ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING POWER GENERATION FUNCTION, CONTROL METHOD OF ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING POWER GENERATION FUNCTION, AND PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING POWER GENERATION FUNCTION, AND CONTROL METHOD OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING POWER GENERATION FUNCTION

• US 20140172181A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: NAGAHAMA, Reiko, MUKAIYAMA, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,575,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/00 Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces circuits G04G19/00; mounting, assembling of components of electromechanical watches G04C3/008, of electronic watches G04G17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level

Abstract

An electronic device is equipped with power generating means (unit), a secondary battery, a device, charging detection means (unit), battery voltage detection means (unit), and a time display control means (unit). The time display control means (unit) is equipped with an operation suspension portion, an operation resumption portion, a timer, a persistence display control portion and a timer updating portion. The timer updating portion updates the remaining time of the timer to the persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the battery voltage detection means (unit) is longer than the remaining time, and operates the timer in operation as it is when the persistence time according to the detected voltage is equal to or less than the remaining time of the timer in operation.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a power generation function, comprising:

a power generation unit;

a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the power generation unit;

a device which is operated by the electric energy stored in the power storage unit;

a charge detection unit for detecting a charging state from the power generation unit to the power storage unit;

a voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage of the power storage unit;

a display operation unit for instructing a display of an operation persistence time of the device;

a persistence time display unit for displaying the operation persistence time of the device; and

an operation control unit for controlling an operation status of the device,

wherein the operation control unit includes;

an operation suspension portion for controlling the device into an operation suspension state;

an operation resuming portion for resuming an operation of the device when the device is in the suspension state;

persistence time display control portion for operating the persistence time display unit to display the operation persistence time when the display operation unit is operated;

a timer for timing the remaining time of the operation persistence time; and

a timer updating portion for updating the remaining time of the timer when the charging state is detected by the charge detection unit during an operation of the timer;

wherein, the operation resuming portion resumes the operation of the device and operates the timer by setting a persistence time according to the detected voltage when a detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is higher than the operation resuming voltage at a time of detecting the charging state by the charge detection unit,

wherein the suspension portion controls the device into the operation suspension state when the remaining time becomes 0 (zero) hour,

wherein, the operation duration display control portion displays the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit by the persistence time display unit and operates the timer by setting the persistence time when the display operation unit is operated; and

wherein the timer updating portion updates the remaining time of the timer to the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage when the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is longer than the remaining time of the timer in operation, and operates the timer in operation as it is when the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage is not longer than the remaining time of the timer in operation.

2. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 1,

wherein the operation persistence time is set every plural voltage ranges preliminarily sectioned, and

wherein the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage is a persistence time set in a voltage corresponding to the detected voltage.

3. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 2,

wherein the timer includes a plurality of timers corresponding to the plural voltage ranges, and

wherein, when setting the persistence time according to the detected voltage, the persistence time is set by combining the timer corresponding to a voltage range in which the detected voltage is included and the timer corresponding to a voltage range lower than the voltage range including the detected voltage.

4. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 2,

wherein the timer is equipped with a timer for timing a remaining time of a normal operation mode and a timer for timing a remaining time of a BLD operation mode which issues a warning of a low voltage state,

wherein the operation control unit operates the device in the BLD operation mode when the remaining time of the timer for timing the remaining time of the normal operation mode becomes 0 (zero) hour, and

wherein the operation suspension portion controls the device into the operation suspension state when the timer for timing the remaining time of the BLD mode becomes 0 (zero) hour.

5. The electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 1,

wherein the device is a time display unit for displaying a time, and

wherein the operation control unit continues the operation of the timer even when it becomes a time correction state for correcting a time to be displayed by the time display unit.

6. A control method of an electronic device having power generating functions, comprising:

a power generation unit;

a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the power generation unit;

a device which is operated by the electric energy stored in the electric storage unit;

a charge detection unit for detecting a charging state from the power generation unit to the power storage unit;

a voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage of the power storage unit;

a display operation unit for instructing a display of an operation persistence time of the device;

a persistence time display unit for displaying the operation persistence time of the device; and

an operation control unit for controlling the operation status of the device;

wherein the operation control unit is equipped with a timer for timing a remaining time of the operation persistence time, and executes;

when the display operation unit is operated, persistence time display processing for displaying the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit by the persistence time display portion and operating the timer by setting the operation persistence time;

timer updating processing for updating the remaining time of the timer to an operation persistence time according to the detected voltage when the persistence time according to the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is longer than the remaining time of the timer in operation, and for operating the timer in operation as it is when the operation persistence time according to the detected voltage is equal to or less than the remaining time of the timer in operation;

operation suspension processing for controlling the device into an operation suspension state when the remaining time of the timer becomes 0 (zero); and

when the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is larger than the operation resuming voltage at a time of detecting the charging state by the charge detection unit, operation resumption processing for resuming the operation of the device and operates the timer by setting the persistence time according to the detected voltage.

