Satellite Signal Reception Device And Control Method For A Satellite Signal Reception Device

• US 20090189809A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Baba, Norimitsu
• Application Number:
  US12/357,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189809A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.570
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/047 Displays or indicators G01S1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/04 Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor

Abstract

A satellite signal reception device has a reception unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite, a reception state display device for displaying the satellite signal reception state, a reception state evaluation unit that determines the reception condition of the satellite signal received by the reception unit, and a display controller that controls the reception state display device to display the reception condition determined by the reception state evaluation unit. The reception state evaluation unit determining the level of the reception condition based on the number of positioning information satellites from which satellite signals are received and the signal level of each received signal, and the display controller displaying the reception level output by the reception state evaluation unit on the reception state display device.

Claims

1. A satellite signal reception device comprising:

a reception unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite;

a reception state display device for displaying the satellite signal reception state;

a reception state evaluation unit that determines the reception condition of the satellite signal received by the reception unit; and

a display controller that controls the reception state display device to display the reception condition determined by the reception state evaluation unit;

the reception state evaluation unit determining the level of the reception condition based on the number of positioning information satellites from which satellite signals are received and the signal level of each received signal, and

the display controller displaying the reception level output by the reception state evaluation unit on the reception state display device.

2. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 1, wherein:

a positioning mode for receiving the satellite signal and executing a positioning process, and a time adjustment mode for receiving the satellite signal and executing a time adjustment process, can be selected;

the reception state evaluation unit determines the reception level based on evaluation criteria set for the positioning mode when the positioning mode is selected, and

determines the reception level based on evaluation criteria set for the time adjustment mode when the time adjustment mode is selected.

3. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 2, wherein:

when the positioning mode is selected, the reception state evaluation unit

determines that the reception level is 0 when the number of positioning information satellites from which signals are received is less than a positioning signal reception count that is set for positioning,

determines that the reception level is 1 when the number of positioning information satellites from which signals are received is greater than or equal to the positioning signal reception count that is set for positioning, and the number of positioning information satellites for which the signal level of the reception signal is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value is less than the positioning signal reception count, and

determines that the reception level is 2 when the number of positioning information satellites from which reception signals with a signal level greater than or equal to the preset threshold value are received is greater than the positioning signal reception count; and

when the time adjustment mode is selected, the reception state evaluation unit

determines that the reception level is 0 when the number of positioning information satellites from which signals are received is less than the time adjustment signal reception count that is set for time adjustment,

determines that the reception level is 1 when the number of positioning information satellites from which signals are received is greater than or equal to the time adjustment signal reception count that is set for time adjustment, and the number of positioning information satellites for which the signal level of the reception signal is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value is less than the time adjustment signal reception count, and

determines that the reception level is 2 when the number of positioning information satellites from which reception signals with a signal level greater than or equal to the preset threshold value are received is greater than the time adjustment signal reception count.

4. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 1, wherein:

the reception state evaluation unit sets level evaluation criteria for determining the level of the reception condition according to the stage of progress in the reception process, and determines the reception condition according to the stage of progress in the reception process; and

the display controller displays the reception condition level determined by the reception state evaluation unit according to the stage of the reception process on the reception state display device.

5. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 4, wherein:

the stages of progress in the reception process include

a satellite search stage in which a positioning information satellite search process executes,

a satellite capture stage in which a satellite capture process for capturing a found satellite executes,

a time information acquisition stage in which the satellite signal of the captured positioning information satellite is received and time information is acquired, and

a positioning information acquisition stage in which the satellite signal of the captured positioning information satellite is received and positioning information is acquired; and

the reception state evaluation unit

determines the reception condition based on the number of positioning information satellites detected by the search and the level of each reception signal in the satellite search stage,

determines the reception condition based on the number of captured positioning information satellites and the level of each reception signal in the satellite capture stage,

determines the reception condition based on the number of positioning information satellites from which time information was acquired and the level of each reception signal in the time information acquisition stage, and

determines the reception condition based on the number of positioning information satellites from which positioning information was acquired and the level of each reception signal in the positioning information acquisition stage.

6. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 1, wherein:

the reception state display device includes a mechanical drive unit and a time display device that is driven by the mechanical drive unit to display the time; and

the display controller controls the mechanical drive unit based on the reception level determined by the reception state evaluation unit to display the reception level using the time display device that displays the time.

7. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 6, wherein:

the time display device includes a hand driven by the mechanical drive unit, and a dial having a scale with markings that are indicated by the hand; and

the display controller controls the mechanical drive unit based on the reception level determined by the reception state evaluation unit, and moves the hand to positions predetermined according to each reception level to display the reception level.

8. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 7, wherein:

the reception unit includes an antenna disposed on the back side of the dial for receiving the satellite signals; and

the predetermined positions to which the hand are moved to display the reception levels are set to positions where the hand does not overlap the antenna at a position parallel to the plane of the dial surface when the hand is set to any of the predetermined positions.

9. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 6, wherein:

the time display device includes a date wheel or a day wheel that is driven by the mechanical drive unit, and a window in which the date wheel or day wheel is displayed formed in the dial;

symbols representing each reception level are disposed on the date wheel or day wheel; and

the display controller controls the mechanical drive unit based on the reception level determined by the reception state evaluation unit to move the date wheel or day wheel so that the symbol disposed thereon representing the reception level is displayed through the window in the dial and the reception level is thereby displayed.

10. The satellite signal reception device described in claim 1, further comprising:

a time information generating unit that generates internal time information;

a time information adjustment unit that corrects the internal time information; and

a time display device that displays the internal time information;

wherein the time information adjustment unit corrects the internal time information based on the time information acquired by the satellite signal reception device.

11. A control method for a satellite signal reception device having a reception unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite, and a reception state display device for displaying the satellite signal reception state, the control method comprising:

a reception state evaluation step that determines the reception condition of the satellite signal based on the number of positioning information satellites from which satellite signals are received and the signal level of each received signal; and

a reception state display step that displays the reception level determined by the reception state evaluation step on the reception state display device.