Time keeping apparatus and control method therefor
First Claim
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1. A time keeping apparatus comprising:
- a generator unit that generates electricity using external energy;
a storage unit that stores the electricity;
a time display unit that displays time by using the electricity supplied from the storage unit;
a generation state detecting unit that detects an operation state of the generator unit and that outputs a detected generation state signal;
a mode switching unit that, responsive to the detected generation state signal, switches an operation mode of the time display unit between a normal operation mode in which the time display operation is performed and a power saving mode in which the time display operation is stopped;
a receiver unit for receiving external time information during the normal operation mode and the power saving mode; and
a current time counting unit that updates current time information by referring to the time that corresponds to the time information received by the receiver unit; and
,wherein the mode switching unit is responsive to the detected generation signal to switch the operation mode from the normal operation mode to the power saving mode when the state of the generator unit is detected to be in a non-generation state.
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Abstract
When a time keeping apparatus is in a power saving mode, performing time display is stopped, and the apparatus periodically receives a time data from outside and sets the data to a second time counter 98 and an hour-and-minute time counter 99. When the operation mode of the time keeping apparatus is switched from the power saving mode to the display mode, the apparatus resumes to display the current time based on the counted values in the second time counter 98 and the hour and minute time counter 99.
24 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A time keeping apparatus comprising:
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a generator unit that generates electricity using external energy; a storage unit that stores the electricity; a time display unit that displays time by using the electricity supplied from the storage unit; a generation state detecting unit that detects an operation state of the generator unit and that outputs a detected generation state signal; a mode switching unit that, responsive to the detected generation state signal, switches an operation mode of the time display unit between a normal operation mode in which the time display operation is performed and a power saving mode in which the time display operation is stopped; a receiver unit for receiving external time information during the normal operation mode and the power saving mode; and a current time counting unit that updates current time information by referring to the time that corresponds to the time information received by the receiver unit; and
,wherein the mode switching unit is responsive to the detected generation signal to switch the operation mode from the normal operation mode to the power saving mode when the state of the generator unit is detected to be in a non-generation state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A time keeping apparatus comprising:
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a storage unit that stores electricity; a time display unit that displays time by using the electricity supplied from the storage unit; a carry-state detecting unit that detects a carry-state of the time keeping apparatus and that outputs a detected carry-state signal; a mode switching unit that, responsive to the detected carry-state signal, switches an operation mode of the time display unit between a normal operation mode in which the time display operation is performed and a power saving mode in which the time display operation is stopped; a receiver unit that receives external time information during the normal operation mode and the power saving mode; and a current time counting unit for updating current time information by referring to the time which corresponds to the time information received by the receiver unit; wherein the mode switching unit is responsive to the detected carry-state signal to switch the operation mode from the normal operation mode to the power saving mode when the carry-state of the time keeping apparatus is detected to be in a non-carried state. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 24, 25)
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20. A method for controlling a time keeping apparatus that comprises a generator unit that generates electricity by converting external energy to electrical energy and a time display unit that performs a time display, the method comprising:
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detecting an operation state of the generator unit and outputting a detected generation state signal; in response to the detected generation state signal, switching an operation mode of the time display unit between a normal operation mode in which the time display is performed and a power saving mode in which the time display is stopped; receiving external time information during the normal operation mode and the power saving mode; updating a current time information that corresponds to the current time by referring to the received external time information; and responsive to the detected generation state signal, switching the operation mode from the normal operation mode to the power saving mode when the state of the generator unit is detected to be in a non-generation state. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method for controlling a time keeping apparatus that comprises a time display unit that performs a time display, the method comprising:
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detecting a carry-state of the time keeping apparatus and outputting a detected carry-state signal; in response to the detected carry-state signal, switching an operation mode of the time display unit between a normal operation mode in which the time display is performed and a power saving mode in which the time display is stopped; receiving external time information during the normal operation mode and the power saving mode; updating a current time information that corresponds to the current time by referring to the received external time information; and responsive to the detected carry-state signal, switching the operation mode from the normal operation mode to the power saving mode when the state of the time keeping apparatus is detected to be in a non-carried state.
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Specification