Electronic device having power generation function, control method of electronic device having power generation function, and portable electronic device having power generation function, and control method of portable electronic device having power generation function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575526-B2
Application number	US-201314109351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device is equipped with power generating means (unit), a secondary battery, a device, charging detection means (unit), battery voltage detection means (unit), and a time display control means (unit). The time display control means (unit) is equipped with an operation suspension portion, an operation resumption portion, a timer, a persistence display control portion and a timer updating portion. The timer updating portion updates the remaining time of the timer to the persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the battery voltage detection means (unit) is longer than the remaining time, and operates the timer in operation as it is when the persistence time according to the detected voltage is equal to or less than the remaining time of the timer in operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device having a power generation function, comprising:
a power generation unit;
a power storage unit configured to store electric energy generated by the power generation unit;
a device which is operated by the electric energy stored in the power storage unit;
a charge detection unit configured to detect a charging state from the power generation unit to the power storage unit;
a voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage of the power storage unit;
a display operation unit configured to instruct a display of an operation persistence time of the device;
a persistence time display unit configured to display the operation persistence time of the device; and
an operation control unit configured to control an operation status of the device,
wherein the operation control unit includes:
an operation suspension portion configured to control the device into an operation suspension state;
an operation resuming portion configured to resume an operation of the device when the device is in the suspension state;
persistence time display control portion configured to operate the persistence time display unit to display the operation persistence time when the display operation unit is operated;
a timer configured to time the remaining time of the operation persistence time; and
a timer updating portion configured to update the remaining time of the timer when the charging state is detected by the charge detection unit during an operation of the timer;
wherein, the operation resuming portion resumes the operation of the device and operates the timer by setting a persistence time according to the detected voltage when a detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is higher than an operation resuming voltage at a time of detecting the charging state by the charge detection unit,
wherein the suspension portion controls the device into the operation suspension state when the remaining time becomes 0 (zero) hour,
wherein, the operation duration display control portion displays the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit by the persistence time display unit and operates the timer by setting the persistence time when the display operation unit is operated; and
wherein the timer updating portion updates the remaining time of the timer to the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage when the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is longer than the remaining time of the timer in operation, and operates the timer in operation as it is when the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage is not longer than the remaining time of the timer in operation.

2. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operation persistence time is set every plural voltage ranges preliminarily sectioned, and
wherein the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage is a persistence time set in a voltage corresponding to the detected voltage.

3. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 2 ,
wherein the timer includes a plurality of timers corresponding to the plural voltage ranges, and
wherein, when setting the persistence time according to the detected voltage, the persistence time is set by combining the timer corresponding to a voltage range in which the detected voltage is included and the timer corresponding to a voltage range lower than the voltage range including the detected voltage.

4. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 2 ,
wherein the timer is equipped with a timer for timing a remaining time of a normal operation mode and a timer for timing a remaining time of a warning operation mode which issues a warning of a low voltage state,
wherein the operation control unit operates the device in the warning operation mode when the remaining time of the timer for timing the remaining time of the normal operation mode becomes 0 (zero) hour, and
wherein the operation suspension portion controls the device into the operation suspension state when the timer for timing the remaining time of the warning mode becomes 0 (zero) hour.

5. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 1 ,
wherein the device is a time display unit configured to display a time, and
wherein the operation control unit continues the operation of the timer even when it becomes a time correction state for correcting a time to be displayed by the time display unit.

6. A control method of an electronic device having power generating functions, the electronic device including
a power generation unit,
a power storage unit configured to store electric energy generated by the power generation unit,
a device which is operated by the electric energy stored in the electric storage unit,
a charge detection unit configured to detect a charging state in which a charge is supplied from the power generation unit to the power storage unit,
a voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage of the power storage unit,
a display operation unit configured to instruct a display of an operation persistence time of the device,
a persistence time display unit configured to display the operation persistence time of the device, and
an operation control unit configured to control the operation status of the device; the operation control unit having a timer being a counter configured to count a remaining time of the operation persistence time,
the control method comprising:
when the display operation unit is operated, displaying the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit by the persistence time display portion and operating the timer by setting the operation persistence time;
performing timer updating in response to detecting, by the charge detection unit, that the charge is supplied while the timer is counting the remaining time of the operation persistence time, the timer updating including updating the remaining time of the timer to an operation persistence time according to the detected voltage when the persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is longer than the remaining time of the timer in operation, and including operating the timer in operation as it is when the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage is equal to or less than the remaining time of the timer in operation;
controlling the device into an operation suspension state when the remaining time of the timer becomes 0 (zero); and
when the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is larger than an operation resuming voltage at a time of detecting the charging state by the charge detection unit, resuming the operation of the device and operating the timer by setting the persistence time according to the detected voltage.

7. A portable electronic device having a power generation function for portable use, comprising:
a power generation unit;
a power storage unit configured to store electric energy generated by the power generation unit;
a device which is operated by the electric energy stored in the electric storage unit;
a charge detection unit configured to detect a charging state from the power generation unit to the power storage unit; and
an operation control unit configured to control the operation state of the device,
the operation control unit including:
an operation suspension portion configured to control the device into an operation suspension status,
an operation resumption portion configured to resume an operation of the d

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nagahama Reiko
• Mukaiyama Keiichi

Classifications

• G04C10/00 Primary

  Arrangements of electric power supplies in time-pieces {(Mounting, assembling of components G04C3/008)} · CPC title

• G06F1/3212

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

• G06F1/26 Primary

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title