Tuning device with battery condition display

• US 5,142,233 A
• Filed: 12/20/1990
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Serita, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BACARES, RAFAEL D
• Application Number:
  US07/631,160
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 84/454, 84/462, 84/477 R, 84/478, 84/600, 324/435, 324/426, 340/636
• US Class Current: 324/435
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators

Abstract

A tuning device provided with an A/D conversion circuit receiving a battery voltage as an input and an averaging circuit averaging values obtained through A/D conversion and converting it into display data for display of an averaged voltage value. Therefore, an operator can be informed of the current residual electric energy of a battery even when a reference sound is being produced, and thereby correct operation can be verified.

Claims

1. A tuning device comprising:

a battery constituting a source of operating power for the device;

averaging means connected to said battery for producing a battery voltage signal representative of the average value of the battery voltage over a selected time interval;

a tuning circuit for computing data identifying a note to be tuned;

a reference sound generating circuit for generating a signal representing a reference sound;

means including a speaker connected to said reference sound generating circuit for producing an audible reference sound corresponding to that represented by the reference sound signal;

switch means operable for selectively providing an indication of one of a tuning mode in which a tuning operation is performed and a reference sound producing mode in which a reference sound is produced, and for providing a designation of the reference sound to be produced by said reference sound generating circuit;

control means connected to said switch means, said averaging means, said tuning circuit and said reference sound generating circuit, said control means being operative for placing said device in a selected one of the tuning mode and the reference sound producing mode in response to the mode indication provided by said switch means, for controlling and receiving data from said tuning circuit when said device is in the tuning mode, and for activating said reference sound generating circuit to generate a reference sound signal based on the designation provided by said switch means when said device is in the reference sound producing mode; and

display means connected to said control means for providing a display indicating the current state of charge of said battery when said device is in the reference sound producing mode, in response to the battery voltage signal produced by said averaging means.

2. A tuning device as defined in claim 1 wherein said averaging means comprise an analog-digital converter for receiving an analog signal representative of the instantaneous value of the battery voltage and for deriving a digital signal representative of the average value of the battery voltage over a selected time interval.

3. A tuning device as defined in claim 2 wherein said tuning circuit computes the pitch name, octave and cent deviation of a note to be tuned.

4. A tuning device as defined in claim 3 wherein said means including a speaker further comprise a speaker drive circuit connected for amplifying the reference sound signal.

5. A tuning device as defined in claim 1 wherein said display means comprise a display element having a moveable indicator and a first zone across which said indicator is moveable to display the current state of battery charge.

6. A tuning device as defined in claim 5 wherein said display element includes a scale across which said indicator is moveable to display information relating to a signal to be tuned when said device is in the tuning mode.

7. A tuning device as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means are operative for causing said display means to provide the display indicating the current state of charge of said battery only when said device is in the reference sound producing mode.