the reception unit was operated and successfully received the signal within the previous two days.

17. The timepiece described in claim 12 , wherein the predetermined time is 00:00 AM.

18. The timepiece described in claim 12 , wherein the signal is a satellite signal that comprises time information.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Akiyama Toshikazu
• Honda Katsuyuki
• Baba Norimitsu
• Matsuzaki Jun

Classifications

• G04R20/04

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G01S19/34

  Power consumption · CPC title

• G04R20/02 Primary

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

• H04B1/7073 Primary

  Synchronisation aspects · CPC title

• G04C10/04

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