7. A portable electronic device having a power generation function for portable use, comprising:

a power generation unit;

a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the power generation unit;

a device which is operated by the electric energy stored in the electric storage unit;

a charge detection unit for detecting a charging state from the power generation unit to the power storage unit; and

an operation control unit for controlling the operation state of the device,

wherein the operation control unit includes;

an operation suspension portion for controlling the device into an operation suspension status;

an operation resumption portion for resuming an operation of the device when the device is in the suspension status;

a timer capable of setting the persistence time of the device and configured to time a remaining time of the persistence time;

a carrying amount detection portion for detecting a carrying amount at the time of resuming the operation of the device; and

a persistence time adjusting portion for adjusting the persistence time of the timer at the time of resuming the operation of the device,

wherein the operation suspension portion controls the device into the operation suspension status when the remaining time becomes 0 (zero),

wherein the operation resumption portion resumes the operation of the device when the charging state is detected by the charge detection unit, and

wherein the persistence time adjusting portion sets the persistence time to the timer when the carrying amount detected by the carrying amount detection portion becomes a predetermined value.

8. The portable electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 7, further comprising a voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage of the power storage unit,

wherein the persistence time adjusting portion sets the operation persistence time to be set to the timer into plural steps based on the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and the carrying amount.

9. The portable electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 7, further comprising voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage of the power storage unit,

wherein the operation persistence time is set every plural voltage ranges preliminarily sectioned,

wherein, the operation resumption portion sets the timer to a shortest persistence time when the detected voltage detected by the voltage detection unit at a time of detecting the charging state by the charge detection unit corresponds to a first voltage range corresponding to the shortest persistence time, and operates the persistence time adjusting portion when the detected voltage corresponds to a voltage range higher than the first voltage range.

10. The portable electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 7,

wherein, when one days is divided into plural time periods from the operation resumption time as starting point, and the charging state is detected plural time by the charge detection unit in the time period, the carrying amount detection portion sets the time period as a carrying state detection time period when the charging state is detected plural time in the time period by the charge detection unit, and judges that there is one day'"'"'s carrying amount when there exists more than a predetermined number of carrying state detection time period in one day,

wherein the persistence time adjusting portion sets the persistence time to the timer when the number of days of the carrying amount reaches a predetermined value.

11. The portable electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 7,

wherein the charge detection unit is constituted so as to be able to detect a continuous charging state from the power generating unit to the power storage unit, and

wherein the carrying amount detection portion detects the carrying amount based on a length of the detected time of the continuous charging state

12. The portable electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 7,

wherein the timer is equipped with a timer for timing the remaining time of a normal operation mode and a timer for timing the remaining time of a BLD operation mode for which issues a warning of a low voltage state,

wherein the operation control unit operates the device in the BLD mode when the timer for timing the remaining time of the normal operation mode becomes 0 (zero) hour and when the carrying amount detected by the carrying amount detection portion is less than a predetermined value,

wherein the operation suspension portion controls the device into the operation suspension status when the remaining time of the timer for timing the remaining time of the BLD mode becomes 0 (zero) hour, and

wherein the operation resumption portion operates the persistence time adjusting portion when the charging state is detected in the BLD operation mode.

13. The portable electronic device having a power generation function according to claim 7,

wherein the device is a time displaying unit for displaying a time, and

wherein the operation control unit continues the operation of the timer even when it becomes a time correction state in which a time to be displayed by the time display unit is to be corrected.

14. A control method of a portable electronic device having power generation function for portable use, the portable electronic device comprising:

a power generation unit;

a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the power generation unit;

a a device which is operated by the electric energy stored in the electric storage unit;

a charge detection unit for detecting a charging state from the power generation unit to the power storage unit; and

an operation control unit for controlling the operation state of the device,

wherein the operation control unit is equipped with a timer capable of setting the persistence time and configured to time a remaining time thereof, and executes;

an operation suspension processing for controlling the device into an operation suspension state when the remaining time of the timer becomes 0 (zero); and

a persistence time adjusting processing for resuming the operation of the device when the charging state is detected by the charge detection unit and setting the persistence time to the timer when the carrying amount becomes a predetermined value by detecting the carrying amount.