Satellite signal receiving device, method of controlling satellite signal receiving device, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9798014-B2
Application number	US-201615154635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 20, 2011
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A satellite signal receiving device having a receiver circuit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite further includes a solar cell that converts light energy to electrical energy; a generating state detection circuit that detects a generating state of the solar cell to obtain a detection value, which is a power generating evaluation time, which is a time during which the solar cell output is continuously in a high illuminance state; and a control circuit that controls the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit, sets a threshold value for the power generating evaluation time, and compares the detection value with the threshold value and operates the receiver circuit when the detection value is greater than or equal to the threshold value. The control circuit changes the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time when satellite signal reception failed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A satellite signal receiving device having a receiver circuit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite, comprising:
a solar cell that converts light energy to electrical energy;
a generating state detection circuit that detects a generating state of the solar cell to obtain a detection value, which is a power generating evaluation time, which is a time during which the solar cell output is continuously in a high illuminance state; and
a control circuit that controls the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit,
sets a threshold value for the power generating evaluation time, and
compares the detection value detected by the generating state detection circuit with the threshold value and operates the receiver circuit to execute a satellite signal reception process when the detection value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, wherein

the control circuit changes the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time when satellite signal reception by the receiver circuit fails, the threshold value being changed between execution of sequential satellite signal reception processes and not while a satellite signal reception process is being executed, and
the threshold value is decreased based on an amount of time the solar cell is output continuously in a low illuminance state.

2. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the control circuit changes the threshold value to a longer time when satellite signal reception by the receiver circuit fails.

3. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the control circuit changes the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time to a shorter time when a time during which the solar cell is output continuously in a low illuminance state is longer than or equal to a preset generating state detection time.

4. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 3 , wherein:
when the control circuit changes the threshold value of the power generating evaluation time to a shorter time, plural times consecutively, the control circuit moves the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit to a sleep mode, and
resets the threshold value to a default value when a change from the sleep mode to a normal mode is detected, and the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit change from the sleep mode to the normal mode.

5. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the control circuit executes the satellite signal reception process at a specific time interval between consecutive satellite signal receiving operations,
when the receiver circuit successfully receives the satellite signal, the control circuit executes a next satellite signal reception process after a first time interval, and when the receiver circuit fails to receive the satellite signal, the control circuit executes the next satellite reception process after a second time interval,
the first time interval being longer than the second time interval.

6. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the control circuit changes the threshold value when reception of the satellite signal by the receiver circuit fails plural times consecutively.

7. A satellite signal receiving device having a receiver circuit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite, comprising:
a solar cell that converts light energy to electrical energy;
a generating state detection circuit that detects a generating state of the solar cell to obtain a detection value, which is a power generating evaluation time, which is a time during which the solar cell output is continuously in a high illuminance state; and
a control circuit that controls the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit,
sets a threshold value for the power generating evaluation time, and
compares the detection value detected by the generating state detection circuit with the threshold value and operates the receiver circuit when the detection value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, wherein

the control circuit changes the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time to a longer time when satellite signal reception by the receiver circuit failed and a predetermined number of satellite signals are not detected, the threshold value being changed between execution of sequential satellite signal reception processes and not while a satellite signal reception process is being executed, and the control circuit does not change the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time to a longer time when satellite signal reception by the receiver circuit failed and the predetermined number of satellite signals are detected.

8. A satellite signal receiving device having a receiver circuit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite, comprising:
a solar cell that converts light energy to electrical energy;
a generating state detection circuit that detects a generating state of the solar cell to obtain a detection value, which is a power generating evaluation time, which is a time during which the solar cell output is continuously in a high illuminance state; and
a control circuit that controls the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit,
sets a threshold value for the power generating evaluation time, and
compares the detection value detected by the generating state detection circuit with the threshold value and operates the receiver circuit when the detection value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, wherein

the control circuit changes the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time when a time during which the solar cell output is continuously in a low illuminance state is longer than or equal to a preset generating state detection time.

9. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 8 , wherein:
the control circuit changes the threshold value to a shorter time when a time during which the solar cell output is continuously in a low illuminance state is longer than or equal to a preset generating state detection time.

10. An electronic device comprising the satellite signal receiving device described in claim 1 .

11. An electronic device comprising the satellite signal receiving device described in claim 7 .

12. An electronic device comprising the satellite signal receiving device described in claim 8 .

13. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 7 , wherein:
the control circuit changes the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time to a shorter time when a time during which the solar cell is output continuously in a low illuminance state is longer than or equal to a preset generating state detection time.

14. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 13 , wherein:
when the control circuit changes the threshold value of the power generating evaluation time to a shorter time, plural times consecutively, the control circuit moves the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit to a sleep mode, and resets the threshold value to a default value when a change from the sleep mode to a normal mode is detected, and the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit change from the sleep mode to the normal mode.

15. The satellite signal receiving device described in claim 7 , wherein:
the control circuit executes the satellite signal reception process at a specific

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Baba Norimitsu

Classifications

• G04R20/04

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G01S19/26 Primary

  involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking · CPC title

• G04G19/00

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

• G04C10/02 Primary

  the power supply being a radioactive {or photovoltaic} source · CPC title

• G01S19/34

  Power consumption · CPC title