Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With supplemental power source
Patent
1998-11-12
2000-02-01
Miska, Vit
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With supplemental power source
368157, 368204, G04C 2300, G04C 300, G04B 100, G04F 500
Patent
active
060210974
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an analog electronic watch that has a electrical generator with a load-compensation function.
BACKGROUND
The first background art is as follows.
An analog watch that has a load-compensation function, this watch having a stepping motor that is driven by drive pulses, a drive judging means that observes movement of a rotor after a normal drive pulse is applied to the stepping motor and judges whether or not drive was correctly done, and a compensation drive pulse supplying means which, if the judgment was made by the drive judging means that drive was not completely done, supplies a compensation drive pulse to a drive circuit, is already known in the form of a product.
The principle of the load-compensation function is that of performing hand drive at each step with a drive pulse that has an amount of energy that is close to the minimum required energy, and observing the waveform of the electromotive voltage generated in the drive coil by means of the movement of the thus-driven rotor.
If a characteristic waveform is detected, such as occurs when the rotor is not capable of rotating normally through one step, this occurring during drive of the calendar mechanism, and when attached dirt or the like place a suddenly increased load, a compensation pulse having a larger energy (for example, with a larger time width) is immediately supplied once again so that the rotor is reliably driven by one step.
By doing this, the average power consumption from the drive pulses is reduced, so as to lengthen the life of the battery, and misoperation (delay) of the watch is eliminated.
The above-noted technology is already widely applied in electronic watches.
One known publication that discloses this technology is, for example, the Japanese Examined Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. 8-33457.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the above-noted publication (FIG. 6 in this application), a first drive inverter 18, a second drive inverter 19, and the associated circuitry form a stepping motor drive circuit, while a coil open/close pulse supplying means 20, a detection circuit 31, a first rotation detection signal storage circuit 32, a second rotation detection signal storage circuit 33, and the associated circuitry form a drive judging means. A compensation pulse supplying means 50 is also provided.
The stepping motor in the above-noted background art is configured as shown in FIG. 2 (FIG. 7 of this application).
Let us examine the load compensation technology as presented in the above-noted publication. As shown in FIG. 5 of the above-noted publication (FIG. 8 of this application), a voltage pulse having an overall width of 5 ms and which is finally broken up is supplied alternately every 1 second to the ends of the drive coil 28 of a two pole stepping motor as the normal drive pulse.
Each time the rotor 29, which is formed by a permanent magnet, is driven, it does not stop immediately when the drive pulse stops, but rather exhibits free vibration several times, this vibration inducing a voltage in the coil 28.
The waveform thereof naturally reflects the movement condition of the rotor 29, and in the case in which the rotor has completed a feed operation of one step normally, a coil current waveform such as shown in FIG. 4 (FIG. 9 of this application) is obtained.
However, if the gear train load is large, so that the rotor could not rotate normally, a coil current waveform such as shown in FIG. 7 (FIG. 10 of this application) is obtained.
In the case in which the normal drive pulse just barely results in normal rotation, a coil current waveform such as shown in FIG. 10 (FIG. 11 of this application) is obtained.
To observe the voltages waves induced by rotor movement that cause these currents, it is necessary during the free vibration of the rotor, to ground one end of the coil and to continuously or intermittently observe the voltage appearing on the other end, which is left open.
Because of the above, using a coil open/close signal (a narrow pulse that controls the inver
REFERENCES:
patent: 4321521 (1982-03-01), Ueda et al.
patent: 5038329 (1991-08-01), Kaliamura et al.
patent: 5774426 (1998-06-01), Tu et al.
patent: 5889734 (1999-03-01), Sato
Higuchi Haruhiko
Igarashi Kiyotaka
Kanno Fumio
Miyasaka Kenji
Satoh Kohichi
Citizen Watch Company Ltd.
Miska Vit
LandOfFree
Electronic watch provided with an electrical generator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electronic watch provided with an electrical generator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electronic watch provided with an electrical generator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-943195