Electronic equipment and method of controlling electronic equipment

• US 6,628,572 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yabe, Hiroshi, Okeya, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): MISKA, VIT W
• Application Number:
  US09/701,610
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 368/64, 368/66, 368/203-205, 320/128, 320/137, 320/166, 323/222, 323/282
• US Class Current: 368/204
• 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: G04G 19/00 Electric power supply circuits specially adapted for use in electronic time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

If a supply voltage reaches a voltage level that may lead to detection errors of a supply voltage detecting circuit, then a voltage detecting operation is prohibited if generation of power that can be charged into a high-capacity secondary power source is not detected, while the voltage detecting operation is continued if the generation of power that can be charged into the high-capacity secondary power source is detected.

Claims

1. In a portable electronic device, an electronic device comprising:

power generating means for generating electric power by converting first energy into electrical energy;

power means for storing electrical energy generated by the power generating means;

driven means driven by the electrical energy supplied from the power means;

power generation detecting means for detecting whether the power generating means is generating storable electric power that is sufficient to be stored in the power means;

stored power voltage detecting means for detecting a stored power voltage of the power means;

operating voltage detecting means for detecting whether the stored power voltage of the power means has reduced to an operating voltage of the stored power voltage detecting means or less; and

voltage detection control means for prohibiting an operation of the stored power voltage detecting means if the operating voltage detecting means detects that the stored power voltage of the power means has dropped to the operating voltage or less and the power generation detecting means does not detect the generation of storable power.

2. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage detecting control means detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting means detects continuous generation of storage power for a predetermined specified time or more.

3. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage detection control means detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting means detects storable power generation during a total time per preset unit time that exceeds a preset reference total time.

4. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage detection control means controls the stored power voltage detecting means to intermittently perform a detecting operation when the stored power voltage detecting means is in an operable state.

5. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the driven means has time-measuring means for displaying time.

6. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage detection control means comprises timer means that starts measuring duration of the generation of storable power when the power generation detecting means detects that the generation of storable power sufficient to be stored at the power means is being performed, and resets the measured duration when the power generation detecting means detects that the generation of storable power is not being performed, and the voltage detection control means detects that storable power is being generated when the duration reaches a predetermined specified time or more.

7. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage detection control means comprises timer means that adds up power generation detection times during a period in which the power generation detecting means detects that the generation of power sufficient to be stored in the power means is being performed, and resets a total value of the power generation detection times at every predetermined specified unit time, and the voltage detection control means detects that the generation of storable power has been detected only when a total time per unit time of the time in which the generation of storable power is detected exceeds a predetermined specified time.

8. In a portable electronic device, an electronic device comprising:

oscillating means for outputting an oscillation signal having a predetermined frequency;

clock generating means for generating a predetermined clock signal based on the oscillation signal;

power generating means for generating electric power by converting first energy into electrical energy;

power means for storing electrical energy;

driven means driven by the electrical energy supplied from the power means;

step-up/down means for increasing or decreasing a voltage of the electrical energy generated by the power generating means based on the clock signal, and supplying the increased or decreased voltage to the power means for storage;

oscillation state detecting means for detecting whether the oscillation means is at rest;

power generation detecting means for detecting whether the power generating means is generating storable electric power that is sufficient to be stored in the power means;

stored power voltage detecting means for detecting a stored power voltage of the power means; and

voltage detection control means for prohibiting an operation of the stored power voltage detecting means if the oscillation state detecting means detects that the oscillation means is at rest and the power generation detecting means detects that storable power is not being generated, while allowing the stored power voltage detecting means to operate if the oscillation state detecting means detects that the oscillation means is at rest and the power generation detecting means detects that storable power is being generated.

9. An electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the power means comprises first power means for storing electrical energy generated by the power generating means, and second power means for storing electrical energy supplied by the step-up/down means that increases or decreases a voltage of the electrical energy stored in the first power means, and the stored power voltage detecting means comprises first stored power voltage detecting means for detecting a stored power voltage of the first power means and a second stored power voltage detecting means for detecting a stored power voltage of the second power means.

