Electronic timepiece, control method for electronic timepiece, regulating system for electronic timepiece, and regulating method for electronic timepiece

• US 7,095,679 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Takashi, Miyahara, Fumiaki, Fujisawa, Teruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Thanh S
• Application Number:
  US10/959,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20050041533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 368/47, 368/52, 368/53, 368/55
• US Class Current: 368/47
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/00 Setting the time according to the time information carried or implied by the radio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 40/00 Correcting the clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/02 Antennas also serving as components of clocks or watches, e.g. motor coils

Abstract

In an analog electrical timepiece with a motor coil, when an external operating member is in a prescribed operating condition, the operating mode of the analog electrical timepiece is set to the data receive mode. Next, the analog timepiece generates a synchronization signal which is in synchronized to an external synchronization signal that is input from outside. Then, the analog electrical timepiece, when the operating mode is the data receive mode by the detection circuit, based on a synchronization signal and a data voltage signal that is a voltage signal induced around the motor coil by a data signal input from outside, generates and outputs a receive data.

Claims

1. An electronic timepiece with a coil comprising:

a signal input unit for inputting a signal in response to an external operation;

a mode setting unit for switching, in response to the signal, an operation mode of the electronic timepiece between a data receive mode and a normal operation mode;

a synchronization signal generating unit for generating, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, an internal synchronization signal that is synchronized to an external synchronization signal transmitted from an external transmitting device;

a received data recovery unit for recovering, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, received data on the basis of the internal synchronization signal and a data voltage signal induced across the coil by a transmitted data signal from the external transmitting device, and for outputting the received data; and

an operation control unit for placing the received data recovery unit in an operation enabled state only during a prescribed time period while the electronic timepiece is in the data receive mode.

2. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coil is a motor coil.

3. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mode setting unit shifts the operation mode to the data receive mode when a signal input via the signal input unit is a prescribed signal.

4. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the signal input unit comprises an external operation unit capable of being placed in various operating conditions by which a user performs various operations; and

the signal input unit applies the prescribed signal to the mode setting unit when the operating condition of the external operation unit is in a prescribed operating condition.

5. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the coil is a motor coil; and

the electronic timepiece further comprises a motor drive pulse output prohibit unit for prohibiting an application of motor drive pulses to the motor coil when the operation mode is in the data receive mode.

6. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mode setting unit shifts the operation mode from the data receive mode to the normal operation mode when the external synchronization signal is not received within a prescribed time period after the operation mode is shifted to the data receive mode.

7. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mode setting unit shifts the operation mode from the data receive mode to the normal operation mode when data having a predetermined amount of bits is received after the operation mode is shifted to the data receive mode.

8. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the coil is a motor coil;

motor drive pulses are sent to the motor coil at regular intervals; and

the mode setting unit sets the operation mode to the data receive mode only during a no-drive-pulse time period of predetermined duration during which motor drive pulses are not sent to the motor pulse.

9. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a received data storage unit for storing the received data; and

a data storage control unit for, when a prescribed number of identical data is received, storing the received data into the received data storing unit.

10. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the received data storage unit comprises:

a non-volatile memory unit for storing the received data in a nonvolatile manner; and

a data writing unit for writing the received data to the non-volatile memory unit.

11. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received data recovery unit comprises a comparator for recovering and outputting the received data by comparing a voltage level of the data voltage signal with a prescribed reference voltage.

12. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the received data recovery unit comprises a comparator for recovering and outputting the received data by comparing a voltage level of the data voltage signal with a prescribed reference voltage; and

wherein the operation control unit places the comparator in the operation enabled state only during the prescribed time period during the data receive mode.

13. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a power supply control unit for supplying operating power to the comparator only during the prescribed time period while the electronic timepiece is in the data receive mode.

14. An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received data recovery unit comprises an inverter for recovering and outputting the received data by comparing a voltage level of the data voltage signal with a prescribed reference voltage.

15. A system for regulating an electronic timepiece on the basis of data signals transmitted from an external transmitting device, the system comprising:

the electronic timepiece; and

the external transmitting device,

wherein the electronic timepiece includes;

a coil;

a signal input unit for inputting a signal in response to an external operation;

a mode setting unit for switching, in response to the signal, an operation mode of the electronic timepiece between a data receive mode and a normal operation mode;

a synchronization signal generating unit for generating, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, an internal synchronization signal that is synchronized to an external synchronization signal transmitted from the external transmitting device;

a received data recovery unit for recovering, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, received data on the basis of the internal synchronization signal and a data voltage signal induced across the coil by a transmitted data signal from the external transmitting device, and for outputting the received data; and

an operation control unit for placing the received data recovery unit in an operation enabled state only during a prescribed time period while the electronic timepiece is in the data receive mode;

wherein the external transmitting device includes a transmitter unit for transmitting the external synchronization signal and a pre-stored data signal on the basis of signals generated by an oscillating unit.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the coil of the electronic timepiece is a motor coil.

17. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the external transmitting device further includes a receiver unit for receiving a transmission signal transmitted via the coil of the electronic timepiece; and

the transmitter unit generates a regulating data signal based on the received transmission signal and transmits the generated regulating data signal to the electronic timepiece.

18. A control method for an electronic timepiece with a coil comprising:

a mode setting step for switching an operation mode of the electrical timepiece between a data receive mode and a normal operation mode in response to an external operation;

a synchronization signal generating step for generating, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, an internal synchronization signal that is synchronized to an external synchronization signal transmitted from an external transmitting device;

a received data recovery step for recovering, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, a received data on the basis of the internal synchronization signal and a data voltage signal induced across the coil by a data signal transmitted from the external transmitting device, and outputting the received data; and

an operation control step for enabling recovery of the received data in the received data generating step only during a prescribed time period while the electronic timepiece is in the data receive mode.

19. A method for regulating, on the basis of data signals transmitted from an external transmitting device, an electronic timepiece including a coil;

a signal input unit for inputting a signal in response to an external operation; and

a mode setting unit for switching, in response to the signal, an operation mode of the electronic timepiece between a data receive mode and a normal operation mode, the method comprising;

a synchronization signal generating step for generating, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, an internal synchronization signal that is synchronized to an external synchronization signal transmitted from the external transmitting device;

a received data recovery step for recovering, when the operation mode is in the data receive mode, a received data on the basis of the internal synchronization signal and a data voltage signal induced across the coil by a data signal transmitted from the external transmitting device, and outputting the received data; and

an operation control step for, only during a prescribed time period during the data receive mode, enabling recovery of the received data in the received data generating step.