ELECTRONIC TIMEPIECE

• US 20190332060A1
• Filed: 04/25/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KANEKO, Yoshihide
• Application Number:
  US16/394,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20190332060A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/235 mechanisms for correcting the additional hand or hands time setting G04B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/0066 electromagnetically driven, e.g. intermittently clocks incorporating a stepping motor G04C3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/14 incorporating a stepping motor G04C3/02 - G04C3/12 take precedence generating timing pulses G04F5/00, G04G3/00; setting G04G5/00; synchronisation G04G7/00; generating commutating pulses in masterclocks G04C13/0463, G04C13/02; slave clocks actuated intermittently by electromechanical step advancing mechanisms G04C13/10; control circuits for stepping motors in general H02P8/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/146 incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0064 in which functions not related to time can be displayed digital output to display devices of digital computers G06F3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/02 the radio signal being sent by a satellite, e.g. GPS

Abstract

An electronic timepiece improves operability when the user adjusts the hand positions. The electronic timepiece has an operator, hands, a driver for driving the hands, and a controller that controls the driver in a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, the controller drives the hands rapidly at a first speed, and continues rapidly driving the hands until a specific operation is executed by the operator. In the second mode, the controller drives the hands rapidly at a second speed that is faster than the first speed, and stops the hands when the hands have moved to a specific position.

Claims

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:

an operator including a crown or a button;

a hand to indicate time;

a driver to drive the hand; and

a controller configured to control the driver to rapidly drive the hand at a first speed when a reference position setting mode for setting the hand to a reference position is set and a rapid drive command is asserted by the operator, and continuously rapidly drive the hand until a specific operation is executed with the operator, and

when a time zone selection mode for selecting a time zone of a time the hand is to display executes, and an operation selecting the time zone is executed by the operator, control the driver to rapidly drive the hand at a second speed that is faster than the first speed, and stop the hand at a position indicating a time based on the selected time zone.

2. An electronic timepiece comprising:

an operator including a crown or a button;

a hand to indicate time;

a driver to drive the hand; and

a controller configured to control the driver in a first mode in which, when a command for rapid driving is asserted by the operator, the driver rapidly drives the hand at a first speed and continues driving rapidly until a specific operation is executed by the operator, and

a second mode in which the driver rapidly drives the hand at a second speed that is faster than the first speed, and stops the hand when the hand moves to a specific position.

3. The electronic timepiece described in claim 2, wherein:

the controller has a reference position setter configured to execute a reference position setting mode to set the hand to the reference position, and

when the reference position setting mode executes, the controller controls the driver in the first mode.

4. The electronic timepiece described in claim 2, wherein:

the controller has a time zone selector configured to execute a time zone selection mode to select a time zone of a time the hand indicates, and

when the time zone selection mode executes, the controller controls the driver in the second mode, and stops the hand at a position indicating a time based on the selected time zone.

5. The electronic timepiece described in claim 2, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a signal containing time information;

the controller including a reception time adjuster to execute a reception mode of receiving the signal by the receiver and adjusting a time the hand indicates; and

when the reception mode executes, the controller controls the driver in the second mode, and stops the hand at a position indicating a time based on the received time information.

6. The electronic timepiece described in claim 2, further comprising:

a time display including a first time display with a first hand, and a second time display with a second hand;

the driver including a first driver to drive the first hand, and a second driver to drive the second hand;

the controller including a display controller configured to execute a time zone switching process that interchanges the times displayed by the first time display and the second time display; and

when the time zone switching process executes, the controller controls the first driver and the second driver in the second mode.