10. An electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the voltage detecting control means detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting means detects continuous generation of storage power for a predetermined specified time or more.

11. An electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the voltage detection control means detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting means detects storable power generation during a total time per preset unit time that exceeds a preset reference total time.

12. An electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the voltage detection control means controls the stored power voltage detecting means to intermittently perform a detecting operation when the stored power voltage detecting means is in an operable state.

13. An electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the driven means has time-measuring means for displaying time.

14. An electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the voltage detection control means comprises timer means that starts measuring duration of the generation of storable power when the power generation detecting means detects that the generation of storable power sufficient to be stored at the power means is being performed, and resets the measured duration when the power generation detecting means detects that the generation of storable power is not being performed, and the voltage detection control means detects that storable power is being generated when the duration reaches a predetermined specified time or more.

15. An electronic device according to claim 8, wherein

the voltage detection control means comprises timer means that adds up power generation detection times during a period in which the power generation detecting means detects that the generation of power sufficient to be stored in the power means is being performed, and resets a total value of the power generation detection times at every predetermined specified unit time, and the voltage detection control means detects that the generation of storable power has been detected only when a total time per unit time of the time in which the generation of storable power is detected exceeds a predetermined specified time.

16. A control method for a portable electronic device comprising a power generating unit for generating electric power by converting first energy into electrical energy, a power unit for storing electrical energy obtained by power generation, and a driven unit driven by the electrical energy supplied from the power unit,

the control method comprising:

detecting whether the power generating unit is generating storable electric power that is sufficient to be stored in the power unit;

detecting a stored power voltage of the power unit;

detecting whether the stored power voltage of the power unit has reduced to an operating voltage of the stored power voltage or less; and

prohibiting detection of stored power voltage if the stored power voltage of the power unit has dropped to the operating voltage or less and storable power is not being generated.

17. A control method for an electronic device according to claim 16, wherein

the driven unit has a time-measuring unit for displaying time, and including displaying time.

18. A control method for a portable electronic device comprising an oscillating unit for outputting an oscillation signal having a predetermined frequency, a clock generating unit for generating a predetermined clock signal based on the oscillation signal, a power generating unit for generating electric power by converting first energy into electrical energy, a power unit for storing electrical energy, a driven unit driven by the electrical energy supplied from the power unit, and a step-up/down unit for increasing or decreasing a voltage of the electrical energy obtained by power generation based on the clock signal, and supplying the voltage to be stored in the power unit,

the control method comprising:

detecting whether the oscillation unit is at rest;

detecting whether the power generating unit is generating storable electric power that is sufficient to be stored in the power unit;

detecting a stored power voltage of the power unit; and

prohibiting detecting a stored power voltage if the oscillation unit is at rest and storable power is not being generated, while allowing the detecting of stored power voltage if the oscillation unit is at rest and storable power is being generated.

19. A control method for an electronic device according to claim 18, wherein

the driven unit has a time-measuring unit for displaying time, and including displaying time.

20. In a portable electronic device,

an electronic device comprising:

a power generating unit that generates electric power by converting first energy into electrical energy;

a power unit that stores electrical energy generated by the power generating unit;

a driven unit driven by the electrical energy supplied from the power unit;

a power generation detecting unit that detects whether the power generating unit is generating storable electric power that is sufficient to be stored in the power unit;

a stored power voltage detecting unit that detects a stored power voltage of the power unit;

an operating voltage detecting unit that detects whether the stored power voltage of the power unit has reduced to an operating voltage of the stored power voltage detecting unit or less; and

a voltage detection control unit that prohibits an operation of the stored power voltage detecting unit if the operating voltage detecting unit detects that the stored power voltage of the power unit has dropped to the operating voltage or less and the power generation detecting unit does not detect the generation of storable power.

21. An electronic device according to claim 20, wherein

the voltage detecting control unit detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting unit detects continuous generation of storage power for a predetermined specified time or more.

22. An electronic device according to claim 20, wherein

the voltage detection control unit detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting unit detects storable power generation during a total time per preset unit time that exceeds a preset reference total time.

