Radio controlled timepiece and method for controlling radio controlled timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709961-B2
Application number	US-201514947258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2015
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

The fixed-time reception control section carries out the reception process at first time to acquire first reception time data and compares the acquired first reception time data with the internal time. When a difference in time between the first reception time data and the internal time is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the fixed-time reception control section carries out the reception process at second time different from the first time to acquire second reception time data. The time correction section compares the acquired second reception time data with the internal time and corrects the internal time based on the second reception time data when a difference in time between the second reception time data and the internal time is smaller than a second threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio controlled timepiece comprising:
a reception section that receives a standard radio wave;
a reference signal source that produces a reference signal;
a time measurement section that measures internal time based on the reference signal;
a reception control section that causes the reception section to operate and carries out a reception process; and
a time correction section that corrects the internal time,
wherein the reception control section
carries out the reception process at first time to acquire first reception time data,
compares the acquired first reception time data with the internal time, and
carries out the reception process at second time different from the first time to acquire second reception time data when a difference in time between the first reception time data and the internal time is greater than or equal to a preset first threshold, and

the time correction section
compares the acquired second reception time data with the internal time, and
corrects the internal time based on the second reception time data when a difference in time between the second reception time data and the internal time is smaller than a preset second threshold.

2. The radio controlled timepiece according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage section,
wherein the reception control section causes the storage section to store the acquired first reception time data when the difference in time between the first reception time data and the internal time is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and
the time correction section
compares the second reception time data with the first reception time data stored in the storage section when the difference in time between the second reception time data and the internal time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, and
corrects the internal time based on the second reception time data when conformity is verified between the second reception time data and the first reception time data.

3. The radio controlled timepiece according to claim 2 ,
wherein the time correction section does not correct the internal time based on the second reception time data when conformity is not verified between the second reception time data and the first reception time data.

4. The radio controlled timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reception section is configured to be capable of receiving a plurality of types of standard radio wave, and
when the type of the standard radio wave received by the reception section is a predetermined type set in advance,
the reception control section compares the acquired first reception time data with the internal time and carries out the reception process at the second time to acquire the second reception time data when the difference in time between the first reception time data and the internal time is greater than or equal to the first threshold,
whereas when the type of the standard radio wave received by the reception section is not the predetermined type,
the time correction section corrects the internal time based on the first reception time data when conformity of the acquired first reception time data is verified.

5. The radio controlled timepiece according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage section; and
a threshold setting section that sets the first threshold and the second threshold,
wherein when the time correction section corrects the internal time by using reception time data acquired in the reception process carried out by the reception section that is caused to be in operation, the time correction section causes the storage section to store the reception time data as reception success time, and
the threshold setting section sets the first threshold and the second threshold in accordance with a period having elapsed since the reception success time.

6. The radio controlled timepiece according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage section,
wherein when the time correction section corrects the internal time by using reception time data acquired in the reception process carried out by the reception section that is caused to be in operation, the time correction section causes the storage section to store the reception time data as reception success time, and
when a period having elapsed since the reception success time is shorter than a preset elapsed time threshold,
the reception control section compares the acquired first reception time data with the internal time and carries out the reception process at the second time to acquire the second reception time data in the case where the difference in time between the first reception time data and the internal time is greater than or equal to the first threshold,
whereas when the period having elapsed since the reception success time is longer than or equal to the elapsed time threshold,
the time correction section corrects the internal time based on the acquired first reception time data.

7. The radio controlled timepiece according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation section; and
a manual reception control section that causes the reception section to operate and carries out the reception process when manual reception operation is performed on the operation section,
wherein the time correction section does not compare reception time data acquired in the reception process carried out by the manual reception control section with the internal time but corrects the internal time based on the reception time data.

8. The radio controlled timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reception control section receives time data corresponding to a plurality of frames in the reception process at the first time and, when conformity of the time data is verified among the frames, acquires newest time data as the first reception time data, and
the reception control section further receives time data corresponding to a plurality of frames in the reception process at the second time and, when conformity of the time data is verified among the frames, acquires newest time data as the second reception time data.

9. A method for controlling a radio controlled timepiece including a reference signal source that produces a reference signal and a time measurement section that measures internal time based on the reference signal, the method comprising:
carrying out a reception process of receiving a standard radio wave at first time to acquire first reception time data;
comparing the acquired first reception time data with the internal time;
carrying out the reception process of receiving the standard radio wave at second time different from the first time to acquire second reception time data when a difference in time between the first reception time data and the internal time is greater than or equal to a preset first threshold;
comparing the acquired second reception time data with the internal time; and
correcting the internal time based on the second reception time data when a difference in time between the second reception time data and the internal time is smaller than a preset second threshold.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Fujisawa Teruhiko

Classifications

• G04R20/00 Primary

  Setting the time according to the time information carried or implied by the radio signal · CPC title

• G04R20/08

  the radio signal being broadcast from a long-wave call sign, e.g. DCF77, JJY40, JJY60, MSF60 or WWVB · CPC title

• G04R20/10 Primary

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title