Electronic timepiece and control method of an electronic timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9727030-B2
Application number	US-201715402349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An electronic timepiece comprises a receiver configured to receive satellite signals containing time information from positioning information satellites; 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 timekeeping reception controller starts the timekeeping reception process if the interface member is operated continuously for a first set time, and continues the timekeeping reception process if operation of the interface member is released before a second set time passes, the second set time being longer than the first set time, and operation switches from the timekeeping reception process to the positioning reception process if the interface member is operated for the second set time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a receiver configured to receive satellite signals containing time information from positioning information satellites;
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; 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 passes, the second set time being longer than the first set time; 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 for the second set time.

2. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply including a battery to supply drive power; and
a remaining battery capacity detector configured to detect the remaining battery capacity of the power supply;
wherein, if the interface member is operated continuously for the second set time, the remaining battery capacity detector detects the remaining battery capacity and operation switches from the timekeeping reception process to the positioning reception process when the remaining battery capacity is greater than or equal to a threshold.

3. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
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; and
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 , further comprising:
a power supply including a power generator and a storage battery that is charged by power produced by the power generator.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Fujisawa Teruhiko

Classifications

• G01S19/24

  Acquisition or tracking {or demodulation} of signals transmitted by the system {(synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073)} · CPC title

• G04R20/02 Primary

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

• G04R20/04 Primary

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G04C10/04

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

• G01S19/34

  Power consumption · CPC title