23. An electronic device according to claim 20, wherein

the voltage detection control unit controls the stored power voltage detecting unit to intermittently perform a detecting operation when the stored power voltage detecting unit is in an operable state.

24. An electronic device according to claim 20, wherein

the driven unit has a time-measuring unit for displaying time.

25. An electronic device according to claim 20, wherein

the voltage detection control unit comprises a timer unit that starts measuring duration of the generation of storable power when the power generation detecting unit detects that the generation of storable power sufficient to be stored at the power unit is being performed, and resets the measured duration when the power generation detecting unit detects that the generation of storable power is not being performed, and the voltage detection control unit detects that storable power is being generated when the duration reaches a predetermined specified time or more.

26. An electronic device according to claim 20, wherein

the voltage detection control unit comprises a timer unit that adds up power generation detection times during a period in which the power generation detecting unit detects that the generation of power sufficient to be stored in the power unit is being performed, and resets a total value of the power generation detection times at every predetermined specified unit time, and the voltage detection control unit detects that the generation of storable power has been detected only when a total time per unit time of the time in which the generation of storable power is detected exceeds a predetermined specified time.

27. In a portable electronic device,

an electronic device comprising:

an oscillating unit that outputs an oscillation signal having a predetermined frequency;

a clock generating unit that generates a predetermined clock signal based on the oscillation signal;

a power generating unit that generates electric power by converting first energy into electrical energy;

a power unit that stores electrical energy;

a driven unit driven by the electrical energy supplied from the power unit;

a step-up/down unit that increases or decreases a voltage of the electrical energy generated by the power generating unit based on the clock signal, and supplies the increased or decreased voltage to the power unit for storage;

an oscillation state detecting unit that detects whether the oscillation unit is at rest;

a power generation detecting unit that detects whether the power generating unit is generating storable electric power that is sufficient to be stored in the power unit;

a stored power voltage detecting unit that detects a stored power voltage of the power unit; and

a voltage detection control unit that prohibits an operation of the stored power voltage detecting unit if the oscillation state detecting unit detects that the oscillation unit is at rest and the power generation detecting unit detects that storable power is not being generated, while allowing the stored power voltage detecting unit to operate if the oscillation state detecting unit detects that the oscillation unit is at rest and the power generation detecting unit detects that storable power is being generated.

28. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein

the voltage detecting control unit detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting unit detects continuous generation of storage power for a predetermined specified time or more.

29. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein

the voltage detection control unit detects that no storable power is being generated unless the power generation detecting unit detects storable power generation during a total time per preset unit time that exceeds a preset reference total time.

30. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein

the voltage detection control unit controls the stored power voltage detecting unit to intermittently perform a detecting operation when the stored power voltage detecting unit is in an operable state.

31. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein

the driven unit has a time-measuring unit for displaying time.

32. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein

the voltage detection control unit comprises a timer unit that starts measuring duration of the generation of storable power when the power generation detecting unit detects that the generation of storable power sufficient to be stored at the power unit is being performed, and resets the measured duration when the power generation detecting unit detects that the generation of storable power is not being performed, and the voltage detection control unit detects that storable power is being generated when the duration reaches a predetermined specified time or more.

33. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein

the voltage detection control unit comprises a timer unit that adds up power generation detection times during a period in which the power generation detecting unit detects that the generation of power sufficient to be stored in the power unit is being performed, and resets a total value of the power generation detection times at every predetermined specified unit time, and the voltage detection control unit detects that the generation of storable power has been detected only when a total time per unit time of the time in which the generation of storable power is detected exceeds a predetermined specified time.

34. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein

the power unit comprises a first power unit for storing electrical energy generated by the power generating unit, and a second power unit for storing electrical energy supplied by the step-up/down unit that increases or decreases a voltage of the electrical energy stored in the first power unit, and the stored power voltage detecting unit comprises a first stored power voltage detecting unit that detects a stored power voltage of the first power unit and a second stored power voltage detecting unit that detects a stored power voltage of the second power unit.