Electronic device with clock function, time correction...

Details Electronic device with clock function, time correction... Electronic device with clock function, time correction...

2000-04-05

2001-04-17

Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)

Horology: time measuring systems or devices

Plural timepiece system or system device

With wireless synchronization

C368S187000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06219303

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 11-102495, filed Apr. 9, 1999; and No. 2000-071565, filed Mar. 15, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic device with clock function adapted to correct time information based on received time data and a time information correction method.
To date, there has been proposals for time information correction methods using radiocommunications or infrared communications. Besides time information of year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, the format of time data transmitted for infrared communication-based time information correction includes the presence or absence of a time-measuring reference to which the time information is referenced and the type of the time-measuring reference. In this respect, this proposal differs from time correction methods using radiocommunications and GPS to transmit time-measuring reference data. Here, the type of time-measuring reference is information indicating which of a radio controlled clock, a global positioning system (GPS) and an atomic clock the time information is referenced to. The time information somewhat varies in accuracy depending on which of the radio controlled clock, GPS and atomic clock it is referenced to. Therefore, the type of time-measuring reference is also information indicating the accuracy of the time information.
However, the time correction function of conventional electronic devices with clock function makes forced time corrections based on received time information regardless of the accuracy of received time information. For this reason, corrections may be made though the time generated by the clock function is sufficiently accurate so as not to require corrections or changes may be made to less accurate time. This may result in reduced accuracy of electronic devices with clock function.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device which has a clock function built in, which is capable of correcting time-of-day information to a higher level of accuracy.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic device with a clock function comprising clocking means for providing time information; first storage means for storing the time information provided by the clocking means and the type of a time-measuring reference to which the clocking means is referenced; display means for displaying the time information stored in the first storage means; second storage means for storing types of time-measuring references and their respective accuracies in the form of a time-measuring reference-to-accuracy mapping table; receiving means for receiving data transmitted from outside; detect means for detecting time information and the corresponding type of time-measuring reference from the received data by the receiving means; determining means for determining the accuracy of the time-measuring reference detected by the detecting means and the accuracy of the time-measuring reference stored in the first storage means based on the contents of the second storage means; and control means for controlling the contents of the first storage means based on the results of the determination by the determining means.
According to the present invention, since the accuracy of the type of time-measuring reference to which the received time data is referenced and the accuracy of the current time data are compared prior to correction of the current time data, it becomes possible to eliminate such a disadvantage as the current time data information is undesirably corrected by less accurate time information and hence the clock accuracy is reduced.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.
The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5712867 (1998-01-01), Yokeu et al.
patent: 5724316 (1998-03-01), Brunts
patent: 5774057 (1998-06-01), Kausermatter
patent: 5898643 (1999-04-01), Yasuoka et al.

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