Watch fitted with an electric motor control case

• US 7,944,777 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Blondeau, Fabien, Jeannet, Nicolas, Sierro, Yves, Godat, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): KAYES, SEAN PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US12/486,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20100002547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 368 76- 81, 368 85- 87, 368155-156, 368200-202
• US Class Current: 368/80
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/001 Electromechanical switches for setting or display in general H01H
• 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

The invention concerns an electronic watch (8) including:

• • a motor (5), a power circuit (7) supplying first and second voltage levels;
  • a case (11), in which there are mounted:
  • first and second (A, D) output connections;
  • a switch (9) actuated by an external actuator to connect the first connection to the second level (Vdd);
  • a control circuit (4) for the motor including first and second three-state gates (12, 14) respectively connected to the first and second connections (A, D), a member (13) selectively connecting the first connection to the first level, the circuit including a test mode wherein the gates are brought to high impedance, the first connection (D) is connected to the first level (Vss), actuation of the actuator is determined as a function of the voltage measured at the output of the first gate.

Claims

1. An electronic watch including:

an electric motor driving analogue display means;

an electric power source supplying first and second distinct voltage levels;

a case in which there are mounted;

first and second output connections;

a control circuit for the electric motor controlling the driving of the motor via the selective application of the first and second voltage levels to the first and second output connections;

an external control actuator;

a switch actuated by the external control actuator to selectively connect the first output connection to the second voltage level;

wherein;

the electric motor control circuit includes first and second three-state gates, said three-state gates being respectively connected to the first and second output connections, with a member selectively connecting the first output connection to the first voltage level;

the electric motor control circuit includes a test mode wherein the first and second gates are brought to high impedance, the first output connection is connected to the first voltage level by said member, the output voltage at the first gate is measured, actuation of the external control actuator is determined as a function of the measured output voltage.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage level is lower than the second voltage level.

3. The electronic watch according to claim 2, wherein the member that selectively connects the first output connection to the first voltage level is a low level return transistor.

4. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the case includes a time base including an oscillator and a resonator, first and second input connections that respectively receive the first and second voltage levels from the power circuit, and wherein the oscillator and the control circuit are arranged in a same integrated circuit.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit stops the electric motor being driven when any actuation of the external control actuator is determined.

6. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit passes into test mode prior to each motor drive command.

7. The electronic watch according to claim 5, wherein the control circuit passes into test mode at least twice before each motor drive command, the control circuit preventing the electric motor from being driven only when the two passages into test mode have detected actuation of the external control actuator.

8. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the case has only four external electric connections.

9. The Electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein, at the end of the test mode, the control circuit applies the voltages applied prior to the test mode to the output connections.

10. The electronic watch according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is a stepping motor.