Timepiece and Time Correction Method for a Timepiece

• US 20080031095A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fujisawa, Teruhiko, Urano, Osamu, Honda, Katsuyuki, Matsuzaki, Jun
• Application Number:
  US11/830,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20080031095A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/02 the radio signal being sent by a satellite, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 40/02 by phase locking

Abstract

A timekeeping device having a reception unit that captures positioning information satellites orbiting the Earth and receives satellite signals from the captured positioning information satellites; a time correction information generating unit that generates time correction information based on the satellite signals received by the reception unit; a display information correction unit that corrects displayed time information based on the time correction information; a capturable satellite information storage unit that stores capturable satellite information relating to the positioning information satellites that can be captured in the region where the reception unit is located; and a region information input unit for inputting the region information for the location of the reception unit. The reception unit captures the positioning information satellites based on the region information input through the region information input unit and the capturable satellite information.

Claims

1. A timekeeping device comprising:

a reception unit that captures positioning information satellites orbiting the Earth and receives satellite signals from the captured positioning information satellites;

a time correction information generating unit that generates time correction information based on the satellite signals received by the reception unit;

a display information correction unit that corrects displayed time information based on the time correction information;

a capturable satellite information storage unit that stores capturable satellite information relating to the positioning information satellites that can be captured in the region where the reception unit is located; and

a region information input unit for inputting the region information for the location of the reception unit;

wherein the reception unit captures the positioning information satellites based on the region information input through the region information input unit and the capturable satellite information.

2. The timekeeping device described in claim 1, wherein:

the region information input unit is rendered in the time display unit of the timekeeping device and enables selecting region names.

3. The timekeeping device described in claim 1, wherein:

the capturable satellite information relating to the positioning information satellites is stored correlated to time difference information for each region; and

the region information input unit is linked to operating a hand in the time display unit of the timekeeping device.

4. The timekeeping device described in claim 1, further comprising:

an altitude information acquisition unit;

a probability of travel information storage unit that stores probability of travel information based on the altitude information; and

a travel determination unit that determines if the probability of travel is high based on the altitude information acquired by the altitude information acquisition unit and the probability of travel information;

wherein the positioning information satellites are captured based on the capturable satellite information and the region information input by the region information input unit when the travel determination unit determines the probability of travel is high.

5. A time correction method for a timekeeping device, the time correction method comprising steps of:

a reception unit that receives satellite signals from positioning information satellites orbiting the Earth capturing the positioning information satellites;

a time correction information generating unit generating time correction information based on the satellite signals received by the reception unit;

a display information correction unit correcting displayed time information based on the time correction information;

wherein the reception unit captures the positioning information satellites based on region information that is input through a region information input unit for inputting the region information for the location of the reception unit and capturable satellite information relating to the positioning information satellites that can be captured in the region where the reception unit is located.