Driver circuit for electro-mechanical transducer

• US 4,158,287 A
• Filed: 08/03/1977
• Issued: 06/19/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kenji, Nakajima, Fumio, Machida, Takayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US05/821,433
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 58/23 R, 58/23 A, 58/23 BA, 58/23 D, 58/152 B, 58/152 H, 340/248 B, 340/249, 340/636, 340/663, 318/139
• US Class Current: 368/202
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/04 with means for indicating the condition of the power supply in general G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/143 Means to reduce power consumption by reducing pulse width or amplitude and related problems, e.g. detection of unwanted or missing step

Abstract

An electro-mechanical transducer driver circuit for an electronic timepiece characterized in that the pulse width of a driving pulse which drives an electro-mechanical transducer is controlled in a step-wise manner by the induced voltage of a driving coil.

Claims

1. A driver circuit for an electro-mechanical transducer of an electronic timepiece having an oscillator circuit providing a relatively high frequency signal and a frequency divider to divide down the relatively high frequency signal to provide a low frequency signal, said driver circuit comprising:

a driving coil for driving said electro-mechanical transducer;

means for detecting an induced voltage of said driving coil and producing

an output signal when said induced voltage decreases below a predetermined value; and

a pulse width change-over circuit connected to said frequency divider and responsive to said low frequency signal to provide first driving pulses of a first pulse width to energize said driving coil when said induced voltage is above said predetermined value;

said pulse width change-over circuit including means for providing second driving pulses of a second pulse width larger than said first pulse width to energize said driving coil in response to said output signal to compensate for a decrease in said induced voltage below said predetermined value.

2. A driver circuit according to claim 1, in which said detecting means comprises a first induced voltage detection inverter connected to one end of said driving coil, and a second induced voltage detection inverter connected to the other end of said driving coil.

3. A driver circuit according to claim 2, in which said detecting means further comprises memory circuit means responsive to outputs of said first and second induced voltage detection inverters to provide said output signal.

4. A driver circuit according to claim 2, in which at least one of the ends of said driving coil is connected to ground through a MOS transistor.

5. A driver circuit for an electro-mechanical transducer of an electronic timepiece powered by a battery and having an oscillator circuit providing a relatively high frequency signal, and a frequency divider to divide down the relatively high frequency signal to provide first and second low frequency signals, said driver circuit comprising:

a driving coil to drive said electro-mechanical transducer;

a voltage detection circuit adapted to be connected to said battery for detecting an output voltage thereof to provide an output signal when said output voltage decreases below a predetermined level;

a waveform shaping circuit responsive to said first low frequency signal to provide first driving pulses of a first pulse width to energize said driving coil when said output voltage is above said predetermined value; and

said waveform shaping circuit including means for providing second driving pulses of a second pulse width larger than said first pulse width to energize said driving coil in response to said output signal and said second low frequency signal to compensate for a decrease in said battery below said predetermined value.

6. A driver circuit according to claim 5, further comprising a change-over circuit composed of gate means connected to said frequency divider for normally passing said first low frequency signal to said waveform shaping circuit whereby said waveform shaping circuit produces said first driving pulses in the absence of said output signal, said gate means being responsive to said output signal from said voltage detection circuit for passing said second low frequency signal to said waveform shaping circuit whereby said waveform shaping circuit produces said second driving pulses.

7. A driver circuit according to claim 6, in which said waveform shaping circuit comprises flip-flops having their input terminals connected to a final stage of said frequency divider, said flip-flops being connected at their reset terminals to said change-over circuit to receive one of said first and second low frequency signals.