Electronic watch

• US 6,147,936 A
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US09/101,029
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 368/203, 368/204, 368/205, 368/66
• US Class Current: 368/205
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• 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 10/04 with means for indicating the condition of the power supply in general G01R31/36

Abstract

In an electronic watch provided with an electric power generator (1) for generating power from external energy and charge means (3) for charging power generated by the electric power generator (1), clock means (4) executes time display operation by power of the electric power generator (1) or charge means (3) and produces a count pulse (S10) for counting the amount of power stored in the charge means (3) and a charge monitoring means (6) counts the amount of stored power of the charge means (3) in response to the count pulse (S10) and displays the amount of stored power based on the counted value.

Claims

1. An electronic watch comprising:

an electric power generator (1) for generating power by external energy;

charge means (3) for charging power which is generated by the electric power generator (1) through reverse current prevention means (2);

clock means (4) for executing time display operation by power of the generator (1) or charge means (3), and for generating a first count pulse (S14) so as to count the amount of power generated by the electric power generator (1), a second count pulse (S15) for counting the amount of consumption power of the charge means (3), a display pulse (S33) for displaying the amount of stored power of the charge means (3), and a switching signal pulse (S16) for switching between the first and second count pulses;

switching means (5) comprising a voltage detector (11) for detecting a power supply voltage of the electric power generator (1) and a charging voltage of the charge means (3), a pulse controlling circuit (12) for controlling the switching signal pulse (S16) in response to an output of the voltage detector (11), and a pulse selecting circuit (13) for selecting either of the first or second count pulses (S14) and (S15) in response to an output of the pulse controlling circuit (12); and

charge monitoring means (6) which is controlled by the output of the pulse controlling circuit (12) of the switching means (5) for counting the amount of power stored in the charge means (3) in response to a count pulse (S19) selected by the pulse selecting circuit (13) so as to display the amount of stored power in response to the counted value and the display pulse (S33).

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1:

wherein the charge monitoring means (6) comprises;

a count controlling circuit (34) composed of a first counting circuit (39) having a clock input terminal for receiving the count pulse (S19) selected by the pulse selecting circuit (13) of the switching means (5) so as to execute a count-up operation or count-down operation in response to the output of the pulse controlling circuit (12), a second counting circuit (40) for executing a count-up operation or count-down operation so as to produce a counted value which is equal to the counted value of the first counting circuit (39), and a magnitude comparator (41) for comparing the magnitude of the counted value of the first counting circuit (39) with that of the second counting circuit (40) and outputting the result of comparison;

an operation switching circuit (37) for switching between the count-up operation and count-down operation of the second counting circuit (40) in response to the result of comparison of the magnitude comparator (41);

a pulse supplying circuit (36) for supplying the display pulse (S33) to a clock input terminal of the second counting circuit (40) in response to the result of comparison of the magnitude comparator (41);

a pulse generating circuit (35) for generating a driving pulse in response to the result of comparison of the magnitude comparator (41) and the display pulse (S33); and

a display mechanism which is driven by the driving pulse to display the amount of stored power of the charge means (3).

3. The electronic watch according to claim 2:

wherein the display mechanism comprises a pulse motor (54) which is driven by the driving pulse and a discoid display plate (56) which is rotatably driven by the pulse motor (54), and wherein the display plate (56) is composed of a half semicircular portion (56a) and another half semicircular portion (56b) which are colored with different colors.

4. An electronic watch comprising:

an electric power generator (1) for generating power by external energy;

charge means (3) for charging power which is generated by the electric power generator (1) through reverse current prevention means (2);

clock means (4) for executing time display operation by power of the electric power generator (1) or charge means (3), and for generating a first count pulse (S14) so as to count the amount of power generated by the electric power generator (1), a second count pulse (S15) for counting the amount of consumption power of the charge means (3), and a switching signal pulse (S16) for switching between the first and second count pulses (S14) and (S15);

switching means (5) comprising a voltage detector (11) for detecting a power supply voltage of the electric power generator (1) and a charging voltage of the charge means (3), a pulse controlling circuit (12) for controlling the switching signal pulse (S16) in response to an output of the voltage detector (11), and a pulse selecting circuit (13) for selecting either of the first or second count pulses (S14) and (S15) in response to an output of the pulse controlling circuit (12); and

charge monitoring means (6) which is controlled by the output of the pulse controlling circuit (12) of the switching means (5) for counting the amount of stored power of the charge means (3) in response to the count pulse selected by the pulse selecting circuit (13) so as to display the amount of power stored in the charge means (3) in response to the counted value.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 4:

wherein the charge monitoring means (6) comprises;

a display unit (32) for digitally displaying the amount of stored power of the charge means (3);

a counting circuit (29) for receiving the count pulse (S19) selected by the pulse selecting circuit (13) at its clock input terminal to execute a count-up operation or count-down operation in response to the output of the pulse controlling circuit (12), thereby outputting the result of counting as a binary output;

a code converting circuit (30) for converting the binary output value of the counting circuit (29) into a code capable of being digitally displayed; and

a display driving circuit (31) for driving a display unit (32) in response to the code converted by the code converting circuit (30) to execute a digital display.