Electronic timepiece and control method of an electronic timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9897979-B2
Application number	US-201615171011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2016
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An electronic timepiece having a satellite signal receiver; a standard time signal receiver; a storage battery; a voltage detection circuit that detects the remaining capacity of the storage battery; a satellite signal reception controller; and a standard time signal reception controller. The satellite signal reception controller operates the satellite signal receiver when the battery capacity detected by the voltage detection circuit is greater than or equal to a first threshold and the automatic reception condition is met. The standard time signal reception controller operates the standard time signal receiver when the automatic reception condition for the standard time signal is met whether the reserve power is greater than or equal to the first threshold and when the reserve power is less than the first threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a satellite signal receiver that receives satellite signal and acquires time information;
a standard time signal receiver that receives a standard time signal and acquires time information;
a battery that supplies power to the satellite signal receiver and the standard time signal receiver;
a reserve power detector that detects the reserve power of the battery;
a satellite signal reception controller that controls operation of the satellite signal receiver; and
a standard time signal reception controller that controls operation of the standard time signal receiver;
wherein the satellite signal reception controller operates the satellite signal receiver if the automatic reception condition for the satellite signal is met when the reserve power detected by the reserve power detector is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and
does not operate the satellite signal receiver if an automatic reception condition for the satellite signal is met when the reserve power detected by the reserve power detector is less than the first threshold; and

the standard time signal reception controller operates the standard time signal receiver if an automatic reception condition for the standard time signal is met when the reserve power detected by the reserve power detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold or is less than the first threshold.

2. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the standard time signal reception controller determines the automatic reception condition for the standard time signal is met and operates the standard time signal receiver when the time kept by the electronic timepiece reaches a previously set reception time; and
the satellite signal reception controller operates the satellite signal receiver when the standard time signal receiver operated by the standard time signal reception controller does not succeed at acquiring time information by receiving the standard time signal, the electronic timepiece is determined to be outdoors, and the reserve power is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

3. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the satellite signal receiver can execute a timekeeping reception process to acquire time information based on the satellite signal, and a positioning reception process to calculate positioning information based on the satellite signal; and
when the located identified by the positioning information acquired by the positioning reception process is outside a previously set standard time signal reception area,
the standard time signal reception controller does not operate the standard time signal receiver, and
the satellite signal reception controller operates the satellite signal receiver if the reserve power is greater than or equal to the first threshold and the electronic timepiece is determined to be outdoors.

4. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the satellite signal receiver can execute a timekeeping reception process to acquire time information based on the satellite signal, and a positioning reception process to calculate positioning information based on the satellite signal; and
the satellite signal reception controller operates the satellite signal receiver and executes the timekeeping reception process when a previously set timekeeping reception condition is met and the reserve power is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and
operates the satellite signal receiver and executes the positioning reception process when a previously set positioning reception condition is met and the reserve power is greater than or equal to a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold.

5. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the satellite signal reception controller operates the satellite signal receiver when a reception operation of an operating member is detected, and the reserve power is greater than or equal to a threshold that is lower than the threshold set for the automatic reception condition.

6. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a solar cell; and
a power output detector that detects the power output of the solar cell;
wherein the satellite signal reception controller determines whether or not the electronic timepiece is outdoors based on the power output detected by the power output detector, and determines the automatic reception condition for the satellite signal is met if the electronic timepiece is determined to be outdoors.

7. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a display able to display the reserve power detected by the reserve power detector,
the display displaying the reserve power at least when reception starts.

8. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a hand; and
a motor that drives the hand;
the standard time signal receiver including a bar antenna for receiving a standard time signal; and
the satellite signal receiver having a ring antenna for receiving a satellite signal;
the motor, the bar antenna, and the battery being disposed in a plan view of the electronic timepiece on the inside circumference side of the ring antenna at mutually non-overlapping plane positions.

9. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a hand; and
a motor that drives the hand;
the standard time signal receiver including a bar antenna for receiving a standard time signal; and
the satellite signal receiver having a patch antenna for receiving a satellite signal;
the motor, the bar antenna, the patch antenna, and the battery being disposed in a plan view of the electronic timepiece at mutually non-overlapping plane positions.

10. A control method of an electronic timepiece including
a satellite signal receiver that receives satellite signals and acquires time information;
a standard time signal receiver that receives a standard time signal and acquires time information;
a battery that supplies power to the satellite signal receiver and the standard time signal receiver;
a reserve power detector that detects the reserve power of the battery; and
a reception controller;
the control method comprising steps of the reception controller:
operating the satellite signal receiver if an automatic reception condition for the satellite signal is met when the reserve power detected by the reserve power detector is greater than or equal to a first threshold;
not operating the satellite signal receiver if the automatic reception condition for the satellite signal is met when the reserve power detected by the reserve power detector is less than the first threshold; and
operating the standard time signal receiver if an automatic reception condition for the standard time signal is met when the reserve power detected by the reserve power detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold or is less than the first threshold.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Fujisawa Teruhiko

Classifications

• G04R20/02 Primary

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