Electronic watch provided with an electrical generator

• US 6,021,097 A
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1997
• 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: Miyasaka, Kenji, Satoh, Kohichi, Higuchi, Haruhiko, Igarashi, Kiyotaka, Kanno, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): MISKA, VIT W
• Application Number:
  US09/180,614
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 368/80, 368/157, 368/160, 368/64, 368/203-204, 318/696
• US Class Current: 368/64
• 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: 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

Abstract

An analog-type electronic watch with an electrical generating apparatus, this watch having a load compensation function means, and completing avoiding the adverse influence of magnetic noise which accompanying electrical generation operation. This watch has an electrical generator which operates intermittently, an electrical generation detection means which detects electrical generation by the electrical generator based on a prescribed relationship to the operation of a drive judging means, and a control means which, when the driving judging means detects electrical generation by the electrical generator, supplies a compensation drive pulse to a drive circuit, regardless of the judgment results of the driving judging means.

Claims

1. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, having a stepping motor which is driven by a prescribed drive pulse, a driving judging means which observes a movement of a rotor after a normal drive pulse is applied to said stepping motor and which judges whether or not drive was done, and a compensation drive pulse supplying means which, when a judgment is made by said driving judging means that said prescribed drive had not been done, supplies a compensation drive pulse to a drive circuit, said watch further comprising an electrical generation-time compensation means, which comprises:

an electrical generator capable of irregularly intermittent operation;

means for detecting electrical generation by said electrical generator, based on a prescribed relationship to operation of said driving judging means; and

a control means which, when said electrical generation detection means detects electrical generation by said electrical generator, supplies said compensation drive pulse to said drive circuit, regardless of judgment results of said driving judging means.

2. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 1, wherein an output of said control means of said electrical generation-time compensation means controls said compensation drive pulse supplying means.

3. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 2, wherein an output of said control means of said electrical generation-time compensation means controls said compensation drive pulse supplying means so that said compensation drive pulse is supplied to said drive circuit, with priority given to a judgment of said driving judging means.

4. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to any one of claim 1 through claim 3, wherein a period of time of operation of said electrical generation detection means is made to be nearly coincidental with a period of time of operation of said driving judging means.

5. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 4, wherein in a case in which said electrical generation detection means detects operation of said electrical generator, said electrical generation-time compensation means causes operation of said driving judging means to stop.

6. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 1, wherein by controlling said compensation drive pulse supplying means said electrical generation-time compensation means causes a compensation drive pulse supplied by said load-compensation function means to be equal to a compensation drive pulse supplied when electrical generation is detected.

7. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 1, wherein said electrical generation detection means judges whether or not a value of a rectified direct current from an alternating current voltage that is generated by said electrical generator exceeds a priorly established threshold value so as to detect the presence or non-presence of electrical generation by said electrical generator.

8. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 7, wherein a detection sensitivity in said electrical generation detection for the purpose of detecting the presence or non-presence of electrical generation by said electrical generator is priorly established as a prescribed sensitivity.

9. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 8, wherein said sensitivity in said electrical generation detection means can be adjustably set.

10. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 1, wherein said compensation drive pulse supplying means comprises a gate switch.

11. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of stepping motors driven by said prescribed drive pulse are provided.

12. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 11, wherein part of said plurality of stepping motors is disposed at an distance from said electrical generator that is different from another stepping motor.

13. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 11, wherein the detection sensitivity with respect to the presence of electrical generation by said electrical generator in said electrical generation detection means that controls a load compensation function for one part of said stepping motors, is different from the detection sensitivity with respect to the presence of electrical generation by said electrical generator in said electrical generation detection means that controls a load compensation function for other part of said stepping motors.

14. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 12, wherein, of said plurality of stepping motors, a stepping motor having a relatively high frequency of usage is disposed so as to be at a greater distance from said electrical generator than another stepping motor that has a relatively low frequency of usage.

15. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 14, wherein the detection sensitivity for detecting the presence of electrical generation by said electrical generator in said electrical generation detection means that controls said load compensation function means for a stepping motor that is disposed so as to be more distant from said electrical generator than other stepping motors is made to be lower than the detection sensitivity for detecting the presence of electrical generation by said electrical generator in said electrical generation detection means that controls said load compensation function means for a different stepping motor.

16. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 12, wherein said separate detection sensitivities can be switched via a switching means.

17. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 1, said watch further comprising means for storing electrical power generated by said stepping motor and means observing a voltage of said storage means, wherein in a case in which a priorly established voltage value is reached or exceeded, a compensation drive pulse is output, regardless of the presence or non-presence of an electrical generation detection signal.

18. An electronic watch with an electric generator and which further comprising a load compensation function, according to claim 17, said watch further comprising a voltage detection means for said storage battery and an overcharging prevention means which, when detection is made that the voltage of said storage battery detected by said voltage detection means equals to or exceeds a priorly established voltage value stops charging of said storage battery.

19. An analog-type watch with an electric generator means and which further comprising a load compensation function, and which having at least two stepping motors that are driven by a prescribed drive pulse, a driving judging means for each of said stepping motors which observes the movement of a rotor after a normal pulse is applied to said stepping motor and which judges whether or not each of the stepping motors was driven, and a compensation drive pulse supplying means which, when a judgment is made by said driving judging means that drive had not been done, supplies a compensation drive pulse to a drive circuit, which corresponds to each one of said step motors, said watch further comprising an electrical generation-time compensation means that has an electrical generator which irregularly operates intermittently, an electrical generation detection means which detects an electrical generation action of said electrical generator based on a prescribed relationship with the operation of said driving judging means, and control means which, when electrical generation operation by said electrical generator is detected by said electrical generation detection means, supplies a compensation drive pulse to said drive circuit, regardless of the judgement resulted from said driving judging means, wherein said electrical generation detection means is configured so that detection sensitivity with respect to operation of said electrical generator is different between the case of operation based on a prescribed relationship to operation of a specific driving judging means of said driving judging means and operation based on a prescribed relationship to operation of a different driving judging means.